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
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.
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
Confucius is one of the most well-known philosophers in history, and we got the privilege of touring different areas related to his life. It was incredibly interesting to see the history all around me. The architecture is absolutely gorgeous. Aside from the gorgeous scenery and fascinating history around me, all I could think about was the toe I stubbed the day before. My poor little pinky toe was in so much pain. (I’m a baby, I know). It started pouring down rain, and I had forgotten my rain jacket. After getting soaked, I remembered that I … // Read more
Today was the best part of the trip. I got to teach a freshman Geography class at Ng’Iresi Secondary school! Everyone else got to speak to a freshman class as well. I think everyone really enjoyed it and the African students were great. We shopped around town and learned about tanzanite, a gemstone only found in Tanzania.
Comments