Benvenuti!  I’m excited that I can share my experiences here; I’m sure they will be plentiful.

I feel odd posting an entry before I even leave, but then again, it’s been an experience just preparing myself to leave!  I have been planning on studying abroad in Rome ever since I sent that deposit off to Loyola two years ago, so this has been a long time coming.  I’ve been planning my schedule around what classes I could and couldn’t take in Rome since my freshman orientation! And as for saving money for it, I was blessed to find a full time paid summer internship that is making everything seem that much more real!

All the planning should make it feel more real, but alas, I still can’t completely wrap my head around it.  I mean, you’re telling me there’s a country full of people even more in love with coffee than me?  A country with gelato so good that American ice cream is a joke?  A country that devotes itself to eating great food, and drinking fine wines?  A country with so many gorgeous cathedrals that it’d be a miracle in itself for me to see all of them?  A country with so much history, that a history buff like me will feel like I’m in heaven?  I’ve been told all of these things are true, but being that I’ve never left America, I’m afraid it all seems fictional to me still.

I’m excited, I’m ambitious, and I’m terrified.  But mostly excited. I can’t wait to share my experiences with you all!

Ciao for now,

Patrick Gilsenan

P.S. The title is from the song Not There Yet by Eric Hutchinson

My Visa is being processed in New York City, my textbooks are being shipped from various warehouses, and I sit around in Cincinnati. That sentence describes about where I am in my life right now, suspended and waiting.

If you are reading this blog, you probably are interested in the Beijing Center and want to look at Loyola’s different programs from a student perspective. I hope I can be of help to you with a student’s perspective of Beijing and the other parts of China I will be traveling to on our planned Silk Road expedition.

Well, if you are going to be reading this blog I guess I better give my credentials and background history so that you may understand better where I am coming from with my writing.

My name is Jimmy Siegel, I’m a 21 year old Senior at Loyola majoring in Religious Studies with minors in Asian World Studies, Asian Languages and Literatures, and Islamic World Studies. My major’s concentration is on dharmic centered faiths, which are religions stemming from India. I have studied abroad in India the summer of my Freshman year with a State Department Hindi Language program, and I was one of the first five inaugural students at Loyola’s new Viet Nam Center in the spring of my Sophomore year. Last year I did not travel, but instead brought an exchange student from Japan into my own home for a semester and got to know several Chinese students by being an American host student. I have taken several classes at Loyola concerning China, the latest being a history class on the Ming and Qing Dynasties. I was also in a class that focused a great deal of time on China’s Cultural Revolution. All of these experiences have shaped me in ways that will make me unique among the Loyola students in Beijing this semester and will give me different lenses with which to view things, and in turn, share with you. I will not be giving you regurgitated tour book information, but informed thoughts and stories of the experiences I have.

The nature of my major is comparing and analyzing different religions, so that may carry over to this blog. Drawing on previous knowledge, I may try to make comparisons between South Asia (India), Southeast Asia (Viet Nam), and East Asia (Beijing). You may also be reading a lot about pagodas…

This is not my first blog abroad. I wrote a blog for Viet Nam too. I was having such a great time in Viet Nam that I wasn’t as faithful to my blog as I had hoped. Let’s see if I can be more successful the second time around.

Before I leave this first entry be, I should probably answer an important question asked of many people when the go abroad. Why?

China: 4,000 years of continuous culture, ancient religions, the world’s most spoken language, new people to meet and points of view to hear, new food to try, and a chance to be in Asia for an extended period of time.

Many Americans thinking of China as a superpower is a new development. Well, history is cyclical. For hundreds of years Beijing was the center of the world. Tribute would arrive from the vassal states of Korea, Annam (Viet Nam), Burma, Tibet, Mongolia, Japan, and all over Asia. Long before Rome was conquering the Mediterranean or New York’s elite felt the wealth of the world flow through their fingers, the Chinese had an effective government system and a culture that pervaded most of East Asia. The ancient Chinese called themselves ‘The Middle Kingdom’ and Beijing was its capital. I will have the chance to live in a city that once ruled ‘its’ world. After the 2008 Olympics, Beijing has shown that history is cyclical; again China is ready to take a leading role. Beijing is in the crossroads of ancient city meets the future. Bigger than New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles combined Beijing is huge. So to make the answer simple of why- Why not? Now is the time to go. To learn of Beijing’s history, to live and enjoy in the present, and to look to the future of a growing China. So now I turn the question to you- Will you join me?

