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Student Stories from Around the World

Tag: Hangzhou (page 3 of 3)

A cup of tea a day keeps the doctor away

Yuck, I know. Who wants to think about being sick and whatnot when you’re studying abroad in a new country? But this is something that I have found really needs to be addressed- as we are a month into our program, and literally everyone in our group is sick.  Most people have a cough, but I have a rather annoying cold that won’t go away. It’s 82 degrees outside today and I walked around with a thick jacket on. Brrr.

I was actually the first one out of our group (from now on addressed as H-23 [the 23rd group to go to Hangzhou]) to get sick, getting a fever only two weeks after we had arrived! In Hangzhou, it rains a lot. It was raining on the day that I went to meet the senior editor of an English-language magazine that I am interning for- and I got caught in the rain while waiting for the bus. And a few hours later, I got a fever. I had a fever for about two days, but on the second day, I only ate fruit and took two vitamins. Throw in lots of sleep, and I was feeling much better the next day.

In the past few years, I did not get sick very often since I got into the habit of watching what I eat and exercising. However since arriving to China, admittedly I have not been eating enough fruit or working out as much as I usually do. I think that has made my body weaker or more vulnerable to any illnesses. The main lesson of today’s post is: no matter where you are, it is still important to take care of your body and your health. Make sure you are getting the proper nutrition. (and if you are planning to travel abroad, bring medicine just in case. I made the mistake of thinking, “Oh I never get sick in the US, so it won’t happen in China either! I’ll just bring some advil, nothing else.” Biiiiig mistake on my part. Now, I am sick again. It’s not as bad as the fever, though it is slightly more painful because I have to use the tissues here in China- ouch. I bought a pack of Hello Kitty tissues because they were Hello Kitty and adorable. But these tissues are deceiving- though they’re cute, they are rough as sandpaper. Where’s kleenex when you need it?

Adorable, but dangerous to your nose

However something that has been really helping with my cold is drinking lots of tea. I went to a tea museum about a week ago and bought premium lychee-black tea, which is delicious! The tea museum was actually one of my favorite things that we have visited so far. At first I was slightly apprehensive: I love tea, but I wasn’t sure just how interesting this museum could possibly be. But it turns out there is a lot of interesting facts they have there! You really get a glimpse of just how important tea is to the Chinese culture. The museum itself was beautiful- it was very modern and spread out over a garden. So you had to walk through the garden to see different exhibits. For example, one of the rooms was filled with different kinds of tea displayed behind hundreds of small windows, and about 6 different phones placed around the room. You pick up a phone, press the number that corresponds with the number on the window of the tea you want to learn about and it will tell you (in English or Chinese, your choice) about that particular kind of tea.

The “phone room”

What kind of tea do you like to drink? This panel explores more into different types of tea and their benefits

Tea is BIG here in China, so for an avid tea drinker like myself, it is paradise to see so many tea shops! And if you haven’t tried tea or think you don’t like it- give it a shot if you ever come to China. There are so many different types of teas here that you might find one that you love. I’ve seen two people in H-23 go from “Tea is gross” to “Give me another cup!”. My personal favorite is 冰绿茶,iced green tea.  It’s delicious, and its great for your health.

On that note, I am off to go refill my tea bottle with some more hot water before I settle down and start studying. Talk to you soon!

The container of lychee-black tea and my tea bottle

There is a strainer in the bottle to prevent you from drinking the tea dregs

A day in Hangzhou

Hi everyone! Today is another busy day in Hangzhou, as this morning we had our official Opening Ceremony for the international students at Zhejiang University. It is amazing to see so many different people from all over the world in one room sharing a similar goal: to learn more about the Chinese language and culture. Everyone here comes from different backgrounds and unique cultures. It really reminds you just how large the world is, and the endless variations of people you still have yet to meet. And while this idea may excite some people, it might be intimidating to others. That is why I believe it is important to be very mindful of  cultural differences that you may encounter when studying abroad.
During our time here in China, there have been many occasions in which every member of the group (excluding myself) has been stopped in the middle of the street by a local asking for them a picture. While this would be considered not only rude, but extremely strange in America, the Chinese who do this act like it is completely normal. And if there are none who are bold enough to ask for a picture, there are definitely a good amount of Chinese who blatantly stare at anyone who has different physical features than what they are used to seeing. At first, all the attention was sort of intimidating to the group, but now it has almost become second nature to our group.


Likewise, some things that we as Americans do are confusing to the Chinese. In China, there is no tipping. You can try to tip, but it is most likely that whoever you are tipping will reject your money, or even chase back after you to return the money. Don’t tip at restaurants, don’t tip the cab driver, etc. Speaking of restaurants, there quite a few items on the menu that may startle a Westerner’s appetite. Don’t be surprised if you see a chicken served with its head still on, or if you are served a fish whose eyeballs haven’t been removed from the face. While it might seem grotesque to some of us, to many Chinese, those are the most delicious and vital parts of the meal! (there is superstition that eating eyeball can improve your eyesight, eating brain can make you smarter, etc.) To those of you who are adventurous enough to try such cuisine, do so! (with care) For the rest of us who aren’t quite ready to take that step, I would just order anything else that looks delicious to you. (trust me, it is definitely possible—China has some delicious food!)


These are just a few of the cultural differences I have noticed so far. Some are greatly different than American practices, but as long as you keep a positive attitude and open mind, you will find yourself easing into your surroundings. If you are planning to study abroad, I would suggest attending some of VU’s cultural events that  they hold right here on campus. For example, if you are interested in studying abroad in China, attend the local Chinese New Year celebration in VU.  It is a great way to slowly integrate into the culture, step by step. This way, you won’t be as flustered once you arrive in a country that are you not yet familiar with.

By: Gloria Llenos, more blogs to come soon!

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