If you’re interested in China, you probably have plenty of questions like these. The best answers lie in real stories told by the students, teachers, and scholars who have taken that final step: traveling to China. To help you get the best understanding of life in the Middle Kingdom, CLI introduces its CLI Perspectives blog series, sharing insightful stories from CLI community members.

A big thank you to Teach in China participant Heidi Fowler for submitting the very first CLI Perspectives story!

Chinese Adventure: Avoid the Hard Seats

By Heidi Fowler, CLI Teach in China Participant

I came to China strictly for adventure. You know, live the dream, see the world. However, being the 22-year-old college student that I am, I needed an excuse for that adventure. So for my excuse I chose CLI’s Teach in China program.

I had read a few books about China, eaten some Chinese food and saved up moolah to prepare myself for this little trip – oh, and I also packed snowboard gear – and finally the time had come to board the plane and fly around the world. Me and my crazy ideas were off to China.

Snowboarding in Beijing

I arrived a few weeks before I started teaching to sort of take some things in, and whoa was there a lot to take in. It was insane, this new planet I had landed on. I was in love. This place of no English (except for the many “Hellos”) had stolen my heart. It was most definitely the adventure I had asked for.

Teaching began and so did a new lifestyle for me – one of responsibility. The early morning classes weren’t my favorite, but the kids were always great. Twelve- and thirteen-year-olds – who knew they were going to be so entertaining? I taught them a little bit of English, they gave me a few laughs, and teaching in China became the way to go.

Let’s not forget my real purpose for being in China though – the adventure, right! I had to find something to do with this snowboard I had hauled with me. So halfway through the semester I began planning my epic “travel around China” trip. I decided to make it simple. I asked myself, “What do you absolutely have to see while you’re in China?” Then I answered myself, “The Great Wall, of course!” There are many things to do in Beijing and they have snow!

I saw the city, met some cool people, partied a bit and took some pictures with the monuments (because that’s what we tourists do). I had it made and I snowboarded – in China!

Heidi in Beijing

I realized that my big trip was coming to an end as Chinese Spring Festival was beginning. But I thought, I’ll get the ticket later, no biggie. Do you have any idea how many people travel around China during Spring Festival? Neither do I, because my brain doesn’t comprehend numbers that high. Needless to say, getting a train ticket was quite difficult. A friend finally found me a “hard seat” ticket for three days after I wanted to leave. At the time, I thought, Awesome, hard seats are cheaper so I can save money and I get to stay in Beijing longer!

Remember when I said I was teaching in China instead of learning Chinese? I quickly learned that knowing how to teach English – rather than knowing how to speak Chinese – is useless when you’re on a 30-hour hard seat train ride from Beijing to Guilin. I made it on the train with 30 minutes to spare – which is good because it took that long for me to communicate that I needed help getting my snowboarding bag into the overhead compartment.

Then I noticed, Dear God, there are no seats left and everyone is standing. I sort of shimmied through the crowd, holding my ticket up, looking confused. Fortunately, a train worker who was feeling sorry for the foreigner took my ticket and yelled at a woman to get out of my seat. I just put on my best ting bu dong (“don’t understand”) face and sat down. I thought, That worked out – until the same woman decided she needed to lean on me for the remaining 29 hours and 59 minutes of our train ride. So I ignored the elbow in my shoulder and decided to explore the things I had packed for my train ride: a book, a Snickers, and apple juice, whoohoo. I was dying to finish that book. So I did… within the first hour of the trip. With nothing else to do, I ate all the food I brought. 27 hours to go…

I realized early on that when I bought the cheap ticket, I really bought the cheapest. The only people who saved more money than me were those standing in the aisles. When you buy the cheap ticket, you sit in the last car of the train, and by the time the food cart makes it to you, there’s only the junk that no one else wanted to eat. So I didn’t eat; I was done after that Snickers.

But the man sitting next to me was chewing on a whole roasted duck, and boy did it smell good. So I kind of eyed it. I had no idea he would offer me any, and I especially had no idea that I would actually eat it with him. The things you do in China. It was the most amazing duck I had ever eaten on a train. We became instant friends. Of course we didn’t understand a word we were saying to each other, but that didn’t stop us from talking.

