Flying to Kunming

Monday, June 16 2014

            It’s been a few hours at Regal Airport hotel and I haven’t done much but try to sleep with a sore body, headache and a sore throat. It didn’t bother me much at this point because I thought maybe I would be getting better soon. Also my next 2 hour flight to Kunming would be departing soon so I needed to force myself to be fully functional, even though I felt like I was slowly dying but I didn’t want to show that.

I decided to explore the hotel before I left since it was so nice! I swam in the pools and instantly felt some curing effect but it might have been all in my head. I also noticed a spa massage area but they only gave 55-minute sessions. I felt like I needed this but had I done this, I would have probably been late for my flight so I went back to my room to eat breakfast and check out.

Upon landing in Kunming Changshui International Airport, we met up with the academic director, Lu Yuan, and other staff members for my study abroad program. They were very friendly and excited to get this program started. I also met with other group members who will be studying abroad with me as well. Our group is composed of 5 men and 5 women. I am excited about my group. After this seminar we will all, hopefully, be able to have a conversation in Mandarin because I didn’t come to China to speak English.

We were taken to our home. They call it “The Traveler’s Home”. It’s a nice place and feels safe. There’s nothing much to say about it. We dropped off our luggage and headed with the study abroad staff to eat dinner. Dinner was so good! I didn’t know what I was eating like 75 percent of the time but it was delicious and we used chopsticks. I plan to include pictures of the foods because it’s so much easier to see then explain through words.

Flying to Hong Kong

Sunday, June 15 2014

The flight to Hong Kong could have been better. I watched two great movies: Three Days to Kill and Jobs. However, just when I thought everything was going perfect, I realized I was getting sick. It wasn’t so long till I experienced the worst headache during those 15 hours flying. I had to repeatedly walk around the aisle or go to the restroom to relax myself and all I could really do was NOTHING. I approached a flight attendant and told her I was feeling sick. It took a few seconds of confusion and for them to “decode” what I was trying to say since they didn’t speak English well. Eventually they understood and gave me some medicine but it had no curing effect. If I looked around, it felt like I was the only American and like I was the only one sick. After enduring possibly my worst flight, we finally landed in Hong Kong International Airport. I was so excited and relieved as I was walking through the crowded airport. I didn’t feel sick anymore but it could have been because of an adrenaline rush of being in a new place. I walked a lot followed by getting lost so I had to ask an airport employee for help. I’ve always felt confident and took initiative when asking for help. However, most airport employees I spoke to could speak little English and was still difficult to understand. This was awesome. It felt like a challenge and a learning experience. Then I walked to Regal Airport Hotel. At the entrance, a hotel employee approached me to take my luggage. He spoke a little bit of English but we had so much trouble understanding each other that we had to use hand signals to communicate. It was at this point that I felt like I needed to get my language straight and learn some survival phrases or I would have a harder time.

A couple of days before departure...

Next Saturday will be the day I leave to China. I am very excited! I am not sure what to expect but as of now I am focusing on my packing list...and reading some assigned material...and making sure that when I am at O'Hare standing in line to check-in ready to go, I feel confident. It will be a long flight to Hong Kong. I think it will be during that 30 hour flight that will finally "wake me up" and make me realize that I am traveling to a foreign country where I don't know the language. I traveled to other countries before and in all of those countries Spanish was the language spoken. It will definitely be an interesting experience since this time I won't easily be able to ask for directions to the nearest restroom or where I can exchange my money or if I'm on the right plane. I do know however, that these 6 weeks abroad will be one of the best experiences as an undergrad.

Anyways...back to packing!