Pre-China I

Back around Christmas time I applied to the Study China Program. Even though I applied a bit late I was luckily accepted and in a less than a week I will be going to Jinan in Shandong province for three weeks!

The program is managed by Manchester University but as long as you're a full time student in the UK you should be eligible. Thanks to the program you get to study in a Chinese university for three weeks or so. I’ll be having a mixture of Mandarin lessons, a class on Chinese law as well as cultural trips. My weekends and evenings are mostly free as well. The whole program is funded by the UK Government but you do have to pay the transport costs there as well as any vaccinations and your visa. You also have to pay for your food and obviously any personal expenses whilst in China.

I was spoilt and my parents offered to pay for the cost of my flight there as a combined Christmas and birthday present~~ (Thank you mum&dad ♡♡♡)

I'm more than excited… It's my first time going to Asia, and the first time I'm flying long haul solo (I hate flying though... pray for me). 

I have wanted to travel to China for as long as I can remember (Mulan being my favourite Disney movie as a child might have contributed to this somehow). Even more so since I took a module on contemporary Chinese society in the autumn semester. It's a place you hear a lot about from the media and internet stories that don't always paint the country in the most positive of lights... a place that seems full of contrasts… Is it Communist? Capitalist? Poor? Rich? Developed? Modern? Backwards?

So I’d decided a while back that I should go and make up my own opinion on this country that I’ve until now only experienced from afar.

I was told I was being sent to a 'mid-sized' city. Jinan has around 8 million inhabitants. I laughed at this. Mid-sized my arse. I consider Sheffield a mid-sized city with its half a million residents..

It's funny though, the reactions I've received when telling others about me going over there.

'China?! Why would you want to go there? It's not a nice country…' –Said by someone who had never been.

'Oh China, I went there on a business trip… the food is awful' One of the things I’m most looking forward to is trying the food :)

'You'll see… people from the mainland are rude and all they care about is money' -A friend from Hong Kong

I had positive comments as well thankfully: 

-' How exciting! It's such an interesting place, always full of surprises… Just go with an open and flexible mind and you'll have an amazing time'

-Go with an open and flexible mind. I think that’s good advice for anywhere really :)

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In other news I have finally booked my flight tickets to go to Singapore & Malaysia this Summer..!

I'll be staying around 5 weeks over there. So far the rough plan is to stay for a bit in Singapore with my boyfriend and his family, celebrate Hari Raya in Malacca, Malaysia, then continue travelling around Malaysia, just my boyfriend and me before returning to Singapore :).

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Also, not to blow my own trumpet or anything but I think my porridge making skills have improved~

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