Arrival

Upon landing in Beijing I immediately noticed the buzz of activity which surrounds the Metropolis. The variety of vehicles on the road was impressive and the behavior of the drivers also reflected the seeming restlessness of the city. After meeting up with Cory Niu, my host brother who had stayed with me this last winter, we dropped Ms. Zhang off at her hotel. Being the only student on the trip, I would be staying with Cory while in Beijing. Upon arriving at the Niu residence we exchanged gifts and caught up. But, being tired, I shortly retired to bed.

Beijing                                                       Tiananmen Square

The next day was my first day of school. Transportation in Beijing is more friendly to non-drivers than any other city I have been to; the buses go everywhere and the Chinese “ubers” are plentiful. School started at 8am so we usually left around seven to go eat at school. My main points of contact at Beijing 8 were the college counselors. They planned all of my activities and made sure I was comfortable at school. Since I was attending the Sino-American Branch of Beijing 8, there are college counselors who help students navigate the sometimes unorganized or confusing process of applying to American universities, just like the counselors at MBA.

At school I took many classes which American students would not have in their curriculum. These classes teach many skills which MBA students would take for granted such as critical analysis, essay writing, and English. These classes help the Chinese students prepare for the American college system. The students are at a disadvantage on the SAT because they are not native English speakers but most make up for the language barrier by being well prepared in Math throughout their careers as students. Other than the English classes I took other courses such as economics and AP Biology.

Sites

In Beijing I alternated between full days of school and half-days. On the half-days, I visited may sites in Beijing with my teacher escort. We visited Tiananmen Square, the People’s museum, and the Beijing Zoo, just to name a few places. My first weekend in China was the annual Dragon Boat Festival. While we did not race any boats, Cory and I made the pilgrimage to the Great Wall. The wall was everything I have ever read or heard about, truly a wonder of the world. On the second day of the festival, we visited the Forbidden City. The palace complex was one of the most extraordinary places I have ever been in; I was impressed how empty it felt even with all the thousands of tourists inside and in the vicinity. There, Cory, his mom, and myself experienced and entire day of relaxation and learning at the museum. Another day, we visited the Summer Palace gardens, just a few miles away. The gardens were peaceful and captured the tranquility of Chinese Gardens. The third day, Cory's mom and I visited the Old Summer Palace. The palace had some of the most unique architecture in China since parts of it were designed by Italian and French architects. The rest of the week I attended school and visited many other sites such as the People's Military Museum. On my last day of school, the headmistress gave me a Beijing 8 class ring as a memento.

The Main Campus of Beijing 8

The Great Wall

Shanghai

After two weeks in Beijing, I bid my goodbyes to Cory and his family and embarked an a high speed train to Shanghai. Hurtling through the countryside on a train was not unlike driving down an interstate here in America. I met Ms. Zhang at a stop on the way. Upon arrival in Shanghai, I was escorted by teachers from the WLSA program at the school in Shanghai to a school apartment. Once again I was alone in a new city. The time in the apartment gave me lots of opportunity for self reflection on my time in Beijing. The next day I spent with Tanya, one of the teachers from school. We went shopping at one of the biggest malls in China and visited various gardens all around the city. In the evening, we met up with Ms. Zhang and went on a sightseeing riverboat tour. Seeing the whole city lit up at night was awesome. The next day, I went to school and met lots of students who were familiar with America. I spent all of my free time inundated with questions about certain aspects of Chinese and American culture and relations. After my day at school, I was introduced to my next host brother, Peter, and his family. We took the train to his house for the weekend. That evening, I was informed that we would not be staying in Shanghai but were going to drive West for a wedding. One of my host mother's former students was getting married.

My Host Family in Shanghai

Suzhou

The next day we traveled to one of the best preserved ancient towns in China on our way to the wedding in Suzhou. There, we rode on a traditional boat and visited many examples of ancient Chinese architecture and saw many great pieces of traditional art by contemporary artists. That evening, we attended the wedding where endless courses of food tested my endurance. The wedding was not as traditional as I had imagined but was quite Western in attire and in form. The day was a contrast between the old and the new in China and perfectly captured the balance between both in China. That night we stayed in a hotel Suzhou and Peter and I had many interesting conversations, particularly about future cooperation between China and the U.S. in space. Upon returning to Shanghai, I gathered my things and said goodbye to my second host family and returned to the apartment. I left for the airport the next morning; my journey coming to an end.

Shanghai at Night

My unique situation as the only student on the trip allowed me to totally immerse myself in the trip without having the distraction of other students. The experience in China was truly once in a lifetime and I could not be more pleased to have the memories. I thank Wilson FamilyMBA, Ms. Zhang, Mr. Gioia, and the for making this entire experience possible. The experiences granted to the students are truly life-changing. They help the recipients become more aware of the world around them and make them into better gentlemen and scholars.

Peter Minkoff China 2018

Introduction

When we arrived in Beijing after a long day of traveling 7,000 miles, Kiran Peterson, Will Farner, and I were absolutely exhausted. As the kind staff of Beijing No. 8 welcomed us to their school on a very dark evening, China immediately seemed different. The Chinese teachers, nevertheless were ecstatic to show us our room. In the same manner, throughout the trip, the staff of Beijing No. 8 were eager to take us to tourist sites and invite us into classes on multiple different campuses. Throughout our stay at Beijing we had the help of multiple students and teachers always making sure we were comfortable and informed.

