What do students say about Landon-in-China?


Patrick Wong (LIC 04)

"First thing I have to say, all questions aside, is that this trip really has been a once a lifetime experience for me. Thinking about the many emotions I’ve experienced on this journey, I believe that they all point to my new appreciation for life and its qualities. Staring with the host families, I think that they were the absolute best part of the trip. Living in other people’s homes has really brought me to think on a new level... For example, at times, we feel that we don’t have enough in life, like cell phones, electronics, a car, or any random materialistic items, but in reality we can viewed as the luckiest group of people in the world... In addition, I have really learned to appreciate my own culture... The main thing that future program-seeking-China seeking students should keep in mind is that you just have to put yourself out there and take in the culture and language for what it’s worth. The feeling of being established in a foreign country is far greater than can be described with words. It’s awesome."


Jessica Yan (LIC 04)

I think that I definitely learned a lot on this trip. I’ll admit that at first I was a bit skeptical as to whether or not I would learn anything due to the fact that the lessons were to take place very quickly in a condensed amount of time. However, now that I’ve reached the end of the trip I’ve discovered that not only have I learned a lot academically but I’ve also learned a lot about Chinese culture and myself. Academically, I have learned a lot of new words. I am by no means fluent yet, but there’s definitely been an improvement. When we first started using the book I was worried that what we learned would have little practical application in everyday life and conversation. However, on the very first evening with my host family I found myself understanding and using words that I had not known before that day’s lesson. Living with Chinese host families also taught me a lot. At home, I would learn new words, with my family’s help and I’d also learn to understand and appreciate Chinese mannerisms and customs. Throughout all this though, I feel that there is one extremely important thing I have learned and that is that China and Chinese culture are a huge part of me and moreover my father is alive in the land [and] the people here. To me, there is nothing more I could have asked for from this trip.

There is no doubt that my Chinese has [improved] since coming on this trip. Again, it’s nowhere near perfect, but I’m very pleased with my progress. I think what I’ve gotten [is] the best grasp of [understanding] Chinese. Of course, there are still times when I’m completely lost, but many times I can figure out exactly what’s going on. My speech has also improved a lot, most importantly; it’s improved to the [point] that I feel very comfortable attempting to communicate with people here. I still have a ways to go in terms of writing, but like understanding and speaking I have made progress. Just the other day I found myself writing sentences in Chinese with words I used to refer to a dictionary to write, and this time, I was writing from memory. I’m very pleased with what this experience has helped me accomplish.

I believe that the Landon-in-China trip has been an unbelievable experience. The combination of education as well as experience in everyday life is excellent. The academics have not only been effective, they have also been really enjoyable. Personally, I think it’s very difficult to balance proper academics with fun, but this program does so quite successfully. Also, the chance to live with a host family is on no one should miss. Not only do you make good friends you also become a part of a culture that may once have been somewhat or very unfamiliar to you. It’s a wonderful opportunity and I would recommend it to anyone interested in Chinese language and culture.


Graham Walling (LIC 04/05)

During my freshman year at Landon I was approached with an opportunity that would forever change my outlook on life. That opportunity was a journey in China that I undertook for two consecutive summers. I had many motives to why I chose to participate in this experience. They ranged from academic credit and traveling to an exotic location to gaining a wider worldly perspective. Indeed, as I began my 6 week journey through the tourist’s hotspots to the classrooms in which I would be studying my new language, I began to adapt to my surrounding areas. However, by the end of the second week I was already feeling tired and homesick. Instead of looking back though, I persevered and found a new home with my most gracious host brothers. Not only was I now learning Chinese quickly, but I was achieving new friendships everyday with people I once thought I could never understand. Slowly, I began to understand their views not only about their culture, but as well as about the world’s current events. In the morning, my brother and I would venture to school via subway or taxi chatting about what tasks we would commence to that day. In the evening, my host family and I would debate either about local or worldly events. The greatest part of my stay with a host family was that I learned not only about their culture, but my family’s background and history as well. Through this exchange I was able to foster both a friendship with the family and a mutual respect for their culture. This friendship would continue as I returned to China the following summer in the same program. As both my knowledge of the language and the culture grew; so did my respect for these people. Most importantly, I was gaining a new worldly perspective that can not be taught in a classroom or understood from a textbook. This perspective that grew in me during my journeys in China has influenced my entire outlook on life. During these two summers I gained a much higher proficiency in Chinese which has allowed me to double the speed of my Chinese education. I have also learned a wealth of Chinese history, cultural facts and seen many famous locations that I will forever keep a unique memory for. Finally, the very experience of traveling in this program has changed my worldly perspectives for the better and has allowed me to grow friendships with those a world away.

Time passed quickly and soon I had finished my final test for my Chinese language class. Sadly... I had to say goodbye to the beautiful land of China. I will never forget the lessons I learned there and how I become much more appreciative and respectful of another's culture. I still remember that as I boarded the plane to Washington D.C. I could only think about when I would be able to visit this great country again.


