Lattitude - Volunteer Placements in China

Go now, think later! At this point in our lives, where (I personally hope) we are not yet chained to desks or babies or whatnot, there are so many opportunities to take advantage of. From exchange, to volunteering programs, to just traveling for the sake of it, these experiences shape our perspective on the world and develop skills that can't be found in a classroom or office.

Say yes! From dinner invitations, to kung fu classes, to running races; do things that you might consider outside your comfort zone, and you may find a new passion.

There are absolutely too many. One that always arises because it showed how headstrong and ignorant I was when I first arrived was being convinced my Chinese was good enough to order food on my own. I ordered what I was sure was my favorite fried eggplant dish, but confused the Chinese word for 'eggplant' with the word for 'children' and had no idea why everyone was giving me weird stares.

When we go overseas, it's almost impossible to not make many a faux pas, so sometimes if a local gives you advice or tries to help you, just be open to it. In this case, you won't go hungry.