Has anyone in this family ever even seen a chicken?
(via nodesiretowakeup)
Source: its-arrested-development
Has anyone in this family ever even seen a chicken?
(via nodesiretowakeup)
Source: its-arrested-development
It’s been a while, but if you haven’t already seen check out this video of our Chemical Engineering Study Abroad in Tianjin, China!
Thank you Tianjin students!
The Chinese students here have been wonderful hosts beyond our expectations. They have made extra efforts to take us to exciting places, go out for meals, help us with errands, and show us a good time at Tianjin University. We decided to thank them Monday night by hosting a surprise party at our hotel.
As seen in the second picture, the cakes we much larger than we had expected. This was fine, as everyone came hungry and an icing food fight began halfway through the party. It was great to see all of the students, and we felt very thankful considering they are in the middle of finals week.
The days are dwindling, but the exciting adventure continue. We will make the most out of our remaining hours, and the Tianjin students will be with us until the last hour. Thank you again, guys!
Life is Beautiful!
Ciandixia and the Temple of Heaven
This weekend was a blast for our group. Our first stop was at a small village north Of Beijing known as Ciandixia. It was a very common rest stop for soldiers in past dynasties and is a very popular tourist destination for seeing the natural beauty of China. We stayed in hostels and ate delicious meals in close quarters. Their specialty in the village was roasted lamb, smoked in converted large gallon drums for hours.
Before nightfall, we went on a beautiful hike on the mountain side. We saw natural caves in the sides of the mountain, and a gorgeous view at the top. In the evening we did KTV in a villager’s converted living room. Some locals were nice enough to share a watermelon and sing some songs for us.
The next day we woke up early to visit the Temple of Heaven and antique market. The Temple was surrounded by beautiful gardens and bustling with activity. We got caught in a huge rainstorm at the market, which added a level of excitement.
This week we have a presentation, a paper, and two finals. Despite this workload everyone is determined to squeeze every last precious moment out of this trip. I’ll let you know how it goes! Until then, keep in mind…
Life is Beautiful!
Flora
You’ve already seen some pictures of my favorite flowers we’ve encountered, but there are so many I had to share! Leave any comments if you can tell me the names of any of them.
Life is Beautiful!
Water Park Exploring
The day before classes began this week we took the opportunity to stop by the Water Park just one block south of the university. Adorable Chinese toddlers dominated the scene. I found it interesting that the most common way to relieve babies is not a diaper, but to cut a slit in the back of their pants. I’ve seen many smooth baby bottoms during my time here.
To get to the park, Bowser and I took two bicycles that the group recently purchased. Within ten minutes I had a bike without pedals or a chain, and Bowser had to pedal for both of us as I held his shoulder. Those bikes displayed their true craftsmanship.
At night we also got to visit the Traditional Chinese Art street. I was not able to take many photos at night, but it is a lively place during the day. Many shop owners are doing calligraphy, embroidery, carving, etc. right outside of their store. Old men play Xiangqi, or Chinese chess, in the parks among the birds. At the center of the square was Drum Tower, which was actually used as a signal tower in times of war in the past.
Classes this week will try our work ethic. We are learning to model various forms of chemical releases in order to prevent them, as well as going further in depth on bioreactor design. However, we have the weekend to look forward to. We will be visiting a small village in the mountains, followed by the Temple of Heaven in Beijing.
Thanks for reading! Sorry this close is so close to the previous, but I’ve finally found a source of reliable internet! Whatever you’re up to now, keep up the great work so you can enjoy the weekend worry-free! And remember…
Life is Beautiful!
Climbing Mount Tai
This weekend Lily and I want with one of the Chinese students, Xiao Yu, to climb to the top of Mount Tai. Starting at 10pm, we finally made it to the top after 6 hours of climbing. The path was clear, but never could a Stairmaster match this workout! We filled the time singing songs and thinking about how good the noodles would taste once we got to the top.
Many past Chinese emperors and famous writers such as Confucius have made this journey to Mount Tai, recording their adventures in epic poems carved into the mountain walls.
The view from the top was absolutely gorgeous; these pictures do not do justice. One moment you would be surrounded by fog, and after a strong wind you had a brief glimpse of miles and miles of the country. No wonder past travelers have considered this a sort of heaven for the gods.
After making it to the top we took almost a full day of sleeping to recover. I had a very interesting conversation with some Chinese steel workers on the train ride back. We talked about our families, Steve Jobs, Russia, and many other topics. What nice people!
Tomorrow I’ll put up some pictures from our trip to the water park, and hopefully a video of our first week in Tianjin. Thanks for reading!
Life is Beautiful!
Scenes from an Italian Restaurant
Before the weekend began, almost the entire group went for a night out in Italian Town again. We somehow decided to make it a formal event, all the girls putting on their finest for a night on the town. The clock tower was gorgeous from a distance, and the lighted buildings and scenery continued to mesmerize.
When walking along the river, we found a group selling lanterns to release into the air. Everyone bought them in pairs and made wishes. We thought some of them would start fires when they bumped into some skyscrapers. Overall, it was a great night and just what we needed after a long test!
The group split into many destinations this weekend. One to Xi’an to see the Terracotta Warriors, one to Shanghai and Suzhou to see the wonders of the city, and one to climb the fabled Mount Tai. I will surely post these pictures tomorrow.
Thanks for reading and being patient with my delayed posts.
美丽人生!
Sorry for the delay between posts. I’ve spent the past two days trying to upload a video of the past week, but the internet here is slow. Hopefully it will be up by the weekend. Anyway…
The weekend excursion to Beijing was phenomenal! We hit Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Olympic Park, and Great Wall all in one weekend. Everyone had great fun taking the lift to the top of the Great Wall and taking the Toboggan ride down. You will see in the soon-to-come video. Many of us noted the surreal feeling of finally setting foot on this wonder of the world.
We also got to see an acrobatics show full of unbelievable stunts. These included 13 people on one bicycle, 7 motor bikes in a spherical cage only a few meters in diameter, and balancing one hand on a stack of 12 chairs. We also got to go shopping at the Silk Market, also known as the market of knock-offs. I got a pair of Pumas for $20 that would normally be $160!
We’ve had some more time to spend with the Tianjin students as well! We have been playing badminton, riding bikes, and playing basketball in addition to studying with them.
We managed to get away from a night of studying in order to visit Italian Town in the heart of Tianjin. The main bridge is a knock-off of the bridge leading to St. Peter’s Square, with it’s own twist. Instead of horses and harps, there are dragons and chinese lutes. This part of the city is gorgeous at night. All the boats, bridges, stores, and buildings light up in all colors. My favorite part was the huge crowds of elderly doing Beijing Opera karaoke and hundreds dancing to MIDI versions of classical music.
This upcoming weekend is our one free weekend. We have not yet formulated plans, but I’ll let you know how it goes. I hope wherever you are reading this you are getting ready for a fantastic weekend! Remember…
美丽人生!
