Dolores Porte
From: Sanford, Michigan
Majors: Masters of Art in Social Sciences
Delores traveled to China for 3 weeks as part of the 2011 China UM-Flint faculty-led program led by Dr. Wei Cao. Here is a reflection of her experience:
We moved from city to city, using different forms of transportation (planes, trains, buses), with different quality of accommodations, visited local families and saw that some cities were richer and others were poorer. We visited numerous educational facilities from elementary school to colleges to monasteries. We heard many different perspectives on teaching and about China as a country. Dr. Cao was very knowledgeable, organized and kept things lively.
Which experience had the most impact on your personally?
Meeting and talking to the students, eating, drinking and learning about tea, climbing the great wall
What were your expectations of the trip? How did your experience differ from your expectations?
My expectations were to learn firsthand about China and the people. I believe we had diverse things to do and the experience met my expectations.
What was the biggest difference in culture that you experienced while a abroad?
Their desserts weren't sweet, their Karaoke was done i a private room not an open bar, the toilets were a hole in the ground and we carried our own toilet paper. Lots of street food and needed to be concerned about the quality. Hotels were much older and didn't have easy access to the Internet or Facebook.
What surprised you the most about your time abroad?
How inexpensive everything was, how crowded the cities were, how bad the air quality was...
How has this experience changed you?
I have gained a better understanding of how people are working to live in China.
Would you recommend this program to other students?
Yes, because you travel all over the country and see things from many perspectives.
China
