Hello there everyone,
This is my last weekend here in China, I come back next Saturday. It’s going by quick, but there is still plenty to do!!
First, this weekend I am travelling a little on my own. First I am going to Nanjing, the city that I studied in my first time here. I’m going to spend a little time exploring and then I’m going to meet up with my host family for dinner! I haven’t seen them in 4 years, so there will be a lot of catching up to do. I’ll spend the night the night at their place and then the next morning I will go to Shanghai. In Shanghai, I will meet up with my TA from Mount Union named Sha. Some of you may know her, but for those who don’t she is the best! I am so excited to see her, I haven’t seen her since freshman year, so there is definitely a lot of catching up to do. Then I’ll come back to Suzhou Sunday night.
Next week I’ll be crazy busy. I have to finish what’s left of my normal homework, plus I need to do 2 presentations, 2 papers, and my community service project. My two presentations are on my latest research project and also one on my life in Suzhou. My current research project is on what apps/websites Chinese people use to watch movies online. For that I have to interview 20 people, create a slideshow, give a presentation, and then write an 8-10 page paper. Then my other paper will be on my community service project, which we will all do as a group. We are going to sit down with firefighters on Wednesday and talk, get to know them, and of course thank them for their service. It’s not really community service in the traditional sense, but it counts and I think it will be a good way to get to know the community better. Then on Friday night, we are having a banquet to celebrate our time here in Suzhou. All of our professors, TA’s, and language partners will all be there to share one last meal. Then on Saturday I head home. It’s going to be a crazy week, but you better believe I’m going to get it all done and have some fun along the way.
This past week hasn’t been anything super special, but I have had fun and been learning. I have been hanging out with some friends here, played some pool, met some new people, and explored a little. This afternoon (Friday) we all went to a traditional opera house. It was actually really cool and I wish I had the time to see a show there, but with my travel plans I can’t make it happen.
I must admit that I have mixed emotions about coming home so soon. I am having fun here and learning quite a bit, but it’ll be nice to have a short break before heading back to OSU for RA training. I come home on one Saturday and then leave for school the next; time is really flying.
All I can do is enjoy the time I have left here and do a good job on the work that I have left. I’ll see you all soon!