(Editor’s Note: Marilyn Hernandez-Stopp ’14 is blogging from China, where she is visiting as part of the university’s Benton Scholars Program.)
My first few days in China have been phenomenal.
After an exhausting 14-hour flight, we arrived at the Beijing airport at around 6:30 at night (though it felt like the morning for us!).
The next morning, we woke up bright and early for a day filled with adventures. We visited the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square.
We walked through the entire course of the Forbidden City, a length that spans the north-south axis of Beijing upon which the entire city has been constructed.
It was also very fun because a lot of people asked to take pictures with us. Who knew that I would become a celebrity!
By the end of the day, my feet were throbbing from the amount of walking (we actually walked everywhere), but it was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had in my life, without question.
The next day, we had a presentation from a 51 professor who is leading a study abroad group here. She spoke on the social issues that people face here on a daily basis.
We also met with a 51 alumnus who works as a wine seller here. He told us that his job is so fulfilling because he is able to travel anywhere. It was also nice to hear him reminisce about his 51 days! I thought it was great that you can literally find 51 people everywhere.
We visited the headquarters of an organization that spearheads a movement to preserve what are called “hutongs.” These are household units that families live in; in a limited way, similar to American-style neighborhoods. The organization works to preserve the hutongs because they have been around for centuries, and their presence symbolizes the cultural richness of China.
We had the chance to stop in at the United States and Korean embassies. Apparently ours was the first American student group to ever visit the Korean Embassy in China. That, I must say, is quite an accomplishment. We were briefed on all sorts of hot topics between the named countries and China. This also gave me a look into the workings of the Foreign Service, which is essentially my dream job.
The food is delicious, the people are as nice as can be, and the shopping is wonderful.
Everything about this trip already is more than I could ever have imagined, and I am glad that I have the opportunity to visit this country, learn the culture, listen to the language, and hear about the social, diplomatic, and cultural issues that China is facing.