Study Abroad with UNA
culture
Homecoming
Arriving at the Dallas airport in America was such a wonderful feeling. I had never been so proud to be an American or so proud to be back home. I had missed the freedom and the food more than words could express. After waiting in line for over an hour to recheck our bags, a few of us sat down and had a phenomenal Mexican meal. I followed that meal with Starbucks, and it was filled with sugar and love. I was so happy. The plane ride to Huntsville was short and sweet. I loved flying at night! … // Read more
Silk Market Hagglin’
The silk market was beyond what I even imagined it to be. There were thousands of shops on the many floors of the huge mall/market. There were clothes, bags, scarves, jewelry, accessories, and so much more. I was on a mission for purses, along with several other girls. We haggled and argued with some very rude ladies, and some very kind ones, before we got our prizes. I got some fabulous purses and they were at a price I was pleased with. The women and men in the stores would yell, “Hey lady! Hey pretty lady! Come get … // Read more
The Great Wall
The Great Wall absolutely lived up to its name. It was the most gorgeous piece of work I have ever seen. The history, the beauty, and the spirit of China were all surrounding the entire wall. Our tour guide told us, “You are a hero in China if you climb the Great Wall.” I was beaming the entire climb. It was a difficult climb and it took me back to the fond memory of Mt. Tai. I climbed the wall with Will and stopped for many pictures along the way. It was so incredible just to be there. … // Read more
Farewell Tianjin
Our farewell dinner was so lovely and so bittersweet. I was not ready to leave China at all, especially the university. The people were so kind to us and I had made such good friends there. They served us a huge feast similar to the one served at our welcome dinner. We all laughed about memories we had made while in China and heard the final words from the university president. The food was delicious and the friendships were so very warm. Tianjin Foreign Studies University treated us like royalty and I am forever grateful.
Midnight Massages
Massages in China are absolutely nothing like massages in America. Nothing at all. There is no soothing music or lotion and hot rocks, there is hardcore massaging. When we arrived to the sketchiest place I’ve ever been, we were all escorted to six beds laying side by side. We climbed in and had our pictures taken multiple times. Our first task was to put our feet in extremely hot water. Then, each person was matched with a female to perform the massage. They started with our feet and worked up. They literally beat on my body, pushed on … // Read more
Beijing, Round 1
With a few days left in China, we made a day trip to Beijing. We got to experience Olympic Park and the 798 Art District. Beijing was a completely different world than Tianjin. It was much bigger, and much more upscale. Olympic Park is very large, and hard to cover in an hour, so we bought a ticket to see inside the Eagle’s Nest, which is where the track and field competitions took place. It was breathtaking to stand where so many incredible athletes have stood. I got my picture taken touching the track with my foot, of course. … // Read more
Famous
Port of Tianjin “Made in China” is written on a majority of things we buy in America. Getting to see where all those items are shipped from was very fascinating. However, I did not get to sit down and see the boats for quite a while. As I made my way to the top of the boat with all of my UNA friends, I literally got swarmed by about 25 Chinese people asking to take my picture. (Non verbally asking, obviously). I stood there for about 30 minutes taking pictures with them, getting my pictures taken alone, and … // Read more
Host Family Stay
On our second Saturday in China, we got to sleep late and pack to go stay with our host family. I was like a child on Christmas day. I was bouncing off the walls with excitement! Dustin compared it to sorority bid day–Chinese host family style. We cheered as we heard our friends’ names called to meet their match. When my name got called, everyone cheered and I grabbed my luggage and ran over to meet Hannah, my host! She was so adorable and I was thrilled to take a look inside her life. Hannah took me along … // Read more
Tour of Haihe River and The Eye
Although all of the experiences we had in China were eventful and breathtaking, the Haihe River Tour was yet another magnificent sight to see. I honestly had to take a second just to soak it all in and really comprehend what I was getting to do. Americans love to go out on boats during the summer. It’s just an American thing to do. So, we were all naturally excited when we found out we would be traveling down the Haihe River by boat. We were even more excited when we found out we could stand up on top of … // Read more
Our Dear Friend, Helen
Helen’s Restaurant and Bar is frequented by Americans as well as visitors from all over the country. It offers delicious food, American music, and an environment that makes you feel at home even in the middle of China. We went to Helen’s several times. The first night we went, several of our cabs got lost. My cab actually got dropped off across the street and we had to basically scale a wall in the middle of the highway. Just before going to KFC for directions, we found our friends and found Helen’s. When you walk in to Helen’s, … // Read more
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