I am very excited to go to China this spring break. Ever since I saw the itinerary of what our activities in China were going to be my anticipation of the trip has grown. I am eager to try non-Americanized Chinese food, see all the unique and beautiful Chinese cultural centers, and meet some of the Hefei students so that I can learn about them and their lifestyle. Since I have not used my Chinese communications skills very much outside of the classroom I am a little nervous to interact with others in Chinese; however I know that I will never forget this amazing experience and I will be able to learn a lot from taking this trip. --Abby Kaye
I expect that China will be very different than the US. The schools that we will go to in Hefei will also be very different than our school and the student life and schedule will be structured differently. I’m also expecting that the people we meet in China will be much better at speaking English than we are at speaking Chinese. I expect that the cities in China will be denser populated than the cities in America that we’re used to. Overall, I expect that it will be very different but also interesting. --Robbie Foley
I’m coming into the trip with high hopes. With all of the places we will be visiting and with all the amazing food we will get to eat, I sometimes find it hard not to get excited! If I had to chose one event I am most looking forward to, it would be the dumpling making we will do. From having them homemade before, and knowing how delicious they taste, I can’t wait to dive into the task. Although I may be a little nervous at first visiting a He Fei student’s family, I’m sure it will be a wonderful experience. Between enjoying time with my friends on the train rides and flights, and immersing myself in the Chinese culture, there really will be little time I have nothing to do. I can’t wait for the trip to come! --Andrew Kennedy
I’m really excited about this trip. I don’t travel much at all so I’m really glad that I get to travel so far away from home. While I’m really nervous about the long flight as I’ve only been on two other airplane flights in my life, I worried for the whole check in process and losing my luggage and such. I’m also nervous about staying with a host family, hoping that my Chinese is good enough for me to be able to communicate well. I hope that, in being fully immersed in the culture and the language that I have a better understanding of it when I get back home, and that I also become closer with my classmates and teachers during the trip.--Aziza Corbett
We have a little less than two weeks before leaving for China! I don’t know what to think right now. It’s hard to imagine what it will be like or what to expect from a country so large and with so many people. I am glad that I have the opportunity to broaden my perspective of the world and understand a culture so different from my own. I am most excited for arriving in Shanghai, Beijing, and speaking with the natives. I think I know enough Chinese to start a good conversation. Right now, I am most worried about keeping track of my passport, the current pollution levels in certain cities, and whether or not I’ll like the food. I can’t wait to experience China for myself and compare it to what I imagined China would be like before going. I hope that everyone on this trip has a chance to get to know each other better, because sometimes we don’t take the time to get to know people we don’t already know. Basically, I can’t wait; I’m counting down the days until we leave for China. Great Wall, here we come! --Sydnie Boykins
I am so excited to go to China! I think it will be very interesting because we are going to see so many different parts of the country and different aspects of the culture. This is something I could never do on my own, and I hope to make the most of it while we are there. I hope being in China will force me to improve my language efficiency. I am worried about the language barrier, especially for the night we get to stay with a family, but I hope I can be creative and find a way to use the Chinese I have learned to communicate. I am still most nervous for this night with another family. I think it will be a little uncomfortable, but I also think this night will be very rewarding because I will get to see how another family lives and learn about their views and ideas. China has a huge history and a very different culture from ours, so I am really excited to visit the different sites and monuments. I think that going to the five different cities will allow us to see so much of the country and really learn about the lives of people half way across the world. I can't wait for this trip! --Kendall Silwonuk
As soon as my classmates started talking about spring break
and all of the cool places that they would be going it hit me that the China
Trip was only two weeks away. I thought of all of the preparations that still
had not taken, the long plane flight over to Shanghai, and all of the
interactions that I would have in China. Immediately a wave of nervousness
overflowed me because of all of the uncertainty I felt revolving around the trip.
How would people react to my American ways? Would I make a devastating cultural
mistake that would offend them? All of these question were swirling around me,
and I felt over whelmed. I have been to many countries in the past but never
without a tour guide or in the confines of a hotel. This week I began to
finally relax and realize all of the great experiences that I would have
cemented in my memory for the rest of my life. This was a once in a lifetime
trip and once I got over the pre-trip anxiety I was able to finally appreciate
that. At this point I am beyond ecstatic for this trip. I can't wait to hop on
the plane and see what experiences China holds for me. --Zachary Shepelak
I am pretty excited to go to
China but also pretty scared. I am really looking forward to sightseeing and
spending time in China and learning more about the culture. I am pretty scared
to visit the school though. I feel as though my Chinese speaking level is not
up to par for this but I'll do my best. I am also very excited to eat food
there. I heard it is very different from american chinese food. --Carter
Kistler
I have really high hopes for the China trip. I expect the trip to be awesome. Over the course of the trip, I hope I can improve my Chinese speaking abilities, as well as grasp a better understanding of Chinese culture and lifestyle. I’m also expecting to eat some great Chinese cuisine. I’m really excited to see all the sights, and am looking forward to going to the market. Finally, I think the flight to and from will give me a lot of time to be productive. --Nathan Salon
I am very excited to have the chance to visit China! My dad
has visited China a couple of times, and he always tells me about his
experiences. He told me that the cities were very modern---even more modern
than some of the famous cities in the U.S., like New York. So, when we arrive
in some of the major cities like Beijing and Shanghai, I cannot wait to see all
of the tall buildings and crowded streets. He also told me about one of the
downsides of China, the pollution. The pollution is probably the only thing
that I am worried about for this trip. Also, I think I will be a little
apprehensive about the food. I will try to make myself try everything, even if
the meal is more exotic than I am used to. My dad has tried to reassure me by
telling me that the food is very fresh. I also cannot wait to visit the Great
Wall. I have always just wanted to see how big it actually is. All in all, I am
beyond excited to go on the China trip. I know that it will be an experience I
will never forget! --Olivia Sirak
Among
all of the other places we’ll see, I’m especially excited to go to the
Great Wall and see it in person. I’ve heard that it’s really high and
that it’s much more impressive in person. I’m also really excited to
meet all of the Chinese students and get to know them! --Meredith Schroeder
Hi! I’m James. I’m very excited to travel to China in what will be my first visit ever to Asia. I enjoy studying Chinese and am especially intrigued by the Terra-cotta warriors and the tomb of the first Qin emperor. I am in Chinese 3 at my school and also take Spanish 1. One big difference between China and America that struck me was the sanitation. While the United States doesn’t have the world’s cleanest air, I recently discovered that Beijing has perhaps the worst air quality in the world, necessitating our group to don dust masks for the bulk of our visit. All things considered, I am not too worried about this trip. My favorite activity will probably be eating as I have read about the eclectic array of cuisine that flourishes in Chinese culture. And the Great Wall will be just great. --James Danison
I’m so excited to go to China!
There’ll be so many new experiences! I’ve never bargained before, so I’ll
probably be horrible at it. I’m probably most nervous/excited for living with a
host family. I hope I can do a good job of representing American culture (but
when your country is known as a melting pot, it’s hard to do that...) I hope I
can learn some Chinese idioms and teach my host family some funny English
words. I most interested in seeing what home life is like. And of course I’m
looking forward to trying all the awesome real Chinese food. --Emily
Cipriani
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