KRISTIN JOHNSON, Fiction Writing major, writes: It still hasn't quite hit me that I'll be going to China. I keep expecting something to come up that will prevent the trip or prevent me from going, but so far so good (knock on wood). I don't know the language, or how to read the characters, or the currency exchange (yet), which all makes me a little nervous, but I'll get by.
There are many reasons why I wanted to take this course and go on this trip. After taking Elena Valussi's Eastern Humanities class I became fascinated with certain aspects of Chinese culture and history. China has influenced many aspects of my life from religion, to food, to being a huge influence over martial arts, which is a huge part of my own life. I feel that China has influenced so much of my own life that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me to go there and see it myself.
What I hope to gain on this trip is a firsthand experience of how Shanghai has transformed over the years. (I also want lots of souvenirs!) While I am more interested in learning about history than art, I am excited about meeting artists who can explain how their work reflects their perceptions of society and themselves as part of the evolving Chinese culture.
We leave in three days, and I can't wait to go to a country I never thought I'd see, but always wanted to.
