Study Abroad China: Chengdu – Drew Hartnett

For my Step Signature project, I traveled to and lived in Chengdu, China and the surrounding towns for 4 weeks. While in Chengdu, I took a class at the Southwest University for Nationalities on the various ethnic minorities of China, including Yi, Naxi and Miao. We were paired with Yi students from the Nuosu subgroup who helped us to acclimate to Chengdu and Chinese life.

One of the biggest changes that took place during my stay in Chengdu was a transition of viewing locations where I am visiting not as travel destinations or tourist spots, but as places that could be called home. I have always known that I do well with change and that I am comfortable in new situations. I had done my fair share of traveling prior to going to China, however, I had never been Asia. Asian countries had always been made out to me as places that were incredibly difficult for westerners to acclimate to. I was told the culture would be alien to me, the food would be too spicy, and I  wouldn’t be able to read a single thing. While I knew that all of this had to be  blown somewhat out proportion, I went to China with a fair bit of apprehension.

My first day in China was a whirlwind experience. Things seemed to move at a million miles an hour, I couldn’t read nor understand the language and I was struck with how loud everything was. It worried me a lot. Was I not going to be able to adjust to the culture? Honestly, had it not been for one key person, it would have been quite hard for me to become comfortable.

During my stay in Chengdu, I learned the power of having friends around the world. I first met my Nuosu partner Er Ge the morning after arriving in Chengdu. He was very eccentric and helpful. Er Ge, or Egg as he preferred to be called,  was always looking to make the most of any situation and would never take no for an answer. We instantly clicked and a great friendship started. I helped Egg with his English, which was decent and far better than my nearly non-existent mandarin, while he taught me about both the general Chinese way of life, the Chengdu way of life and about his Nuosu Culture.

Egg took me under his wing and showed me the local side of China. He helped me to speak and read the language( more so in translation that actually teaching me mandarin). He showed me what it meant to call Chengdu home. It didn’t take long for my anxiety to subside and my comfort levels to rise again. I don’t claim that I learned everything about China during my trip and that I completely understood the way of life, but Egg showed me that I could learn. Things began to seem a little less foreign to me, and I began to do things that seemed impossible to me at the beginning of the trip; take a taxi on my own, order at a restaurant, barter in a store and navigate on foot around the behemoth of a city that is Chengdu (Did I mention that 14 million people live there?).

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Er Ge and I on Mount Emei

 

Er Ge and our 7 other Yi partners taught me that friends can be found anywhere around the world. One of my best memories from the trip was when our group of 7 students shared some “American Dances” with our Yi friends, and then they taught us some of their traditional dances.  Sharing our cultures together fostered a great friendship between us, and created memories and friendships that will never be forgoten.

 

I am currently pursuing a degree in materials science and engineering. I know that the world of business, and especially engineering,  is becoming more and more interconnected. After this trip, I feel confident in my ability to respectfully conduct myself with Chinese businesses. I believe this trip helped me to grow in my understanding of how the world is interconnected, yet different. Each country and town have their own unique character that distinguishes them from each other. I have developed a passion for discovering what the local life is like around the world, and this study abroad helped me to further that zeal.20160513_155736

 

Us American students dressed in the traditional Nuosu clothing

KASHASHA!

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