SUMMER 2012
Adviser Update
WALL
Continued from page 2B
a.m. Three hours later, I was standing on the Great Wall.
The view was breathtaking. A
mountain breeze cooled my brow
under the baking sun. Looking to
the east, the wall stretched for miles,
rising and falling over the hills and
trailing off into the mountains.
As I trekked across the Great
Wall, I held my digital camera in one
hand and video camera in the other
for the first full hour, all the while
wearing a souvenir Chinese farmer’s
hat that resembled a flying saucer.
I looked like the world’s ultimate
tourist, but I wanted to document as
much of the experience as I could.
No Chinese tourist attraction, and
certainly not the Great Wall, would
be complete without local vendors
trying to sell you things you don’t
need. My big, round rice paddy hat
made me an obvious target — if I
bought that hat, perhaps I’d buy
other things, the locals must have
thought. A few vendors sold hats
and other trinkets, while most sold a
variety of beverages, including water,
DREAM
Continued from page 1B
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P15.V53.I01
A week later, I decided it was time
to let my parents know about the
internship. Essentially, I wasn’t asking for permission, but I wanted their
feedback. My mind had been made
up.
I sent an email, too excited (or perhaps too nervous) to tell them on the
phone. They wouldn’t be parents if
they weren’t a bit skeptical, but ultimately they said it was my decision
and really was a once in a lifetime
opportunity.
The next four months were spent
preparing. I would need a travel visa,
another additional cost. I would need
vaccinations. I would need to learn
a few basic Chinese phrases. I got
to work, all the while preparing to
graduate from college as well. Finally,
the day arrived for me to make my
trans-Pacific voyage to China.
I boarded the plane, having left my
parents a bit teary eyed at the JFK
Airport terminal. This was it. Thirteen hours later, I was waiting in line
to officially enter Beijing. I made my
way through the four check points,
reaching one final door. Behind it, a
few staff members from the China
Daily would be waiting to take me to
a hotel that I would call home for the
next two months.
I walked to the doors, carrying
my book bag and two suitcases. They
opened automatically. At last, Beijing.
cyan
and the planning and researching
began.
A few of my friends had studied
in China. I’d start there. I spent
many afternoons treating them to
lunch as they told me of their travels
to China. The standard of living is
relatively low, they said, so I would
be able to live on about $300 U.S.
dollars a month. But don’t drink
the water. Take toilet paper with
you wherever you go. If food looks
like dog or cat, it may be dog or cat.
And be ready to stick out like a sore
thumb.
The fact that the internship was
unpaid was the only element of the
trip that really bothered me. My previous internships had always meant
a solid flow of cash to help buy books
and other living necessities during
the school year. Interning in China
would set me back between $3,000
and $4,000. Since I would be graduating, money would be necessary not
only to lay the foundation for future
jobs, but also to pay back student
loans. It was a lot to consider.
What it all boiled down to was
the fact that the internship had been
presented to me not by chance, but
because my hard work and commitment to journalism were being recognized by members of the China Daily.
Interning in China with a foreign
newspaper for two months – this really was an opportunity of a lifetime.
magenta
made our way down a slope leading
to our tour van, clouds rolled in and a
deluge was released on the area. Had
we been on the wall another 10 minutes, we would have been caught in
the storm and probably stranded in
one of the covered watchtowers.
After returning to the hotel, I
called it a day at 7 p.m. The next
morning, my feet felt like lead
weights, and my muscles ached. I
spent the rest of the day waddling
around the hotel room before going
to work.
Despite being sore for two days,
the trip had been worth it. I’ve
always been a fan of history. I love
reading about history. But to stand
on history, now that was a completely
different feeling. The experience had
turned out just as I expected. I had
walked the Great Wall in the blazing
sun, taken hundreds of photos and
missed getting drenched in a downpour by minutes. It had been a great
day on the Great Wall.
For a full photo gallery and video
segment of my Great Wall Adventure,
check out my blog at www.btay200.
weebly.com.
yellow
reviewing applications. Then, something dropped into my Google mail
inbox.
“We are pleased to report that you
have been offered an internship with
China Daily in their international
news department for the summer of
2009. Congratulations, Brandon!”
I was still in bed at the time,
almost half-asleep picking up on key
words only. Two months. Beijing.
International news. Beijing. China.
China. China.
A few choice words exited my
mouth in excitement. I would be
one of six students in an internship
program established by a Penn State
professor who had previously worked
for the China Daily.
But then I began to pick up ۈB