The gate of Beijing No. 8 

Beijing 

During our time at the school, we met many students and got to know their views on political topics such as economics, preservation of natural resources, and employment. I took multiple economics classes and was fascinated by the current status of trade with the United States. While Beijing 8 is one of the most prestigious high schools in China, we only attended classes at 3 of the 7 campuses. We found all of the students could speak English proficiently and excited to see us in class. Classes were much bigger, rowdier, and unorganized than MBA, but the system seemed to work for the students.

This sign was on the door when we arrived at our dorm 

Outside of class, the three of us also found an affinity for the cook at the school, having many conversations with him during breakfasts and dinners. The meals both inside and outside of the school were both extremely flavorful and radically different from meals in America. One of the major differences we found in the cuisine was the idea that food should be served to the group and not directly to a single person. This type of food creates more focus on taste and less focus on sustenance such as protein. Also, as the population of China is much larger than the United States, the amount of natural resources limits the amount of meat and protein available for meals in general. In conclusion, the food was very tasty and bountiful, but less fulfilling than American cuisine.

Sites 

During our time at Beijing No. 8, we visited the Great Wall of China, the Summer Palace, the 2008 Olympic Stadium and Park known as the Birds Nest. At the end of our time at Beijing 8, we were picked up from the campus where we stayed by a woman named Sherry. She took us to the Ibis hotel where we would stay in downtown Beijing for the next week. Our time that week would consist of touring the rest of the sites Beijing had to offer as well as understanding history, religion, and culture with our tour guide, Frank. The tour sites consisted of the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Capital Museum, Mao Zedong’s body, Temple of Heaven, Temple of Earth, and many more. Frank was very knowledgeable about every site we visited and the culture of the city. At night, Frank would return us to the hotel to one of the three people who worked for WLSA. These people would stay with us and make sure we were safe in the hotel and had no problems.

The three of us at the Great Wall 

On our last day in Beijing, we packed our bags and met Mrs. Zhang, our teacher who had flown in the day before. We took a van to the train station where we would take a bullet train to Shanghai. Once in Shanghai, my host family took me home from the train station. The family consisted of my buddy named Spike, his parents, and his grandfather. Spike was very kind and his parents ensured my comfort and safety. The family immediately took me as one of their own: taking me to dinner, including me in conversations, and taking me to their family friends’ house for an afternoon of Mahjong.

In Shanghai, I immediately found the differences in the two cities. Although both cities are remarkably large, Beijing seemed to have a more strictly Chinese facade, while Shanghai seemed more cosmopolitan and western. The food, sites, and culture in Beijing seemed more traditional. One of the best days of the trip was the day our group went to a small school in Jiading, which is about an hour northwest of Shanghai. We went to teach young boys and girls to speak English. Other than the three of us, many privileged high school students around the area come to the school on weekends to play with the kids, and teach them English. We spent the day in hot classrooms teaching the kids about America and especially Nashville. We introduced them to the Tennessee Titans and the Nashville Predators. We taught them games such as Duck-duck goose while providing water, shoes, and backpacks for about 75 kids. Finally, we were interviewed, and our day was broadcasted on Chinese television.

Playing basketball with some students 

My time in China was extraordinary and I hope to go back as soon as I can. I would like to thank the Wilson family for all of the grants that they give this institution. The grants provide worth to the students lives and the work they do right here in Nashville. Our experiences are used to find connections with others and ensure MBA students are well-rounded. I would also like to thank Mrs. Zhang for all she has taught me, which was definitely put to work. I would also like to thank the entire language department for the organization of the trip as well as the administrators of the trip. Finally, I would like to thank the school for all the opportunities they provide the students.

Kiran Peterson - China 2018

Arrival
Will Farner, Peter Minkoff, and I arrived at the airport at 6 a.m. to meet with Zhang Laoshi, our teacher, before flying to Detroit. We checked our bags and got ready for the long haul, the grueling 13-hour flight from Detroit to Beijing for 3 people over 6 feet tall in the airplane. Of course I, with my monstrous legs, had the fortune of getting the middle seat, but it was an enjoyable flight with the boys nonetheless. Arriving in a foreign country on minimal sleep was a little unnerving, but being together with Will and Peter and going through the same new experiences together made it much easier to overcome the fear of being 3 inexperienced Americans in a country with a culture drastically different compared to which we were accustomed.

