My Blogging Skills are Lacking...

So I've pretty much failed at keeping this updated recently. But I promise there will be posts and pictures up VERY soon! A little glimpse of what is to come...

The first posts will be about the trip to Vietnam that my mom and I went on from January 4-18. We traveled with GAP Adventures, a tour company that took us on a literal adventure across the entire country from the northern capital of Hanoi down to the southern city of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). And this was after we spent several days in Beijing, hitting all of the major touristy spots in the city (the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, Ming Tombs, etc.) and dining at all of the best restaurants (from famous Beijing Roast Duck to street stands and hole-in-the-wall places), despite the freezing cold weather.

Next will be about my trip to Yunnan, the academic excursion that is part of my study abroad program and started less than 24 hours after my return to Beijing from Vietnam. We traveled throughout the entire province in Southern China, hitting Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, and Zhongdian (on the Tibetan Plateau). Our trip coincided with Chinese New Year, so the festivities were exceptionally exciting with tons of fireworks and firecrackers.

Since then, I've been back in Beijing, trying to get back into the mode of classes and having to study (I'm now in Intensive Advanced Chinese which is reputed to require at least 4 hours of studying every night!). It is an amazing feeling to be back in Beijing for the second semester, and I am so comfortable here that I can definitely consider this place "home." The new students are all incredibly nice and fit in well with the (30!) returning students from last semester. I am living in a homestay with a Chinese professor and his wife in the faculty residence on campus (more details on the difficulties of living with a Chinese family later...).

But for some exciting news: Last night, I called United and pushed my return flight back from May 19 to July 21, making some extra time for me to spend in Beijing to explore the city without stress of classes, practice speaking Chinese, tutor English on the side for a little extra cash, and do some more traveling (maybe to Tibet if the Chinese Government decides to open it to foreigners by the middle of May). The official change means that by the end of my trip, I will have spent 11 months here!!

Apologies for the absence of updates...there will be more soon.

Miss you all and love you tons!