Heidi's New Friends

I never thought I would be so happy to step out into the Guilin rain with no umbrella and a snowboarding bag. I was glad to be back, not just because I was off that crowded box, and not just because this stop was actually mine (unlike the 1500 other stops we made to squeeze in more people), but because I had eaten duck on a train, and I had successfully taken a 30-hour hard seat train ride in China. I felt like a master traveler. I could do anything. I then went to my comfortable CLI apartment with my American toilet and my AC unit and finally passed out.

Though a few dedicated scholars stayed at CLI during the national holiday to get ahead in their Mandarin study, most students and staff left the city to usher in the Year of the Dragon with family, friends, lots of delicious homemade dishes, and, of course, the banging and booming of firecrackers and fireworks.

新年快乐！！！ Happy New Year from CLI!

Meiwei: Guilin's new foreign food store

There’s no better way to bring in the New Year than with a delicious taste of home. CLI students and staff recently took a trip to the new foreign food shop in Guilin’s san li dian area. A short fifteen-minute walk from CLI, Weimei, or “Charm”, has shelves stocked with everything from kettle cooked chips and your favorite cereals to savory pasta sauces and pudding mix.

Though Guilin spoils its citizens with American, Italian, Indian, Thai, Korean, and Japanese restaurants — as well as just about every type of Chinese cuisine — the CLI community is thrilled to have a new supply depot for the homesick Westerner.

]]> http://studycli.org/blog/a-taste-of-home/feed/ 0 http://studycli.org/blog/lauren/ http://studycli.org/blog/lauren/#comments Fri, 07 Oct 2011 19:02:36 +0000 Lauren Nelson http://studycli.org/blog/?p=590

With a Yao Woman in Longsheng

After more than two years of educational consulting and nine months as CLI’s Educational Director, in September I bid a heartfelt farewell to Guilin and to the countless friends and colleagues I came to know while living there. At the end of October, I will be moving to rural India to spend ten months volunteering with a human rights organization in the field of educational development; while I hope to provide a much-needed service to Indian communities that lack the resources to develop viable educational programming on their own, my work at CLI has inspired me to continue exploring the transformative impact of education on our increasingly globalized world.

Since I first began working with CLI, we have welcomed close to 200 students to China. With each passing season, our community grows ever larger. And yet, for me, CLI has always felt like an extended family. As students come and go, I have seen firsthand the unbreakable bonds that they form with teachers and peers, and shared the unforgettable experiences that they carry with them upon returning home. Students venture to CLI in hopes of improving their Mandarin Chinese; in the end, they often discover that in addition to language proficiency, they have gained lifelong friendships and a newfound appreciation for Chinese culture. It is this aspect of CLI that I will miss most.

What I'll Miss: Guilin's Scenery

Throughout the upcoming year, CLI is partnering with several U.S.-based programs and schools to provide intensive Mandarin language training and academic study tours for students and professionals eager to know more about China. In addition to hosting two high school study tours through Oakton, Virginia’s Flint Hill School and Alexandria, Virginia’s Episcopal High School, CLI is organizing two professional development seminars on environmental sustainability in conjunction with the China Sustainability Initiative (CSI). CLI will also host two undergraduate-level study tours, one sponsored through the Intelligence Community Centers of Academic Excellence (IC-CAE), and the other through Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Business. Though I won’t be in China to welcome these new students myself, I can rest assured that they’ll learn much about the Middle Kingdom – and themselves – by participating in a CLI program in China.

So while I say my final goodbyes to the misty karst mountains, golden rice paddies and bustling city streets that are Guilin, I know that I won’t be gone forever. Although I may have provided CLI with my educational expertise, it has imparted me with so much more than that.

Farewell Dinner at Shuimofang

This past Thursday, CLI hosted a festive farewell dinner in honor of five of our departing students — Matthew Dietrick, Lea Parizot, Mary Rossi, and Dennis and Melib Marker.  While Mary, Dennis and Melib were with us for a short but fulfilling month, Lea has been enrolled in CLI’s College Study Abroad program since mid-February, and Matthew since September of last year.  All of our students will be greatly missed, though we are thankful to have built so many fond memories together.

