The only way is up I am sitting in the library where there are not many people at the moment. The assessment weeks have just finished and students are all busy going out for fun. The library was packed with students in the past month. There was a time I had to come here early in the morning to grab a seat let alone a computer. However everything has changed after the exams weeks. The exam is a truly test for a student, not only on the knowledge but also on the ability to deal with stress, time management and temptation. Life was stale when preparing for the exams. I tried my best to bypass all the unnecessary plans in order to focus on my study. The only thing for entertainment on those days was having dinner with classmates. Even ordinary stories could bring us a good laugh. Finally the exams have finished and I am free to have a normal life again. I can play tennis, go to gym, go to parties and do all the things I was dying to do. I cannot be happier. After the exams, I stayed in London for a few days. It is a city which I really want to live in. I kept imagining that one day I would become a part of the city, like one of those people in suit and tie rushing in the underground. I met many more people in London than Nottingham. They do all kinds of jobs for living in this fantastic city and they clearly have different concerns about life compared with a student. It suddenly dawned on me that my life is safe and satisfying. I do not have to worry about the food, the money or what am supposed to do for a living. The uni life is a cycle. There are two months when I am extremely busy and another two months I am extremely free. In the rest of the year I live a normal life which is not too busy but still have lectures and coursework in hands. The concern is about the future, because one day the uni life will be over and I will have to get in the society and make a lot of decision for myself. Moreover, I will compete with people with all kinds of background and this time it is not just about getting a High Pass, Pass or Fail. The result I get can be wealthy, respectable or unemployed, difficult. Life is more brutal outside the gate of the university. I am pretty happy with my student life currently especially after I have just gone through the exam weeks. Tomorrow the new term will start, and I will work harder than before because I know how hard it is to battle out a place in London. I hope I can have more choices in the future. Like a song says ‘the only way is up’.

A trip to Tibet I went on a trip to Tibet with a friend at the end of August. We took the train from Shanghai to Lhasa which lasted for 50 hours. We didn't take the airplane because we wanted to get used to the altitude through the train. It is proved pointless afterwards for the train is sealed and has its own oxygen system. Plus I got the altitude sickness in the first two days in Lhasa. I didnt feel good in the first two days after being in the train for 50 hours. On top of that the altitude sickness made me nauseous and faint. I was worried that this trip was gonna be destroyed. Thanks god there was some special medicine for altitude sickness in the hotel. I took some and felt much better. We rent a bike and rode around Lhasa. There are two parts in Lhasa, the old city and the new city. The new city is no different to any other cities in China, consisting of modern buildings, broad roads and plenty of cars. It is the old part really fascinates me. The Tibetan houses scatter leaving the alleys narrow and sinuous. People dressed in the traiditional Tibetan clothes wander on the alley. Children chase one another and laugh loudly with naive faces. I even saw quite a few devout Tibetan who did the long kowtow on the street. I nearly brought tears to my eyes when I first saw it. They stood up and walk a few steps after finishing one kowtow. Those belivers were in rags after repeating the long kowtow action for thousands of times. I also met many travelers during this journey. Many of them went to Tibet on their own instead of following a group. They were usually between 25 to 45 and all asked a long leave or quit their job for this journey. Their journeys are never the same. Some of them rode bikes from Chengdu to Lhasa. Some of them stood in the crowed train cabin for over 20 hours. They recommended us which place is better to visit and which hostel is better to live in. I feel people become more talktive and open-minded when traveling. I think this is the whole point of a journey, to shift a place and lift the spirit. This journey is not like the ones I had before. I used to live in a hotel, follow the group and listen to a guide. This time my friend and I arranged all the routes, hostels and tickets by ourselves. Tibet is not like other places I ve been to as well. The sunshine is extremely strong and the roads can be very bumpy and sinuous. You have to make do with the living condition once you step out of Lhasa. I highly recommend to visit Tibet!

How is your vacation?

I study in a university and I am having the summer vacation. It is 3 months which is really long. For me and most Chinese students around me, we just stay at home and hang out or travel with friends.  Parents do cooking, laundary and nearly everything for us. Life of this kind is super in the fisrt few weeks but can be very boring afterwards. 

I find the summer vacation of my english friends is more interesting. They work for a while and then travel around for a few weeks. I heard their parents don't even pay the tuition for them and they have to apply for the loan. That is very different from here cause only poor families in China apply for the tuition loan. The tuition and living expanse are all cover by parents usually. That's why we are less stressful financially and are not bothered to find a job. We depend on the parents too much as the only child in the family.

