VIDEO BLOGS

There will continue to be video blogs uploaded once the travellers return to the US. It is very difficult to upload videos to the internet from China, so it will be much faster after the trip ends. You can find them and watch the experiences here: www.youtube.com/user/TylerPalma and they will also continue to be linked to this blog page. Keep an eye out!

LOVE - TYLER PALMA

I’m going to start off by saying that I simply refuse to believe that there is less than a week left of our stay in China; it can’t be time to go back to the states yet, it just can’t. They say that some experiences are life-changing, and I have no doubts that this exchange fits the description. My time here in China is something that I will cherish and take with me for the rest of my days.

I’ve made no secret of the fact that I have fallen in love with this country. Sure, it’s not always easy – what with not completely knowing the spoken language, and only being able to make out some basic characters – but being able to see the magnificent cities, the absolutely stunning countryside, and the awe-inspiring heritage sites and landmarks makes any language barrier worth it. More than once during the time here I’ve caught myself saying things like “I’m going to move out here one day,” or imagining staying here for longer, and I’ve also started to look into applying to exchange for a whole semester here at CTBU. Just recently, I and the other Widener students traveled to Xi ‘an, where we visited the mountain tomb of a Tang Dynasty emperor. While there, Kennedy and I took a path off the regular trail and had what I can only describe as a breath-taking panoramic view of miles and miles of the Chinese countryside. I had to take a moment as I breathed a nearly silent “Wow,” and tried to take in the entire scene and burn it into memory (I then took several pictures and a video).

I wish that I could commit this whole trip, every new food, friend and experience, to my mind forever – but I’m unfortunately not gifted with photographic memory, so that’s why I’m glad to have all of the video blogs I’ve been putting together [which will continue to be uploaded after the trip ends (it’s easier to upload them from the US)] so that I can look back on them in the future to refresh my memory, and never lose the love I’ve found for China.

XI' AN "X"PERIENCES - KERRI LEHMAN

We just got back from Xi’an and it was an amazing experience! We set out for the train station early Sunday morning and took the extremely long eleven-hour train ride from Chongqing to Xi’an. Even though it was a long ride, we managed to have a good time on the train. Megan and I were being goofy and took a selfie every hour during the train so you can see the gradual changes of how we felt during the entire eleven hours. We ended up with a pretty funny collection of selfies of the two of us. We finally arrived in Xi’an at around 9:00PM and went to the hotel, which was quite nice. We all settled in, then set out to dinner, then cleaned up and went to bed. The next morning, we were up fairly early and set out on a forty-five minute drive to the site where the Terra Cotta army was discovered. On our way there, we stopped at the Terra Cotta Army factory. At the factory, they make authentic terra cotta warriors, and we had the chance to learn about how they are made, and see them in different stages of the process of being created. After seeing the factory, we continued to the site of the army. I cannot even explain what it was like when we walked into the building where the warriors were, and the feeling we all got when we saw them in person. I have learned so much about the Terra Cotta Army in school and seen so many pictures; I never imagined having the opportunity to see them with my own eyes. The pictures of the warriors don’t even do them justice, they were so amazing! When the army was discovered, just about all of them were broken into pieces, but since then, many of them have been pieced back together. I liked that they displayed many of the warriors that were fixed, but they also showed what it looked like when the warriors were discovered. Seeing their original condition gives you an idea of how much work and effort the archeologists had to put into restoring them. After seeing the Terra Cotta army, we went to the Huaqing Hot Springs, which served as the winter palace for the Emperor during the Tang Dynasty. The palace was enormous and absolutely beautiful! All of the buildings were what you would think of as “classic” Chinese architecture, and the surrounding area was incredible, with a lot of foliage, koi ponds, and a mountain in the background.

            Our next day in Xi’an started out with visiting an amazing temple where one of the Buddha Relics is being kept. The entire temple was made up of many different buildings, some of which are only a couple years old, and others which are hundreds of years old. Once again, the architecture was incredible, and there were many beautiful statues as well. After seeing the temple, we went to see the tomb of one of the emperors during the Tang dynasty, but the tomb ended up being closed. Instead of seeing the tomb, we ended up climbing the mountain there which was so much fun! It was a really steep path up to the mountain, but the view on top was so worth it! We had a great time on top of the mountain, and of course, took probably about one hundred pictures. Dr. Huang always makes fun of us for taking as many photos as we do, but hey, we’re making memories! Finally, we headed to the train to take a night train back to Xi’an. Most of us have never taken a night train before, so it was quite the experience. There were tiny rooms with four beds in each. Megan, Casey, Janki, and I got lucky and ended up in the same room, so we all hung out for a while before going to bed. Sleeping for most of the ride certainly made it go a lot faster! Even though it was a long trip to get to and from Xi’an, I definitely think it was worth it! We saw some really incredible sights while there that I will never forget. 

