China Study Tour: Reflections from China — University of Illinois Extension Blog

April 20, 2008

Reflections from China

Today is my first chance to sit down and write about our experiences in China so far. It has been a whirlwind of experiences and it is hard to capture all we have seen and done. If I had to sum it up into one word, the most memorable thing for me here has been the people. From the moment we stepped off the plane in China, we have been greeted by friendly and helpful people-beginning with the customs officers; to our guide, Regina, from Sanda; to all the people we worked with at both Shanghai and Hangzhou. The faculty and administration at Sanda University were very welcoming and gracious hosts. They took great efforts to make our stay at Sanda wonderful. The English teachers who were our helpers for our presentations and guides in the city were amazing-very patient, kind and so friendly! They helped us translate when shopping, which will allow me to come home with some wonderful treasures. And the students...they were so engaged in our presentations, respectful and eager to use their English with us! The time we had with them went by so quickly and I am anxious to see how our connections will grow when we return to the states!

The other thing is the sheer number of people in the cities we have visited. When we were preparing for the trip, I am sure that I read that there were 20 million people in Shanghai. But until you actually see a city of 20 million-it is impossible to imagine it. The crowded streets and the even more crowded roads seem impossible to navigate. Our bus drivers did amazingly well, although a few times I had to close my eyes!

I can't believe we are over half way through our trip-it is going by so quickly. The things I will take with me are numerous and the connections we have made are many.

Posted by Judy Schmidt at 10:49 PM |