I N T E R N AT I O N A L M A G A Z I N E
WINTER 2012 | vol. 1 no. 3
4.0 | FEATURES
At Tsinghua, I can choose from a wide range of classes and transfer the credits back to the University of Utah. Not only do they offer Chinese culture and language, but also business, global affairs, law and engineering courses in English. The class ratio tends to be very small depending on the course, so we receive a lot of individual attention and make close friends. My study abroad classmates come from countries like Korea, Japan, Africa, Sweden, Germany and Australia. Tsinghua also has many opportunities to become involved in student groups, such as Tai Chi Club, Nun Chuck Association, Tea Drinking club, and, of course, Chinese Culture Club. But if clubs don’t suit you, there’s always one of the 10 cafeterias or many sports fields on campus to meet new friends. One thing I love most about being in China is the food. It’s always made fresh to order. Of course you have the classics -- Beijing roast duck, kungpao chicken, mapo tofu, jiaozi (dumplings); but that’s not even the half of it. China is made up of eight different distinct cuisines and you can find all of them in Beijing. One of my favorites is the Xinjiang style cuisine, representing the large Uyghur population. It’s often you’ll find an Islamic restaurant barbecuing succulent mutton kebabs outside their door and baking disks of crisp flatbread in an open pit oven.
overwhelming. But as time passed, I gradually became more comfortable with the Chinese community, and more importantly, it’s helped me grow as an individual. I used to be timid when speaking to locals and it seemed they felt the same way towards me. But now once I offer a friendly “Ni hao! (Hello!)”, their faces light up with enthusiasm and excitement. We talk about the weather, differences in the U.S. and even the more nosy details of my life, purely out of curiosity. It’s the personal one-on-one interactions that make our curiosities of others suddenly clear. Living here, my preconceptions about the country have vanished. It is something that has permanently changed not only my view of society, but has enhanced my embracement of diversity and different cultures. I found that I cannot learn from just looking to truly understand a place. You need to hear, see, smell, taste, and speak Beijing. The study abroad program has opened my eyes to the richness of the world. I will be saddened to leave China this summer, but at the same time, I’m excited to tell fellow students about it when I return to Utah. I’ve been given numerous experiences that I cherish. It’s been a truly priceless adventure.
China, in terms of money, is a college student’s dream. While the currency exchange rate is still 6.5 Chinese Yuan to one U.S. dollar (USD), most American students can live quite comfortably. Our student ID’s can be used nearly everywhere for half off the admission to parks and movies, and the cost of meals. For lunch, it costs a whopping 69 cents (U.S.) to eat at school. School textbooks are at most 5 USD. And the bicycle that can be bought for the price of a t-shirt is not only a contribution to your health, but the environment around you. In fact, living in China has made me a more economical and environmentally conscious student. While this country rapidly develops, China and its people still have a strong tie to tradition. On every door of every home, hutong and hotel you’ll find an upside-down Chinese character meaning ‘luck is coming’. At hospitals and pharmacies, you have either the choice of western medicine or traditional. On the bus, you can see people from the clinic holding a week’s worth of bitter, herbal medicine in paper bags, while at the same time talking on iPhones. In the parks, you’ll hear people practicing Peking opera and playing instruments dating back to the Tang Dynasty. Everywhere you look there’s a history lesson to be found.
CHINA BOUND n
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Charlotte Conerly
ver since I was a little girl watching Big Bird in China and The Last Emperor I have always dreamed of going to China. Thanks to the University of Utah’s study abroad program and scholarship opportunities, my dream came true in the summer of 2010. Currently, I am participating in the year-long study abroad program in Beijing, China. From the first day I walked off of the plane, living and studying in Beijing has opened my eyes and broadened my horizons considerably.
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Out of the several universities offered, I selected Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. Tsinghua is built on the Qing dynasty old summer palace grounds and is revered as “China’s MIT”. All Chinese parents push their children to study hard and receive the highest exam scores simply to go to this university. The opportunity to study alongside many of China’s top students is extraordinary. Not to mention, I’m thrilled to participate in the university’s 100th anniversary celebration this month.
I also enjoy seeing and learning about old Beijing. On weekends I usually stroll through the hutongs (alleyways) to go to the market and buy groceries. People sit outside fanning themselves under the ginkgos and play cards, bird cages hang in the trees, and elderly couples saunter about as if the day will never end. Every morning the knife sharpening man rides by on his bicycle yelling “moo daoo leiiiii!” and firecrackers go off in the distance to chase away evil spirits from a newly wedded couple. And no matter what day of the year, the bike repairman is always on the corner of the street waiting to greet you with a hello. At first, I was apprehensive about submerging myself into a new culture. The differences in language, government and society can sometimes be
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