globaljay

As I enter the last 20 days of this trip I am reminded of things very unique to China that I will not have when I get home. The following is a list of things I will miss.....and some things I won't. First off, what I wont miss. Now if you thought coming to China takes guts just wait until you try some of the food. Food Consumed: Chicken Sausages Salted Duck....roasted, steamed and baked Cow Stomach Bean Curd aka Dofu....Japan has Tofu Calamari aka squid Duck head Duck neck Bamboo Shoot Red bean and milk popsicles: red bean and milk, corn, peas, and green tea Abalone soup Chicken stomach cold milk tea...with red beans of course and tapioca Quail egg Duck egg Cow tongue Seaweed Starfish Sheep Penis Silk Worm Chicken heart Snake Scorpion Clam ... read more

Throughout my stay in China I have had frequent run ins with Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is more popular than western medicine here which I was very surprised by, seeing as I believe Western medicine to be much more efficient. Although... I'm sure there is something to Chinese medicine or so many people wouldn't use it! Judge for yourself. Commonly Accepted Chinese beliefs and practices: Eating noodles will help you live longer. ...because noodles themselves are long Taping magnets to your wrists will increase blood flow and relieve swelling and pain Abstaining from beer for a month will help a dog bite to heal Eating red food is good for women because it replenishes monthly blood loss Women should only eat and drink things that are hot during PMS....this is taken VERY seriously You need to ... read more

8-Day Vacation Preface: #1 Warning this entry is long. It will take you a good 20 min. #2 Frequent grammatical and spelling errors do occur. #3 For those concerned (Mom) that I am not making the most of experiencing Chinese food FYI I am allergic to MSG a common food additive here. #4 I have received the least amount of mail from family and friends out of all the interns here, also some of you promised to come visit me…..I’m just sayin. #5 Packages and letters via snail mail are greatly appreciated. ☺ #6 Sarah Jay Purdue Intern Rm 1407, Jinling Hotel, Xin Jie Kou Square 210005, China. #7 I love and miss all of you very much! XOXO A couple of weeks ago I returned from an 8-day vacation. It was the biggest and best ... read more

Jinling Hotel My stay in China is all thanks to a joint effort made by Purdue and Jinling Hotel. The program is an exchange program. Jinling Hotel takes care of 6 Purdue HTM students for 5 months. Purdue receives 25 employees from Jinling Hotel for 1 month. The 25 employees receive training, classes, and tours. The Purdue Interns receive full training in 4 major hotel departments, 11 credits from the Nanjing Institute of Tourism, and food, room, and travel, in exchange for our hard work and a research project. So far I have worked 2 weeks at the front desk, 2 weeks in Jin’s café (Western restaurant known for its massive buffets), 2 weeks in marketing and sales, and now I will spend the next 3 ½ months in Concierge. I have learned sooo much and ... read more

The Massage Massacre After a long LONG week working my feet were killing me and I was anxious to get out of the hotel. Vince, a past intern, had left the previous week for the U.S. However, his wife Margaret who I have met on multiple occasions had to stay behind because she is still waiting for her Visa. So I gave her a call and met her to get a massage. Unfortunalty it was impossible for me to find a place that just did foot massages so we ended up going back to the first place I went with the other interns and Dr. Liping Cai. The body massage itself felt great. Did I mention I got a full foot and body massage by professionals for 2 hours and it only cost me $10 USD! ... read more