Beijing No. 8 High School
The first of the three weeks in China we were set to be staying at Beijing No. 8 High School, one of the more prestigious of the numbered schools, as my dad compared it as “the Harvard of Chinese high schools.” We were exhausted after our flight, and we were picked up by one of the teachers at Beijing No. 8 and driven an hour through the Beijing afternoon traffic towards one of the multiple No. 8 school campuses located all over Beijing. Most of this hour was spent sleeping, but in my time awake I admired the massive city that was the complete opposite of the landscape in suburban Nashville. We arrived at the branch of the school that was supposedly the more international branch, as most of the students attending prestigious schools China aim to go to college in America. The teachers spoke a bit of English, but they encouraged us to speak to them in Chinese even if they were communicating to us in English. It was challenging to get things that come naturally in English across to people who had much less experience speaking to Americans. We were shown to our room, which was a standard dorm room for students, with three bed/desk combinations, where the bed was on top with a desk underneath to complete work and keep various things. Still trying to adjust to the completely flipped timezone, we were whisked off to a famous Beijing Sichuan restaurant, a region in China known for its cultural cuisine. It took a few days for us to get adjusted to the new time, sleeping as early as 7 p.m. and waking up at 4 a.m. During this week, we toured with students at the school at some famous historical sites, such as the Summer Palace, where we were able to get a boat powered by pedaling on the famous lake. We also visited the site of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where the massive stadium called the Bird’s Nest was located. A couple of the days we went to other Beijing No. 8 campuses, including the main campus, where we got an experience in a normal Chinese school day, attending classes with an assigned student and shadowing them for the entirety of the day. Besides the classical Chinese class that was equivalent to our English classes in America and were impossible to understand, it was very interesting to watch how the style of teaching and studying differs there. Surprisingly, even though students carried on their own conversations during class, they were able to keep up with what was being taught and the teacher was able to keep control of the class even though it was rather noisy. I had to continually ask my students during certain classes like Math and Classical Chinese what was going on, but I learned a lot about the teaching method if not the actual content of the class. We learned a lot about the interests of the average Chinese high school student as well, playing basketball with the boys after lunch and getting to know them through sports. I played one-on-one with the self-proclaimed best basketball player in the grade, and I introduced the American dominance in basketball to the rest of the students.

Painting eggs with the students during the Dragonboat Festival 

We also visited the campus dedicated to the arts, where we took a class learning the traditional Chinese tea setup, and also a calligraphy class where we learned the sophisticated method of ancient writing. However, the experience that stood out to me the most that week was the trip to the Great Wall. The sheer size and beauty of the structure had me awestruck, and climbing up the Great Wall in the mountains may be the coolest thing I have ever done. It was packed with people, but it didn’t take away from the incredible view overlooking the misty Chinese mountains.

The Great Wall and its fantastic view 

Touring with Frank


After saying a sad goodbye to our friends and teachers at Beijing No. 8, we traveled to a hotel in a different part of Beijing with an office worker from WLSA, where we were introduced to one of the more unusual friends on the trip, Frank. Frank was a 30-year-old tour guide that was assigned to the three of us, and we spent 5 days with him touring famous historical sites in Beijing. He was extremely knowledgeable about everywhere we went, easily able to answer our questions and giving us useful historical excerpts to have a better understanding of how the culture developed into what it is today. His English was also very good, and we had no trouble communicating with him. He took us to Tiananmen Square, where we were able to see the highly guarded body of Mao Zedong and the Forbidden City, a massive palace with over 8,000 rooms. During this week we were treated to many of the famous Beijing foods, including Peking duck, which is the iconic meal in the city. The other days we were taken to museums and art galleries by the WLSA employees.

Peter, Will, and I in a Buddhist temple we toured with Frank

Shanghai

At the end of the second week we met up with Zhang Laoshi and her daughter, and we then took a high-speed bullet train from Beijing to Shanghai. The train was one of the coolest parts of the entire trip, as it allowed us to see many parts of both rural China and the landscapes of the different cities as we stopped in many stations. As we arrived at the train station in Shanghai, we were separated for the first time when we divided up to go with our respective host families. My host student was a 16-year-old girl named Tina, and she had gone to Maryland previously for her own exchange program. Her English was better than my Chinese, but I was still able to talk about her life with her family in the Shanghai suburb with her in her native language. On the days that Tina didn’t have school, we would tour different aspects of Shanghai, whether it be the WLSA International School, famous temples, or a regular department store in downtown Shanghai. One of the most memorable experiences was the day that we traveled with Zhang Laoshi to an elementary school in Jiading, where we sat in on one of the English classes, introduced parts of American culture and Nashville to the kids, and taught them duck-duck-goose, which we played for half an hour. We even got interviewed by the local Chinese news. The thing that stuck out to me most about Shanghai was the vastness of the city. Home to 25 million people, different parts of the city had completely different cultures, and that aspect of a large city compared to Nashville was a bit of a culture shock for me in both Shanghai and Beijing. At the end of the trip, I said a sad goodbye to my gracious host family, who had given me my own air-conditioned room and bathroom in their extremely hospitable home, and headed to the Shanghai airport from which we departed.

Farner getting interviewed by the Chinese news at a Jiading elementary school

Thank You I want to say thank you to the Wilson family for making this experience possible, and also to my teacher and WLSA, who collaborated to make our trip as fun and educational as possible. Without all of them working together to further my knowledge of the language and culture of China, I wouldn’t have been able to have this incredible experience with my friends. Most of all the Wilson family, who not only sent me to immersion camp to better my Chinese but also for sending me to a foreign country in an incredible experience.

