Students Feedback for 2013 China Studies Programs

Livia Meneghin: My absolute favorite part of the trip was the home-stay!! I was completely welcomed by my family, and it was such an amazing cultural experience to be a part of normal life. I made dumplings with my host family, and they were so impressed that I knew how to use chopsticks! I also showed my host sister a map and pointed out different colleges she might like. We talked about college and hobbies and family and it was a very special moment. I've kept in touch after the program ended too! 

Kevin Winnie: I can say the whole trip was a memorable visit. First, visiting the Forbidden Temple was one of the funniest and most memorable moments especially when it was raining and we were stuck underneath one of the buildings. I remember we played a game called "ninja," which was a lot of fun especially when a crowd gathered around us. Second, going to the Great Wall was amazing. I remembered Charles and I went around the whole wall and the view from the top was phenomenal. I feel so lucky to be able to travel across the Great Wall. Third, I think that getting an overall sense of Chinese culture was enriching. We really got to experience another lifestyle that Americans are not accustomed to living. I still cannot eat Americanized Chinese food because food in China was so much better. 

Nick Chilson: My favorite things were the historical aspects of the trip like that art museum we visited in shanghai and the various ancient buildings and such like the gardens built by the governor and the forbidden city. And I also really enjoyed visiting the school and staying with the families in Shenyang. Getting to roam around in the cities and visiting some of the markets where you could barter with people was a cool experience as well. And you can tell the new kids that the best part of the trip was experiencing it all with good friends so they should invite as many people as they can because the China trip is something they will never forget.

Amanda Biancardi: I really liked being able to taste the different food. I tried everything new they put on the table even the jelly fish and silk worm. It was amazing to see and taste what is a great dish. I also really liked touring the estates and getting to walk the Great Wall.

Dan Kutzin: I really enjoyed every part of the trip but I enjoyed seeing what each city we visited had to offer. Seeing Beijing's forbidden city was amazing as was the Great Wall. However, my favorite city was Shanghai and going on the river cruise was memorable as well.

Patrick McManus: Here's the story I tell most about the trip: The first night I stayed with my host family they prepared an elaborate meal, including several things I didn't recognize. I was trying new food and using chopsticks, which was quite adventurous for me, but I was having trouble maneuvering any significant quantity of rice into my mouth. Noticing this, the mother brought me a fork, which was great. 

Emily Meneghin: I enjoyed the most when we went to the temples on tour, or when we were in the market. Those authentic experiences were the best. The host-family experience was really good, especially when our group came back together and each of us had fun stories to share. Making those connections and integrating ourselves into the Chinese society is very important to me.

Charles Watson: My favorite part of the China trip was without a doubt my stay with the host family. Spending two days with a family of what I perceived to be a radically alien culture, and learning that they were, for the most part, very much like me and my family... It really changed my perspective. As I've noted before, prior to the China trip and my stay with the host family, I tended to think of China as an unpleasant, possibly even dystopia place. Spending some time with some actual Chinese people in China changed all that.