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T - 3 Days: The BIGGEST thank you to all my dearest friends here at Tsinghua. I wish we could’ve had more time together to sing at KTV, go clubbing, and bar hop till we drop. Can’t wait to hear all about your adventures when we see each other next 😍☺️ (at And I Will Always Love You)

[holotttafun]

T - 5 Days: Not only do I get to be a part of the #SUAbroad program, but I’m granted the opportunity to study Chinese along with other international students of all ages as a part of Tsinghua’s Language Program. Tonight, at the annual #NewYearsGala, it became clear that these students are not only hard working, but talented beyond belief. I’m truly going to miss being amongst such a diverse community (of whom share my affinity for 五道口’s La Bamba) #HoWasHere (at #出去玩)

[holotttafun]

T - 6 Days: 9 beautiful cities and a ridiculous amount of panoramas to prove it. I am truly #blessed for this opportunity to explore China and I’ll miss being surrounded by the history of a growing nation ☺️😍 #HoWasHere (at 🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳)

[holotttafun]

And the countdown to my return home begins! T - 7 Days 😳 In my #HoWasHere countdown, it’s only right to list the things I’ll miss the most. One thing I’ll miss dearly: China’s DELICIOUS Street Food 🍢🍡 (at Wangfujing Snack Street)

[holotttafun]

Come to Tsinghua. We have #teletubbies 🌞👶| #HoWasHere (at Tsinghua University)

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New single dropping soon. Pre-order your copy for the holidays. #HoWasHere (at Beijing State of Mind)

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FINALLY. (at DIM SUM HEAVEN )

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#B E I J I N G | #HoWasHere (at 🚲 🚲 🚲)

[holotttafun]

感恩节 快乐! | Happy Thanksgiving! #HoWasHere (at gobble gobble 🍁🍂)

[howashere]

Hello, Blog, I'm Back.

Once again, I'm so good at proving that keeping up with a blog isn't the easiest job on earth. At first, my hopes for these posts included:

1) An abundance of them

2) For them to be published while I was on these trips

and

3) For them to not all be Instagram photos 

But that didn't seem to be the case, come October. And now we've made it to November. Gobble Gobble.

Although I am actually so #blessed that my memory has not failed me in writing about my signature seminar from Sep -freakin - tember, I am saddened a bit to be posting about them so late in the game. Especially when I've been studying in Beijing and traveling all over this part of China for the past couple months. So...maybe this blog isn't the most accurate version of my current abroad experience, but don't you fret. 

I am set on posting more from my signature seminar and will hopefully finish the series before I leave (T - 24 days till I'm on a plane !!!) and then I hope to post a video/videos (?) about my trips around Beijing (Great Wall of China, Summer Palace, etc.) ! So, keep with me, my friends and family! There's so much to do and see here in China and, yes, I don't want to be looking down at a camera/on my computer the whole time, but it pains me to not be able to share this experience with the ones I love. 

So let's raise a glass: to yet another apology and a stronger promise.

(Also to two, YES COUNT THEM! TWO! Blog/Vlog posts today!!!) 

Scroll down and let's throw it way back (heh it's not thursday) to Day 2 and 3 of my signature seminar :)

[howashere]

Here's the YouTube video to accompany my blog post about Dali! Check it out and let me know what you think :)

[howashere]

#ThrowbackNotReallyThursday | Dali (Pt. 2)

Signature Seminar Day 3

Starting off the morning bright and early, we left our hotel around 8:30 A.M. (Anytime past 5 minutes late and the deal was that we had to buy the rest of the group cookies…A.K.A a challenge for each of us to try and make the others late). Our first stop was another “Old Town of Dali”. A beautiful and traditional community, one of the unique parts of this old town was the hustling and bustling market near the center of the town. Reminiscent of a bazaar, the dirt path we followed our tour guide down passed tables of fresh vegetables, open bowls of fish, and various spices piled on blankets. Overwhelming is an understatement, as we were also joined by many other eager shoppers (both on foot and on bikes) looking for the fresh catch of the day to cook up. Hauling large baskets on their back (often carrying cute little children), women of all ages pushed through the crowd along with us. After winding down more streets of shops and small restaurants, we made it to the town’s courtyard. Surrounded by the ancient charm and architecture, it was odd to see a relatively large shop selling televisions, washing machines, and refrigerators under the same roof (who needs Sears??). Still pondering the juxtaposition of old and new, we were ushered into the home of a former rich man of the old town. The former owner’s smart decision to utilize the various trade routes throughout China during his most profitable years was truly evident in his large estate and grand courtyards. It was also SUPER interesting to see the bomb shelter that was created during the warring time in China as well.