John Skolnik (LIC 05)

My trip to China was fascinating. I was glad that I took the time over the summer to enjoy something that very few students my age have the opportunity to experience. Looking back on the experience, there are many lasting memories. The only difficulty I initially had trouble with was the food. The American form of Chinese food is so much different from that of actual Chinese food it is astonishing. The “taste of China” was something that took a little getting used to. I tried almost every rare food I could because I knew I probably would never have the opportunity to try it again. I ate pig ear, chicken stomach, goose foot, chicken head, poisonous blow fish, and many other strange and wondrous samples. The one thing that I regret trying was a dish called “Choudoufu”, the look, smell, and taste of it was unbearable. I eventually adjusted, and aside from the exotic dishes, the foot was good. I especially enjoyed the food we ate during our stay in Wuxi. This city is located right on a lake and all the fish come fresh from the fishermen on the lake, it was delicious.

Besides the food, I was surprised how much I enjoyed just being in a different atmosphere then America. Watching and learning about different customs first hand was great. The way Chinese people live is so drastically different then what I’m used to seeing. I also learned a lot during my lessons. Being in a place where as little English as possible is spoken was really helpful in developing my skills. Being around the language in the streets or in the house helped me to pick up some slang and commonly used phrases.

One thing I particularly enjoyed was our trips into downtown Shanghai. The city itself is so much larger than I had thought, and is still developing rapidly. I knew that China was one of the most rapidly growing countries in the world, but looking down on the city as a whole from the observation dome in the Pearl Tower was incredible. I had no idea how fast it was really growing. It is apparent looking at the city that there are many western influences, but it is also easy to see that the Chinese are a proud people and maintain their customs.

Perhaps my favorite part of the trip was our calligraphy lessons with Huang Lao shi, my Chinese host father and famous artist in Shanghai. I came to appreciate the difficulty of the craft. I learned the importance of stroke order and a deep appreciation for the massive amount of time and dedication that calligraphers put into their craft. I was extremely grateful to him for taking time to teach us and help us create works of art that I am proud to say that are mine.

My experience in China was a great one and I will most definitely return. The country is beautiful and full of interesting things waiting to be seen. I hope that when I graduate college, that China will be part of my future and that I will have the opportunity to travel there often. Chinese people are extremely kind and welcoming and I look forward to meeting many new Chinese friends in the future.


Neal Kopser (LIC 05)

To me, the trip to China with Landon-in-China in the summer of 2005 as about learning what the rest of the world is like, because all I know from experience is what I have seen. I was opened up to many new things and I take much less for granted. People's lives in China are significantly different, and we do not know that until we have experienced it. In China, it seemed like nothing was taken for granted because there is so little and it means so much more.

The sights on the first part of the six week trip, the culture tour really opened me up to how different the country is, within itself. In Beijing everything was extremely busy, everyone was looking out for himself only, and people really just went about their business, trying to succeed. However, when we visited Tibet it seemed as if the attitude changed. The people who lived there were much more open and would wave at us as we passed them on the street. They seemed much calmer and were much more open. Also, I would tell that they were, unlike Beijing, not furthering their industry as much. This could be seen from the air, where in Beijing it was always cloudy or smoggy in Tibet it was always crystal clear. The other big difference that really hit me the most was when we visited the Buddhist temple. The chanting seemed to get inside of me and it felt really nice to feel so calm and as if there was nothing else in the world that mattered. During a short break where one of the head monks read something two of the monks began flicking pieces of rice at each other. I can see that even though we are half a world apart, and that he has been brought up so differently than me, we still are the same. We still are kids, trying to get as much fun out of life as we could. There is no difference, but the world doesn't know that.

As for immersion, I enjoyed that greatly and learned many things about what a Chinese kid has to go through. My first host, David goes to school 10 months out of the year, and only gets one day off per week. I don't think that I could stand going to a boarding school like that. Also, even though he could drive, he did not have a car and his father worked in another city, so he had to bike or walk everywhere. My other host Andy, in Beijing did not go to a boarding school. His life was very different from David. His family wasn't as well to do, but Andy had been to America. Once, when I was having a conversation with David, in English, of course, since he was almost fluent, he went onto the subject that one of his friends was going to America sometime in the next few weeks. He said that he was giving his friend about seven hundred Yuan, so that his friend could buy him a pair of nice Nike shoes or something. The shoes that he was looking at were over one hundred USD, which is over eight hundred Yuan in china. The exchange rates are astronomical for the Chinese, which is why very few of them can ever afford to go to America. In Beijing, Andy also went to a private school, however it was not nearly as big and it probably took up only a fifth of the ground space that the other one took up. I believe that the reason for this is because Beijing is much more crowed than Cheng Du, and there is not as much space to have multiple fields.

ll in all, China altered my view of life, because in many ways, was I strongly affected by the things that I saw and did. As an American, I can truly say that we have it much easier here, than they do there.


Chris Jackson (LIC 04)

I think that the Landon-in-China program was a valuable experience for me to have had the opportunity to participate in. I think that I have gained a better understanding of the Chinese people as well as their customs after being in China. I feel that it is good to be able to live in a culture that is different from your own.

