EMU Intercultural Learning

China: Why study in such a small city?

“Nan...chong? Never heard of it.” When I told my sister-in-law, a native of Zhejiang province here in China, that I would be spending a semester studying in Nanchong she was understandably confused. A small provincial town of only about 1.3 million, Nanchong isn’t the first place to come to pretty much anyone’s mind when you tell … Continue Reading ››
On the Great Wall

Student Life at China West Normal University

On a Saturday night in October, we were drifting off to sleep in our dorm beds when bloodcurdling screams coming from just outside the building jarred us awake. Moments later more screams followed, apparently chanting words I couldn't decipher. The next morning, Sam revealed to the group what he had been told by a student … Continue Reading ››
On the Great Wall

China: Communicating through Sport

Nov. 4, 2018 After being unable to communicate clearly with people for the first few weeks of our trip, I was ready to use sports as my medium of communication. I heard about ping-pong tables but could not find them and had to ask for assistance from a boy sitting at the top of the steps … Continue Reading ››
On the Great Wall

Religion in China; Comfortable without clarity

10/16/18 “Are you Christian?” “Are you Mennonite?” Every time I’m asked these questions, I usually respond with a sputtering “well I was raised Mennonite”, or even a resounding yes to bring a quick end to an uncomfortable conversation. However, neither answer really felt like an honest portrayal of my uncertain religious convictions. In the West, we expect a simple … Continue Reading ››
On the Great Wall

China: Making my way in the crowd

September 27, 2018 Top Questions Asked By Year at EMU: Freshman year - "What's your major?" Sophomore - "What are your plans after college?" Junior - "Where are you going for your cross-cultural?" Senior - "No, seriously pick one. Why haven't you gone yet?" I remember picking my destination for cross-cultural in the fall of my freshman year. I was a … Continue Reading ››
On the Great Wall

China – Host Families

Sept. 14, 2018 It has been two weeks since our 14 hour flight landed in Beijing, and we have already experienced so much. This small group of ten unique individuals has begun bonding over our own similarities in such a different culture from our own. So far, everything has been a beautiful combination of adventure, fear, joy, … Continue Reading ››
On the Great Wall

India: Rite or Ritual

Rite or Ritual   Divine - Sacred - God - Spirit With our words we sew a suit for it but it always bursts the seams no regard for blush or shame, it seems so it's fitting that this thing unnamed won't stay cinched in the western clothes we've carefully stitched   Toothy temple bracelet tiers, Jama Mosjid's twisted spires ghat-descending funeral biers and haunting red … Continue Reading ››
Group picture at the Taj Mahal