DISPENCE

There’s one week to go in the semester and I’m getting excited for the summer. Next week I have a few papers due and finals for my Chinese classes. Then my brother, Wendel, is coming and we will go to Mongolia and Russia.

I’m getting ready to work this summer. I’ll be working for 7 BMC and BSE. 7 BMC (Beijing Media Centre) is a subsidiary of 7 Network in Australia. In Beijing, they provide broadcast facilities and assist in operations during the Olympics for networks from all over the planet. BSE, Broadcast Services and Equipment, is a Canadian company that will help with all the broadcast infrastructure needed for a mega TV event like the Olympics.

See that funny looking building on the right? It’s called Pangu Plaza. That’s where the offices are. It’s either supposed to be a flame thing (for the Olympics) or the head of a dragon (see the other buildings as humps?). I will be living across the street from Pangu, just out of the picture to the right. Pretty sweet digs if you ask me.

I’ll be working getting this set up for The Games. 7 BMC’s thing is to provide stand-up locations and such for networks from all over. For example, there will be windows punched out of Pangu Plaza for open air studios with perfect views of the National Aquatics Center and the Birds Nest.

It’s been a pretty good semester at Tsinghua. I’ve spent the past few weeks working on a brochure for the SU Abroad program. It was fun because I got to brush up on my Adobe InDesign skills. I was able to place a few of my photos that will look great when printed.

For the brochure, we all had to write little reflection things about our semester here. Here’s mine:

Three hours. That’s how long I spent deciding to come to Beijing. Admittedly, China wasn’t my first choice to study abroad. But things have turned out for the better.

I came to Beijing for one reason – the summer Olympics. China was barely a blip on my radar six months ago. I had never spoken a word of Chinese in my life and the only thing I knew about the food was Kung Pow Chicken.

I left for China with no expectations and an open mind. I planned on arriving and doing whatever came my way. This included learning the language and exploring the country and region. I can’t help but feel lucky to have the opportunity to just hop on a plane and go to China. It was actually cheaper then staying on campus!

What has China done to me? I don’t know. And I may not for a while still.

This is no trip and certainly no vacation. This is life in China – living in the Middle Kingdom. True, we’re not living like most Chinese college students. We have single rooms with our own bathrooms and spend the weekends between the hottest clubs. But by living in China you become a part of it. The way I ride my bike, eat, talk, walk, take the subway, take a cab and live has changed. It’s a different way of life here. Food comes on metal plates for pennies on the dollar. Priorities are different. The Chinese don’t care about how big your car is or what you’re wearing.

In my five months here I’ve made every effort to separate myself from western culture. Even when it comes to going out on the weekend, I like the most Chinese venues best. Wudaukou never drew me to its western restaurants and bars. That wasn’t what I’m looking for. I can eat hamburgers and “American Breakfasts” for the rest of my life in The States. I only have the chance to eat rice with every meal in China.

There are some things I will never forget about this place: the smell of coal walking out of the airport that first night; the grimy, unwashed hands of bike salesmen, hoards of bobbing heads in that first club in Xi’an and the late night cab rides home.

Most of all, living in China has made me a global citizen. I have a much better perspective of the world and the country from which I come. Having Chinese class with people from literally all over the world is an invaluable experience that I couldn’t have found anywhere else. Additionally, my professors are elite and respected in their fields giving me access to valuable information and contacts.

The opportunities for me here beat anything I could find in Syracuse. Beyond expanding my networking base and gaining invaluable hands on experience, I got the chance to travel. While visiting Yantai, Qingdao and Dalian in eastern China I could lay my eyes on the Yellow Sea. The Yellow Sea! And I would never of thought of spending a week in Thailand by myself if I hadn’t come to Beijing.

I will never forget my time here and hope to return. This country is too big and has too much to offer to only spend six months in.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 11th, 2008 at 9:55 pm and is filed under China. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.