First Day of "Senior Year"

Today is technically my first day of senior year since I graduate both college and high school next spring/summer. I have been awake since about 5 am and I don't have to leave the house for my morning bus run until much later on. I'm too pumped and anxious and mildly delirious (due to the lingering jet lag). I already know I'm going to be late for my first class because the first of day of school is like the day after New Years: (in the college world) everyone has all these academic resolutions and the crowd tends to thin out by the third week; as far as the younger students go, parents tend to drive their kids to school on the first day creating an excess of cars and super traffic. I arrive to my lecture 10 minutes before it ENDS. There are no seats and I just sit on the floor. I grab my syllabus and continue about my day. It is so much fun to see my friends and meet the new kids. I attend my literature class and get to spend the rest of the day laughing with my friends.

6,000+ views (☆_☆)(*^^*)^ _ ^

Camy's Corner has broken over 6,000 views!!  That is so amazing! Thank you so much for supporting me through my recent adventures in China. This blog has seen about a year and a half of my dreams, my life, and my fearless adventures. Thank you so much for  everything!!! Thank you to my viewers from.all over the world-specifically : United States, Russia, United Kingdom, Taiwan, Japan, India, Cyprus, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Barbados, Brazil, France, Italy, Turkey, Poland, Mexico, Romania, Singapore, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Venezuela, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Malaysia, Israel, Hong Kong, Argentina, Indonesia, South Korea, Chile, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, Tunisia, China, Austria, Cape Verdes,  Kyrgyzstan,  Kuwait, Macedonia, Thailand, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Norway, Guyana, Paraguay, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, and Armenia. It's so amazing that my viewers managed to break both 5,000 and 6,000 views while I was in China. Thank you so much for reading, sharing, and commenting on my blog. This artistic outlet to the world means everything to me and it means even more that I am able to share it with you <3

Thank you so much!! ^_^

The international love is so surreal and amazing. Definitely something I'll never forget.

Coming Home: Shortest 14 Hours

Today is the day everyone goes back home. Today is the day all 36 participants, teachers, and supporting faculty go back to the United States. The ride starts off with a light layer of sadness. I know that when I wake up tomorrow I won't see signs in Chinese or the amazing people that I've grown to love. With every second, another drop of sadness falls onto the heart. Within minutes, hearts are heavy; some people begin to cry. I refuse to cry because (just as I said when I left my host family) this is just a transition period. Its hard because we will all miss this unbelievable experience and all the relationships we've made along the way, however, we should accept the experience for what it is: unforgettable.

Jane, Nancy, and Carol :P

This group has laughed together, learned together, discussed conspiracy, religion, and all other questions of the world together;parting ways, we even cried together. The beauty lies in the funny memories that I share with my friends such as when we decide to flaunt our rich and famous ego by wearing our hotel robes (both inside and outside) for everyone to see or when we all had to leave our host families (which was super sad).

I have done things that I never would have dreamed of like jumping in front of the Olympics Birds Nest (or on the Great Wall ) or dancing in a show with my friends. These individuals and I have experienced so much together and that's a bond that will never be broken. 

From an objective view, 45 days is a long time to spend with the same group of people and 14 hours is a long time for a plane ride. In actuality, these past 45 days and 14 hours have been the shortest of my life. I can be happy going home knowing I accomplished everything I set out to accomplish and more. I have improved my Chinese language skills primarily in reading and writing. More importantly, I made so many new friends and shared so many memories with these amazing people. Such an experience is something I'll never forget.

Shanghai Bund

Shanghai in 3 Days

Meeting Wang Bin

Day 4: The group watches a movie called Fearless starring Bruce Lee. Afterwards we ask question to the movie's screenwriter, Wang Bin.
We quickly complete our Q/A session, grab some McDonalds and board the train to Shanghai. Of the bat, Shanghai is beautiful and modem. There's this amazing pulsating energy that rests over the city and I love it. I know I will like it here.