How is your vacation? Are you working or traveling anywhere?

 

Coming home 2 It has been a month since I came home from UK. I was very excited on the airplane, imagining the fun I was about to have. The happy things I had had in my hometown started flashing before my eyes. Once I arrived at the airport in Shenyang, I realized that I was really back to China. People talked aloud and rushed into the queue for disembarking or picking up the baggage. The toilet stank and there was no tissue in it. However I was too busy meeting my families to think about those things. It felt so good to talk with family about the things had happened in the past one year. It reminded my of lots of things and everyone was happy to see I return home. There were more things to come which made me a bit disppointed. People spit in public and don't say things with politeness very often. The road is like crazy. The dirvers never stop for walkers and blare the horn all the time. They even tend to create a new line on the road which makes the traffic extremly horrible even though the road is actually 3 times wider than those in England. It didn't take long for me to fit in. I have been living here for 20 years after all. Honestly I used to feel good about my city and I didn't find it need so much to improve until I went to England. However it doesn't bother me once I meet my family and friends and have the food I missed so much when I was in England. Everything here is so familiar to me and I can argue everything without a concern. Because I know how things work here and we speak Chinese which is my mother tongue. I feel free, safe and confident when walking on the street. It suddenly occurs to me that my city is such a nice place to be.

Coming home I am leaving Nottingham in 2 days which makes me very emotional. On one hand, I miss my family and friends so much and I can't wait to meet them back home. On the other hand, Nottingham is such a lovely place that I don't want to leave it at all. I met so many amazing people and did quite a few things which I could never do in China. It was great fun here and I learned so much, experiencing a very distinct life from China. I am very impressed by the variety of activities in the university, lots of societies and parties. I joined in the tennis society, international society, and China China society. People are so friendly and welcome. It is never hard to start a conversation and make friends. I went to a ball which was fantastic. I have never participated anything like it in China. People dressed in suit and talked politely, just like what is shown in the high-end social event on screen. The food was finely decorated and the waiters served thoughtfully. Every one was like a prince or a princess. I was the only one from Asia at my table and I was a bit nervous. I would like to behave decently to show others how we Chinese do things. I am also impressed by the internationality in Uk. There are so many people from different ethnic groups which is rare to see in China. Back in my hometown, you can't see any people other than Chinese on the street. The only foreigners who live in my city are English teachers. So I was shocked when I first arrived in London. I could not see any white people in some places which confused me. Then I reflected that it is such an international country. Being British doesn't mean you have to be white. This is a good thing I think. It brings muti-culture and variety to the society making it more competitive. Everyone is equal here and shouldn't be defined by the race. Some friends asked me whether I am going to stay here in Uk after I finish my degree. I would say no. I don't deny the fact that Uk is such an amazing place to be. It is so developed, every field taking the lead largely compared to China. However, I have more opportunities in China and I can still live a wonderful life even in a developing country. I was very happy when I grew up there. After all, that is where I was born and bred, my spiritual soul belongs to. My country is becoming better and better and I have the responsibility to help building it. I haven't left Nottingham yet but I have started missing it. Thank God I still have 2 more years to study here.

Uni life in England It has been 8 months since I came to England. I am used to the life here now. I don't regret that I made the choice to come here last year. I would make the same decision again. I met so many people from all over the world. I had the opportunity to know the custom of other countries and testify some rumors of different places. This is something I can hardly have if I am in China. You can only see Chinese on the street in China not like here in England. It is so international and interracial. My class is like a global village with students from all over the world and speaking all kinds of languages. I have had a deeper understanding of my country since I went abroad. I feel stronger about my identity--Chinese. When people talk about British, they think of politeness. When people talk about French, they come up with romance. When people talk about German, rigor comes to their mind. What do people think of us? I can hardly find an answer because we are such a huge group with a variety of chrateristic. We are even very distinct with ourselves. People praise and abuse us but that's what we are and I am one of them. The longer I stay in Uk, the more emotional I feel about the report of my own country. I keep thinking that isnt that the place where I am so familiar with? What's going on with it now. I am paying much more attention to it than I used to be and exploring more about it than ever. I am enjoying the most freedom ever in my life here. I really appreciate how British live their lives and treat people. They not only take the lead of economic development, but also the etiquitte and the value. I feel lucky to experience it in person.

