PKU Global Village

Posted on August 11, 2016 by Matt

Peking University has been gracious enough to host the NDiB (Notre Dame in Beijing) students in its international student dorm complex, known as PKU Global Village. In my opinion, the accommodations were very nice (even better than some Notre Dame dorms) and it was very convenient to walk from the dorms to our classroom building. I took the first picture from a pedestrian overpass that connects Global Village to the main campus. And, as you can see, the skies are sometimes blue! The Global Village includes a few convenience stores, some restaurants, and even an underground gym.

Fengshui fountain

Busy work-station

The Last Weekend

Posted on August 11, 2016 by Jessica

Seven weeks flew by so quickly and it feels like I arrived at Beijing International Airport just yesterday. The last weekend led my friends and I feeling bittersweet, but we made the most out of it. We had already gone to a lot of places, so we decided to fill our weekend activities with things we haven’t done yet like visiting the Temple of Heaven, Wangfujing Snack Street, Old Summer Palace, and the Capitol Museum.

My friend, JJ, had one last mission in Beijing and that was to eat a scorpion, so we took the trek to Wangfujing Snack Street and was pleasantly surprised to find squirming scorpions lined up on a stick. I could barely look at it without cringing inside, so I was so amazed when Emma bravely got a stick of scorpions, took out its tail, and grabbed a pair of chopsticks. Her last words were, “When in China, do what the Chinese do.” JJ followed after Emma, but as he was about to eat the scorpions, a bunch of Chinese people crowded around him in awe and took pictures. It wasn’t the first time JJ had a bunch of people take pictures of him, but it was an interesting sight to see a crowd cheering him on as he was fulfilling his last mission.

I had not visited the Old Summer Palace, so on Sunday, I decided to go around 6 p.m. My other classmates told me that it was just a big park and was not worth going to, so I had very little expectations. However, when I arrived and saw the willow trees dip down into a reflective lake with giant Water Lilies crowding its surface, I was in awe of the beauty around me. The best part was the sunset, and for the first time in Beijing, I forgot that there was air pollution and just watched the splashes of orange paint the sky over the lake.

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I definitely think this last weekend summed up my experiences in China so well. I had the opportunity to do (and watch) crazy things, explore the most known and unknown places in Beijing, and find beauty in the most unexpected places. It is a bittersweet feeling knowing that I only have a couple of days left; I am ready to return home and to Notre Dame but I also wish I had one more weekend in China to learn and explore.

Exploring China with My Sister

Posted on August 11, 2016 by Jessica

My sister is a flight attendant so she had the opportunity to work and fly to Beijing to see me. When I stepped into her air conditioned room in a five star hotel and used her very American toilet, it felt like I was in America again and seeing the Hawaiian chocolates and guava juice on the table was so reassuring. With my sister, we were able to hunt down the best Peking Duck restaurant in Beijing, climb the Great Wall together, and explore the other hidden parts of the 798 Art District. My sister had her rough moments, whether it was using the public restroom for the first time or eating authentic cuisine that she was not used to but all in all, it was an amazing experience for us to explore China together.

The weekend was a little challenging for me because I wanted to plan a smooth sailing tour for my sister using the very limited Chinese that I knew. Although it was with much difficulty, it was really satisfying when I realized that I was able to communicate with other locals. At the beginning of the program, the director told us that learning Chinese is a lot like learning how to swim. The best way is to just dump us in the water, and that is exactly what the weekend felt like. There were times when I just could not understand other people and I really had to push myself to communicate to the best of my abilities, but in the end, I left every conversation feeling a little wiser and more confident in my language skills.

During these next couple of days that I have left in Beijing, I am going to miss a lot of the simple things that I took for granted, like the mango ice cream that only costs 12 cents, the amazingly convenient subway that took me all over Beijing, and the guards who greeted me when I was walking to class every day at Peking University. Having my sister over served as a reminder of how much I have grown in this country that have taught me so much, and it was exciting for me to actually see that growth amid the chaos and fast pace of day to day life in China.