Will Farner China 2018

Arrival

After an exhausting fourteen hour flight from Detroit, Peter, Kiran, and I finally landed in Beijing Capital International Airport. The first thing I noticed was that every sign in the airport had not only Chinese but also the English translation below it. As this was my first trip outside of the western world, I was not expecting eastern culture to be so tolerant. The customs and passport control were uneventful except that everyone entering the country, citizens and foreigners alike, were required to have their fingerprints scanned into a database. Once through customs, a WLSA spokesman picked us up and took us to where we were residing for the next week or so, Beijing No. 8 High School. When we arrived at the school, we got ourselves situated in our three-person dormitory and then headed out to dinner at a local restaurant with some of the school’s staff. They made sure to order us a variety of dishes and were extremely hospitable. When we arrived back at the dormitories, which were empty of all other students except us because it was the weekend, we immediately crashed because of the thirteen hour time difference.

Our dorm door

First Week in School

We spent the first of three weeks going to three of Beijing No. 8 High School’s seven campuses across the city and seeing the Great Wall and Summer Palace. The day after our arrival, we visited the Ba Da Ling section of the Great Wall of China and the Bird’s Nest, a former Olympic stadium. During our day trip, nine different groups of people greeted us and asked for pictures because they thought we were white American internet celebrities. Typically they were from rural parts of China also sight-seeing in Beijing. The rest of the week was spent attending school on other campuses. The campus we were residing was the international campus, meant for students who intend to go to university in America. We also visited the main campus, which is the biggest campus by number of students, and the Arts campus which focused on music, calligraphy, culture, and painting. On the Friday of the first week, the Dragon Boat Festival began. The Dragon Boat Festival is a national holiday in which all schools and businesses close for a three day weekend. At school, we celebrated by making zong zi, sticky rice with dates wrapped in seaweed, painting eggs, and making decorative paper zong zi. At the end of the week, it was time to say our goodbyes to the school staff and start our next week in a hotel in central Beijing.

Leaving campus for hotel

Visiting the Great Wall

Making paper zong zi at Dragon Boat festival celebration

Second Week in Hotel

The second week was spent with WLSA and a tour guide seeing sights that are in Beijing proper like Tiananmen Square, Temples of Heaven and Earth, Capital Museum, Beijing Zoo, and Natural Sciences Museum. In Tiananmen Square, we were able to see former chairman Mao Ze Dong’s body and the Forbidden City. Tiananmen Square is a huge plaza in the middle of Beijing which receives around 80,000 visitors on a normal workday. Our third party tour guide for the week named Frank performed his job excellently and intelligently. He seemed to know more than a textbook or Wikipedia even. He told us about all the ancient Chinese lore in the Temples of Heaven and Earth and a Buddhist Temple we visited. Every morning for that week we were escorted by a WLSA staff member to a local restaurant for breakfast and Frank would take us to lunch and to dinner. After each day, we would usually go to the 7/11 by our hotel to buy snacks and then watch the World Cup in our hotel room. One of the cultural differences between China and America is the reliance in washing machines. In our hotel, it was 20 Yuan (about $3) per article of clothing. So instead of paying around $100, we opted to buy detergent and wash them in the sink ourselves. Overall, my favorite week was the second week because it was the most culturally immersive and Frank became our close friend.

Me and our tour guide Frank at McDonalds

Largest wooden Buddha Statue in the world (28 ft)

Third Week in ShanghaiAt the end of the second week, we met up with Zhang Laoshi and her daughter and traveled on a high speed train to Shanghai. On a normal train, the trip is around ten hours but on our train it was a mere five. At the train station, we were greeted by our host families. My host’s name was Terry. I stayed with him, his mother, their nanny, and their dog Chocolate. The mom was the CEO of her own startup tech company. Terry and his mother are some of the smartest people I have ever conversed with. During our dinner time conversations we would discuss varying topics such as the dynamics of Chinese politics, the validity of religion, feminism in China, and the lack of freedom of speech in China. These conversations really let me see inside the mind of a Chinese citizen and vastly improved my language skills. Shanghai was much more modern than Beijing was. We went on top of Shanghai tower, took a river cruise, went inside the Gucci store, but unable to purchase anything, and even saw Incredibles 2 in theaters. During our time, we explored the downtown area, and visited a school in the suburb of Jiading. Jiading School is where the immigrant farmers’ children go to school because they do not have an expensive special license that allows them to send their kids to Shanghai metro schools. We taught the kids how to play duck-duck-goose and I even got interviewed by a Chinese news station.

Writing our Chinese names at the Summer Palace

From the top of Shanghai Tower

Recreating The Titanic scene on a river cruise in Shanghai

ThanksI would like to thank the Wilson family for funding my language grant and allowing me to more fully understand the Chinese language and culture. I am very grateful for this opportunity and without the Wilson family’s help it would not have been possible. I would also like to thank WLSA and Zhang Laoshi coordinating the wonderful trip of a lifetime.

Caleb Tolbert China Trip 2017

My time in China was certainly spent making relationships that will last a life time. This being my first time returning to China since I lived there, something indescribable about the trip resonated with me. It was as if old memories and joys were magnificently restored, while at the same time new ones were made. 