Day 5:
Today we go to the oldest city in Shanghai and Nanjing Road. The oldest city is very interesting and primarily focused on the life of one man. That man later became to founder of the republic of China.

Nanjing Road

Nanjing Road is interesting just because there are so many people and shops and everything is very close together and hustle bustle type of vibe. I really want a ring so I walk into a nice looking store and spoke the the saleswoman only in Chinese. I tell her what I wanted and ask her if bargaining is allowed. It turns out that bargaining is not allowed and this store has a ring that I really want. I realize that I don't have enough money for it and apologize to the woman. She asks her boss if I can still purchase the ring even though I'm short about ¥20. Her boss looks at me and says let her have it. I am so pleased with my ring and my shopping experience.

Some of my adoring fans lol

China is beautiful and anything but homogeneous. Even in the nicest places, the ugly effects of poverty seeps through the cracks. For instance, my friends stop walking for 3 minutes and a mutilated man walks up to them-bumping then each with his limb-asking for money. A few seconds later, another man asks us whether my friend am I would like to purchase "a massage or sex". I'm not even insulted by this offer, I more putty the man. This man is so desperate to make money that he is trying to sell his body to strangers. 怎么办？

As always, people stopped to take pictures with me and would practice their English by saying "hello" and calling out to me saying "you are very beautiful". Even more reason for me to come back to live in Shanghai.

Shanghai: Pearl Tower (Day 6)

On top of the world

Today we go to the pearl tower. There are several long lines and elevator rides to reach this amazing  view. One can see a 360 degree view of the Shanghai skyline. It is so amazing and so surreal that I could be standing inside of an iconic building that I see on Google. It's so surreal that I can converse with locals who want to take pictures
with me.

At around 7pm, we go to the Shanghai Acrobatic Show. It's amazing. The people are so talented and beautiful and fearless. They are everything I strive to be and I enjoyed watching them.

It's unbelievable that this NSLIY experience is almost over. A week like this goes by so quickly; the movement becomes a memory.

Shanghai: Arrival and Awakening

Wang Bin and I

Day 4: The group watches a movie called Fearless starring Bruce Lee. Afterwards we ask question to the movie's screenwriter, Wang Bin.

View from my hotel room 

We quickly complete our Q/A session, grab some McDonalds and board the train to Shanghai. Of the bat, Shabghai is beautiful and modem. There's this amazing pulsating energy that rests over the city and I love it. I know I will like it here.

Day 5:
Today we go to the oldest city in Shanghai and Nanjing Road. The oldest city is very interesting and primarily focuses on the life of one man. That man later became to founder of the Republic of China.
Nanjing Road is interesting just because there are so many people and shops and everything is very close together with a layer hustle bustle on top. I really want to purchase a ring so I walk into a nice looking store and speak to the saleswoman only using Chinese. I tell her what I want and ask her if bargaining is allowed. It turns out that bargaining is not allowed and this store has a ring that I really want. I realize that I don't have enough money for it and apologize to the woman. She asks her boss if I can still purchase the ring even though I'm short about ¥20. Her boss looks at me and says let her have it. I am so pleased with my ring and my shopping experience.

Nanjing Road 

China is beautiful and anything but homogenous. Even in the nicest places, the ugly effects of poverty seeps through the cracks. For instance, my friends stop walking for 3 minutes and a mutilated man walks up to them-bumping then each with his limb-asking for money. A few seconds later, another man asks us whether my friend and I would like to purchase "a massage or sex". I'm not even insulted by this offer, I more pitty the man. This man is so desperate to make money that he is trying to sell his body to strangers. 怎么办？I feel like the characters of the world like these two men make life more interesting and allows visitors to recognize the (potentially poor) reality that awaits the people who live outside the city. I almost appreciate the (crude) reminder.

