Melodious voices rise, mixing and dispersing above the steamy pavement of a corner-side pavilion, attracting curious passersby. Actually, the staring eyes are more likely drawn by the fact that these voices that are crooning “I Love This City”, a song by Chinese singer Jane Zhang (who, coincidentally, bears the same name as me), belong to a class of foreign teenagers.
We are sixteen American students studying for six weeks of the summer of 2011 in Chengdu, the capital city of the Sichuan province located in Southwest China. Worth roughly $11,000 per person, our 45-day exchange is sponsored by the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) scholarship through the State Department, and overseen by the American Field Service Intercultural Programs (AFS).
â–º FINALIST 2012 TEEN TRAVEL WRITING SCHOLARSHIP
Our group of sixteen came from all over the United States; stretching from Laguna Beach, California to Concord, New Hampshire to Plano, Texas to my home in Madison, Wisconsin. Each of us is distinct; within our group we have a rock climber, an artist, a dancer, a military school student, soccer players, a singer, a rower, a figure skater, and more. We range from my mere 15 years of age to the 18-year-old future Harvard student. Despite these many differences, the past six weeks have transformed us from absolute strangers to classmates, from classmates to friends, and from friends to what we lovingly call our “Chengdu family”.
We have spent countless hours together sipping tea on a lazy afternoon in the People’s Park, screaming as we hurtle down the gigantic roller coasters of Happy Valley Amusement Park, suffering the wrath of the hot peppers in the famous Chengdu-style hot pot for dinner. We’ve been through the good (observing the beautiful pandas at the Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Center), the bad (getting lost in the city at 11 o’clock at night), and even the ugly (watching a torture film in the Chinese movie theater was NOT my idea of a good time). We’ve had some healthy competition through cooking and selling contests, as well as group bonding through trust falls and PLENTY of awkward situations.
Now, looking around me I absorb the sight our Chengdu family, clad in blue AFS shirts, singing our hearts out as we wrap up our end-of-stay “talent show”. The song, originally written about this very city, expresses our precise feelings toward the place that has become our second home. And, like any home, this home has loving families, or in this case, our magnificent host families. My host sister Qing Qing smiles as she joins me onstage and gives me a half-hug. Grinning back, I give her hand a squeeze. Around me, my friends’ host siblings join them as well. Scanning the audience, I spot my host mom beaming up at us. It never stops amazing me, the fact that a family would volunteer to take me into their home, give me a safe place to sleep, delicious food to eat, and love me like their own child, which is precisely what my host family has done, and I thank am ever-thankful to them.
For me, these past six weeks have been more than simply another trip to China – I have travelled to China four times in the past with my family – but rather they have been a grand journey, teaching me more about life, about others, and most of all, about myself.
As the song, as well as our journey, come to an end, our voices ring with the ever-so-true last lines of “I Love This City”:
I love you, I love my city
å°±åƒä½ æ°¸è¿œçˆ±æˆ‘ä¸€æ ·
Dear Reader: This page may contain affiliate links which may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Our independent journalism is not influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative unless it is clearly marked as sponsored content. As travel products change, please be sure to reconfirm all details and stay up to date with current events to ensure a safe and successful trip.
0 Replies to “I Love This City: 6 Weeks in Chengdu”
Comment on this article
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I have been absent for some time, but now I remember why I used to love this blog. Thanks , I will try and check back more often. How frequently you update your site?
I could not resist commenting. Very well written!
Hi webmaster, commenters and everybody else !!! The blog was absolutely fantastic!
Lots of great information and inspiration, both of which we all need!b Keep em coming you all do such a great job at such Concepts
cant tell you how much I, for one appreciate all you do!
Hello!
I am student of the department of tourism at the University of Piraeus in Greece and i am excited that we are conducting a survey about Family Travel.
I would be really happy if you completed this quick survey:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1s1OjLYV6AtLcEgkaa6UsqtxjVCnLQ1NMjTGANmOqyAw/edit
Thank you very much!
Best Family Summer Vacations. Bookanyboat helps you search for boat rentals, yacht charters and sightseeing cruises in 3 exciting destinations, including: Dubai, Ibiza and Miami. bookanyboat.com
Exceptional post but I was wondering if you could write
a litte more on this topic? I’d be very thankful if you could elaborate a little bit more.