My journey began with an early morning, batting tired lashes, and trying miraculously to make it to the airport at 6am to meet my teacher. Mrs. Zhang, my teacher, sure enough was there waiting for me and the other students to arrive so that we could check our bags onto the flight and leave for Detroit. Being a Sunday morning, the airport wasn't too crowded, but time was still of the essence for our small group. 

While checking our bags onto the plane, everyone in the group took the chance to become well acclimated with one another. (John Curry and I happened to become so well acclimated that the attendent checking our bags, mixed up our I.D.'s). Our group consisted of myself, Colin Snell, John Curry, Matthew Bulow, and our teacher, accompanied by her daughter. Together we said our goodbyes to our families and, following a prayer from my grandfather, we boarded the flight to Detroit. 

The flight was generally smooth, or bumpy, I cant remember. I do know, however, that I slept quiet well most of the way. Being only a three hour flight, we touched down in Detroit fairly quickly. In the airport, John and I did some exploring before seeking out food. We knew the next flight wouldn't be nearly as forgiving as the last, clocking in at approximately thirteen and a half hours. So, I packed some Flamin' Hot Cheetos in my backpack along with a Pepsi and prepared for the worst. 

As it turns out, that flight to Beijing was one of my favorite parts of the trip. The airplane was equipped with all kinds of media access and wifi access. In addition to that, we got to flight through two cycles of daytime, which amazed both my mind and my tired body. On the flight we were fed three meals, none of which were much to write home about, but hospitable to say the least. Then after having watched the Lego Batman movie four times, we finally landed in Beijing, China. 

The city was different from what I remembered. I soon found that to be because of both the time and position I was in in Beijing. When I had first traveled there I stayed in the polar opposite area of where we arrived on this particular trip. This meant I would get to see an entirely new side of Beijing, and it thrilled me. Also, being the summer, the weather made for lesser smog and more visibility from what I was used to having. Taking advantage of this new scenery, I made sure to do some sight seeing of my own around the city once we arrived at our hotel. 

John and I stayed in the same room, with Colin and Matthew in the room opposite us. It was fun having a roommate, but even more so because I finally got to be back in my "element," if you will, and could show him my reasoning behind loving China. In China I once again had access to Chinese apps, music, tv, and games, so I made sure to savor all of it. Today I still listen to and watch the media I took in while I was there, and my Chinese gets better constantly because of it. 

The day after our arrival in Beijing we were introduced to our hosts. My host family turned out to be the nicest people I'd ever met. They gave my the guest room, which thankfully had AC, and had food ready for me at home even before I walked through the door. In my room they'd set up a Chinese lantern over the naked light bulb, so that when it was turned on the room glowed red. It was a spectacular sight. With this particular host, I went to Calculus classes every morning for three hours. Now, while this wasn't my favorite part of the trip, I greatly enjoyed meeting Chinese students and seeing how summer school was for them. They welcomed me, sometimes laughed at me, but especially made me their friend and that made me feel great. 

Before we left Beijing I went to see a tea house opera with my host, which blew me away completely. It was like dinner and a show minus the dinner and plus bottomless cups of green tea. Performers performed balancing acts, the Chinese yoyo, and Kung Fu tea pouring. Overall, I left not knowing why my hometown didn't have one of those yet. 

Finally it was time to say goodbye to Beijing and board the train for Jinan, so, having given away gifts and said our goodbyes, my host family and I ended our journey as the train pulled off. However, it wasn't sad at all, I was greatly excited to see Jinan, for I knew it was my teachers hometown. That being said, I didn't know much else about what else would happen when we got there. 

Upon arrival we were greeted as if we were celebrities, bombarded with hugs and pictures from our knew host families. It was quite the sight. I learned then that I would be staying in three different homes along the short period of time we stayed there, and that night I went home with the first. 

This time my host was a girl of my age named Kiki. Kiki and her family treated me to yet another amazing dinner when we got home, and she even let me stay in her room while she stayed with her parents, showing how hospitable she was. Together we traveled what felt like all of Jinan, going to see scary movies, shopping, and learning about Chinese broadcasting. At the end of our fun, I went to stay at the next girl's house to continue the excitement. 

With this new host we met up with Matthew and John for some karaoke, swimming, and mother scooter driving. Over all it was exhilarating. They treated us as though we were just classmates, or old friends staying for the summer. By the time I met with the last girl who would be my host, I expected things to die down, but they only got better. Together, with our friends, we bought out a small theatre to watch La La Land (enjoyed more by the girls than the guys) and ice skated the days away. Saying goodbye to that faithful trio of host was hard at the train station, but once we'd left I knew those friendships would hold fast nonetheless. 

Once we arrived in Shang Hai the journey continued. My host family met me at the train station to drive me to their home. We stopped for dinner before checking in for the night and unpacking my things. In the home I was able to play piano and write up lesson plans for the next day when we went to a elementary school and played games with the children. They were incredibly sweet and happy to meet all of us in our group. We taught them duck duck goose while they taught us some fun Chinese games to bring back home. 

Over all I've brought back so much more than just games form this trip. The experience was one to remember forever, and I hope to someday return. 

