Monday, April 10, 2017
Week 8 Posts due April 14
Well everybody, we're moving quite quickly towards the end of the semester. Our journey is just around the corner. As you look ahead to the trip, consider how you plan to make the most of the coming opportunity. All too often when travelers return from time spent overseas, they come back with regrets about time spent watching TV, surfing the Internet, or even sleeping in rather than taking off to explore and interact with the country and people they are visiting. What can you do to make sure you return from your trip without these kind of regrets?
And remember! No late posts will be graded after this week; this includes any blog assignments from April as well!
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I know in the past I have experienced these regrets while traveling. I got so used to mindlessly surfing social media sites when traveling by train or any time boredom would randomly hit me. In that sense I suppose it is fortunate that China blocks most of the websites we generally waste our time on so we can't even be tempted. I plan to make the most of my time there by only taking my phone out to take pictures but not overly so that I don't get to experience our journey. I'm glad our days are structured so we get to enjoy many activities but I'm also happy we get our evenings free to explore. I'm most nervous about wasting my time by not taking advantage of those evenings but I'm confident everyday will be an adventure! I'm excited as the days pass and our trip gets closer to get to know all of you and experience this together!
ReplyDeleteI also look forward to getting to know everyone on the trip. I plan to make the most of my time of this trip by exploring even when I'm tired, I don't plan on spending the rest of my free time napping. I will probably not bring my laptop so I won't waste my time surfing the restricted web in China. I can't wait to enjoy my time in China.
DeleteI know exactly what you are saying about not paying attention during a train or car ride. I find that many times my family will point something out to me a second too late and I will miss something really spectacular because I wasn't paying attention. I do think that the blocked sites will help us not use our phone but perhaps while there we can work to talk with one another and keep our eyes open so that we can experience everything today as one!
DeleteI will also be excited about taking pictures too. Most of the time I usually take pictures of everything except myself, so hopefully I can actually get some of me too so I can have some memory of me actually being on the trip. I am also super attached to my phone, so the transition is going to be difficult. I am sure that we will still be busy enough to not get too bored.
DeleteWhat I have learned from my trips abroad is that you can find amazing pictures of all the places we will be going online but this will be your one chance to take pictures of yourself in these places. So I encourage you to take pictures of yourself in these places but also remember to keep a balance so that you don't feel like you visited the country through your phones camera.
DeleteOne thing about China is that the government Internet controls and absence of Facebook make mindless surfing just a little more challenging. I like Abby's suggestion about quality time together to encourage conversation and a deeper experience.
DeleteI too am looking forward to getting to know everyone on this trip. I don't think I would cross paths with pretty much everyone if it weren't for this tour. I too, hope that we are not too caught up in capturing the moment but rather living in it. I know that when I go on trips I struggle with the saying "pics or it didn't happen" and I hope that I don't get too caught up in taking pictures but rather enjoy being in the moment.
DeleteThis week my book is talking the technology transfers that have taken place in Chinas history in order for them to improve their self sufficiency. The transfer of technologies is still a large need in China today due to a lack of capability to produce a clean-vehicle and deploy them throughout China. When the three U.S. automotive brands began manufacturing vehicles in China, they transported their outdated tailpipe equipment and other equipment that caused pollution to China because China had no pollution laws set in place. ultimately, American companies ended up saving money on equipment at the expense of Chinas environment.
ReplyDeleteIn my book this week I read about some of the stratagems the Chinese use in business. Commerce by other means is warfare and that field is full of battle as described in my book. Chinese businessmen develop strategies for international competition, one way they use this is by looking back into their historical experience of domestic warfare. They apply stratagems and tactics developed over 2000 years. Some of my favorite examples of the 36 Stratagems of Sun Zi include: Make use of camouflage. Weaken your enemy's position by concealing your own machinations; Reveal only one strategy to your adversary at a time but have a secret plan that will catch them off guard & give you an advantage; and lastly find out everything possible about an adversary before taking any action. Then act quickly and decisively. I enjoyed reading the stratagems, I actually felt like I was getting advice on war tactics and it's really interesting how the Chinese look back at these war teachings to conduct international business.
ReplyDeleteI am very excited about our travels to China this summer, but I do not want to waste any of my time while there. I think that being with a large group and having a schedule will help greatly with this problem. I also plan to go try different restaurants and sight-see during the evenings. You never know what you may find if you keep touring. Any one of us may happen upon a cool event in the streets or a thrifty market area. I know that I have come back from a lot of vacations with regrets but I hope that this will not be one of them. Even if I am tired or want to watch television, I hope that we can find things to do in-place of that. I cannot wait for our travels and hope that we all return without regrets.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a lot of fun, I want to do similar things in the evenings. I really am glad that we get the evenings free, I feel like it adds a different dynamic than just a group tour with everyone going to the same place.
