~The Finale~

记忆（jiyi） Memory

In an overview of my semester abroad I wouldn’t have done anything differently. Studying abroad was one of the best things I have done in my life. I’m so grateful to have had this opportunity and even more grateful for the wonderful friends that I made during my stay in china. From this experience I learned so much about myself and about the world. I feel that I have become a stronger, wiser person from it. If someone would have told me a year ago that I could study and travel around china by myself, I wouldn’t have believed them, but here I am. I did it! I remember leaving home crying and nervous about coming to china, but when the semester was over I found myself crying, sad to be leaving the home I made in China.

I hope anyone who reads this blog will take my advice and pursue an education or even just an experience abroad. No matter the situation there is no excuse. There is always a way to pursue your dreams and make the future you want happen. All it takes is a little hard work and dedication!

This blog entry is dedicated to my international family, my great friends that I met in China. We made some life-long memories this semester. I love you all and look forward to seeing you all soon in the future!

A special thank you to all my friends and family who have supported me through everything!

And another special thank you to the Benjamin A. Gilman International institute and Arkansas State University.



The Last Two Weeks



New Years day I said goodbye to my two dear friends at the Guangzhou airport. We had finally reached the time where we would all go our separate ways. Celine, my French friend, was going to Thailand. Suzanne, my Dutch friend, was traveling solo to various places in China. I could finally feel that my semester in China had almost come to an end.

That day I flew to Qingdao. I was in Qingdao traveling by myself for almost two days. I went to an amazing aquarium called 青岛海底世界 (Qingdao hai di shijie) Qingdao Underwater World. Below are some pictures from the aquarium. Traveling by myself in Qingdao really gave me a sense of independence and pride because amazingly during these days I did not encounter any problems.

 The people of Qingdao are very kind. When I didn’t know where I wanted to go in Qingdao, I could simply ask anyone and they would advise me on places I should visit in the city.  I only encountered one thing which I found strange in Qingdao. Some taxi’s will run the meter and only pick up one passenger but I encountered two or more taxis that would pick up three different passengers with three different destinations at the same time. After two days I picked up one of my friends from the bus station in Qingdao. We visited with her aunt and uncle for a few days. I remember we had an amazing dinner at their house with fresh seafood! At my hometown there is almost no seafood so during my time in China I have really learned to appreciate fresh seafood.

A few days later I traveled to my friend’s home in Lai Zhou （莱州）. Lai Zhou is a small town, speaking in terms of size compared to many cities in China. Everywhere I went the people who lived in Lai Zhou would stare at me. There were many times when I heard people whisper “外国人” (foreigner) or “俄罗斯人”（Russian）. (I don’t know why but everyone always assumed I was Russian!)  I spent my last few days in China at her home. Her family welcomed me with open arms. I truly felt like I was a part of her family. Her mother was always feeding us. I really believe it is the custom in china, to constantly feed your guests until they are so full they cannot eat any more. I would wake up in the morning and her mom would serve breakfast. After breakfast she would give us fruit and sun flower seeds; then comes lunch and the same snacks after lunch…etc.  I noticed in my friend’s house, like many other houses in the Shandong province of China, they used solar energy. I found it very efficient and actually cheaper. Shandong Province is one of the top provinces in china that uses solar energy.

After my week in Lai Zhou I took a bus from Lai Zhou to Shanghai. I was on this bus for 12 hours. This was a really fun experience. When I got on the bus I realized there were not any chairs there were only beds. My bed was a top bunk in the middle of the bus. On this bed I felt like I was on the deck of a swaying ship. I could feel the bus’s every movement! I think this was the best way to end my semester in China.

My Favorite Dishes

I believe that the food of a country is a gateway to understanding the culture of that country. So here are a few recipes of a few of my favorite dishes in China.

Scrambled Eggs and Tomatoes
xi hong shi ji dan（西红柿鸡蛋）

Ingredients （配料）:
2 to 3 medium sized tomatoes
salt
2 tea spoons of vinegar
1 tea spoon of soy sauce
cooking oil
1 tea spoon of chicken bullion
3 eggs

Instructions (做法)：First lightly scrabble the eggs in a pan by themselves. Then in another pan use oil to cook the tomatoes. The same pan with the tomatoes add salt, vinegar, and soy sauce to taste. Add the eggs to the tomatoes then cook for 3 to 5 minutes.

Black Mushrooms fried with cucumber
Mu er chao huang gua（木耳炒黄瓜）

Ingredients （配料）：
2 medium cucumbers
Black Mushrooms (edible tree fungus) (木耳)
1 to 2 hot green peppers
Garlic
Soy Sauce
Salt
(oyster sauce)
cooking oil
(with this recipe you can add a scrambled egg)

Instructions (做法) ：First put the black mushrooms in water about an hour to two hours before cooking and leave them until they are soft.  Place some oil in the pan. Then  cook the cucumbers, garlic, and green peppers . Add soy sauce, salt, and oyster sauce to taste. When the cucumbers and green peppers are a little cooked add the black mushrooms and cook  them together for 5 minutes.

Sour and spicy sliced potatoes
 (suan la tu dou si)酸辣土豆丝

Ingredients （配料）:
cooking oil
salt
vinegar
garlic
1 to 2 spicy green peppers
2 medium sized potatoes

Instructions (做法) ：First slice the potatoes into very thin pieces. Slice the hot green peppers as thin at the potatoes.  Secondly cook the garlic and peppers together. When the peppers are a little cooked add the sliced potatoes and cook together for around 10 minutes. Add vinegar and salt to your taste.

Tomato and Beef
(xi hongs hi niu rou）西红柿牛肉:

Ingredients (配料)：
500 grams of beef
2 medium sized tomatoes
soy sauce
cumin
ginger
cooking oil

Instructions (做法) ：First cut the beef into thin squares. Before cooking let the beef soak in a bowl with a lot of soy sauce, a little cumin and ginger for 10 minutes.  Peel the tomatoes and cut them into slices.  Then fry the beef for three minutes. After three minutes add the tomatoes and fry them together for one minute. Put a lid on the pan and let the tomato and beef mixture simmer on high heat for 10 minutes. Then lower the temperature and let simmer for another 20 minutes.  ( If you prefer your beef rare let it simmer for only 15 minutes, for medium-well 20 minutes, for well-done follow the standard directions above.)

Part 2: Places to Visit in Guangzhou



I was in Guangzhou for a week but I felt that a week was too long. For anyone traveling to Guangzhou I only recommend to stay there about three days.

陈家祠(chen jia ci) The Chen Clan’s Estate

白云山(bai yun shan) White Cloud Mountain

While I was resting on the steps on the mountain a group of college students asked if they could have picture with me. They were surprised I could speak enough mandarin Chinese that I could have conversation with them. It was a lot of fun just to sit and talk with them on the mountain. 

南越王 (Nan Yue Wang) The Tomb of King Nan Yue
The tomb covers an area of 1,4000 sq. m. This museum is well known for its well-preserved tomb and funerary antiquity from the Han Dynasty, as well as its elegant and grand architecture from the Lingnan (south of the Nanling Mountain) area. Hidden 20 meters (65.6 feet) underground, the tomb is made up of 750 huge stones with colorful murals. The tomb was discovered in 1983 and the museum opened in 1988. Found in the tomb with the king was more than 15 sacrifices. Four of those sacrifices were his concubines. In this museum you can see the original tomb, and the remains of the kings.

Two Buddhist Temples

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.” ~Buddha

My favorite part about Guangzhou was the Buddhist temples. These temples provided a calm serene atmosphere, a complete contrast to the bustling city.