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Published: June 13th 2007
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Model of Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University
Since we didn’t get the chance to tour the entire university, they showed us the architectural model
I thought this was a pretty sweet picture on my part. After reading the millions of honors books all semester it was so nice to just kick back on the 2 and ½ hour bus ride and read the June issue of Cosmo (in English!) from cover to cover! As soon as I finished we were at the hotel and I was gleaming with a huge smile on my face; Cosmo puts me in such a good mood! Bret couldn’t help but make fun of me for reading the whole thing because he just skims the Cosmo (first of all he’s a guy so it’s really not directed at him to begin with!) and then Wendy started complaining that the stuff published was ridiculous and that she prefers the Economist. Even these comments couldn’t ruin the inner most enjoyment I got from the articles; perrrrfect!
Cosmo always puts me in a good mood so there was really no going down hill from that. We got to a new hotel in Suzhou and as soon as I was setting my stuff down in my room, the Facebook-addict, Ally, comes walking down the hall grinning from ear to ear to inform me that we have free internet access. Understanding her need of
Studious?
Claire, Me, Ally, and Sean pretending to be good students in the lecture hall. a Facebook fix since she walked down the hall shaking I knew what was next; “Heather, I haven’t been on Facebook in 3 DAYS, can I please use your computer and check it please?!” haha, I was not surprised. I was about to say ‘yes’ when I heard Chloe yell in the hall to me to come walking and get food. Ally’s eyes got all watery and her lips were wall pouty…Ally had no choice except to wait till I got back. To make sure she didn’t lose any valuable Facebook time she came to lunch with me.
We went to a little restaurant near by and got a small meal. I’m obsessed with this one dish in particular; sautéed tomato and egg with beef so you know I had to order that. I don’t get it very often so I savored every last morsel as she sat next to me, once again, eyes all pouty but didn’t say a single word. I know Ally well enough at this point to know that she need Facebook as bad as crack-addicts need their drugs. Not to delay her any longer, I finished my meal and we went back to the
Badminton in the Classroom!
Because badminton is a Chinese cultural sport, they are allowed to play it in the classrooms on the 3rd floor of the building
the culture center! hotel. Face first I fell onto my bed to take a nap and she gravitated to my laptop where she finally got in Facebook and was there for the next hour…she only got off because we had to leave to go to the industrial factory! He boyfriend, Sean, sat there and just tried talking to her while she was glued to the computer…it was great.
Ally got her fix and I got my nap…off to the industrial park. We went to this factory that creates microchips for flash drives and we learned how they were made and took a tour of the factory. It was a joint-venture company (which I learned about from my friend Lauren’s paper when I was proof reading it on the way back from our trip to New Orleans a few months ago; thanks Lauren!) so I kinda understood what I was looking at but I really didn’t see a purpose of going. However, I did find the bright and entertaining side of the tour…we got blue covers for our feet that made me feel like a Smurff walking around! They were soo cute and fun to see a group of us walking around with
Huge Bug!
Yea, this thing is real! We found it and Sean put it on Doreen and she started freaking out! Talk about a bug’s life! these little blue feet!
Little blue feet ended and back on the bus we went where I saw Wendy eating something that I haven’t seen since probably Middle school…maybe Elementary school…WAR HEADS! Do you remember those? The sour candies that make your face all twisted when you first pop it into your mouth and then after getting past the sour coat it is sweet! She had them from years ago so I had to ask her for one for old times sake. Even to this day my face gets all twisted and it brought back some great memories.
I came back to reality when we went to Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University to meet with the students. This is a brand new university that enrolled its first students in Sept. 2006. It was really exciting to talk to these students about their every day life and about what they wanted to be and where they wanted to go. I became friends with these two girls, Jessica and Joyce, who told me that they go to school from 9 am to 5 pm 5 days a week and usually don’t have a lunch break! That’s insane! And then after classes they
Sexy Blue Booties
Don't we look hot with our little blue feet? sometimes do clubs and then have homework to do. They don’t have time to go out during the week but on the weekend they love going shopping. Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University is a school unlike any other; they have connections with a university in Liverpool, England. It is a joint-venture school where the students study in China for the first 2 years and then spend the next 2 years in Liverpool if their grades and English are good enough. While studying in Liverpool they will not only finish their undergrad degree but also obtain their MBA! I was very impressed with the program and I’d never heard of anything like it!
After meeting with the students, we had class in one of their new conference rooms with the Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University students. Our classrooms are discussion style where all the students talk and the professor provides guidance and direction. At one point, Jessica whispered to me saying that she was surprised about how we held our classes since all her classes were lectures and they just took notes…they were not to speak in class! I could only imagine this in a lecture hall but in a class size as small
I'm a bit obsessed with our blue feet!
The industrial factory had nothing on our blue booties we were required to wear! as ours, 32 students, it would suck to just be a lecture. We discussed the program at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University and how it was creating a universal education and was proving that information can be downloaded and taught anywhere in the world. It could be interesting to see how many programs such as this pop up over the next 20 years. Could education be specialized by country someday?
Class was over and I exchanged e-mail address with Jessica and Joyce hoping to keep in contact with them and maybe meet up with them next time I’m in China or maybe in Europe. Joyce is a shop-a-holic, something we really have in common, and she plans on coming to New York someday to go shopping! I told her that I would be more then happy to go shopping with her when she comes to New York…me turn down a shopping opportunity? I think not!
On the way back my classmates and I were talking about what to do for dinner and everyone wanted Pizza Hut. I am starting to get sick of Chinese food all the time so Pizza Hut could be fun. (Just for the record, I don’t even go to Pizza Hut back in the states!) We were going to go to the hotel and then take cab’s back into town but as soon as I saw a Pizza Hut on the way back I yelled stop and made the bus pull over and everyone got off and went to Pizza Hut. Great thinking to me; I didn’t want to pay for a cab twice!
After Pizza Hut we walked outside and I embraced the opportunity presented to me…shopping! (I said I don’t turn down something like that!) Missy, Ally, Sean and I went shopping and low and behold…STARBUCKS! So obviously I got my Starbucks and continued on my way.
Shopping and Starbucks….how perfect.
Sadly the department store closed which meant we had to leave. Satisfied we hailed cab and went back to the hotel. So here I am sitting here with my tea trying to get better since I’ve been sick this entire trip. I’m pretty behind on this blog so I think I’m going to rest tonight and get caught up. Tomorrow is back to Shanghai for some more shopping so you can only imagine how excited I am!
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