DeleteI'm especially excited for the unexpected events we might stumble across on in the evenings. I'm sure we will all come back with exciting stories on what we experienced each night to share with the group.
DeleteI'm really excited about going to China this summer. Of course, there is always the possibility of wasting time and regretting it later, and that is something we should all try to avoid. I have traveled abroad several times and have never really returned with any regrets. Therefore, I don't think that this will be much of a problem for me on this trip. I think a big key to avoiding regrets is making the most of all the opportunities you can. If there's a chance to go out and do something, then do it instead of staying in the room. It's also necessary to keep a balance with sleep. If you sleep too much, you waste time, but if you don't sleep enough, it's just as bad and you miss stuff throughout the day. I love traveling and exploring so I don't really worry that I'll have any regrets, I'm just really looking forward to going.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you caleb. I usually don't make regrets when I go on trips but it is mindful to take the opportunities you can.
DeleteAdding to what Caleb has to say, try to make friends within our China trip group and at least say hi to one person that you don't know each day or start a conversation
DeleteBalance is definitely key, and yes Rosalba, broadening your friend group and being open to connections with those we encounter will make a difference in the depth of your experience.
DeleteMy last vacation I felt better being home than when I was on the trip. I then felt ungrateful for all the money I feel like my parents wasted because I didn't enjoy myself as much as had hoped. I think this trip will be different because I am going somewhere that I can actually learn about culture. On family vacations all the places have similar cultures and most days are just spent on beaches or out by the pool. I am excited to be taking a trip that I can do tours and experience a culture in a way that I felt limited by in the past. I also want to utilize time in the evenings as well. I am a creature of habit and I enjoy nothing more than being in bed at the end of the day. I am going to try my hardest to try and find something to do in the evenings so I am not spending most of my time in my bed.
ReplyDeleteI totally understand where you are coming from. Vacations are generally the same traditional, go to the beach and spend time shopping or relaxing. However, this trip will be a great time to experience the culture, learn, and have fun. I hope that this trip is an experience that you will never forget or even regret going on. I can not wait to see what is to come!!
DeleteHopefully our time in China will be a better experience and I can promise that we're going to have fun :) I think I can relate to you on being a creature of habit. I don't really like change, but travel forces you to change in a way. You're adapting your worldview which can be either different or similar to what we're use to right now. For me, my first visit to Europe was very enjoyable, but I began to long for home and the comforts of American sized things that it kind of put a damper on the latter part of my trip. I'm really hoping that this doesn't happen to me when we're over in China!
DeleteI am very excited for this trip! It will be an amazing, once in a life time experience. I love traveling and know that this will be something that I will never forget. Some ways that I will be sure to make the most of the experience, so I do not forget it, is by: Taking lots of pictures and videos, getting to know others in the group, so that we have shared experience that we can look back at later in life, and making the most out of each day. As I say a lot, don't wish your life away, take one day at a time, and make the most out of every moment. I say this frequently because I do not want to regret something later on because I was to busy or to tired. I think that this trip will open my eye and make me rethink my life, but it will probably be beneficial and help to improve my life. I am excited to see what the future holds for this trip, and what memories I will make, so I do not come back with any regrets.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you! I want to not only enjoy the big tours and visits to places, but also the small stuff, even the bad things that can happen to us because those are the experiences and stories that we will be able to tell later in life. I am also looking forward to what this trip will bring us and the things that will help us improve.
DeleteI was kind of sad that we cannot use the applications we usually waste our time in while we are in China, but after giving it some thought, I think it is actually great! Every year I get to visit my family in Mexico, and I have no signal and barely get wifi where they live. I have experienced so much because I have been kind of forced to not use my phone (since it doesn't work there) and enjoy of my family and so many more things. So I hope that this experience will also be a good one. I plan to enjoy everything, even the little things. I also plan on trying new foods, even though I am a little picky, but I will do my best to be open to new options. And last, but not least, I would love to enjoy this experience with the other students, getting to know each other and helping each other enjoy our visit to China.
ReplyDeleteI am super excited for the upcoming trip to China! One thing I tend to do is tend to spend too much time or post on social media, but luckily the social media I use is banned in China. I also tend to thoroughly go through all of the photos I take throughout the day and spend an enormous amount of time editing raw photos. I'll make sure to keep that on a minimum. I think my biggest concern that can disable my exploration in China is trying something out of curiosity that will upset my stomach. I enjoy eating new things and usually have little resistance when it comes to food. But I need to remember to act responsible and avoid eating something that would disable my travels and ultimately make me bed ridden.
ReplyDeleteI think this trip will definitely help all of us not use our technology for social media. I agree with your comment on resisting some of the foods that way our trip doesn't include an upset stomach.
