July 16

School was surprisingly fun. We got brand new Chinese names. Wo jiao Ai Moli. It's really pretty and means jasmine flower. You can make delicious tea from my name! The T.A.s, teachers and even other students are all really nice, I think that's my favorite part about China, how friendly everyone is. We also learn way more. It would probably take at least 3 school days back home to learn what we did here.

By Mari

July 16

Today was my first official day in China. Woohoo! Words really can not express how much gratitude I have for every single person whom has (and is currently) making this Program possible. I feel honored to have been given the opportunity of representing my country in this nation. I recall how long the plane flight over here to China was. Around an estimated twenty hours flight was needed to get. Now that I am I have made (and I am still making) new friend from both my country and here. I remember how very fond I was about the opening ceremony. There is so much talent here in China. I really loved how the student composed music with Chinese instrument. Also the way the students sang in Chinese was very beautiful.

The people here are so very nice. Even though I can not understand what is being said, there is a simple just charm in everyone here. Yoshinoya and Panda Express are nothing compared to the cafeteria food here. I just wish I could speak Chinese more fluently so I can tell the staff how much I love the food. The snakes in the store are very good too. I love all the games that we played with teachers and the T.A.s. They are amazing people. Today was a great start for this splendid journey in China.

P.S. My Chinese name is He sichang.

By Zamir

July 17

Today was very good (hen hao). To reiterate, it was very good (feichang hao). Sure, it rained for most of the afternoon, but we don’t get much rain in Tucson so it was exotic. The day began with an early wake up and a quick game of Peppers (a Volleyball derivative) with Jackson. 

Around 6:10 (zao zhang liu dian shi fen) we proceed up to our dorms to shower and prepare for breakfast. While waiting for breakfast to begin, we discussed the type of journal Jason Tom was writing and decided it was a travel log, not an emotional cleanser.

At breakfast we continued our trend of eating at one large table. The cafeteria is set up for groups of four, but I find this very counterproductive to making and strengthening friendships. On the flip side, one large table allows you to meet and talk with a variety of people and it has a communal aspect to it. Therefore, it is more desirable. 

Class involved numbers and chun jie trivia. I learned a few new words (Fu, gong xi fa cai, shen ti jian kang, mai nian huo) and heard a story regarding nian, the evil spirit of the Chinese new years (hence you need lots of fireworks to frighten him away). Overall, class was better today because people paid attention and, for the most part, did not talk out of turn. But, perhaps I had most fun working on a collaborative drawing with my seat partners. We drew an under water scene and a desert camping scene with astronauts, zombies, Indians, and an avatar.

Lunch was non-memorable. However, the volleyball game Following lunch was fantastic. It did make us late for the computer lab, but we participated in a cultural exchange between four HFLS students and us. After meeting them, their names are Leo and Serena, I said ren shi ni wo ye hen hao, and I think they understood. We played volleyball (pai qiu) gain during gym time for the summer students at HFLS. This is one of my favorite memories because three students and two teachers (Ma laoshi and another) played with us and we had an audience of twenty or thirty.

At nigh we made jiaozi and played volleyball. I think today has been my favorite day so far.

By Dante

July17

I had lots of fun today. We made dumplings, which was pretty easy except the part that I couldn’t fold them. But somehow we both bond even though we didn’t speak each others’ language. We laughed, she was showing me how to place my fingers while holding and it was really nice knowing we still had a great time. I also made a friend, her name is Sandy. She gave me a friendship gift and I felt that I could love here as well. That they can hardly know you but somehow you can go to them when you need help. I love it here. And every time it gets better and feels like home.

 By Valekie

July 17

Woohoo! Today was my second official day in China. In the morning the All Stars group and I all got up extra early to go work out. I have got to say the campus track that the natural scenery of China is quite beautiful. It has been raining quite recently so the campus has s sort of refreshing sense to it. In our language class we focused mostly on numbers and how to tell time. The funny thing is that even though most of my friends know that I sucked at speaking Chinese, I was still chosen to present in front of the class. I was nervous but now I can say that I know how to tell time in Chinese. I had the privilege of attend a class about the musical aspect of Chinese culture. In this class I was able to watch musical instruments being played and even play them myself. Me and my roommate Nathan rocked it out on the drums. We were also shown a sort of opera dance too. I am starting to love Chinese music more and more. After supper we spent time with our T.A.s playing Chinese board games. I got to play some sort of animal chess with Mauricio. I also got to play a sort of Go game against Alexis (she is quite an interesting girl). I was able to beat both of them. It is a bummer that I don’t have a camera and that our curfew is now at 9:30p.m. Oh well, I can’t wait for tomorrow’s field trip.

By Zamir

July 17

Although it is not my first time in China, my excitement and enthusiasm for trying new things and meeting new people has not been lessened in the least. I was fortunate enough to participate in the Hanban Chinese Bridge Summer Camp once before in the summer of 2010, but unlike that time, this time I have come with classmates and friends. It’s a very different experience being surrounded by students I already know and am comfortable around, but equally fun, and even though I have people I’m familiar with, it hasn’t prevented me from reaching out to other students (both from other American schools and our Chinese “partners”). It’s only the third day we’ve been in Hangzhou, but already have established close relations with people I didn’t know before this trip. I’m looking forward to the remainder of the trip, and am extremely for being given such an amazing opportunity. 谢谢！

By Kiana Kiyohara

July 17

Today is the third day in Zhejiang Province and I am so excited to take part in new adventures. Even though this is not my first time in China, I am very motivated to not only practice my Chinese outside a class room setting, but also to take part in a new culture. I hope that my pronunciation and accent will improve significantly through this trip. Although I am in Chinese 3 - soon to be in Chinese 4-at Santa Monica High School. I really do like now Hong Lao Shi talks to us in Chinese first and then translates back to English. I think it is very good practice for me so that I can test how much I understand. In every class there are about four student assistants. Fortunately, Polly, the T.A., sits with us. She is so cute! She is not only intelligent, but she is also like we all (Asta, Kiana, and Maddy) all bonded and got closer together. I am so happy that Polly will host us. We will have fun and exchange many laughs! The best thing about tonight was we all exchanged slangs. It was entertaining and hilarious. I hope we will keep in touch and be life long friends.