The event was held at Shuimofang ( “The Waterwheel”), a local Guilin restaurant that specializes in local fusion cuisine.  Providing a unique twist on traditional Chinese dishes, Shuimofang is consistently a favorite of CLI students and staff.  Sweet-and-sour duck, braised eggplant, and homemade tofu are among the most popular of the restaurant’s selections.

一，二，三。。茄子！

Saying farewell to friends is never an easy task.  一路平安！

Major highlights of the trip included:

- Calligraphy Lessons & Mountain Climbing at GXNU’s Downtown Campus

- Visit to Guilin Fabric Market & Suit Fitting at Local Tailor

- Li River Boat Ride & Afternoon Bike Tour of Yangshuo’s Countryside

- Shanghai’s Famous Acrobat Show

- Night Tour of the Bund & Ascent of the Shanghai World Financial Center

- Visit to Shanghai’s Propaganda Poster Art Center

- Morning Hike through the Longji Rice Terraces

- Free Beer Tasting at Guilin’s Liquan Beer Factory

- Beijing Hutong Tour and Lunch at a Local Family’s Home

- Visit to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City

- Climb up the Great Wall of China!

At CLI, we truly feel that our highest goals have been achieved when our students both excel in their Mandarin language studies and display growing enthusiasm for Chinese culture.  We remain tremendously impressed with the cultural adaptability and academic diligence of our Virginia Tech and NSU students, and wish them all the best of luck for the future.

Here are some of our favorite photos from the study tour:

Climbing Folded Brocade Hill, Guilin

Alex and Mai Lan at the Summer Palace, Beijing

Posing in front of the Apple Flagship Store, Shanghai

Allie and Craig at Yuyuan Garden, Shanghai

Please feel free to browse CLI’s comprehensive overview of the Virginia Tech and NSU summer study tour.  CLI is currently in the midst of hosting a second Intelligence Community-funded academic study tour, this time in conjunction with Howard University.  Be sure to check back soon for additional updates!

In anticipation of its 2011 US-China International Youth Festival, which will be held in Beijing from July 12 to August 8, EACT is sponsoring full scholarships for 100 outstanding youth representatives from the United States. To apply and for more information, visit EACT online or contact Amanda Ding by email at amanda.ding@eactus.com. You can also reach EACT by phone at (+1) 240-395-1376. We look forward to receiving your application!

For those wishing to achieve proficiency in the world’s most widely spoken native language, online Mandarin classes provide a valuable alternative to studying in China.  Honing your Mandarin skills in the PRC certainly offers the priceless opportunity of experiencing full immersion into the Chinese language and culture; however, some students lack sufficient time or money for such a venture.  Learning Chinese online brings the classroom directly to you, so you don’t need to put your immediate obligations on hold to take part.

Alternatively, studying Chinese online provides a perfect academic arrangement for students who have already studied in China and are seeking to continue their Mandarin lessons after returning home.  It is additionally a valuable introduction for those who are preparing to travel to China, and would like to practice their Mandarin prior to doing so.

Aside from the convenience offered by studying Chinese online, holding class through the Internet is generally much more affordable than hiring a private tutor near home.  Differences in the cost of labor between China and the West offer the privilege of one-on-one Chinese lessons, but without the unwanted financial strain.

Private online instruction ensures that your language level, learning pace and style, and relevant needs are fully taken into account.  Because classes are performed one-on-one, student input is valued highly and teachers monitor individual progress carefully.  You can be sure that you have the full, undivided attention of your instructor at all times, and there are no external distractions.  Best of all, you have complete flexibility in scheduling your Chinese lessons, and your weekly instruction will be based upon your personal scheduling availability.

CLI now provides one-on-one online Chinese lessons in a variety of subject areas, including Spoken Chinese, Business Chinese, and Chinese for Kids.  Please visit our Learn Chinese Online page to view a complete listing of our study options!

