I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane....

in less than 12 hours.
Am I packed yet? Nope.


So why will I be in Asia for a month and a half? I'm taking Summer I classes in China. Oh the hardship of being an International Affairs major and being FORCED to study abroad. I feel everyone's pity.


After the semester is over Dave and I are flying to Hong Kong and spending a few days there with a friend. Afterwards, we'll separate and he will go off to Malaysia /Thailand/Cambodia/Vietnam and I fly to Singapore to stay with family and see some friends from school.
***One of the great benefits of living in the International Dorm is free housing abroad and having someone local to show you around****

Why China? I attest my interest in Asia to my parents.
Part of my application essay:
"The travel bug hit me at an early age with my parents as catalysts. They have traveled extensively both together and apart and my mother even lived in Japan for a few years-hence my Japanese name, Hana. Both of them have a semi-strange obsession with the continent of Asia and our home was always filled with kimonos, Chinese lanterns, and the smell of soy sauce. An old boyfriend always used to ask tentatively before staying for dinner “It’s not Korean night again, is it?” ...Though my parents constantly talk about their love for Asia, I have not yet had the chance to visit. China is a country unlike any that I have ever visited. I have studied US-China relations in high school history and world cultures classes. As a subscriber to both Newsweek and The Boston Globe, I am bombarded with articles about a growing and changing China. I constantly hear that “China is the next world superpower” so what better time to visit than on the brink of this exciting time? China was showcased in the 2008 Summer Olympics and I watched along with millions in awe about how far this country has come in recent years..."

In a nutshell: I feel a strong need to experience China-a place I read about and see on t.v. that is very quickly becoming an important global power. Plus, I've always wanted to see the Great Wall.

I've had a lot of conversations about my upcoming trip with pharmacists, doctors, receptionists at the optometrist, friends, friend's parents, parent's friends, strangers, and family-all who seem to know someone (or know someone who knows someone) who went to China.
I have heard three things consistently:
"My (friend/daughter/aunt/etc) got SO sick from the food.
"I hear it's so polluted in China"
"DO NOT drink the water. The person I know who went said don't even use it to brush your teeth"

These people are freaking me out.
They are also freaking my mom out-who went out and bought me a first aid kit and insisted i wear a mask on the plane to protect myself from Swine Flu.

Despite the awful things I keep hearing-I have to remember that there is more to China than dirty water and diarrhea. Luckily, I have an iron stomach (though I may come back to regret this claim) and I plan to eat as much as possible.

I am supposed to have internet access and if that is the case, I will update as much as possible. I have to keep a journal for school-but this is also a way to keep people at home updated on my Asian adventures, and to ensure my neurotic family that I am still alive and well. :)



My plane departs from Newark at 12:10 p.m. and is direct to Beijing. 13 hours on a plane-oy veh.

Hana


Current location: New Jersey