Being suddenly immersed in another country, being forced to use and learn another language, I feel is a more effective way of learning another language than any other. Seeing the characters all around you makes it do you can associate the characters to words and be able to learn them better. It is said that on average someone needs to see a character 17 times before it is learned, and that will not happen as easily in a classroom environment. The Landon-in-China program has you learn in the classroom, but then in the rest of the day go out and put to use what you are learning, reinforcing the language skills.

Being in China is also a good experience for people looking to learn about different parts of the world. Many people perceive the east as a mystical land, but that is untrue. China is a modern land with many technologies, some more modern than that we have in America. The scenery and historical sights are amazing to see. The cuisine is diverse and delicious, much different than Chinese food in America. The society is a very polite one, and the host families are great. They will do anything possible to make your experience more enjoyable and to help you. Everything is a positive and enjoyable experience that I am grateful I was able to be a part of. The whole trip was just a great experience.

I feel that learning about China is an important thing to do. China is a country with a population of 1.5 billion people, over 40 minority cultures, and a diverse land with more world culture sights than any other country. China has many things to offer. I feel that there are many advantages to knowing Chinese. Chinese is and will be useful for economics. I also feel that diplomatically in the future knowing Chinese will be beneficial for I feel that right now as well as in the future that being able to speak as well as read and write Chinese will be a very useful tool.

Overall, I thought the Landon-in-China was a valuable experience, where I was able to greatly enhance my language skills, as well as making friends where I never thought possible. I had a great experience and look forward for another opportunity to return to China.


Ryan Genther (LIC 04)

I can not thank you enough for having me on this trip to China. I enjoyed every moment while living in China


Michael DeFranco (LIC 04/05)

I have been taking the Chinese language course at Landon since my entry into Landon in seventh grade. This past summer I participated in the Landon-in-China program which entails a four week immersion program where you travel from city to city in China and stay with a student during your time and go to school with them and take Chinese language classes with your fellow Landon-in-China students and your earn a years’ credit for your studies. My situation was different because I had Landon varsity lacrosse conflicts so I arrived in Shanghai during the groups last week and stayed with a private tutor instead of a student so I could be taught one on one so I could complete the curriculum faster. After the first week the rest of the group left to travel back to America so I spent the next two weeks all by myself in a non-English speaking household studying Chinese.

This was one of the hardest experiences of my life; it was very challenging to stay motivated because it got lonely having no companions to converse with. My day started with being woken up around 8:30 by the housewife who was also my tutor, who then cooked me a large breakfast. Breakfast consisted usually of a dumpling platter of some sort, meat, eggs and rice. All I wanted was something sweet but I grew accustomed to the Asian diet soon and learned to like it. After breakfast, studies began for three hours. My studies consisted of conversing in Chinese, reading and translating characters and Chinese character writing which was by far the most challenging. After three hours there was a break for lunch and then another hour of studies. All meals in China are very large and a full family experience. The table is loaded with dishes and everyone is given a bowl of rice and using your chopsticks you grab all that you can before it disappears and eat it mixed with your bowl of rice which absorbs the different flavors. By that time it was 1:00 so everyone in the house took a nap for an hour. I then traveled by taxi to a local gym and worked with a non-English speaking trainer and worked out for one to two hours. The first couple of days at the local gym were interesting. It was difficult to communicate with my trainer. I tried to explain the program I wanted to lift to and he tired convince me his way better. The issue was finally resolved through translation and led me to have a very rewarding and worthwhile lifting program in the heart of Shanghai all by myself. When I got home, I ate dinner either at home or they took me out to downtown Shanghai to eat and sightsee, Shanghai is a very busy and beautiful city at night.

Each day, I found my studies easier and easier and by the end of the trip, both my Chinese and my generous host family’s English dramatically improved making the trip very worthwhile and one I will never forget. I really appreciate how much work and effort Mrs. Tan put into my trip, she personally arranged and talked to my trainer so that I could do my lifting program. She set up a place for me to live for the three weeks I would have to be by myself, and she changed the curriculum so that I would have enough time to complete it.


What do parents say about Landon-in-China?


Hi Dali:

I hope you are well rested after the two sessions of study tours in China.

Patrick had such a good time in China. Before he left for the program, he was hesitant and was not sure how he would like to stay in China for almost a month. After the trip, he can't stop telling all his friends how fun it was. His eyes glow every time he mentions his trip.

I'd like to thank you for providing your students with such a fun and educational program. Patrick said Wu laoshi was just like a mom to him. She really took good care of him. He also had good bondings with both the hosting brothers in Beijing and Chengdu. They have been emailing each other. I think it was an eye opening experience for Patrick to stay with local families. He was able to see first hand how Chinese people live, he also learned about Chinese teenager's schooling concerns and how they spend their free time. Patrick also observed that there were lots of pretty girls in Chengdu. :)

This was a fantastic trip for both Patrick and me. My Fullbright study program was very educational and fun. We had a well planned packed schedule and we had lots of talented teachers.

Thank you again for organizing this program. Hope I will see you in Chicago in November, so we can share our fond memories together.

Best wishes,
Sheree