2019 People-to-People China Trip
Exchanging Perspectives
Trip Highlights
Host Family Experience
Learning Chinese
Exchanging Perspectives
Trip Highlights
Host Family Experience
Learning Chinese
When visiting a different country for the first time, the first few hours can be a big culture shock. Even navigating the hotel can be an adventure! 2019 Honoree Kiietti shared a poetic reflection on her first few moments in China:
“1st time in China, 1st time in Beijing - Chronicles of the 5th floor Jiang Tai Beijing Hotel”
How to work the elevators - oh, yes, key card
Getting off the elevator - how to locate room (looking at schematic, … found it, yet still scratching head)
The lights inside the room don’t work or do they?? So, how to turn on the lights - again, key card
Evidently, heat is a flowing and guests are a sweating, and that’s a good thing, I guess, since it’s awww, cold
We’re in the Sylvester Stallone aka Rambo room w/ David Buie or Prince guitar memoriam with a clear view to the bathroom from the bedroom area, so…Very little privacy or we’ll all become a bit closer than usual if you catch my drift.
Ni hao, Zhongguo!! Xiexie in advance!!”
A part of what makes People-to-People exchanges so great is that they provide the opportunity to experience parts of a culture that we often only learn about in textbooks, firsthand. This was Victoria’s first trip to China and here’s what she had to say about her experience touring the Forbidden City:
“The Forbidden City was a very fun and interesting landmark to visit. The view was amazing, and I got to take a lot of great pictures. I really enjoyed the tour because I got to learn a lot more about Chinese history and culture. Overall, it was a fantastic experience that I will always cherish.”
2019 People-to-People China Trip update: A few days ago, our participants had the opportunity to experience a traditional Chinese Tea ceremony. Here’s what one of our honorees had to say:
“The tea ceremony showed such a commitment to respect and tradition, both of which have kept tea a tremendous lifestyle of honor, values, remembrance, and appreciation. It’s not just tea; it’s a process and one that’s incredible, filled with awe, beauty and of love.”
One of the most unique aspects of our Annual Alumni China Trip is the emphasis placed on People-to-People exchange between our Alumni and everyday Chinese people. During the Trip, our participants spent the day with host families, allowing our Alumni to walk a mile in their shoes. Here’s what Victoria had to say about the trip:
On December 8, 2019, fellow honoree Isabelle and I spent the day with two amazing host families. I was motivated to go on the trip because I wanted to improve my Mandarin and learn more about Chinese culture through firsthand experience. Visiting a host family was a great way to achieve this. I met two girls around my age named Alice and Jessie and we became friends very easily. We were able to compare our personal and school lives and learn from each other.
During the Trip, participants were given the opportunity to Visit Changsha’s No. 1 High School. They were able to attend a class, practice their Chinese, and experience firsthand the differences between classrooms in the U.S. and China. Here’s what Dennis had to say:
The Chinese class was equally moving, at least for me. At one point in the class, the youngish teacher displayed on the white board a Chinese poem about the loss of loved ones, which he then read aloud, conveying the profound emotion contained in the verses in a performance equal, in my view, of the finest Shakespearean actors. Later in the class the teacher led us in an analysis of selected Chinese characters, then gave a quiz, asking us to analyze three characters on our own. With the help of the students seated next to me, and using Pleco, we successfully deciphered the elements of two of the three characters, but had insufficient time to tackle the third. (Would I ever pass a 10th grade test in China on the origin of Chinese characters?)
During the trip, participants traveled to Beijing and Changsha, the capital city of Hunan province located in the south central region of China.
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