Greetings everyone,
My apologies for not updating my blog recently. Blogspot is blocked so for the time being I am going to have to email my blog updates to my mom and then she and her very good heart will post them for me.
The title of the post might worry you about my psychological state but I want to put that worry to rest. I do miss all of you but I am very happy here. The reason for the title is because I have been listening to a lot of the band called Explosions in the Sky. For those not familiar with the band it is great ambient rock that makes it an ideal sound to do homework too, which I have been doing so much of. My favorite album by them is entitled “All of a sudden I miss everyone” It was a appropriate because at the time of writing this I do miss you all and am very concerned with how you are doing. So if anything is new in your life please feel free to email me at spartan3489@gmail.com I would love to hear about it. I figure it would only be polite since you are having to go through the torturous act of having to read someone’s boring blog.
Ok so where do I begin. I have been in Xiamen for almost 2 weeks now. Here is where I will be studying while I am in China. The program breaks down like this: 12 credits of courses will be in 6 weeks here in Xiamen and then a history trip up to Xian, Shanghai, and Bejing for 3 weeks then returning to Xiamen for 4 weeks to do an internship in a Chinese business. If you care to check out where I am studying its called Xiamen University. Google it and it will pop up for you. I’ll try to get pictures up sometime soon, I’ll let you know.
Sooooo Xiamen.... It is amazing here! I love it so much more then Hong Kong. Here we are in the International dorm so we are already getting to meet plenty of students from everywhere on earth. It was the Chinese new year celebration this week so this is when Chinese students have their break. It is the biggest holiday in China so we expect the campus to be buzzing with Chinese students in about a week when they get back from break.
The food is great. We have been blessed enough that the food is cheap and it has allowed us to eat out every night and still stay in budget. My American crutch is McDonald’s 1 dollar sundae’s haha so good!
The campus is beautiful. When in session it enrolls 30,000 students on campus so the buildings are much larger and much cooler then what I am accustomed. (I am sure Hogue Hall was cool before it was demolished, Greenville folks). Anyway its fantastic. I am sharing a dorm with 3 other guys in my program. The guys are great so it makes living here all that more enjoyable. We share a bathroom but it is not the typical style where the bathroom is between our two rooms. The bathroom is in my room and the other two guys come through a door connecting our rooms to go to the bathroom. The shower is literally the whole bathroom. Its very interesting. My roommate boasted earlier today that he was able to brush his teeth and use the restroom all while showering. Impressive, but I don’t know if I am ready to try that out. Haha. Or if I do I will have to “one up” him by taking out my contacts and flossing.
Even though it is break we are having classes in our group. The business students started our International Business in China class and it is very interesting. The professor teaching is Chinese so he gives a real and honest perspective on the culture. He is very cool, kind, and encourages us to ask questions (which is unlike typical Chinese professors).
As far as this week goes it has been pretty hectic. The program is much more difficult then to what I am accustomed because we are trying to pack a full semester in 6 weeks. It has me studying and reading so much more. I like it though. It is teaching me discipline and allowing me to really soak up what I should be learning while here. So its great learning about intercultural communication and then practicing what we learned when we meet Chinese students. Just today me and some guys joined about 9 other Chinese in a pick up game of Soccer. It was soo much fun and though it was difficult, we were still able to communicate. It was New Years Wednesday so the town was busy celebrating and all the internationals were invited to a 14 course meal on the college with the president of the college. That was sweet and very interesting.
I love the group I am with, we bond so well. Another reason why I have been busy is because us guys are sharing our testimonies and life stories this week. So that is soaking up 3 hours of time each night but its awesome. I wouldn’t have it any other way. One wise person once told me that for now on anyone she would meet she wanted to sit down and ask them their life story or testimony. I highly suggest it. If you want to show someone you care for them and learn more about them. Shut up sit back and just listen. Very few things show more love then an attentive audience listening to your life and what drives you. It is incredible to see the transformation in our relationships since beginning to do this.
The college is located on a beach front so its fantastic getting to walk on it too and from class. (My dorm is ocean view, “Like a boss!”) For New Years we went out and watched a firework show. So Asian life is pretty awesome.
As always feel free to leave questions or comments on here. They are always appreciated and well received. I hope they get sent to my email for me to check the comments but if you are worried they won’t make it feel free to email me at the address above.
Thoughts and prayers are with you all. Please keep my work load in your prayers and that the protesting in Egypt will become peaceful and no more people are hurt and killed as the Government transitions power.
Zai Jien and God Bless!
