Chinatown, Boston

---

There is less than one week left until my trip to China! I am excited and nervous to be traveling out of the country for the first time. I hope to be able to bring back a lot of good information and pictures to share with my world geography 6th grade students! I think that it is important to educate students about the history and culture of China. It is also vital to discuss how China will play a role on the world stage in the coming years, which is a key topic of discussion throughout the study tour.

To prepare for the trip, our group from Bridgewater State University went to Chinatown in Boston, to learn about the history of Chinese immigration to America, and also to eat at a Chinese restaurant together. While the food is probably not exactly like that we will be encountering in China, we had fun talking about our upcoming trip and practicing our chopsticks skills. I learned a few key phrases is Chinese and hopefully I can learn a few more before my trip. Although, in Beijing Mandarin is spoken, and in the southern cities Cantonese is usually the main method of communication. I don't know any words in Cantonese!

We will be in China for three weeks and will be traveling to Beijing, Hong Kong, Macau, and Guangzhou. I am probably most excited to visit Hong Kong and Guangzhou. I am also looking forward to Beijing because I will be able to see all of the historical sites that I have read so much about.

My last task before I leave will be packing my things for three weeks in fifty pounds or less. My next post will be from Beijing with lots of pictures! I hope that my students from the 2010-2011 school year enjoy reading about my travels!

---