Studying abroad in Italy has been my dream for typically as long as I can remember. Whether it be the fact that my bedroom at home reflects a “subtle” tribute to all things Italian, or the immense pride I take from being an Italian-American, Italian Culture has fueled many of the steps I have taken in my life, in one way or another. Now, after years of waiting, my dream is finally coming true! Although this adventure will come with many triumphs and challenges, it really means much more to me than just simply being in Italy. In a sense, I feel like this experience is more about immersing myself in the awesomeness of all things Italian and carrying it on for generations to come. Also, I feel like it serves as a tribute to my Nonna (who passed away in September 2011), who would always tell stories about growing up in her town of Pedivigliano in Calabria (the region that is the “toe of the boot”) and is the one who invigorated my passion for all things Italian. I can only imagine how excited she would be to know that I leave for my adventure in just two short days! I am looking forward to an incredible experience, visiting family and friends throughout Calabria and Italia, and indulging in every opportunity thrown my way…for I know that’s exactly what Nonna would want me to do. Arrivederci and talk to you all in Rome!

Hey guys. I’m super excited to be blogging to LUC this semester. To fill you in right quick, I was at the John Felice Rome Center last semester (Spring of 2012) so this is my round 2. Last semester was unbelievably amazing but the time flew by so I feel extremely lucky that I get to do it all again in two weeks. I hope this next semester goes as smoothly and wonderfully as last semester did, and that my life in its current state is not a precursor for the next 16 weeks.

If I told you I knew more than 2 people attending the JFRC this fall, I would be lying. If I told you that I had my passport, I would be lying. And if I told you that I had my visa, I would have lied to you once again. However, if I told you that I broke my foot two days ago, I would not be lying. In the end, not knowing too many people who will be at JFRC in the fall isn’t a terrible thing. I’m looking forward to meeting everyone and judging from the Fall JFRC Facebook group, it doesn’t look like there’s going to be a shortage of people eager to discover Rome. (A city where I already know the bus system. Boom.) But Rome isn’t exactly the most handicap friendly city I’ve ever visited and I can’t help but be a little worried about it. Thankfully, if I don’t get my passport/visa, I won’t have to worry about any of it! No really, I’ve been assured by the Los Angeles Consulate of Italy that I will have it by the time I leave but it’s all just a little stressful. Fourteen days away seems so close and yet for some reason I feel like I’m missing a few essentials. Alas, c’est la vie. It will all work out, right? The next time you hear from me I’ll hopefully be in Rome. A presto!

After being in Rome for only a little over 24 hours, I began to notice how different people have treated me, since this is my first time being in Italy alone. Firstly, today I had three…yes, three Italian people ask me for directions! HA! All I could think was ” Do I really look like a local?” (for I thought my tennis shoes and stupid looking camera bag around my shoulder would definitely give that one away).  But, in a sense, I do feel somewhat local, for I was able to give all three people directions correctly and in Italian! After all, this is my fifth time in Italy! Secondly, when I grabbed some lunch today, the waiter made small talk with me and asked all the “Where are you from? What are you studying?, etc., etc.” sort of questions. When I told him I was from the U.S., he was really surprised. When I asked him why, he said that I “walk and eat like a Roman.” Besides not knowing what that even meant, I wasn’t sure to be creeped out to know he watched me walk and eat or humored by his comment. Anyways, it sure is funny what people assume when you travel alone!