An unforgettable trip to Paris I spent 6 days in Paris this week, and I have really fallen in love with this charming city. We took the Eurostar from London to Paris. It's really exciting to think that I was going through the English Channel. It took about 2 hours to get to the Paris station. The station was a little old and really crowded, and I could intensely feel that I am in France, because I could hardly undrstand what the broadcast was saying. Honestly, I felt a bit disappointed with Paris when I first arrived. Not like London, the streets here are not so tidy and clean. Moreover, people here seem not so polite as British people. They can even push you without saying ' sorry'. It's not hard to find beggars or illegal sellers in the underground. However, my opinion changed a lot on the second day when we officially started to travel in Paris. The city is really romantic. The buildings are all carefully designed and decorated. You can hardly find two similar buildings here. I felt like I was walking on a street in the medieval period. Items displayed in the showcase were fablous. No matter what they are, clothes, furniture or handbags, they are all beautiful exhibits. People on the streets were well-dressed, old ladies with minxed suit and gentlemen wearing traditional caps. It is exactly what I imagined of the Europe before. I was absolutely thrilled when I saw the effel tower. It was really amazing! With the sparking light on it, it became more stuning. I could sense the glory and pride of the French people when I stood at the top of the tower and admired of this city in the evening. I also visited the triumphal arch and the Louvre. I love them! I am sure it won't be my last time to Paris!

frustrated day I thought studying in Uk will be easier in China. I can manage everything after going through the Gaokao in China. I also had a view that students in Uk are not so hard-working as in China. I didn't know I am wrong until today, when I was experiencing a frustrating class. There are much less classes here in UK. Usually in China, my daytime is occupied by classes, especiall in senior high. Meanwhile the homework assigned by our teachers seems easier to finish. We don't have many things to remember and tests to prepare. That's why I thought I can lead a relatively relaxing life in Uk as a student. However, what happened today makes me realize how wrong my opinions are. Indeed, the homework is less, but diverse. Not just writing down what we learnt before or finishing the exercises we were taught, the homework can be drawing pictures, making a video, assembling a model, or even making a presentation. Also, we are not shown some particular examples, which makes the answer open. In fact it gives me the impression that since there is no example, I can do it right in any way. So I lower the standard I set for myself, cause I believe I can survive anyway. When the review of the portfolio was going on today, I was shocked by others' work, so innovative and delicate. Looking back at myself, my work just meet the basic need of the assignment. I can pass definately, but I can by no means be a top student on this. I think my ordinary work has a strong connection with what I was taught before. That is just copying, and doing the same as the example. In that way, I begin to be lazy about thinking what I learn. I needn't to try some other ways because it will take more time and extra effort, which is absolutely unhelpful for the exam. I have to say, British students in my class are really amazing. They like chating, laughing and simling, and look casual. But their work are really good, and their behaviours are quite polite and comfortable. I have to push harder, to make myself competent. But I should be confident. After all, it's really not a big deal compared with Gaokao.

First UK dinner It has been 10 days since I came to UK. It was extremely exciting for me in the first 3 days, and then everying gets back normal and I am getting used to live here. I feel very happy today because I went to my friend's home and have the dinner there. I find the dinner in England is very different from China, but I really enjoy it. My friend is an Asian but he was born and grew up in UK. We call people like him BBC, meaning British born Chinese. He cooked Hongkong dishes for me and they were really delicious. After the dinner, we talked a lot with his flatmates. They are all British, and some of them are BBC, too. When they knew I come from China and study architecture in Uk, they are quite curious and surprised. Half of them had been to China, and all of them want to go to China sometime. We discussed the differences between the UK and China and I shared my feelings about UK with them. I like the life in England. People are polite. They like saying 'Hello' and 'Thank you' and smile all the time. They seem a little cold on face sometimes but they are enthusiastic inside actually. When you are crossing the street, they will usually let you go first. When you have something to ask, they will help you a lot like helping their families. They do things quite slowly. On the first day for registration, thousands of student came to the same building and waited in queue at the doors of different offices. The staff didn't show impatient or panic, but they were still very careful and made sure everythings is fine. I thought it is the population that makes Chinese officals rude and impatient. Because they have loads of work to do and have to do it as quickly as possible in the straight way. The British gives me another impression that we can still do it gracefully even we have so many things to do. Be respective and resposible to everybody. But I still get some problems in UK. I cannot watch TV series and films online and still don't know how to listen to music. After 5 pm, the street gets quiet and rare shops are open then. It is still difficult for me to have a social dialogue with the British. I can only follow 70% of their word. I have to work harder and be more sedentary inside. Anyway, England is such a lovely place and I will keep exploring it!