Bless you!
Thanks for finally writing about > How To Chhoose a Dude Ranch When Therre Are
So Manny Chhoices – My Family Travels
Summer is the best time to visit Alaska because the days are longer as well as the temperature were warmer.
As ones luxury cruise ship glides past creaking blue-white glacier and lush woodland, rest on you private veranda.
The Last Frontier is a nature lover’s dream, with places like Production of essential which you can see big cats fishing trout or Queenstown with which you can witness humpback whales breaching on a whale-watching cruise.
In Icy Strait Point, soar over the trees on the a zipline, and learn about the history of the Gold Rush in Skagway.
Thanks for sharing informative post.
San Diego vacation rentals with private pool
Very superb information can be found on web site.
Fantastic site. Lots of useful information here.
I am sending it to some buddies ans additionally sharing.
Lovely just what I was looking for.Thanks to the author for taking his time on this one.
Awsome info and straight to the point. I am not sure if this is really the best place to ask but do you guys have any ideea where to get some professional writers? Thanks in advance 🙂
Hey very interesting blog!
Ahaa, its fastidious conversation regarding this post at this place at this web
site, I have read all that, so now me also commenting here.
I think that what you published was very logical. However,
what about this? what if you typed a catchier post title?
I ain’t suggesting your content is not good, but suppose you
added something that grabbed people’s attention? I mean How To Choose a
Dude Ranch When There Are So Many Choices – My Family Travels is
kinda plain. You ought to look at Yahoo’s home
page and see how they create news headlines to grab viewers
interested. You might add a video or a related pic or two to get readers interested about what you’ve written. Just my opinion, it could bring your blog a little
bit more interesting.
Everything is very open and very clear explanation of issues. was truly information. Your website is very useful. Thanks for sharing.
It’s actually a cool and useful piece of info. I am glad that you shared this useful info with us. Please stay us up to date like this. Thanks for sharing.
Wow, this post is good, my sister is analyzing these things,
so I am going to convey her.
You have brought up a very good points, regards for the post.
I truly appreciate this post. I have been looking everywhere for this! Thank goodness I found it on Bing. You have made my day! Thanks again!
Howdy! Someone in my Myspace group shared this website with us so I came
to look it over. I’m definitely loving the information. I’m bookmarking and will be tweeting this to my followers!
Wonderful blog and terrific design and style.
After going over a few of the blog posts on your web page, I seriously like your technique of writing a blog. I saved as a favorite it to my bookmark site list and will be checking back soon. Please check out my web site as well and let me know what you think.
Your site is very good, I liked the information. Grateful. 10070690
I’m no longer sure where you’re getting your info, however good topic.
I must spend a while finding out much more or understanding more. Thanks for wonderful info I was looking for this information for my mission.
Have you ever thought about creating an e-book or guest authoring on other websites? I have a blog centered on the same subjects you discuss and would really like to have you share some stories/information. I know my readers would value your work. If you’re even remotely interested, feel free to send me an e-mail.
Hello there! I could have sworn I’ve been to this site before but after browsing through some of the post I realized it’s new to me. Nonetheless, I’m definitely delighted I found it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back often!
Do you have at least some idea how to cancel Hawaiian airlines flight? Booked tickets can be dropped online by Visiting Hawaiian Airlines’ actual webpage. explorers don’t have even the remotest clue how to drop the trip on the web, they can contact flight chiefs at Hawaiian Airlines drop ticket
Hi there! I just wish to give a huge thumbs up for the great information you will have here on this post. I will be coming back to your weblog for more soon.
Its excellent as your other posts : D, regards for posting.
Great Post ! I have read your other posts which are really informative for any family traveler. Thanks for sharing such a beautiful informative information.
Exactly what I was searching for, thank you for posting.
very nice publish, i certainly love this website, keep on it
Many years ago, I did study Spanish in Barcelona, with a school called CIEE. I loved every minute of my month there, stayed with an older woman who ran a boarding house for students. She made us all speak Spanish at every meal. I remember eating a lot of patates fritas at her house, but I did learn a lot of Spanish (a little Catalan too) and I fell in love with Barcelona.
I was just telling my friend about that.