Three Full Months Down

Quick Language Note: 加油 (Jia You) is a phrase used among many Chinese people. In English it translates as "Keep going" or "Go, go go!!" :)))

With exactly three months down and less than one month to go, I can honestly say I am happy with how far I’ve come. Not only because I’ve managed to make it this far being abroad, but because I feel that my Mandarin speaking and listening skills really improved. Before coming to China, I had only taken two semesters of Chinese at college and had been tutored in the language over the summer, but obviously this one year of study was not enough for me to understand the language when hearing it, or even speak a somewhat complicated sentence. But after being in China for some time, I can now understand so much. They say that the best way to learn a language is to immerse yourself in the culture of the language you are trying to learn. I completely agree. Hearing Mandarin being spoken by native speakers every day definitely forced the language into my brain and out of my mouth:)

At this point now, I am ready to return to the U.S! I am so grateful to God for giving me great teachers and friends who have helped me get this far in the language. I still have a long way to go (it’s only been a year), but I know that with a lot of hard work and practice I will most definitely continue to improve:)))) 加油!!

My Photo Won Third Place!

Before language class began this afternoon, my Chinese teacher told me she saw where I had won third place in a photography competition I entered called How “Eye” See China. I was happy to see my Chinese name (白爱丽) on the wall and my picture beside it.

Here’s a little background info about the photo:

While at an elementary school located in a Naxi Village, I spotted a bunch of children outside playing and snapped a photo. They seemed very happy and joyful. I entered this photo because it depicts the life of school children in this ethnic village, and shows how they spend their time during school hours. The village is located in the Southern part of China in Yunnan Province.

Naxi Village School
This is a photo of children at school in a Naxi Village. They are having fun playing outside.
这是纳西村学校的孩子们。他们在外面玩得很开心。

The Great Wall

The Great Wall is the longest man-made structure in the world!  It has a large influence on the history and culture of China, and attracts millions of tourists every year. The Wall runs through many cities and provinces so walking the entire Wall would take...who knows how long!!!!








See more pictures here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yFki8MNPO0

A Naxi Village and A Hike

I would like to share with you all these photos I took from the very beginning of my trip. During the two week travel seminar I got a chance to experience how people live life in the villages, and believe me, it's extremely different from life in the city! You don't hear the honking of cars, you don't see streets filled with pedestrians, and you certainly do not feel that same sense of hustle and bustle as you would in Beijing for example. The people living in this particular village are Naxi people, another ethnic group in Yunnan Province. As I walked through this Naxi village, I began to wonder if the people here ever had a desire to move to a city. I constantly asked myself, "Are they happy with this lifestyle? Do they ever feel too isolated from the outside world? Yet I realized this is life for them here. Their families have lived in the village for generation after generation and therefore, this is what they call home.

 The link below will direct you to the slideshow I created. In the slideshow, you will see photos I took while in the village as well as scenic photos from a five hour hike I accomplished in order to reach the village. If you have any thoughts or questions please do not hesitate to comment below. I hope you enjoy what I put together!

Link to slideshow:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNFcQgadDqc

A Visit to the Summer Palace

Here is a slideshow of photos (see below) I took while at the Summer Palace, one of the largest imperial gardens in China, built by the emperor Qianlong around 1750. Its features highlight forms of Chinese garden design, including a landscape of hills, water, bridges and exquisite architecture. The Summer Palace was once used as a vacation home for emperors in China. It was destroyed and rebuilt multiple times.

Quick Language Note: 大黄鸭 Da Huang Ya means Big Yellow Duck ;))

Side Note: The Big Yellow Duck, or 大黄鸭, (shown in the slideshow), I was told has no real historical significance related to the history of the Summer Palace, but may only be a way to attract tourists to the area.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8ly49dEJzE