Matthew Bulow - China, 2017

Arrival

After a 14 hour plane ride from Detroit to Beijing, we immediately entered an airport full of commotion. We were approached by numerous locals asking for our business. From this moment on, we were treated as celebrities in every place we went. From the airport, we took a taxi and arrived at the hotel we would be staying at the night before we would meet our hosts. That night, or early morning in the United States, we were lucky enough to try the famous Beijing Roast Duck, a very unique and delightful meal. Extremely jet-lagged, our whole group went back to the hotel and tried to get as much sleep as possible before we would meet our host the next day. 

View from the Swissotel

Beijing

The following morning, we arrived early at Beijing No. 4 High School to meet our hosts and host families. The campus is quite small compared to MBA's, because it is hard to find much more space than they already have in such a populous city. After touring the school and campus, we were greeted by our hosts, who had just finished their final examinations of their school year. My host's name was Han Zhi Zhen. He is a very kind and intellectual person and it was a lot of fun to stay with him during my stay in Beijing. From the school, I rode with Han's dad and Han to arrive at his apartment, where I also met Han's mother. Han's family was very gracious and welcoming throughout my entire stay, making the transition into Chinese life much easier. As soon as I was settled, we immediately took off to begin our week long adventure through the streets of Beijing. When we arrived at our stop on the subway, we were greeted by Colin and his host Jonas. Colin and I visited Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, and finished our long day by visiting a marketplace. At the market, Colin and I bought many cheap trinkets to commemorate our stay in Beijing. 

Forbidden City with portrait of Mao 

Beijing Subway

During the rest of my stay in Beijing, I got to see many other cultural landmarks, including the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, and the Beijing Capital Museum. The Temple of Heaven was a very interesting place, as it used to be the place of worship for the ancient Chinese emperors. I was fascinated by the architecture of the Temple because of its intricate detail. I also really enjoyed seeing the Summer Palace, which used to be grounds for the emperor to live and vacation in the summer. The Summer Palace also had many amazing sights, including a covered walkway that had more than 1,000 ancient Chinese paintings. However, my favorite place that we visited during the entire stay in Beijing was the Great Wall. At the base of the lift to take us up to the wall, there was a small town and tourist venue that had many small shops and exhibits of ancient Chinese artifacts. The Great Wall completely surpassed my expectations, stretching much further than I thought any wall could. After nine days in Beijing, I arrived at the Beijing Nan Zhan (South Train Station) to meet Ms. Zhang and my other classmates. We boarded a bullet train and arrived in Jinan after 2 short hours.

Summer Palace

Ancient Artifact at Beijing Capital Museum

Temple of Heaven

Great Wall

View from Great Wall

Jinan

Da Ming Hu

Immediately at the train station in Jinan, I met my first host family. My host's name was Ho Xi Hao. He was very kind and fun, often making jokes with me. From the train station, this family immediately took me to a Sichuan style restaurant, where I got to try the spicy Sichuan cuisine for the first time. The following morning, Ho and I left very early to arrive at his school, Jinan Middle School. At this school, I meet my other classmates, and we got a tour of this school, a very pretty school with a large and spacious campus. When our tour was over, Ho and I went to his favorite gym, where I got to play basketball with Ho and many of his friends. After playing basketball, Ho and his parents took me to his uncle's restaurant, where I tried a very delicious dish called hong shao rou which translates to braised beef. To end the day, we visited Jinan's most famous landmark, a lake called Da Ming Hu. The next day, Ho handed me off to my next host, Yan Xing. I was only to stay with Yan for a single day, but it was very memorable nonetheless. During my stay with Yan, I discussed the differences between American and Chinese culture for hours on end. I met my final host, Peter Wang, the following day. During my stay with Peter, I visited Jinan's famous natural springs located directly in the middle of the bustling city. On the day of our departure from Jinan, I met with John and his host at his host mother's pottery shop, where I was taught how to make ancient Chinese pottery. A few hours later, my classmates and I boarded another bullet train and set off for the last city of our trip, Shanghai. 

Shanghai

After a 5 hour train ride, I met the last host of my stay in China. His name was John Chan. On the first day in Shanghai, my classmates and I met at Jiading Juyuan Liuli Xiaoxue, a school that houses children of migrant workers who work in big cities, but are unable to take their children with them. At this school, we taught these students English through many fun songs and dance. The next day, I went with John to the Shanghai's famous Oriental Pearl, a very interesting building architecturally. The Oriental Pearl is one of the world's tallest buildings, so I got to take a lot of pictures of the stunning views. On the day before our departure, my classmates and I met Ms. Zhang at the Shanghai World Financial Center, the second tallest building in Shanghai. While I have no pictures from the top of this building as I was too afraid to look around, I have pictures of these buildings on ground level. That night, we boarded the Shanghai harbor cruise, viewing the beautiful lights of the city. After 18 days of learning and experiencing, our trip came to an end as we boarded the plane to depart. 

Oriental Pearl

Shanghai World Financial Center on left, tallest building in Shanghai in middle

View of Shanghai from the Oriental Pearl

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, I would like to thank the Wilson family for the opportunity to fully immerse myself in the Chinese language and culture during my trip. This whole experience would not be possible without the help of the Wilson family, so I am very grateful. I would also like to thank Ms. Zhang for coordinating such a wonderfully planned trip. 