RELIGION AND HISTORY - JANELLE ROUSE

Yesterday I had the honor of walking around the Dazu Stone Carvings and learning about the Buddha. I was amazed at the size and details of these stone carvings that were carved from the mountainside. I think that this was the highlight of my trip because while visiting The Great Wall and The Forbidden City were marvels to me, I found that learning the history and the meaning behind the religion practiced in this country. I love learning about other religions and as I was born and raised in a Christian home, this experience opened my eyes a great deal. It was awe-inspiring to see the amount of dedication that it had taken to carve such magnificent stories into the side of the mountain.

I have been experiencing a bit of culture shock while being here in China because everything is so different here. Not just the religion, but also the fashion, the food, even the bathrooms! I think the thing that has shocked me the most is the way that the Chinese people react to the sight of foreigners. They stare and take pictures of me all the time. I think that Black skin and kinky hair is an anomaly here. Several times people have attempted to touch me and touch my hair. I have gained appreciation for the way that the United States is such a melting pot of colors, people, and languages. It is not strange for us to see people who look different from us because we all look different. I am thoroughly enjoying myself and being in the mountainous city of Chongqing has seriously sculpted my legs: so much walking! I am looking forward to the upcoming events on campus and especially looking forward to going to Xi’ an to see the Terra Cotta soldiers.

LEARNING TO APPRECIATE HOME - BIANCA CHANG

I love it here in Chongqing. The people here are amazing and friendly, and I love my partners. One thing that I feel as if it makes people mad is how I cannot speak Mandarin, even though I am a Chinese American and I was raised speaking Cantonese. They are always wanting to talk to me in Mandarin and I get flustered because they do not understand what I am saying, and vice versa. The atmosphere is very different from America because when you walk off campus, you can smell the aroma of street food. I love the street food more than eating at a restaurant because I feel as if it has more flavors in it. From where the dorms are at, it is easy to get anywhere because the subway station is right next to the university, which is convenient. The things here are very inexpensive compared to America, which is nice for us because we can buy a lot without having to pay a great amount of money.

            The experience so far here at CTBU has been amazing. From making friends with all the other international students to going out and exploring the city, it has honestly been an amazing time. This is the most fun I have ever had with such an amazing group of people. As the days go by, I realized how spoiled we really are in America. We have toilets to sit on with toilet paper always provided for us, we always have cars to take us everywhere we go, and most places will have air conditioning. This makes me appreciate what I have more at home because the people here do not have that type of luxury. I am grateful for everything that I have and I am so thankful to be able to have an experience of a lifetime.

THE ADVENTURES IN CHINA CONTINUE

First the Dazu Stone Carvings, some of the most beautiful sculptures in the world, depict the life of Buddha and are etched around the side of a beautiful mountain.

Kerri and Jeremy in front of the sleeping Buddha

(left to right) Devangi, Casey, Kerri, Megan, Jeremy and Bianca

Our two weeks participation in the cultural and academic program concludes with a party during which the participants demonstrate their own cultural arts.

Kerri and Megan

Devangi performing a traditional Indian dance 

Jeremy and a new friend

Megan and Jeremy at the Evening Party

Megan in traditional Chinese costume

Tyler introducing Devangi

And now for a night of Kareoke.

Keon and Janelle at Kareoke

Professor Huang as a Kareoke star

Dr. Dyer and Kerri going for a ride

THE GREAT WALL VLOG (a bit late)

The Great Wall

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES - MEGAN DOWNEY

My time in China so far has been a great experience for me. Since it is my first time out of the country I am very interested in learning about the culture and the people. Seeing the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and Dazu Stone Carving has allowed me to improve my understanding of Chinese history and their way of life. This has helped me better understand diversity and how culture varies around the world.

My favorite part of the trip has been getting to know my partners, Chinese students here at CTBU who help us international travelers to better adjust to being in China, as well as students from all around the world. I’ve also become closer with the Widener students on the trip. I have enjoyed hearing about so many different ways of life and seeing how diversity helps bring the world together.

