home again
i am relatively fresh off the plane from China where I spent 10 days with the International Scholar Laureate Program Delegation on Diplomacy with 69 other college students from around the US. We visited Beijing, Xi'an (pronounced Shi-an), and Shanghai. I have now climbed on the Great Wall of China, taken a boat ride on the lake at the Imperial Summer Palace, toured the Forbidden City, been to Tianenmen Square, eaten Peking Duck at the same restuarant as Nixon ate at, seen the Terra-Cotta Army, been to the Wild Goose Pagoda and ancient temple, met with students at the China Foreign Affairs University, visited the oldest mosque in Xi'an, walked along the most complete city wall in China, seen the Shanghai Acrobatic show, been to the Jade Buddha Temple and had a tea ceremony with herbs made by the monks, taken a boat cruise on the Huangpu River, conversed in American Sign Language with a deaf chinese man in Shanghai, been to the top of the Pearl TV Tower (tallest TV tower in the world and one of the tallest structures in the world, and played on the highest piano in the world), met with the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs (person right under the Chinese Secretary of State), visited a village, and made many new friends in china and across the United States. besides that, i now have a 4 month student visa for France, starting September 2.
all in all, i'd say it was a good trip. plus, i came back with souvenirs and about 800 pictures, most of which are going up on facebook soon. call me because i'll be in town all summer (through September 1, when I fly to Europe for the semester)
all in all, i'd say it was a good trip. plus, i came back with souvenirs and about 800 pictures, most of which are going up on facebook soon. call me because i'll be in town all summer (through September 1, when I fly to Europe for the semester)