John Curry, China 2017

My experience going to The People's Republic to China was truly one to remember. My trip consisted of going to Beijing, Jinan, and lastly Shanghai in that order. In Beijing, I enjoyed seeing the wide mixture of modern malls and shops along with ancient temples and relics. I first discovered that my teacher, Zhang Laoshi, trained me in so that my proficiency would help me communicated. Despite this, I realized that, like Americans, they have accents. This was one my most fun times hearing these and finding out that I have so much to learn. Their way of life is compared to the American is truly humble. They would never brag or dress to impress others and are always there to help (I got lost at night and people alll around came to help). Their language is a great example. When someone says "thank you", they say 不用谢 which means "I do not use/ need thanks". One sight that sticks with me is seeing a man living in a "house" the literal size of a closet. Everyone I saw did their job to the best of their ability no matter what it was. While I was wandering around in a cultural spot, I found myself in a dual shop selling calligraphy paper and rubber ducks. The shop owner, like everyone, noticed the 6 foot black guy and immediately tried to make a sale for calligraphy paper. The man ran up to me with his face lighted up with a smile asking if I wanted to buy his paper. However, I neither did not want to buy his expensive paper nor had the money to. I politely said I did not have enough money, but he then asked me how much I had. I responded with "not enough" and slowly headed toward the exit. All was soon to be over until his partner blocked the exit and tried to sell me rubber ducks saying I could give one to my girlfriend. This experience made me see how much effort they put into anything they do.
The next city I went to was Jinan. In Jinan, I met people more of my age who were so nice that it was weird. One of the mothers gave me two 2 liter soft drinks, a watermelon slice, a cup of watermelon juice, a whole bag of chocolate,  2 Popsicles, and another watermelon slice all in a two minute period. She was the nicest person I have ever met to this day. We went to a pottery studio full of hundreds of pieces all made by two deaf teenagers. The best part of my trip was my last night in Jinan. When I was going to my final host, everyone became apprehensive. Going to my last family's apartment, I met a 22 year girl who turned out to be my host's sister. While in the car to the home, the sister told me that they were a Christian family. I come from a very Christian background and she gave me insight on the life of being a Christian in a communist country. In my 16 years of life, she easily is one of the strongest believers I have met. Their apartment did not have running water, electricity, and was dilapidated, but I loved staying there more than anywhere else. Christianity held that family together and made them such nice people and a true joy to be around. Jinan was a wonderful to spend time in and I loved every second of it.
If you are still reading this reflection, I laud you. My final city was Shanghai. This cosmopolitan was a place where I could truly become a tourist.  Skyscrapers, malls, and tourist strips everywhere. I was met with the same lovely, caring demeanor by everyone. The last family I stayed with was well to do and had something I had not seen in a long time: a bathtub. Many cannot afford one or exactly want one. Seeing the enormous financial district (the main skyline) and going to one of the tallest buildings in the world was quite an experience. In my time in China, I tried duck brain, duck lung, blood, tongue, sheep, and riding a moped.This journey will stick with me for the rest of my life and I thank the Wilson family, Zhang Laoshi. Senor Paolicchi, Headmaster Gioia, and my family for making a dream a reality.

Qian Men (Front Door)

Chinese poetry in the form of calligraphy

Scenery from The Summer Palace

Playing "duck duck goose" with kindergarteners

Spicy beef noodles

The squad at the Bottle Spring in Jinan

Colin Snell, Beijing, Jinan and Shanghai, 2017

Arrival

The plane touched down at Beijing international airport to an overwhelming wave of humidity and heat. We were greeted outside the terminal by row of endless taxi cab drivers, all who wanted our foreign business. The plane ride had been extremely exhausting and I felt the fatigue of jet lag as we drove down the highway into downtown Beijing. The first night we stayed at the Swissotel, a pleasant treat to our travel worn bodies. But we were in Beijing! So that night our group went out and walked the street and eventually found a restaurant that boasted Beijing's staple dish, Beijing Roasted Duck. The meal was delicious and filled with foods I had never tried, like lotus flower root. After dinner we returned to the hotel and I promptly collapsed in my bed.

Arrived at the Swissotel

Beijing

The next morning we arrived early at  the Beijing No. 4 campus. The campus was quiet because most of the students were finishing their exams that morning. After waiting for a few minuted our host students began to arrived. My student introduced himself as Liu-Zhao Yu, but he said I could call him Jonas. Another student whispered over to tell me that Jonas was head of the Model UN club at their school. Jonas was a lighthearted funny guy who everyone seemed to look up to. I was glad to have him as a host.

 

With Host Students at Beijing No. 4 Campus

Jonas and his father picked up his little brother, Peter, and took us home afterward. As soon as I placed my bags in my room they rushed me off to have lunch. After a meet of delicious dumplings Jonas told his parents he would take me to go see sights. We went to the nearest subway station and set off to meet Matthew and his host student to see The Forbidden City. The Forbidden City was an awe inspiring piece of Chinese architecture and serene beauty. Hordes of tourist from all around China and the world packed through the gates.