China Week 5

Posted on August 10, 2016 by Timothy

After coming back from Xi’An, everything is back to the regular routine again. Class is pretty manageable, and I’m still finding time to do other activities in the city and visit the places I want to go. Recently I took a trip to two very famous markets; the Pearl Market and the Silk Market. These are unlike anywhere I have ever been in the U.S. Infamous for their fake name brand goods, it would be completely ridiculous to go to one of these places without bargaining. The initial price that someone there will ask for is generally several times what they are willing to settle for. I actually really enjoy going to these places, not just because of the cheap prices that one is able to get. Although I was able to get a good amount of gifts for family members here, what I really enjoy is talking to the people there. I will often at the same time as bargaining talk to the workers about everything from where they come from to which country tends to have the most annoying bargainers. It is actually an excellent way to practice Chinese. Sometimes I feel as though my greatest progress in terms of language comes after going to a place like this and just talking to people. The people who work at places like this are also always thrilled to see a foreigner taking an interest in learning Chinese. I can’t believe that I’ve already been here over a month. The feeling is somewhere between a mix between I’ve been here forever, and I got here yesterday.

Xi’An

Posted on August 10, 2016 by Timothy

Marking the halfway point of our time in China, we took a weekend trip as a class to the city of Xi’An. Everything was very interesting, even the train ride over there was something to remember. Lasting about 11 hours, I was in a relatively small room with 4 beds and 6 people. Although it wasn’t the most comfortable night’s sleep, I was able to make friends with some young kids and their parents.

In Xi’An, we of course visited the city’s most famous attraction, the Terracotta Soldiers. The Terracotta Army was built according to the command of Qin Shi Huang to protect him in the afterlife. Built in the 3rd century BC, it remains one of the most greatest wonders of China. It was awe-inspiring to see the lines of thousands of soldiers, each with a unique face, each with its own uniform and weapon. One could only imagine the countless hours of expert work taken to create such a detailed display. The feeling of amazement was tinted by sadness for the incredible mistreatment of those who worked on the soldiers, all of whom were killed afterwords in order to maintain secrecy.

Among the other things we did was a bike trip along the city wall and attend a performance of a classic Chinese poem and piece of history, “The Song of Eternal Regret.” Everything was very enjoyable and was a good way to split up the time in Beijing. Afterwards, I am ready to continue studying.

Final week in China

Posted on August 10, 2016 by Justin

My time in China has come finally come to an end. With only less than three days left till I fly back to the states, I realize how time has flown by this summer in China.

Last Friday night, we had a celebration to mark the end of this program. To be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to it that much but during it and afterwards I realized it was a good time and seeing the slideshow of everywhere we went in China was a good way to show everyone the amount of memories we actually made here. At the event, basically all the students did a performance that was anywhere from hula dancing to performing an impromptu skit of our class where everyone played a different person. We even got out of doing some homework by performing.

During my last real weekend in Beijing I was also able to go to some not so touristy places. One of my teachers recommended to me that I go and visit some hu tongs, which are tight alleys that depict what life was primarily like in traditional Beijing. My teacher even gave me some specific ones to visit. The first thing I did, though, on Saturday was visit the Temple of Heaven, a famous temple in Beijing where ancient Chinese went to pray to heaven for good harvest. This attraction was basically a giant park with various buildings used by the Chinese and is one of the most famous sites in Beijing. After this, though, we still had a lot of time left in the day so we ventured to some of these hu tongs. The place we went to on Saturday was 前门大街，which translates to front gate street. This makes sense since this place is located at where the front gate of the Beijing city wall used to be before it was torn down. It is also right in front of Tiananmen Square. The primary roads of this area are basically big shopping centers with various shops and restaurants. They also call these hu tongs but its not until you walk deeper into the area that you run into the real hu tongs. It is not uncommon in these places to see every man without a shirt on and people playing Chinese Chess on the street.

