From Christine Scanlon

May 16, 2010

I am going to start with I do not think I could ever have imagined the experience I would have in China. So far it has gone very fast. It was frustrating initially not being able to communicate with my family. Phone calls are very expensive, and logging into the internet is very difficult at times. It has been an eye opening experience, and shows just how much college students in America depend on constant connection to the world. I think I can speak for everyone in the frustration with lack of communication availability. The students here at CTBU are very accommodating and willing to help us with any problems we have. It is awesome to see the cultural difference. The students here are very sweet, helpful and polite. Going to the Great Wall was awesome. As well as going to the panda reserve. It was something that not many people get to do, and I cannot believe I had the opportunity. I still cannot believe that I am actually in China. I miss my family a lot, and have already realized how much I take for granted at home.

From Ryan Holowach

Ryan Holowach
May 14, 2010

When we first got here Beijing was a lot of fun because I learned a lot of culture and I got to visit great places like the Great Wall of China, Tiananmen Square, and the Forbidden City. Getting to Chongqing has opened up all sorts of new doors for the students of Widener: for example interaction with the students, the spicy food, and a whole different view of China that is very different compared to Beijing. For starters, Chongqing is a beautiful city that is on a great rise. The city of Chongqing is prospering at a high rate of speed. Yesterday we got to visit a Bio-Medical facility that implements technology to destroy tumors. We watched a lady give us an example with the laser that they use that cuts through glass but would not affect the human’s skin. This new technology allows for the patient to have the surgery without a big incision. I found this area of Chongqing to be very beautiful and I could tell that it was growing. At the outset the nation of China comes across as a place that suffers from pollution and poverty, but the experience that we had yesterday allowed us to see how China is growing economically. Above is a picture of Chongqing.

From Andrew Goodman

May 14, 2010

China has certainly been an interesting experience so far. Spending the first few days in Beijing made the transition to the Chinese culture very easy for me. Where we stayed in Beijing reminded me of Times Square, with the exception of the people walking around eating starfish off of sticks.

Climbing the Great Wall was an accomplishment for me, and I was happy that we had the opportunity to do so. Also we were fortunate enough to make some great friends at a small bar in Beijing. They were extremely accommodating and made sure we had umbrellas and makeshift ponchos from trash bags when we got stuck in the rain. Many of the Chinese have gone above and beyond to make us feel welcome.

Now that we are here in Chongqing, our role has switched from tourist to guest. All of the students at CTBU are elated that we are here. Last night, we attended an event called English Corner, where the students congregate to practice their English skills. We were honored to be their guests this week, and the students were equally as excited to be able to speak with us. I spent over an hour talking to different students about music, basketball, spicy food, pandas, and whatever else they could come up with. Until next time…

From Samantha Fouhy

May 10, 2010
Let me start off by saying I miss my family. I talk to my mom everyday sometimes twice. Now I don’t have the Internet yet to email her so it’s really hard. Beijing was absolutely beautiful and when Paula said that Beijing was our vacation she was not lying. Chongqing is completely different. I was miserable the first night, which was last night. I was hot and tired and it was raining. Our partners are super nice and accommodating but I am not a touchy feely person and I don’t really like having someone always in my face asking what I need. But I am so grateful for having them here because they help order food, and do anything we need. The language is so difficult I wish I knew it already. I went into a little store earlier and I was trying to ask to see a pair of earrings and the women said something in Mandarin. I just stared at her. I felt helpless and it is extremely frustrating. Overall I am already realizing how lucky I am to have the things I do have and the living conditions they have are so much different than I expected. We have really nice dorms compared to what I have seen during the drive here. I am excited but nervous for this experience. It’s hard when you don’t know what to expect as a whole. But I am learning as I go, it’s all that I can do!

From Kaitlyn

Coming to China was something that I was unprepared for and definitely an experience that I am so excited for. At our stay in Beijing it was awesome and I did a lot of things that I never thought I would do. When I found out we were climbing the Great Wall of China and doing all the historical sites I was excited because I never in my life expected to do any of those things. On our free time in Beijing a lot of us walked around and experienced the bargaining and shopping aspect of Beijing, which was an experience in itself but something I will never forget! Now that I am in Chongqing, Beijing feels like a vacation because here at the university it is a little overwhelming and I am still warming up to the idea of this city because it is so different than Beijing and I felt like I was just getting my bearings in the city. The people here are more than accommodating to us and it is something I am definitely getting used to because I am just not used to it. I am starting to miss my family and everyone at home, though a little more than I was before, but I am just glad we have internet now so I can get in touch with everyone! This exchange program has just started and I don't have much to say about it yet except I am really excited to participate in it and experience this because I have heard nothing but amazing things about this trip!

From Jessica Capaldi

Wow! I’m actually in China and it really hasn’t hit me yet. I feel like I’m just in a very large city with many Chinese people that don’t speak much English. We spent the first four days in Beijing, which was amazing. I would have to say I really loved it there. Everything was at the tip of your fingers, a walk away. There was a bit of a culture shock to me when I had witnessed certain types of “food” being cooked in the vendors on the streets of Beijing. Things like, bugs, sharks, starfish, and testicles. Although, while in Beijing, we had made the most amazing friends at a local café, who were more than accommodating. We actually got caught in the rain and they had ran around the corner to bring multiple umbrellas to our rescue. They had also supplied us with trash bags to wear home in the rain. These new friends of ours, honestly has been the high point of the trip so far.
Now we’re in Chongqing, which is much different. I can’t really describe why it’s different but the vibe of the city gives a dissimilar feeling. The campus is so beautiful and substantial in size. Much more than I ever expected. The students and faculty are open with arms. I can’t wait to make great friends with everyone here at CTBU. I feel like this experience will leave me with lifelong friends. Well, that’s all for now!

From Jessica Abraguin

A week has gone by and I feel as though I’ve been in China for a month. So much has happened that trying to look back on these past few days becomes difficult. Everything is so overwhelming it’s hard to grasp everything in detail. I’m a person who likes to feel every minute of every situation but so much goes on here that I feel out of my element. I’ve had a great time without question, but what sticks out most in my mind was my adventure in Beijing on my own. After the group and I visited Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, I saw a temple on a hill that seemed to have a great view of the Forbidden City so I decided to go. I had asked if anyone still had the energy and the legs to climb our way to the top, however no one wanted to go so I asked Paula if I could attempt going on my own. She gave me a map in Mandarin to find my way back to the hotel and I was off. Without question I was scared thinking if I would be able to find my way. I let the nerves drive me and even with all the pain and soreness in my legs from the previous activities, I managed to find my way to the top of the mountain where there was a beautiful temple with lots of flowers that overlooked the Forbidden City. The view was priceless and the feeling of accomplishment was amazing. But that was only the beginning, now I had to find my way back to the hotel. It took a lot longer than I would have expected. I wasn’t sure if I was going the same way, the names of the streets didn’t match the ones on the map, and the chaos with traffic, I almost got run over. My heart was beating a million miles an hour. Besides the “I’m lost” feeling, I was also starving and the time limit Paula had given me to get back was running close. To make it short, I did make it back, I ended up in a small grocery store, which is where I got my lunch, and I ended up getting back to the hotel before the entire group got back. My stomach was in knots the entire time, but I had the guts to take off on my own without knowing anything but “hello” and “goodbye” in Mandarin, and I found my way home. I set a goal and I succeeded, that feeling I will never forget. One adventure down with many more to come in the next 20 days, I can’t wait!