Last Week of School

Published:

Countries

Demographics

Majors

Regions


Hi Everyone,

This week was my very last week of school at Beijing Normal University. School is not officially over yet; I still have finals and 6 more days in Beijing. However if four months flew by as quickly as it did, 6 days is almost nothing in comparison! During this week, as I strolled down the campus streets, I felt so much more appreciative of my environment because I know I wonโ€™t come back for perhaps many years. I am really going to miss the food over here. I really liked eating ไธฒ (chuan), which are delicious meat skewers, as a late night snack. I will especially miss the friends Iโ€™ve made within these four months!  The one good thing about leaving though is that I won’t be breathing polluted air back at home!! However, there are some good days in Beijing. For example.. Friday! 

Friday in Beijing

                                        We can see the sky!! Yay!  :)

So other than reflecting on life in Beijing, starting Wednesday, I have 4 finals next week! I am little bit nervous because I don’t have very much time left to study. But I mean on the brighter side, I have Monday and Tuesday to prepare for the exam!!

-Jen

Jennifer Au

Ni hao! My name is Jennifer Au and I am a fourth year Biology major at the University of California, Irvine. During Fall 2015 I have been given the amazing opportunity to study at Beijing Normal University for four months to learn Mandarin. I chose this program because it was the one option that included an intensive Chinese language program. I want to learn Mandarin so I could better communicate with other individuals including my family in China. It has always been my dream to reach in and discover the culture of my ancestors and who I really am and through this study abroad program, I will be able to incorporate academics and social development with cultural cognizance. My deep rooted desire to study abroad in China as a Chinese American may seem a little predictable, but this desire mainly stems from my upbringing in a predominate Latino neighborhood, in which I assimilated more with the Latino community and felt significantly displaced from my own culture. Iโ€™m looking forward to meeting the locals and practicing Mandarin with them everyday and trying authentic Chinese cuisine, like Peking duck! I also hope to use my Chinese acquisition as a physician assistant to communicate with patients who may speak Chinese.