From this old town to a more historic location, we boarded our bus for the Three Pagodas of Dali. Just standing at the gates of the entrance, the grandeur and scale of these pagodas were more than evident. And I mean, WOW, like W – O – W, these puppies were gold, enormous, and surrounded by an even more majestic landscape. Not to mention, they had a magical background of misty mountains. What more could a landscape ask for?? After spending a good 15 minutes taking photos of every angle, we were reminded of the actual pagodas just up ahead. Finally arriving at the historical site, we proceeded to pose (a la Leaning Tower of Pisa style) and garnered a couple more stares from domestic tourists. Past the Three Pagodas (YES! THERE’S MORE! I KNOW.), we trekked up and down stairs and tree lined roads to various temples and monasteries. From each site, the gate opened at the top of a hill to another beautiful view of the landscape and our next site. Per usual, our group took our time at the final destination, taking more photos and playing with the easily controlled koi pond. It’s oddly empowering to make a group of crazy fishes all jump at the same time...

 Upon returning to our hotel, we had a little time to explore before class. In our class, we learned about the Bai ethnic minority of Dali. We also had the pleasure of meeting some visiting students from the local university. We learned that one of the students knew four languages! Count ‘em, FOUR: Bai, a Yi Dialect, Mandarin, AND English. Both of the students were amazingly generous, and offered to show us around the town. For dinner, we had the pretty awesome opportunity of eating at this really unique restaurant that the other student worked at. Before sitting down, we got to pick from a display of their freshest ingredients, ranging from veggies to fish to mushrooms, that they would proceed to cook. Each separate dish that arrived on our table utilized each of our choices made earlier. I WAS IN FOOD HEAVEN. A+ Concept and A+ Food. Safe to say that we were a bit suspicious of the restaurant at first, but the risk we took paid off in full stomachs and satisfied taste buds. Although we had to say our goodbyes to the two kind students who showed us the beauty of Dali’s Old Town, the night was still young! Walking around the lit up “Foreigner Street”, we made a stop at a foot cleaning fish shop and made a spectacle of the small business. I mean, honestly, they should’ve paid us for the promotion…we were SO LOUD. The fun just wouldn’t stop there, as our “more Western looking” group members became celebs for a couple minutes. When one Chinese guy stops you for photos, others will join. For many Chinese people, blonde hair and blue eyes is a rare occasion and a perfect moment to get photographic evidence for mom (HEY MA, LOOK! A WHITE PERSON!). Unable to shed our love for Dali, we ended our night at a bar near the restaurant we had first found on our first night and made friends with another group by playing a couple rounds of “Heads Up”.

Ah, Dali, I will never forget the ancient beauty and crazy fun I experienced inside your blue and white walled treasure of a world. I hope that when I return to Yunnan, I get to spend more than two nights exploring your wonder. 

[howashere]

#THROWBACKNOTREALLYTHURSDAY | From Kunming To Dali

Signature Seminar Day 2

After a hike filled day of climbing through the Kunming Stone Forest, it was a nice change of pace to have our class in the hotel the next day; a schedule we would soon become accustomed to. One day we would be taking notes on the history of China’s ethnic minorities and environment, and the next, we would be out exploring Yunnan’s villages and beautiful landscapes, getting to know the people and their culture more personally. The second day on our trip, after an amazing night in a very luxurious hotel (Syracuse does not skimp on booking our accommodations), we had two special guests present on Yunnan’s ethnic diversity and biodiversity. Accompanied by one of the professors from our guest lecture, we bid adieu to the first of many hotels and headed out to see another Kunming sight: The Dian Chi Lake. Beautiful blue skies, a slight breeze, an amazing view of the mountains, and a wonderfully green tinted lake…No, wait. Did I say wonderful? No. While the sight was absolutely stunning (and worthy of its iPhone panorama photo), the heavy pollution of the lake was the main reason we came to visit. Only 10 years after being utilized by the city as drinking water, this lake was not the prettiest sight, nor was it the safest source. The mix of chemical waste and plastic bottles was even more evident in the stench that wafted up from the bright moss colored water.  A dramatic example of China’s relationship between its environment and tourism, the Dian Chi Lake is great for pictures, but not great for its people. This is a lesson we would fully understand within the next two weeks. After saying goodbye to the professor and Kunming tour guide (with THE cutest group selfies), we boarded the bus for a long trip to our next destination: Dali. A couple games of “Heads Up”, lots of naps, and more bonding at a gas stop later, we had arrived at our destination. While Kunming was a beautiful start to our trip, Dali truly opened our eyes to the more traditional China that we would get to experience. A strictly tourist location, the Old Town of Dali is a preserved treasure of Yunnan. Branching off from the aptly named “Foreigner Street”, various streets of shops, restaurants, shrines, and similar souvenir shops (selling anything from cowboy hats to wooden pipes) split off in different directions. In our first night of exploring, the open restaurants boasting “Western Food” and guitar wielding performers serenading us through open windows sold the colorful nightlife to us. Although we would only have one more night in Dali, I was determined to explore as much as I could.

[holotttafun]

Forbidden City Pt. 3 | The light at the end of the tunnel. #HoWasHere (at Forbidden City)

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Forbidden City Pt. 2 | Celebrating blue skies 🌞 #HoWasHere (at Forbidden City)

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Forbidden City Pt. 1 | 😊 #HoWasHere (at Forbidden City)

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Blue Is The Warmest Color. (at 圓明園 Yuanmingyuan Park)