A section of 前门大街

A group of people playing Chinese chess near a hu tong, ironically because that was one of the topics we had just studied in class

On Sunday, we went to a similar place called 南锣鼓巷 but had some more modern stores and restaurants. I think these paces were definitely worth seeing because they were sites Chinese people actually go to and there wasn’t tourists everywhere I looked.

As I look back on my time in China, I am glad I came and hopefully I can come back again, next time with my Chinese language skills even higher.

Little Victories

Posted on August 9, 2016 by Anissa

As my flight back home comes closer and closer, the more reluctant I am to leave. I knew the summer would feel short, but I didn’t realize how much I would feel at home in Russia. While my Russian still has a long way to go, there are a few events that have proven to me that I have improved despite still feeling utterly incompetent.

Being able to order a meal. It’s not just about the language skills, although this is an important part. There’s a very different set of rules in Russian cafes and restaurants than in America. Waiters and waitresses are to be addressed as “young man” or “girl” which I’m still not entirely comfortable with. There are five or six different ways of ordering, depending on the impression one wants to give. Additionally, one rarely has to pick up one’s tray, even in a fast food place. The system of etiquette goes on and on, and I’m happy to say I can navigate it without too much trouble. I think back to the first meal I ordered and what a mess that was and am astounded at the ease with which I can do it now.
Successfully giving directions. Learning a new city is hard enough without the added difficulty of not being able to speak the language. I tried to visit some place new every single day, to facilitate my learning the city and to see as much of Moscow as possible. During my first week in Moscow, a woman asked me for directions. Not only did it take me a while to understand what she wanted, but I also had to explain it was my first time in that particular Metro station. I frequently get asked for directions, but by this point I not only know where the place is located but have developed the language skills to explain how to get there. I always get a surprised look from the Russian when they first hear my accent (Oh no, I’ve asked a foreigner; they won’t know) but in the end, they understand me and know where to go. It’s something I never thought possible so soon.

Getting my bag repaired. Moscow can be pretty hard on clothes, shoes, and bags. I’ve lost a pair of shoes, an umbrella, and various other things to this city. At one point, one of the straps of my bag ripped off. Fortunately, one of my professors was able to recommend a repair shop not too far from the university. I was successfully able to discuss the repair and price with the repairsman, all in Russian, without any outside help. It was one of the first things I did independently, and I was so satisfied to get it done without too much difficulty.

Holding conversations with Russians without disrupting the flow too much. I can really only do this for two or so hours at a time until my Russian starts to really degrade. All the members in my group had ‘tutors’, who were Russians who were interested in culture exchange and were willing to show us the city, have conversations with us, etc. I used my tutor primarily as a conversation partner. We would walk around a park and chat about our lives and studies. The last time I met with her, we talked for a little more than two hours and I didn’t once not understand her or have to stop to look something in a dictionary. This more than anything really shows me how far I’ve come.

Although my time in Moscow has come to an end, I intend to keep practicing regularly and someday return to Russia. I’ve seen sights I’ve only ever read about, traveled outside of Moscow, and now have an idea of what Russia is really like. It’s not the foreign place it was not so long ago. I can’t imagine not ever coming back.

Tea on the train from St. Petersburg

Finally becoming a Russian grandmother.

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I miss Italy already.

Posted on August 9, 2016 by Regina

I’ve grown to love Italy over the weeks I spent there, and it was so so hard to say goodbye (or “Arrivederci”) to all the people at the school, to the cheap but fresh gelato and pasta, to the beautiful streets and art, to speaking Italian.

From the Facciatone, at the Museum of Duomo

One of the things I’ll remember fondly is the school- my fun and lively teacher Alessia, my lovely classmates (especially those who have been around for most if not all of my time there), the kind and helpful ladies at the reception who had tolerated my stunted Italian in the first few days, another teacher– who is also my personal medieval art guide–Andrea, and other students who I’ve gotten to know really well.

my lovely classmates and Demetria the teaching assistant

picnic at the fortezza with my most diverse friendgroup ever 🙂

I’ll miss these lovely people from UIC and Portland State!