DeleteI love to travel, but I think I've missed some opportunities to better my experience by being too attached to my phone and social media. In today's world, I think that there is an over focus on getting a picture for instagram, adding new friends on facebook, or seeing what you can show other people without actually experiencing it for yourself. For this trip, I will definitely be taking pictures to share with friends and family, but I want to savor every moment that I'm there. Instead of worrying about how many likes is going to bring on social media, I just want to capture a moment that I can look back on. And sometimes, I won't take pictures for the sole purpose of just enjoying the moment. For me, I feel that some moments are only meant to be lived once and by taking pictures, you're really just taking away from living in that moment.
ReplyDeleteI agree that people always focus on capturing the picture and forget about enjoying the experience they are in. I also will be trying to balance trying to take pictures and be a part of the culture. In some situations I think that I should have taken a picture but the fact that I was not able to capture the moment is ok with me.
DeleteIt's crazy how much more wrapped up we've become in taking pictures of our adventures rather than fully experiencing them and making memories to take away for a lifetime. On our last China trip, I came across a Chinese girl alone trying to take a photo of herself in front of the Forbidden City with a selfie stick. I could tell that she wouldn't be able to get the full view of the city behind her from that angle, so I offered to snap a photo for her. She said no! The selfie style was more important to her than having a full photo of her travels.
DeleteI never regretted my travel experience because I always felt like I need to explore around. My best experiences traveling is going shopping, going to a coffee shop, visiting tourist places, and trying new foods. While doing all that I talk to people and get out of my comfort zone to experience a new culture. The way to not regret your China trip is by reminding yourself that you paid $5,500 and that there are more places in the world besides the U.S.A.
ReplyDeleteI think it's key when traveling to take time to do normal things that you would do in America in the country you are in. It's great to see all of the famous tourist sites, but I have learned that the key to learning is going where the citizens go.
DeleteFirst of all this I think that this is a really good assignment because I don't want to have regrets when I return. But what can I do to ensure that I make the most of my time while in China? The first thing that I plan to do is eat out. I want to make sure that I eat at least one meal a day outside of the bubble as it were. I want to go into the towns, see the shops and find small restaurants to eat at. I think that food is an important part of building a cultural understanding. Plus food tastes super good. The second thing that I want to do is to spend time talking with local people there. If they speak English I want to talk to them and learn about their lives and backgrounds. I also want to take a lot of really cool pictures while there. I have found that photography will make you appreciate and learn a lot more about an area. I think that if I do these three things, I will not have regrets about my trip to China
ReplyDeleteon this trip i plan to take advantage of the Chinese culture and really do my best to understand it and how it works. i also wants to come back from this trip with new friendships. culture shock is going to be crazy but I'm kind of excited for a new experience. i want to gain a new perspective and understanding of business. the censorship in China is going to beneficial in the sense that social media won't be as much of a distraction and i'll be able to take a break from my phone and just enjoy the experience of a new country.
ReplyDeleteOn this trip I will be able to focus so much. It is not difficult for me to give up the technology of the Western world. Growing up all of my friends always had the newest and coolest gadget to play with, they would have new video games and cell phones with fancy flipping capabilities but I never did. I would be outside exploring, building forts, and playing in a creek. I cannot wait till I am able to walk through the cities and see everyone. People watching is one of the most fun activities. I will be taking pictures and writing down some things so that I do not forget about the experiences that I have.
ReplyDeleteTypically when traveling, I am able to do without extensive use of technology just based on how much I enjoy exploring. I personally think that due to some of the social media bans in China it will be a lot easier for us to not get lost in our phones and instead spend time emerging ourselves in the Chinese Culture. I think taking pictures is essential so you can remember the your visit to foreign places and can look back on them later in life; however, I also think it is important to experience things instead of being so caught up in capturing the best picture. For me personally, I plan to spend most of my time exploring the country as well as getting to know everyone on the trip.
ReplyDeleteFor me personally, I know that I always wish I had taken more pictures when looking back on my trip. I'll tell people all about this cool place I went or this cool animal I saw, but I'm not able to describe it. Being that we're going back to my birthplace I know my parents will want to see pictures of me enjoying learning about my culture and will probably want to see how everything looks 20 years later. I plan on exploring and learning about the place that I was born in and maybe I'll feel some sort of weird connection to the area...or maybe I'll just enjoy all the food and sights.
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ReplyDeleteIn my past traveling experiences, I have spent too much of my time photographing and posting on social media to actually get the full experience of the trip. Therefore, this time in China, I want to do that less. While taking pictures is great, not every moment needs to be seen through a camera. Because China is such a different culture, I want to spend a lot of my time submersing myself in it.
ReplyDeleteOne of the biggest things I will need to do in order to avoid regrets is to force myself out of my comfort zone. I don't like feeling helpless and being in a foreign country where I won't be able to understand those around me will be intimidating at times. I will need to make sure that I don't "hide away" and make the most of our free time.
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