China Life

Going to China, I had no idea what to expect. When I arrived in China , a member of the Projects Abroad staff greeted me and took me to my apartment. The next day, she oriented me with the city, showed me to my work place, and introduced me to my roommate. I interned for a small social media company helping them write articles, and create a youtube channel to advertise local restaurants. My coworkers were all around my age. We became friends very quickly. They showed me China from a local perspective. Daily, they challenged me to eat strange foods and try new things. One time we were preparing traditional lamb soup and they asked me to help them cut up some of the meat. So I agreed, not expecting them to hand me a lamb heart. They laughed because of my uncomfortable reaction and we continued to cook together. Needless to say, lamb heart is one food that had to open my mind to eat. Because Chinese culture is so centered around food, my coworkers (China family), encouraged me to try new foods that normally would sound strange to me. My closest friend even invited me to have a meal with her family, and experience what a traditional family dinner was like. It was amazing, because even though no one in the family spoke English, we could all somehow understand each other. It is beautiful how people from across the world share similar experiences and interests.