Archive for January, 2011

Travel Recap: Europe

January 27th, 2011 by Manda | 2 Comments | Filed in Travel

It’s about time I started posting recaps of my travels. I never had the time to recap my summer trip to Europe before I took off for China, and then after I got to China I just never had time to blog anything in great detail, period. But I’m fixing this now… four, five months later. These recaps will no doubt be posted sporadically (it takes time to sort through and upload pictures!) but when I’m already several months behind in recapping what’s another month or two?

So, Europe. I stayed with a German host family (the nicest family I’ve ever met) for three weeks. During those three weeks, we traveled throughout Germany and visited France, Switzerland, Austria, and the Czech Republic. All in all, it was a fabulous three weeks.

Highlights include:

  • Seeing the Rheinfall at the German-Swiss border.
  • Visiting Liesl and Rolf’s gazebo from The Sound of Music in Salzburg, Austria.
  • Spending a few days in Prague, an absolutely breathtaking city.
  • Returning to Strasbourg, France, the city in which I did a homestay three summers ago, and remembering why I loved the city.
  • Absorbing the history of Berlin, and seeing sights such as Checkpoint Charlie and the Berlin Wall.
  • The beauty of Heidelberg, Germany, and visiting the Heidelberg Castle.
  • Being introduced to the wonderful, delicious foods that are spätzle and maultaschen.

Photos behind the cut.

(more…)

Tags: ,

My Heart Is In Pain But I’m Smiling For You

January 22nd, 2011 by Manda | 2 Comments | Filed in Relationships

Some people can matter little to others, to the point where it doesn’t matter what gets risked because it’s not like they’ll be cut up over things ending badly if they never cared deeply in the first place.

Some people can matter so much to others, to the point where everything is played safe because the thought of risking something with someone so important and it ending badly is more than they can bear.

I’m not sure which is better.

Tags:

Back to the Grind

January 18th, 2011 by Manda | 5 Comments | Filed in Life, School

Class all day, homework all evening, studying all night… ah, my second semester in Beijing has truly begun.

It’s a strange feeling of deja vu. It’s a new semester, with a higher level of language classes and new textbooks and new classmates and new kids in the program – but at the same time, it’s like going through the motions all over again. The only thing that’s really different is the people; I miss my good friends from last semester. Oh, and the weather is different too. Beijing is cold!

If last semester was anything to go by, I’m going to be run off my feet in the next few weeks until everything feels routine-like. Or, I decide it’s time to give myself a break and give myself more time to go out and be social rather than be shut up studying all the time. (I’m only like that during the week, though. I definitely take the time to enjoy my weekends!) It’s also hard to find time to spend on the Internet when it’s even more difficult to find a good Internet connection. Oh, China.

I seem to have already lost the ability to string together two coherent sentences in English. My goodness. I’m not even sure what I’m trying to say. Except that hi, I haven’t died, I’m just insanely busy as per my life in Beijing!!

Tags: ,