Almost one year has passed since I have actually written in this blog. As you can imagine from the title, if I am writing in this blog again it's because I'm going back to China!!!! I cannot describe the excitement I feel knowing that I will be able to go back to Beijing. However, unlike my previous two summers, things are WAY more complex this time around. I will start first by summarizing what has been happening to me during the last few months.
Saturday, January 17th, 2009:
I go to JFK airport to take my plane to PARIS, FRANCE!!!
Saturday, January 17th, 2009:
I go to JFK airport to take my plane to PARIS, FRANCE!!!
Sunday, January 18th, 2009:I arrive at Paris and am really excited of being in France for a semester in a study abroad program.
Monday, January 19th through Sunday, February 8th:
Orientation period at my study abroad program (CUPA). I get to meet lots of new people from different universities/countries. My first trip outside of Paris to Strasbourg:
Orientation period at my study abroad program (CUPA). I get to meet lots of new people from different universities/countries. My first trip outside of Paris to Strasbourg:
Week of February 9th:Classes start, or were supposed to start, but then we all soon realize that professors are all on STRIKE!!!!
Week of February 23th:
Winter break, even though classes have been chaos due to the continuing strikes in the Parisian university system. HOWEVER, I make my first trip outside of France to Barcelona, Spain to visit the city and some family members:
Week of March 16th:
Classes continue to be chaos because of the strikes (only half of my classes are functioning normally). Our program strives to look for different solutions for which I am extremely grateful. I make my second trip out of France to Amsterdam, the Netherlands:
Classes continue to be chaos because of the strikes (only half of my classes are functioning normally). Our program strives to look for different solutions for which I am extremely grateful. I make my second trip out of France to Amsterdam, the Netherlands:
March 31st (Present):
The strikes seem to intensify, but on the other hand the professors are starting to worry about the situation. After nearly a year of ignoring this blog, I decide to return to it to explain my next adventure in China.
So from the above, excluding the drama with the strikes, you'll realize that this year will be one of the most exciting I will ever have in my entire life. This is all part of a master plan that I designed for myself some time ago for the year 2009 and the first half of 2010. Due in large part to my previous two summers in China (only possible with the extreme generosity of the Light Foundation) I realized that I wanted to have a much longer international experience. Being immersed in different cultures, although difficult at times, is a wonderful learning experience. After only two summers in China, I felt that I did change as a person. I was more perceptive to different ways of viewing our world, which really fascinated me. So in order to have this other long international experience of mine, I first decided to apply to study in Paris for the spring semester of this my Junior year. As you can see, I did get accepted. I will be in Paris until the end of May.
After applying to study in Paris, I applied for my THIRD Light Fellowship. I was a bit worried that I might not get it, since I had previously already won two Light Fellowships for my two summers with HBA(See previous posts). However, this time the plan I presented to the Light Foundation was REALLY different. First of all, no more HBA (I would have broken a record had I gone a third time to the same program, and probably would have been labeled as an HBA freak). This time, I will be going to Beijing for the summer to IUP (a Chinese language program at Tsinghua University). However, the real difference comes after. Not only will I spend a summer in Beijing, but also AN ENTIRE ACADEMIC YEAR IN TAIWAN!!!!!
There are various reasons I chose to go to Taiwan for such a long period. Besides improving my Chinese (the most important one), I wanted to understand Taiwan strait relations better by seeing the Taiwanese point of view of things. I also prefer the Traditional characters used in Taiwan (as you can see in an article I wrote for the YDN during my sophomore year http://yaledailynews.com/articles/view/22700). I am extremely excited for what Taiwan has to offer, and I am sure that I will have a great time there.
In order to make all of this come true, I had to make a pretty important decision: I will be taking a year of from my studies at Yale to go to Taiwan during the 2009-2010 year. This was one of the difficulties I had when thinking about going to China/Taiwan. I was used to the idea of being in the class of 2010 and graduating with my class. Well, this will no longer be as I am now officially part of the class of 2011. Today I saw that the change has already been made officially. Now I appear as Angel Ayala MC '11. It really is such a strange feeling seeing my name written with the '11 instead of the '10. At first I thought, "It's only a year difference", but today after seeing it actually written that way I literally got goosebumps. IT IS AN ENTIRE YEAR DIFFERENCE. That one digit difference is HUGE.
It will definitely be difficult being away for so long from my parents, friends, Yale, etc. I know, though, that it will be a great experience and that I have made a great decision. I decided to write this entry to express all of the excitement inside of me at the present moment and to provide an update into the near future in my life. So in summary, this is the very general plan for the next year and a half:
January 18th - May 31st:
Semester Abroad in Paris
May 31st - June 12th:
Literally only 12 days in the US to visit my family, get visas, see friends, get my life together ...
