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Thankfully, the program I went through was specifically designed for American students from certain colleges around the U.S. Because of that, the curriculum was pretty easy and as a part of our learning, we traveled to different parts of China (all paid for with our tuition money). We traveled to Quanzhou, Xian, Beijing and Shanghai so I got to see a lot of the tourist sights. My best friend and I were lucky enough to be able to extend our plane tickets home (free of charge, thanks to China Airlines) and got to travel to the Yunnan Province afterwards. You are correct in your assessment. I went back in 2011 (nine years later) and it wasn't quite the same. The campus was as beautiful as ever and looked almost exactly the same. However, not having the same people who I had shared my first experience there with made it feel very different. My Chinese still sucks. ;If you have a layover in Taiwan during your trip, let me know.
Wow, that's great that u got to do all that and it was all included. So, wait...you're in Taiwan now? Cool!
Luvlylisa,You must be a teacher? Which grade level are you teaching? School? Thanks.
lol. Yes.
LOL though I refer to my "kids" a lot, I'm actually not a teacher. Not a "real" one. I am the Student Advisor for a pre-college program called Upward Bound. I only "teach" in the summer when we have our residential summer program (like summer school and summer camp in one)--where I teach Chinese to students either already taking it or will be starting in the fall. So most of my students are at a basic level which thankfully I can teach. LOL You can read more about it here at this thread since a pher had questions and comments about it. (And someone technically called me out about it. LOL)http://www.pebhmong.com/forum/index.php/topic,345042.0.html
Oh wow! So cool! I know Taiwan is rather developed any compared to where I was there are more English-speaking ppl...but how can you say your Chinese isn't that good? Mandarin? Cantonese? I dunno any cantonese though I've been told it's a lot easier to learn (especially for hmong ppl) than mandarin bc it's said to be even more like the hmong language than mandarin. but i'm biased with my mandarin ears. LOL so what do you do in Taiwan? I'm all curious and intrigued now.
if you are an advisor for the Madison upper bound then you might know my little sister. She went there last summer.
I teach English, so I am speaking it day in and day out. It's not recommended that you speak Chinese with the kids, otherwise they go crazy and will refuse to speak English to you. That's what their parents are paying good money for. Besides, I don't have blonde hair and blue eyes. It's not cool if I know Chinese. I only know the bare minimum. Otherwise I use English all the time. It's too complicated when they start asking me too much in Chinese, so I always ask if someone speaks English first (when I am out). It's worked out pretty well. And yes, learning Chinese is probably easier for us than white folks. It's definitely easier for us to learn the phonics because we are already used to making similar sounds in Hmong.
I am surprise that you are a student adviser in Upward Bound. I am an alumni of the Upward Bound program since 2008. If I have the opportunity to, I would go back and try to teach something for the UBers, but in graduate school I no longer have the time to do so until after my dissertation defense (if I still want to teach that is). Where is the UB program that you work for? I went to the one at UW-Stevens Point back then. I definitely agree with some of the comments listed on the thread that you have a link to in that most of the people who had gone through this program had failed in their pursuit of higher education. However to some students it had really driven the success of their higher education. At least for me it did.I am also glad that you are encourage students to study abroad. In college I was too focus on getting through undergraduate that I never even consider studying abroad for the reason that I thought studying abroad was a "waste of credits" since I could have taken credits that were more relevant to my area of study. After finishing college, I do so the advantages of the experience that others receive through studying abroad. If I could re-live my college moments, I would definitely study abroad.
Hey LuvlyLisa,My sister got the Chancellor Scholarship. She's finishing up and could possibly be going into law school by next year.
This is a really nice post. I received the MMAC for UWM and the Power Knapp for WISC. I took the MMAC because it covered everything and the power knapp was only tuition. Basic economic decision...tak e the one with least risk.I had everything good going into college and I wrecked it my first year but I somehow managed to complete my degree in 4.5 years by overloading for 3 years and making it up. It taught me a lot about being mentally tough and fighting adversity once again. I want to add that life is a marathon. Finishing 4 year college is merely a step. Unless you have a MD, the most important part is about to begin once you finish school - your career. Where you go with your career is a lot more difficult than getting a degree as the competition is much stiffer - intellectual ability and effort alone will not define success.