Beijing: Forbidden City and Silk Road (Day 3)

Meeting my new friends <3

Today we make our way to the Forbidden City. It's humongous and well built; it's the equivalent of steeping into an AP World History book. My favorite part is the people I see there. As previously mentioned, I draw a lot of attention and it is because of this that I've learned how to understand the importance of body language.  For instance, it is so sunny and I am wearing my sunglasses. I can see everyone else, but no one knows where I'm looking. I realize that me shielding my eyes makes some of the locals uncomfortable so I remove them and smile. It helps the locals recognize that I am friendly and approachable. I take pictures with so many people-a woman and her baby, some teenagers, and an old woman. It's so amazing to have others display appreciation for my appearance. My favorite were a group of little kids and their chaperones. One little girl was looking at me with friendly curiosity so I smile and wave at her. She walks away from her parent and stands right in front of me. She holds my hand and her mom starts smiling asking to take a picture. We take soooo many pictures that my director asks them to move faster. There's just such a purity and curiosity in little kids and it's something I truly appreciate.

Inside the Forbidden City

Afterwards, we go to "Silk Street" which is actually just an indoor mall where bargaining is allowed. I personally don't like bargaining very much. It feels good when you get a good deal, but I'd rather not get a good deal on the back of another person. My heart is really big and I don't have it in me to low ball someone. I buy some tshirt a for my family and then I see a pair of headphones I like. The lady starts off at ¥880. I tell her ¥100. She tells me ¥680. I tell her ¥130. She says ¥600. I tell her I can look at other headphones. She pleads for me to buy the "newest headphones" at ¥300. I tell her it's still too high and that I can return after I visit other stores. She says fine at ¥130 and asks me what color I want. She also tells me I am beautiful, modest, and noble for bargaining with her in Chinese. She probably wants to get me to buy more stuff, but I appreciate the compliment.

P.S. Thank you so much for reading, sharing, and commenting on all of my posts. I've recently received my first message from an international reader from Suriname and it makes me so happy to see how far my blog extends and to what extent it helps people. Thank you so much <3

Beijing: The Great Wall (Day 2)

Today we go to the Great Wall of China. See, one can't simply start climbing the Great Wall. One has to walk a little ways, ride a bus, and then climb (or ride up) several flights of stairs until reaching an entry point. The stair climb to the Great Wall made me appreciate the wall that much more. Just imagine how many people had to carry heavy materials up the mountain without a staircase to make this world wonder all those years ago. The view from the wall is amazing. All the problems of the world seem to melt away when standing up there. I realize that for me, the greatness didn't lie within the wall; the greatness lied in the journey it took for me to reach the wall and in all the relationships I've made along the way.

Beijing : Day 1

My host parents

At around 4 am our parents and siblings stand with us until the bus comes to take us to the airport. It's a sort of emotional morning because we are sad to leave our host families, but happy to be seeing another part of China. My sister looks like she's going to cry so I give her a hug before I go. In all honesty, I want to cry too. The bus pulls off and my family watches me wave to them from the window. It's a hard feeling, but I know there's so much more to come; no need to be sad about the transition.

The flight lands in Beijing at around 11 am. This is definitely the most diversity that I have seen in 6 weeks. This flight is full of people from different walks of life-Europe, Portugal/Brazil, India, China, etc. I know the lack of diversity has made me become more diversity sensitive. The joyous sensation I feel when seeing other foreigners is really something beyond compare. The minute I step outside the airplane, I  immediately notice the heavy smog. It's thick so I can't really see through it, but I can definitely feel it burning my chest every time I try to inhale. I miss Xiamen already. We go to eat lunch and the food was sooo good. I start to like Beijing a little more.

Inside the Bird's Nest

 We go to the Olympic Park and go inside the "Bird's Nest". It was humongous and so surreal to be standing, sitting, and running in the same facility of that of legendary athletes. We also go to the "Water Cube" and get to see where Michael Phelps officially became the fastest swimmer in the world. It is the greatest feeling when all the history books and former current event assignments suddenly come to life.