Matthew and I infront of beloved Mao

Afterwards we went to a market district. I was amazed by the sheer quantity of shops with keepers all shouting to advertise their products. Matthew and I bought small trinkets to bring back home. Jonas and Matthew's host then treated us to a cart ride as we visited various temples and historical landmarks in the neighborhood. Over the next five days my host and I repeated this routine: we would wake up in the morning to a breakfast of fried bread and hot mild accompanied by a hard boiled tea egg. After breakfast we set off to see the sights. We visited The Beijing Capital Museum which hosted a replica of a giant bronze bell built for an Emperor. The museum also boasted a large collection of buddhist figurines and tablets.

Ancient Buddha Stone Carving

We visited the famous Temple of Heaven, home to beautifully constructed temple, which Jonas explained to me were used by the emperor to offer up ceremonial sacrifices to the gods. The next day my entire host family drove me down to a town called Simao. Simao is an ancient town at the base of an extremely famous section of the Great Wall. That night we toured the town and its garment production house and distillery. When we traveled to the top of the Great Wall, it was very dark and we were only allowed on certain sections. Still, the sheer magnitude and feat of construction upon daunting mountain sloped amazed me. On my final day in Beijing my family took me to Yanqi lake. The lake/amusement park was actually used for Oktoberfest, which I thought was very interesting. The next day I packed my things and set of for Nanzhan Train Station.

The Temple of Heaven

My host family and I at Yanqi Lake

Jonas and I at the top of Simao Great Wall

Jinan

We stepped off of the bullet train in Jinan and were immediately greeted by our first host families. My host student Frank, was very shy at first but soon warmed up to me. The train ride had been exhausting and they took me home immediately to let me sleep. The next morning we had a meeting at Jinan Middle School with all of the students that would be hosting us in the coming days and the Principal of their school. We introduced ourselves to everyone and were taken on a tour of the school afterwards. Following the tour, Frank and some of his friends took me to lunch. The food was Sichuan cuisine, which means spice and heat. By the end of the meal my mouth was burning and my eyes watering, but it was extremely tasty nonetheless. Over the next day Frank showed me the aspects of Jinan he loved, which turned out to be the historical museum parts, mixed in with some exciting pickup basketball. At the end of our second day Frank handed me over to my second exchange student, Zi-long zhang. 

Zi-long was a lot like me in that he enjoyed sports and running around with friends. While the other host students spoke some english, Zi-long spoke none and subsequently forced me to greatly improve my speaking and listening. Zi-long and his best friend took me out every night to show me fun places to go for kids our age. While other students had shown me sites, I was grateful to have an insight to how Chinese teenages spent free time. Zi-long took me to eat crazy street food, constantly joked around, and took me to walk on the beach of the famous Yellow River. I grew extremely close with him and enjoyed our couple of days together.

My third exchange student, John, was also very nice. John was extremely passionate about basketball, so at night we would go to the park to play pickup with other people. I had an awesome time and got to use my chinese to introduce myself and communicate in the games. In the days John took me to see the Jinan library and visit malls with his girlfriend. 

Our group at Jinan Middle School

Zi-long Zhan and I walking along the Yellow River

Saying Goodbye to our Jinan Hosts

Shanghai

When we stepped off of the five hour train ride in Shanghai, the warm coastal air almost put me to sleep. I was greeted by my host Lannie, a Student at the WLSA Fudan university International high school, and her cousin Heidey, a student studying english in Shanghai. The next morning we set off to a small primary school called Shanghai Jiading Juyuan Liuli Xiao xue. The school is for the kids of migrant workers whose parents work in the main part of the city. At the school we greeted the the small children and taught them to make small straw baskets, although they were soon the ones teaching us. We also taught them American songs like 'Hokey Pokey' and 'Row Your Boat'. Afterwords we went outside to teach them games like 'Duck Duck Goose'. Laughter permeated the air and we all had an awesome time.

My prodigy weaving her straw basket

Our group outside after some intense Duck Duck Goose

The next couple of days in Shanghai consisted of sightseeing. We visited a famous Confucian temple were the Imperial Test was given to scholars and witnessed the stressful situations that caused many of them to cheat. But perhaps my favorite portion of Shanghai was visiting the "Bottle Opener" building, the second highest building in shanghai. At the top we could see the entire city and I could finally comprehend the sheer size of Shanghai. That night we met MBA alum Miles Curry for a dinner of Goat Kebabs. Milkes was finishing up an internship he had received to work at WLSA for the summer and I was intrigued to hear about his experience and what he thought of living in Shanghai. Our final night we started with some showstopping Karaoke wear John curry and I sung our hearts out to the amazement of our hosts. Lastly, we took the iconic Shanghai harbor cruise and got to see the city all aglow. It was a sight that I will never forget.

View from Shanghai Harbor

Final Thoughts

My trip to China this summer was one of, if not the most valuable experiences of my life. I was able to immerse myself in a culture completely foreign to ours and absorb the food, music, and sights. I was accompanied by generous hosts who not only provided me with a place to sleep and eat, but also helped me improve my listening and speaking skills. I made great friends across the globe that I am sure I will keep for a life time. All of these benefits would not have been possible without the generosity of the Wilson family and the coordinating and organizing of Mrs. Zhang. I want to thank them both.