I am back in the United States and YES I miss Costa Rica. I have woken up the past few mornings craving a plate of gallo pinto, scrambled eggs, toast, platano and coffee. I know that one month is just enough time to become accustomed to a routine but also not enough time to really [...]
Tag: Summer 2016
Belief systems in China
One of the main things that helped me understand Chinese culture was learning about their three most popular belief systems: Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Over the years, the emperors decided to change China’s main religion over and over to the point that sometimes temples that were first meant to be Buddhist temples turned to Taoist [...]
My first homestay family experience in China
My first home-stay family experience definitely showed me the differences between American culture and Chinese culture. We were advised that the first impression in Chinese culture is very important because I was not only a foreigner in their country, but also in their house. As a result, I had to make sure to make a good [...]
China’s public schools foster innovation in young students
Part of the activities for my Chinese cultural program was to engage with the community by merging in the culture. One day we went to a rural area in Shandong to teach a class to Chinese students in an elementary school. Rural areas in China are not as developed as metropolitan cities in China. As a [...]
Until next time, Africa
Back home in Tampa, I am able to really think about the month I spent in South Africa getting to know those beautiful elephants. I was able to learn so much about them and what it takes to care for them. Before setting out on this adventure, I planned on learning about the human-elephant conflict [...]