The people of Beijing don't stare at me as intensely as the people of Xiamen, but that's because Beijing is used to foreigners. It's no longer shocking or attention worthy, however, I did snap a few pictures with some diversity fans.

Beijing is different. It's faster pace and more business-y than Xiamen. It's a new place with great food...I think I'm going to like it here ^_^

P.S. My friend's sister told my friend that she enjoyed watching me dance because I showed her that people don't have to be skinny to dance. She said that she liked my piece because it was unique and special<3

Last Day: Xiamen University/Host Families

Today is our last day. Our last day in Xiamen, China. Our last day with our host family. Our last day with of college mentors and our teachers. We have a goodbye party in which I and my fellow NSLIY students display our greatest talents. We sing, we dance, and we act for our Chinese family and friends.

My portions of the show consisted of modern Chinese dance and a group performance with my class. The dance piece was quite complex and involved elaborate fans. This is my first choreographed dance. The other three dancers are seasoned dancers. Although we finished learning the routine yesterday, we still did really well on tonight's performance. During my 30 second solo (*see clips on social media*), I dance completely freestyle. It is almost like my mind blacks out and my body takes over. The movements aren't calculated or pre-choreographed. All the movements are what I feel in my heart. The movements are real, emotional, and genuine. In the moment, I feel nothing but pure happiness.

As I have packed up all of my things ready to move on to the next city (Beijing), I know that I can do anything put my mind to. I can speak foreign languages;I can dance well just as I am (no formal training); I can choose to be happy; I can accomplish anything. I came to China to study other people-the language, the culture, the history-only to discover something new about myself.

First Time 妈妈Gave Me a Hug

At home, 妈妈 mama walks in on me writing and she asks me if I've finished my homework. I tell her I've finished my homework but I haven't finished decorating the thank you note I wrote for her. She starts laughing and tells me there's no need to thank her. She says when I get older, I'll buy her stuff too so that makes it fair. And I told her that I appreciate everything and  she gave me a hug. She gave me a real hug and it means a lot because Chinese people don't like to hug. The will hug the people closest to them and to everyone else-maybe a handshake. The first time 妈妈 ever gave me a real hug. I'm sooo happy to finally feel like her real 女儿 daughter. I'm just sooo happy :)

Me and 妈妈

Host Family: Day 10

This is my second and last day off to spend time with my family. I start off the day going to help my mama and baba move things from grandmas house. Then baba stops the car in the middle of the road (a regular occurrence in China), and mom and I jump out. My mom heard I wanted to but some stuff to give to my friends and that I wanted to buy a new suitcase so we went to this small hole in the wall store. We walk in and immediately start touching, inspecting, and playing with all the stuff. I tell my mama I want 5 fans, she picks out 6. We look at a crowded space and there are a bunch of different suitcases. In the middle of them, a brand new Perry Ellis suitcase. I really want it, but I think it was to expensive. My mama, on the other hand, thinks it's nothing saying 没问题 no problem. We go through the store and pick out more things like socks and neck pillows. By the time everything is said and done, my mom spends ¥578 on me. That's about $90. I repetitively thank my mom and then we come back home and my baba has bought me an identical new carryon suitcase.

My sister and I secretly eating McDonalds ^_^

My sister takes me shopping and I see sooooo many people. Or as I should say, soooo many people see me and I buy most of the gifts I want to give my friends. We eat McDonald's, sip bubble tea, and get stared at by the locals...you know, your average Sunday. An old lady came with a bowl that had ¥2 inside. I have not seen homeless people as intensely as I do at home,but when I do see homeless people, they are extremely impoverished. I don't have any ¥1 bills so I give her ¥5. She is elated and then gives me her blessing. In this moment,  I'm just thinking about how I can accomplish one of my goals (help people, travel, and eat amazing food). In this moment, I have the opportunity to help someone and I take it. I'm proud of myself and my understanding of compassion. If I were that old woman, I could only hope that others would be willing to help me.