Who knew?

By:

Miranda Parvis

Published:

Countries

Demographics

,

Majors

Regions

Wow, I honestly can’t say anything bad about this experience so far. First of all I would like to say that I am very lucky to be traveling with such a wonderful group of people. Everyone is very nice and easy to get along with, which makes the trip even more amazing when you can share it with people you like. China is so different from everything I have ever known, culture, music, food, people, architecture, language, even the atmosphere! At noon, when the sun is supposedly at its peak, there is still overcast. biiiiggg change coming from the sunshine state to the sunless state! But I like it, I mean it’s different and it has its beauty. In the afternoon the sun is a deep red orange color and just amazing to photograph. Yesterday I cooked my own food at a restaurant we went to. It was by far the most spicy-est food I have ever tasted, my stomach still feels like its on fire. I feel like a grain of sand in a sand box in this city, and I can only imagine that this weekend in Beijing will only make me feel more insignificant, I don’t have low self-esteem don’t worry. The amount of people is just mind blowing, it’s crazy to think of so many people walking, driving, and riding, simultaneously. My dorm in the university is very cute, after an afternoon ride to WuMei the Chinese Wal-Mart I managed to make my room a home away from home. The second day of our trip we went to BingJongDao (pretty sure about the spelling) a huge shopping area, full of malls, and tiny shops one next to the other. This morning I went to purchase a second-hand bicycle. This will be my transportation method within the university, as the distances are quite long. At night the temperature drops a bit and it’s just beautiful! Ok that’s it for now, next time I will continue about my trip to Beijing this weekend and the Great Wall of China! Can’t wait. As always… your caffeinated tourist guide.

Miranda Parvis

Ni Hao, My name is Miranda Parvis and I am a junior at Florida International University, Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. I am a student as well as employee in The Honors College at FIU. This fall semester of 2011 I was given the opportunity of a lifetime, to be able to study abroad in the Tianjin University of Commerce (TUC) an FIU cooperative school in Tianjin, China. Having overcome numerous obstacles throughout my life makes this study abroad experience even more fulfilling. Some years back my family was separated indefinitely, I was working full time in order to finance my education and going to school full time. I moved to the US when I was 5 years old from Argentina along with my family and since then have been living in Miami. I have an older brother and sister with whom I’m very close. Being an immigrant is difficult but I believe that it gives you certain training that no other experience can give you. You learn to adapt. For this reason traveling and studying abroad is extremely important for not only my career but my personal growth. During my time in China I plan to visit places like Beijing, Xian (the largest city in the northwest), and the Great Wall of China amongst many other places. I also intend to soak in as many Asian traditions and culture differences as possible. As a major country in the forefront of hospitality; I believe China will be an important stepping stone for me. The Asian culture and language is a huge part of not only the world, but the tourism industry as a whole. Learning about the differences that exist between modern day China and old traditional ways are essential in truly learning what traveler's expectations and needs are. I honestly couldn’t be happier to be the student chosen for the scholarship.