After waiting and waiting I was finally at the boarding gate in Detroit standing in line for Flight 189 to Beijing. The announcer kept switching back and forth between English and Mandarin Chinese, “We would please like to ask someone to switch to another flight. We will offer a full voucher.” The plane was overbooked and people kept looking around anxiously. The Chinese-American next to me looked at me and said, “I better not get bumped.” I nodded, “Me too, I can’t miss my orientation.” I approached the boarding attendant and handed her my ticket. To my surprise, she scanned it and then threw it away. I swallowed and began to panic. She looked and me with a blank face momentarily before punching a few buttons on the screen and then printing out a new ticket. Her face looked a little shocked while she said in heavily accented English, “It’s your lucky day”. I hadn’t been bumped off the plane, I’d been bumped up to first class. I smiled and wheeled my bag onto the plane. I showed the man at the door my ticket and was directed to my seat up in the front of the plane, only it wasn’t a seat, it was like my own little personal bubble cubby. I put my bag in the overhead and as soon as I sat down the flight attendant brought me a flute of champagne. 13 hours wasn’t going to be so long after all. I escaped my back of the plane middle seat. It would have been torture for sure.
I got to know my flight attendants very well. They had surprised looks as the came up to me, a kid wearing a t-shirt, shorts, and flip flops amongst the rich business people. I stuck up conversations with Michelle and Janet. Michelle was from Chicago and Janet had a daughter going to USC, where my younger brother goes. They were really friendly and we always had nice chats whenever they brought food around, or the wine bottle. Unlimited wine was nice, very nice. They both wished me luck several times after I told them I was a student and gave me some advice since they had both been several times.
As I sat in my bubbled chair/bed I was handed a customs/immigration form. I had forgotten the address of my dorm and my mom had given it to me via text in America but I was wondering if just the name of the university was enough. I knew there was another girl on the flight in the same program as me so I asked one of the attendants if I could page her. He kind of laughed and said, “I’ve never done it before but I guess why not”. After being paged the girl wandered up the main aisle and asked if something was wrong, to which the attendant pointed toward me. After confirming the address we both agreed to wait for each other so we wouldn’t be alone waiting for our ride, and with a smile she returned to me seat.
The flight was nice in my delta provided slippers free chocolate, wine, and the gourmet meals that just kept coming. I also had a personal swivel T V so I could switch back and forth between Sex in the City, The Social Network, and listening to Korean music. For the first time I could actually recline fully in my little cubby and sleep however I wanted. I felt like a king, Janet told me, “Once you fly first class, you’ll never want anything less.”
Landing in Beijing I saw the rain soaked city lights everywhere. Michelle smiled at me and said, “You have a great future kiddo. Good luck!” For the first time in my life I was one of the first people off the plane, and was met with the familiar blast of heat I remembered from Jaipur and Saigon. On the jetway were three dolled up Chinese flight attendants in red uniforms waving and greeting us. Jenny, the other girl in the program, and I caught up with each other and proceeded to baggage claim. After we had our bags and a quick restroom break (my first Chinese bathroom visit showed me that the Chinese government is preserving thousands of gallons of water a year with flushless urinals. If you are wondering how I know this, it was printed inside the urinal. He smell was quite lovely). We departed the main part of the airport into the arrivals waiting area. I had to smirk a little when the glass doors opened and there was a Starbucks sitting right there. Ok, first store to see in China is a Starbucks. Interesting. Just a moment later Jenny and I found two Chinese guys holding a TBC sign. We found our ride without a hitch. Thank God! We greeted and exchanged names. They were both roommates on the program, and one of them was fortunately mine. I began talking to the two roommates, Elvis and Jonas, my roommate, as we walked to our waiting bus. I thanked them profusely for waiting around for our flight and told them I knew the feeling since I had done the same for several Japanese students in Chicago last year. As we were exchanging little details about ourselves I couldn’t help but think back to when I landed in Vietnam and my roommate Nghiem jumping up and down in the crowed and meeting him for the first time. I was presently surprised when Nghiem greeted me with a Vietnamese scarf so this time I came prepared with a little American gift to give to my Chinese roommate, some peanut brittle from Northern Michigan. We all munched on the treat after several other Americans arrived and we all got on the bus and headed toward campus.
During our 30 minute drive two different camps sprung inside the bus- those who wanted to eat, and those who wanted to sleep right away. My roommate was a proponent of the late night dinner and so I decided I would be also. A nice ‘welcome to China’ meal. Jenny, the Chinese roommate Elvis, his American roommate Mark, Jonas, and myself all tucked our bags away and headed across the street to a little noodle and bbq place. Elvis and I split off the rest to get some Bao, a kind of Chinese steamed bun, and drinks- some green tea. Where did we get this, 7/11 of course. I had been wondering which I would se first in China- Hello Kitty or Chairman Mao. Well, I saw both at the same time in the little convenience store. Their pictures were hanging side by side. China is such an interesting place.
We all joined up again at the restaurant and shared a nice welcome dinner of dumpling soup, pork buns, bbq chicken on a spit, and green tea. By the time we returned to our rooms it was 4 AM. Jonas pulled a white wine bottle out of his desk and pulled out two Dixie cups. “Welcome to China my friend”, he said. We polished off the bottle and then passed out on the military hardness dorm bed. I had Orientation in a few hours. My Chinese Adventure had just begun.

International Travel

My travel time to Ho Chi Minh was 26 hours.  As much as I prepared mentally,  I could never be physically prepared for the longest trip I have ever taken.  Who knew sitting could be difficult?  I have never pulled an all-nighter for school, but I imagine I would have felt just as exhausted if I had.  Despite my excitement to reach Ho Chi Minh, I was in a bad mood.  I blame this mood on my lack of sleep, which is a great psychological factor on mood.  But even with a bad mood I was able to enjoy flying in a double decker plane, the blankets and slipper shoes provided by Korean Air, and the 5 new movies I was able to watch.  Detachment was the best (rent it now).  I arrived in Vietnam at 11:30pm on August 24th and was safe asleep at 12:30am August 25th.

