Introductions :D

Hello there readers!  My name is Nicole and I have created and will be maintaining this blog during my preparation and 4 month-long trip to China :D  I thought I would let you guys know a little something about me so we can be friends. I'm a college student at Rhode Island College in Providence, Rhode Island. The subject that I chose to study, also called a major, is Anthropology, or the study of people. It may sound like a big topic to cover, and it can be, but I have had the best teachers to help me learn about all the exciting people and cultures in the world. I am 24 years old and an example of a person who has followed their dream.  Picking what to study in school was really hard for me because I like so many different things! 

While I'm in Beijing, China I'm going to be learning Chinese. There are a whole bunch of different types of Chinese spoken in China, at least 129 different languages. Mandarin is the main language used in Beijing and it's also the one I will be learning in school.  I will also be learning about the people of China in another class. After school during the week I will be spending some time volunteering at a school that teaches English. I do have a lot of school time, but on the weekends I will make a point to travel around Beijing and see the sights, make friends and eat a whole bunch of new foods. Right now when I go out to eat Chinese food, I really just like to have chicken fingers and some fried rice so I'm going to go out of my way to eat new things all the time. I'll try to remember what things are called so I can let everyone in on the best foods in China! 

All the way across the U.S. and across the Pacific Ocean

What I want from everyone reading this journal is...QUESTIONS!!!  I'm looking forward to interacting with you guys and taking your questions to the streets to get answers. I want to know what you want to know about China, stereotypes, places you want to see, what I can do to make my trip interesting and anything you feel like asking me about. A few times a week is what I'm trying for for a journaling schedule so keep checking back to see what I've been up to!