How to fill an Easter holiday!

The Easter holidays are fast approaching, and considering I am a boring third year, my time is going to consist of work, work, oh, and more work (with a cheeky little trip to Rome…)!

However, when I reflect upon the Easter I had last year I realise how lucky I was – I had a month off and I definitely made the most of it!

I spent my first week in Strasbourg, being a journalist at the European Parliament – I think I have discussed this before, but I repeat again, it was amazing!

I then hopped on a train to Paris and flew straight to China. Yep China! This was quite possibly the craziest thing I have ever done; I had already participated in a week of very little sleep, only to fly across the world to complete a government funded Chinese-UK relationship programme.

You see, I have this terrible affliction - I am one of those people who can’t resist saying YES to everything – so when I got an email from the University Career Destinations team regarding funded places on a Study China Programme how could I not apply?!

I think a large part of me never thought I’d be accepted, nonetheless I applied all the same and when I found out I’d got it, it all seemed far too good to be true. All I had to do was pay for my flights – accommodation, a Mandarin programme at the university, social and cultural events and so much more was all funded for me! What’s more the University supported my visit; they provided me with my visa and gave me a bundle of resources to distribute to the local Chinese community I would be meeting. Knowing that I would never be able to explore China so cheaply again I realised that this moment could not be missed. I am young and any opportunity to explore this vast world is magnificent – hence the start of my crazy Easter!

Study China was based in Hangzhou, (about an hour away from Shanghai) and was a completely eye opening, awe inspiring, unforgettable experience. China has always captured my attention; the mix of old and new, beautifully antique and vastly technical, it seems like there is nowhere else quite like China. Plus as a world superpower their culture and language is becoming increasingly valuable (from a career perspective), and thus experiences like this need to be cherished. China is a leading economic, technological, and political influence, resounding as a system of self-improvement and success, distinct from any other country – to gain knowledge of the culture which helped build our modern world provided me with vital insights. This programme enabled me to develop a relationship with China; to mix their ethic with a European ethos definitely made me more socially and academically aware, open minded, and able to network successfully.

The beautiful traditional tea plantations

Typical Chinese buildings in the middle of bustling Shanghai

I know that I can take many things away from this incredible experience; a limited knowledge of tai-chi and wushu, some sort of proficiency with Mandarin (which is unbelievably hard) and introductions to various Chinese business and educational leaders. But mainly, and most importantly, I now have memories and friends which are to be cherished. Yes, this trip was a ‘study’ trip but education is varied, always enjoyable, and constant. The skills learnt simply by throwing myself into a new culture with people I’d never met before gave me transferable skills –thus when jumping on a train and going to Shanghai, when trying tongue and all manner of unusual food, whilst haggling with dear Chinese sellers, and somehow becoming resourceful when stuck in a train station overnight I believed I was constantly learning.

Suddenly I have a Study China family - this family is varied and dysfunctional, and we all came away from China with different favourite memories, but we also all came away with a better appreciation for a culture so different from our own and a sense of gratitude in regard to the opportunities which we would never have had without the aid of the programme.

Naturally I would encourage anyone and everyone to apply for this programme, especially as so much of our modern world is based upon the constant developments of China. Make the most of your Easter, do something ridiculous, because I promise you, you will NEVER look back in regret!

Apply to Study China - http://www.studychina.org.uk/pages.php?id=1 – or rather, just anything you have the opportunity to do!

Florence