Did you have the opportunity to see your city from a local perspective?
Alyssa: Living with a host family gave me the wonderful opportunity to see the city from the local perspective. I came to understand that the Beijing I explored was a world apart from the Beijing my host mom grew up in. She was born in the 1950s in the same part of Beijing that she had lived in her entire life, but at that time her family resided in a steel-producing commune so reflective of the Mao era.
The pace of change she had experienced in her lifetime was staggering. During my stay, my host mom also introduced me to the local markets and malls where she liked to shop, locations largely untainted by tourism. Our excursions and conversations together influenced my understanding of Beijing beyond the context of studying abroad.
What made your study abroad experience unique and special?
Alyssa: This study abroad experience was incredibly unique and special because it was so far outside of my comfort zone. I intentionally chose a destination that I would be unlikely to travel to on my own, and having the support system of IES Abroad enabled me to be far more adventuresome than I otherwise would have been. I am not spontaneous or thrill-seeking in the traditional sense, but I definitely enjoy finding experiences that force me to redefine my perspective on the world. Especially as an environmental studies major, I felt that it was crucial for me to study abroad in a country that will be a major player in global sustainability and international politics during my lifetime.
What was the best place you visited outside of your host city?
Alyssa: Outside of Beijing, the best place I visited was Xi’an. My friends and I finally got the hang of weekend traveling towards the end of the semester, and we planned this trip perfectly. We traveled together on an overnight train from Beijing to Xi’an. This city is home to the famous terracotta soldiers, which are absolutely incredible to see in person and well-worth the money to visit the museum complex. After spending the morning visiting the terracotta soldiers, we spent our afternoon leisurely biking around the city wall, with absolutely gorgeous weather and beautiful views of the city on all sides.
...and don’t even get me started on dinner. We ate in the Muslim district of the city and the restaurant we chose was definitely one of the best meals I had in China! After one busy, perfect day in Xi’an, we made it back to the train station just in time to catch an overnight train back to Beijing.
Do you have any interesting cultural tidbits about your host city?
Alyssa: One of my blog posts while I was abroad involved several observations I made regarding cultural differences between China and the United States. First, I think there is a conspiracy among the public bus drivers to cause foreigners to fall down whenever possible. It’s almost as if they watch in the rearview mirror and wait for the perfect moment to slam on the brakes or gas. The appropriate compensation for the humorous embarrassment I suffered would be a copy of the footage of all of my falls because they were definitely recorded on the bus security cameras.
Secondly, the use of portable radios in China was absolutely hilarious. Elderly people carried them around in their pocket and listened to them at high volumes without headphones. The best part was that they did not care whether anyone else actually wanted to hear their music, which ranged from—no joke—authentic Chinese opera to Katy Perry’s “California Gurls.” It never failed to bring a smile to my face.