I always had tons of fun in class, which was jam packed with different activities. One of my favorites was learning about the lively gestures Italians use to express themselves, whether it’s to tell someone that the food is really good, to say that someone is crazy, or to gesture that “the party is boring, let’s leave.” I also really enjoyed learning about the colloquial expressions that are used in spoken and informal speech, and the abbreviations young people use in SMS or chats. I cracked up when my Italian friend told me that they say “Top!” to say that “they’re doing really great.” But most of all, I’ll miss playing the games at the last hour of class, whether it’s the dreaded game of Categories, the fun Taboo or Scarabeo (Italian scrabble, whoop!), or the interesting Cultural card game.

playing Scarabeo, the Italian scrabble with my two friends

Looking back to the weeks I spent in school and reflecting on my level in Italian, I’ve definitely improved a lot- especially in listening and speaking. I remember the first day I was in Italy, when I struggled to ask for directions or to order my food in Italian. It’s crazy to realize that after 5 weeks, I was able to have conversations comfortably with the many Italians I met in Krakow for World Youth Day last week, talking about the places I’ve been in Italy, our studies, our favorite food, and many other things. On the week I spent in Krakow, I met Italians from Lombardia, from Napoli, from Parma, and from Padua (my favorite city, and my favorite group of Italians!). My favorite part was seeing their expressions when they realized that I speak Italian. They would have this mix of happy and surprised look on their faces, and then conversation would start from there. When we traded things, one of the girls from Padua gave me an Italian flag! It’s such a perfect “souvenir” to remember both Italy and also the lovely people I met in the World Youth Day.

World Youth Day selfie with the group from Padua!

I remember learning about Italian proverbs and idiomatic expressions in one of the classes that are related to time. One of the expressions was very similar to English: “il tempo vola.” It is basically the Italian version of the saying, “time flies.” It definitely applies for this summer- it went by so fast! It felt like I just left home for Italy yesterday. I can’t believe that classes start in about two weeks from now!

I will definitely cherish the memories I had in Siena, and I will embrace every opportunity to keep practicing and speaking Italian even when I come back to the US. I have lists of Italian movies and books I want to get my hands on, and I’m excited to go through them. But most of all, I hope that I could return to Italy in the near future!

oh Siena, mi mancherai :’)

Journey to the East

Posted on August 8, 2016 by Matt

Leaving Denver International Airport

This is my first trip to Beijing, China, and Asia, not to mention the farthest distance I’ve ever traveled from home, taking a 14-hour flight from Denver, CO, and connecting in San Francisco, before landing at Beijing International Airport. Thankfully, the two people sitting in my row had some interesting stories to share!

One was a Chinese man from Chengdu, and the other was an American tech/business professional who coincidentally works with Indiana University in Bloomington. He has been giving presentations in China on how to use different kinds of technology to automate the English learning process for Chinese students and assist them in applying to American universities.

This sparked an intriguing conversation on Chinese approaches to education (including the infamous “Tiger Mom” phenomenon) and Chinese culture in general. China has proven to be a remarkable example of economic growth in the past few 7.3.16 iPhone 039 decades. As an Economics and Chinese major considering future research topics, since landing in Beijing, I’ve been considering the cultural differences between China and the West, as well as such pressing challenges as pollution, public safety, and educational and political reform, and how China and the West compare. This will be a recurring topic throughout the blog.

Once I landed in Beijing, I met one of my new teachers, Li laoshi, at the airport. We took a cab to Peking University via Beijing’s 4th Ring Road (The city has 6, and is currently building a 7th).

The first thing that struck me about Beijing was its sheer size, the highways lined with sprawling arrays of apartment complexes and business parks. Traffic was at times unbearable, as no driver seemed to have the slightest concept of traffic lanes, indicators, or right of way for pedestrians and cyclists (Our cabbie drove over the dividing line for the majority of the trip, as he manoeuvred through the congested streets). The pollution was definitely noticeable as we made our way to PKU, but over the following days, the skies were unusually clear. As it had been explained to me, the rain and wind patterns have a big

Customs at Beijing International Airport (Waiguoren Only)

Customs at Beijing International Airport (So Many Waiguoren)

effect on pollution levels, and since it had been raining often, we were able to enjoy unseasonably low pollution.