By Tracie

July 18

Today went by especially fast, because of the field trip! The morning started like any other. Get up at 7 and go down to eat breakfast. We then proceeded to attend morning class in which we made origami flowers. Mine turned out great! After lunch was the time for the West Lake tour. With all the museums and nature I felt at peace. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip and much rather prefer field trips than sitting and learning in a classroom. Okay I’m lazy, not going to write anymore. Good night!

By Willa

July 18

Today we took a trip to the West Lake. We left after lunch and took a bus into Hangzhou. I thought the bus ride would be long and boring, but it was actually really nice. I was surprised at the beauty of the whole city (that I saw). I was fascinated by the river that was floating along the road side. Normally I don’t like museums, but the museum we visited was really cool. My favorites were the swords made out of ancient Chinese coins. I was however disappointed by the amount of smog because I couldn’t take pictures of the scenery surrounding the lake.

By Maddy

July 18

Today was the visit to West Lake, and it was so exciting!

The ride there was really interesting, because I have never seen a Chinese city before. It was unexpected for me to see how many people were riding mopeds. I also noticed that many of the buildings were a lot taller than they are in Tucson. I have also never seen sweep a crosswalk before, so that was memorable.

West Lake was beautiful, and so were the attractions! I loved the story behind the Tower! I would have never thought a building had so much meaning behind it, or that towers could be based on a love story. I loved seeing the tree statues in the lake. Before going on this trip, I would have never thought that they would light up and create moons on the lake. I also thought that the history behind the location was interesting; I didn't know that Marco Polo had visited.

The Zhejiang Provincial Museum was so cool! I have never seen such a variety of teapots in my life! I also like to look at the landscape painting.

By Emily

July 18

Today we took our cultural field trip to West Lake. Having heard so much about this lake, I was anxious to see what the scenery was like. The bus ride was uneventful, but the boat we boarded afterwards looked rich with Chinese ornamentation.

After a short trip across the lake, we docked at an island. Fearing more mosquito bites, I sprayed myself with some bug spray, and that seemed to work. After traipsing around the island for a bit and taking some pictures, we returned to the dock and took a group picture. After that was a visit to a museum. Throughout the museum I thought the teapot exhibit was the most interesting and well put together. Another bus ride signaled the end of our trip, and some of us suddenly realized how tired we were and fell asleep on the ride back. All in all, the trip was a fulfilling break from the classroom and an enjoyable respite.

Later at night we watched the Chinese version of the remake of the Karate Kid. Having seen this movie before, I was not too interested in it. However, throughout the movie I realized that changes were made from the U.S. version in order to make it more marketable to Chinese audience. Overall, it was a good day.

By Thaddeus

July 18

Today’s big adventure was a trip to West Lake, a small artificial waterway near Hangzhou city. The Lake is said to be one of Chinese most beautiful, but I beg to differ. It did have some very nice features, like small islands connected by raised walkways, lush jetties with stone bridges, and a variety of quiet boats. However, there were still some drawbacks. I found the thick green water and litter to distract from its overall beauty. I did like the lake, it was mysterious and lush, but I believe that it could be made more attractive if it is generally cleaned up.

On the island that our group stopped at, Jackson and I tried dried tofu in some sort of heated soy sauce. It was not terrible, but I don’t plan to get it again. For most of the trip we followed James and Elvia around and they insured that we did not get cheated on any purchases or lost. Jackson asked about chicken wrapped in tofu and fried and was told not to buy it, that it was food that would make even the teachers sick. Consequently, on the trip back we were slightly hungry and got pineapple sweet biscuits and dried/salted fruit from James. (Thanks James!)

The rest of the trip is a blur of sorts. Once we returned to the mainland, we visited a free museum on the lakeside. The museum combined the works of a Chinese painter (who primarily painted western portraits), teapots in varying shapes and designs, and the stamps/seals that an artist uses to identify himself with. Some students bought ice cream from a vender. Ariel and I bought Kael a cone because it was his birthday.

The days are looking up and becoming more fun.

By Dante

July 19

This trip has turned to be a really different adventure. We have a lot of freedom and still get to have a lot of fun. Today I really enjoy going to Shanghai and walking around. I took a ton of pictures of the scenery and the shoppers. My absolute favorite part was getting to eat food with my group. We ate dumplings, scallion pancakes, soup dumplings, fried rice, and lobster noodles. It was really fun getting to experience “family” + friend time with the group and getting to know the teachers. The TAs are super nice and fun to get to know. Can’t wait for more.

By Faith

July 19

The experience so far has been one of the best eye-opening events that have happened to me so far. Getting closer with my “family” friends and meeting different people from various parts of the world is one of the greatest experiences I’ve been through. I love this trip so much and I’m really glad I came. I don’t think there could have been a better way to spend part of my summer. There’s ups and downs, but you have to make the best of it.

By Nathan