June 13th - August 14th:
IUP program in Beijing
August 15th - September 15th:
SURPRISE!!!! I have a special plan for this month which (hopefully) I'll be able to do. Watch out for a future post!!!
Mid-September 2009 to June 2010:
ICLP program in Taiwan!!!
Well, that's all the news I have for now (it's a lot if you ask me). This is mainly a blog about China, so I won't be writing a lot about my experience in France. However, there are two major trips coming up soon for which I'll definitely post. First, for my spring break (in two weeks) my mom will come to Paris and we'll also travel to London and Rome, and in May I will be going to Lisbon, Portugal. Watch out for posts with photos of those trips. Then, as the time approaches for me to go to China, I will post with more specific details (including the mystery month between Beijing and Taiwan). Until then!
The strikes seem to intensify, but on the other hand the professors are starting to worry about the situation. After nearly a year of ignoring this blog, I decide to return to it to explain my next adventure in China.
So from the above, excluding the drama with the strikes, you'll realize that this year will be one of the most exciting I will ever have in my entire life. This is all part of a master plan that I designed for myself some time ago for the year 2009 and the first half of 2010. Due in large part to my previous two summers in China (only possible with the extreme generosity of the Light Foundation) I realized that I wanted to have a much longer international experience. Being immersed in different cultures, although difficult at times, is a wonderful learning experience. After only two summers in China, I felt that I did change as a person. I was more perceptive to different ways of viewing our world, which really fascinated me. So in order to have this other long international experience of mine, I first decided to apply to study in Paris for the spring semester of this my Junior year. As you can see, I did get accepted. I will be in Paris until the end of May.
After applying to study in Paris, I applied for my THIRD Light Fellowship. I was a bit worried that I might not get it, since I had previously already won two Light Fellowships for my two summers with HBA(See previous posts). However, this time the plan I presented to the Light Foundation was REALLY different. First of all, no more HBA (I would have broken a record had I gone a third time to the same program, and probably would have been labeled as an HBA freak). This time, I will be going to Beijing for the summer to IUP (a Chinese language program at Tsinghua University). However, the real difference comes after. Not only will I spend a summer in Beijing, but also AN ENTIRE ACADEMIC YEAR IN TAIWAN!!!!!
There are various reasons I chose to go to Taiwan for such a long period. Besides improving my Chinese (the most important one), I wanted to understand Taiwan strait relations better by seeing the Taiwanese point of view of things. I also prefer the Traditional characters used in Taiwan (as you can see in an article I wrote for the YDN during my sophomore year http://yaledailynews.com/articles/view/22700). I am extremely excited for what Taiwan has to offer, and I am sure that I will have a great time there.
In order to make all of this come true, I had to make a pretty important decision: I will be taking a year of from my studies at Yale to go to Taiwan during the 2009-2010 year. This was one of the difficulties I had when thinking about going to China/Taiwan. I was used to the idea of being in the class of 2010 and graduating with my class. Well, this will no longer be as I am now officially part of the class of 2011. Today I saw that the change has already been made officially. Now I appear as Angel Ayala MC '11. It really is such a strange feeling seeing my name written with the '11 instead of the '10. At first I thought, "It's only a year difference", but today after seeing it actually written that way I literally got goosebumps. IT IS AN ENTIRE YEAR DIFFERENCE. That one digit difference is HUGE.
It will definitely be difficult being away for so long from my parents, friends, Yale, etc. I know, though, that it will be a great experience and that I have made a great decision. I decided to write this entry to express all of the excitement inside of me at the present moment and to provide an update into the near future in my life. So in summary, this is the very general plan for the next year and a half:
January 18th - May 31st:
Semester Abroad in Paris
May 31st - June 12th:
Literally only 12 days in the US to visit my family, get visas, see friends, get my life together ...
June 13th - August 14th:
IUP program in Beijing
August 15th - September 15th:
SURPRISE!!!! I have a special plan for this month which (hopefully) I'll be able to do. Watch out for a future post!!!
Mid-September 2009 to June 2010:
ICLP program in Taiwan!!!
Well, that's all the news I have for now (it's a lot if you ask me). This is mainly a blog about China, so I won't be writing a lot about my experience in France. However, there are two major trips coming up soon for which I'll definitely post. First, for my spring break (in two weeks) my mom will come to Paris and we'll also travel to London and Rome, and in May I will be going to Lisbon, Portugal. Watch out for posts with photos of those trips. Then, as the time approaches for me to go to China, I will post with more specific details (including the mystery month between Beijing and Taiwan). Until then!