At the moment, I seem to be having trouble uploading pictures of the roads and buildings I saw on my to campus. Look out for future edits!

4th Down and Goal to Go

Posted on August 7, 2016 by Haejin

A little sports reference there because I really miss being able to watch sports (less than one month for CFB!!!). It’s the Olympics, and I swear the people in charge of broadcasting in France must hate real entertainment, because I’ve been getting ping-pong instead of Team USA Basketball… just disgraceful.

Fun fact, I was chosen to speak to a local journalist about my school C.I.E.L Bretagne. However, I ended up mostly just talking to the director of the school about myself, as she gave all my info to the lady who wrote the article. Here’s the photo from that newspaper

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Not ashamed to say that I love cargo shorts, but this is a bad picture. I was running late that day just threw things on…

I think by now I have pretty well adjusted to public transportation here in Brest. By that, I mean that I am no longer timidly getting on the bus, or struggling to find the stops. Also, in shops, people have mostly stopped replying to me in English when I speak French, so that seems good too. I can go in, order food, ask questions about prices, all in French. Next step is to get my hair cut…

This week in the higher level was great. The focus was on different tenses like the Anterior Future, the Conditional Past, which I had knowledge of, but not mastery, so as usual, it was time well spent. The oral comprehension is definitely less challenging now. I can now understand some parts of readings and priest’s homily at mass (which is up from absolutely nothing the first few masses). And at the dinner table, it’s also definitely a solid improvement as well, though the arguments are still not fully comprehensible. These oral comprehension gains have thus translated to my schooling as well. I struggled with those sections on my prior weekly assessments but I think I did much better this time around (when I get my test back we can confirm my suspicions).

On a side note I’ve found that in my spare time, (mostly weekend nights when I’m not going to the beach, walking around Brest, or spending time with my hosts), watching French movies/TV with French subtitles is really useful for learning and retaining vocabulary. If there are new words, I write them down, while seeing the ones I’ve learned thus far helps solidify my understanding and memorization. I’ll admit, I have what they say in French the heart of an artichoke, which is to say I’m a sucker for romantic stories. Thus, I really liked Les Emotifs Anonymes, a fun lil’ Rom-Com on Netflix.

This week’s community interaction as actually really convenient to do at home, as I live with an immigrant family. My host dad is the son of 1^st generation Portuguese immigrants, while my host mom came here from Vietnam as a child. I was relieved to learn that they did not think they were treated any differently here in Brittany for their ethnic minority statuses, except for a few remarks made towards my host mom in school (I totally understand that experience given my background as an Asian American. Even the week before I left for France, some elementary school kids at my neighborhood basketball court made imitations of Asiatic languages towards me, and said that I didn’t speak English. But I digress, that’s just bad parenting).

On the other hand, my hosts both agreed that racial discrimination and prejudice is stereotypically more prominent in southern France (think Marseille area, they noted), and it goes towards the Muslim Arabic communities, especially right now with the refugee crisis. I thought this might explain why my hosts didn’t receive particularly different treatment, because neither of my hosts are a part of this demographic.My hosts obviously were quick to condemn such behavior from their countrymen and the Front National, which they said was just no good. But based on that description, it would seem to me that the social climate here with Arabs is similar to that of the United States with African Americans, but perhaps not as historically problematic (as in there was no slavery or Jim Crow).

If I could give a comparison of my views as a denizen of Northern Virginia (as I cannot speak for all of the United States) with the views of my host family here, I would say the views are similar. We agree that racial discrimination is an abhorrent abomination upon free society, and acknowledge that at times, certain minorities have had a different experience than the majority population; while none at this house have been an outright target, we recognize that discrimination exists to this day.

Whew, that was an intense tea-time snack I’ll tell you that.

And there you go, another week gone. I’m officially over the hump! Thanks for reading.

SLA Profiles (2016)

Yearly Archives: 2016