Every week, CLI offers a variety of cultural activities to acquaint our students with Chinese pastimes, customs, and traditions.  On Tuesdays, CLI teachers and students come together to learn about a featured aspect of the modern Chinese lifestyle – playing Chinese chess, participating in a calligraphy class, holding a ping pong tournament, or watching a Chinese movie on our state-of-the-art projector screen, for example.  On Wednesdays, our students, local friends, and teachers participate in cultural exchange seminars, providing a learning opportunity for participants to express their impressions of Chinese and Western ways of life.  On Thursdays, CLI offers a Chinese history class, taught by a local professor; and on Fridays, students and teachers learn about Chinese cuisine by holding cooking classes or visiting a local specialty restaurant.

One of Twelve New CLI Classrooms

In addition to an array of weekly cultural activities, CLI also provides home-cooked lunches and dinners throughout the study week.  Students can enjoy each meal for a nominal fee of 8 CNY; common dishes include Sichuan, northern, and local southern specialties, including meat-free options.

As a top-notch Chinese language school, CLI strives to provide continuous training and a one-of-a-kind work environment for our teaching and administrative staff.  Alongside our regular cultural exchange seminars, we hold weekly teachers’ meetings to chart student progress, discuss the importance of employing creative teaching methods, and evaluate teacher effectiveness.  We also offer regular training sessions in spoken English to minimize any possibility of language difficulties between our students and teachers.  Ultimately, our most important aim is to create a conducive learning environment for achieving fluency in Mandarin Chinese, as well as bridge cultural differences and form long-lasting friendships among students, staff, and local friends.

Please see below for additional photos of CLI’s new learning center:

CLI's Comfortable New Dining Area

The CLI Building Has Three Stories of Private Living Space

One of CLI's Private Rooms

CLI's Recreation and Movie Room

One of Two Student Lounges

The CLI Kitchen, Ideal for Preparing Home-Cooked Meals

Adela and Nancy Practicing Chinese Characters

CLI's Seminar and Group Discussion Room

Students and Teachers Enjoying Lunch at CLI

Greg and Liu Qing Studying Traditional Chinese Foods

CLI Teachers' Lounge

This summer, CLI will welcome three unique study tours to China: the China Sustainability Initiative, to be held in mid-May; Rising China, a 2-week study tour held in conjunction with Virginia’s Lynchburg College; and a 4-week Chinese language intensive program, funded by the International Community Centers for Academic Excellence.  We are eager to welcome all of our upcoming students to our new Guilin learning center!

桂林欢迎你！

The first key to making local acquaintances is to master essential introductory questions that people are bound to ask:

- Where are you from? Nǐ cóng nǎlǐ lái?  你从哪里来？

- How long will you be/have you been in Guilin? Nǐ zai Guìlín duō cháng shī jiān? 你在桂林多长时间？

- Why did you come to Guilin? Nǐ wèi shén me lái Guìlín? 你为什么来桂林？

- What do you study? Nǐ xué xī shén me zhuānyè?  你学习什么专业?

- Where do you study? Nǐ zaì nǎlǐ xué xī?  你在哪里学习？

After grasping the meaning of these Chinese introductory phrases, you can then begin to build the vocabulary necessary to hold basic conversations in Chinese.  Instead of speaking English with your friends and classmates, speak Chinese instead, and make a habit of practicing your Mandarin in natural settings.  By listening carefully to the Chinese spoken by local Guilinese, you’ll be able to better understand the Chinese of native speakers.

CLI offers limitless opportunities for students to practice Chinese, both inside and outside of the classroom.  Our facilities provide a true immersion-based learning environment, as students participate in cultural seminars, language learning activities, and in-house meals alongside staff, teachers, and Chinese friends.

Helpful tips for learning introductory Chinese:

- When someone uses a word that you don’t understand, ask them to repeat it so that you can begin to pick up new vocabulary.

- Each time you learn a new word, write it down in a language learning notebook.  This notebook should be carried with you wherever you go, and not just used while you study at home.

- Ask shop owners and sales clerks to provide the names of common household items while you’re shopping — a helpful, on-the-go tool for increasing your vocabulary.

- You’ll soon find that the local Chinese are very friendly and eager to chat — let them know that you speak Chinese by approaching affable strangers, and don’t be shy!