Day One- I crossed the street!

Day one began at 8am on August 25th.  I forgot how tired I had been the day before and was ready to explore with my roommate Oanh.  Our first task was to buy a prepaid mobile phone.  Once that task was complete it was time for breakfast and the time I had been waiting for upon arrival in Ho Chi Minh, crossing the street.  In America we have stop lights and cross signals, but in Ho Chi Minh there are few stop lights and just hands to hault traffic.  The traffic avoids you, you don’t always avoid traffic.  The key is to move slowly, giving the drivers ample time to move around you.  The first crossing to the alley for breakfast was exciting and shocking.  To think Michigan Avenue on a perfect Spring day is chaotic is nothing compared to here.

Day Two- Getting to know all about you.

A key component to studying in Vietnam is the opportunity to live with Vietnamese students.  The students become hosts, tour guides, and long friends.  Many have had the opportunity to host Loyola students once or twice the previous semesters.  My roommate’s name is Oanh.  She is short slender and rocks a bob.  I already notice a slight language barrier, but I have surprisingly have not been frustrated.  The key is to correct the other or rephrase and define.  I have learned to say hello, thank you, and rice paper in two days.  The language is drastically different than English so it is hard to pick up on recognizable phrases after two days.  Beyond language, now that I have arrived I am more excited to get to know all of the roommates and the similarities and differences that we share.  I am already surprised at how much they love Western Pop Music.  Our group totals 14.  7 American students. 7 Vietnamese students.  We share small spaces but I anticipate a lot of fun.  The first group trip will be to the Mekong Delta in Southern Vietnam in September… it is going to be excellent!

I can finally say farewell from Vietnam!  Stay tuned, it is going to be a fast and exciting semester.

Stephanie

Ciao, readers! Mary Mantia here, on the eve of my journey to Rome!  As the hours race by I’m getting more and more excited (and nervous!) about studying abroad for the semester. I can’t believe that after 2 years of waiting it’s finally here! This time Wednesday I’ll be in Rome! It’s all very exciting and overwhelming.

A little bit about this blog. First, I love silly puns, word play, and cliches, if you couldn’t tell by the title of this post, so expect a lot of those (in fact, expect the title of this post to make A LOT of appearances). I’ll try work in as much of my limited Italian vocabulary as I can, and hopefully along the way we all pick up a few more words! I’m also a major lover of food, so expect detailed posts about fabulous dinners, gelato finds, and any other treats I taste along the way. Finally, as a college student on a budget, I’ll be seeking out as many deals/ways to save money while still living La Dolce Vita, and I’ll make sure to share every tip I discover!

So I guess you could say the theme of this blog is College Girl on a Budget Eats Well and Travels Far. Or something like that. Either way it is going to be a journey to remember, and I can’t wait to share every moment with you!

So as the Romans say, buona notte! I’ll post again from ROMA!

Mary

I am a serious breakfast lover. I love cereal, I love french toast, I really love breakfast. But as I have found out in my few days in Vietnam, I actually love american breakfast. Breakfast in Vietnam is, well, a little different.

My first day here I woke up bright and early (thanks jet-lag) and walked with my roommate to a little shop in an alley around the corner from our guesthouse. She introduced me to the vietnamese version of breakfast: Pho. I was a little hesitant at first, I mean I have had pho before but certainly not for breakfast. I didn’t know if I could stomach chicken and hot broth so early in the morning. One bite in and I was hooked. Several days later, I am actually excited to wake up and enjoy pho for breakfast. Who knows if I will feel the same way 4 months in, but for now I can honestly say that I enjoy pho for breakfast.

My first few days here have been a serious adjustment to new language, new foods and new customs. Vietnam is unlike any place I have ever visited. It is loud, it is hectic and it is incredible. The people are incredibly kind, the food is out of this world and there is so much to take in. As I navigate the streets (who knew crossing the street could be SO terrifying??) and navigate my new life in Ho Chi Minh, I am constantly struck by how lucky I am to have this amazing experience.

“You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” – Christopher Columbus

I myself have never crossed the Atlantic ocean, the same was true for Christopher Columbus in 1492.

While sitting in the cold AC of the Philly International Airport I wonder what is truly out there on the other side of the pond. What will I see? How will I cope in a new land, a new country, a new continent, heck practically a new world! These are all questions that I have pondered while I wait for the boarding call at 5:45pm.  Once that call goes I will step through the gates of A16, onto my US Airways flight for over 8 hours, and when I land…

All these question will be answered, and recorded through memory, pictures, friends, and of course this blog.

That is all for now, now get out there, wherever that may be and bring a smile to a stranger!

Steven