The biggest culture shock for me has been how many bathrooms there do not provide any toilet paper or soap. I also was surprised by how the eastern style toilets are so low to the ground, but I’ve been doing my best to adjust and embrace the difference. I also had an accident during our time in Chongqing. I and some friends were walking down the street in a local shopping area called Nanping, and I tripped over a small step, cutting my knee. At this time, though I didn’t realize it, I also sprained my ankle. The next day I couldn’t walk at all and I had to go to the hospital, where they wrapped my foot in medicinal herbs and gave me crutches. This was unfortunate however, because I and the other Widener students lived on the top floor of the dorm building, so several times during that period, Jeremy and Tyler had to give me piggyback rides up the stairs to the seventh floor! I felt very bad for them but I was also extremely appreciative to have such great friends. My ankle is doing much better now and I’m walking normally again. Now I’m even more excited for the trip than I was before!

AN INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE - JEREMY CAVANAUGH

Before coming to China, I was very excited about going on the trip. I have traveled to Europe before and my experience was more enjoyable than I could have asked for. When I heard about the wonderful opportunity to go to China, I knew it would be an opportunity I couldn't let pass me by. I did not know much about the history or culture of China, yet I was instantly eager to embark on the trip, hoping to learn more. The CTBU seminar class helped me prepare for the trip by showing me what to expect and familiarizing me  with some of the Chinese language. My past abroad experiences made me excited for the new journey’s experiences, along with the great people I would meet on the trip.

            So far I have had an amazing time during the trip. My favorite part has been meeting new people from other countries. While I was sitting at a table at Shao Kou, or Chinese barbecue, I was surrounded by international students from all over the world. I've made friends from France, China, the Netherlands, Thailand, Indonesia and The United Kingdom. This is especially interesting to me because I’m majoring in international business. These friends are all very warm and welcoming, and are just as interested in hearing about America and our culture as I and the other American students are to hear about their countries and cultures. I hope that during the rest of the duration of the trip we can become even closer friends - or “mates” as some of them might say - and stay in contact with one another even after we return home.

GREAT OPPORTUNITIES - KERRI LEHMAN

So far, China has been an incredible, and enriching experience! I cannot begin to explain what it is like to become immersed in a new culture; to live with the people and experience how they live. We have been at CTBU for four days so far, but it seems like we have been here for so much longer. I have met so many amazing people so far, and made some incredible friendships that will last a lifetime. In only these four days, it seems like we have known everyone forever. CTBU has been extremely hospitable and has hosted some great events for us, constantly keeping us happy and entertained. There has not been a moment so far during this trip where I have been bored, and I think everyone else would agree.
     Recently, Megan and I moved from the seventh floor with all the Widener students, to the second floor with some of our new European friends. Poor Megan fell one night when we were in Nanping and ended up spraining her ankle. It seemed pretty unreasonable for Tyler and Jeremy to carry her up and down seven flights of stairs at least three times a day, so we were moved down to the second floor. We were a little unhappy at first because our new room was not quite as clean as our room on the seventh floor had been, but with a little hard work and elbow grease, the room was much better. Living on the second floor also gave us an opportunity to become closer with the people on the floor. There are students from Great Britain, Kenya, Thailand, and Holland on our floor who were quick to welcome us to our new floor and help us out with anything we needed now that we were far away from our Widener friends.
     From making dumplings, to a scavenger hunt in the city, to a night boat cruise, CTBU has not given us a second to be bored.

The activities that they are providing for us have been so much fun, and allowed us to make new friends. I have to say, I am amazed at how many activities CTBU has provided for us in these past four days, and I am so thankful for their hospitality and generosity.  I can't even begin to write out everything that we have done so far, and explain how much fun we have been having, and I would say this has definitely been one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I look forward to everything we are doing for the next week, and continuing to spend time with our new friends, and to make more friends!

CHONGQING CONNECTION

We arrived in Chongqing on Sunday afternoon.  So much has happened since our arrival.  At the welcome ceremony, Tyler delivered a speech on our behalf thanking our hosts.

We went out exploring that evening and found President Obama. 

We had dinner with new friends.

Funny Jeremy picture contest entries.

 Another evening out.

 A dumpling party

OUR SECOND DAY IN BEIJING

Today we toured the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square.  The history is fascinating and complex.

And of course, another wonderful meal.  

THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA IS SPECTACULAR

The group visited the Mutianyu entrance to the Great Wall of China.  It was breathtakingly spectacular and breathtaking to climb.

A View of the Great Wall 

Keon taking a rest

Kerrilyn -- Oh!! I made it!!!

Janelle soaking up the experience

Not sure this quite worked the way is was supposed to . . .

Janelle at the top

And now for a well-deserved lunch . . .