Hostfamily

Yeeeah I finally recieved my host family.

I will have a sister, Siyang. She’s 16 too.  The grandma also lives with the family half of the week. They live in a quiet big flat(90m^2) in the center of Chengde Shuangqiao district, Hebei Province. The Province Hebei encompasses Beijing and Tianjin. Chengde has a population of 3.61 million people which is really small for China ^_^.  As my AFS guardian from Chengde told me the average temperature in winter is -20 degrees and I should really bring a heavy winter coat. Wikipedia says only -15 degrees but thats awful enough though.

I will go to school there, to Chengde No. 2 High School. It’s going to be my sisters first year in High School. I think I’m going to attend the same class as her, so I will be in Junior Year too. I only have to walk 3 minutes to my school 😀

Luckily I already know the girl who is coming to Chengde too. She’s going to attend class in the same cool as me. I’m so glad that I’m not alone. Her name is Carola and she’s from Italy.. She lives further away from school than me (which isn’t that much of a challenge^^) I think 25 minutes by bus.

Also I already chatted with some of Siyangs friends on QQ.

For all of those who are going to China: Download Skype in your country already!! If you have whatsapp it works.. But Chinese have WeChat and QQ. Also Weibo and RenRen: “Facebook”, but those are both chinese apps (chinese characters).

Best Wishes, x Vivienne

7000 Kilometres Homesickness

This is a documentation series of 4 german exchange students in China. I was really glad I found that video it’s really helpful and gives a good impression of an exchange in Asia.

7000 Kilometer Heimweh(Phoenix)

Orientation Camp

This Whitsun we had our orientation Camp somewhere in the middle of nowhere. We all came by train alone and met the others at the hostel. I was pretty relieved meeting most of the students in the train already. IDK how we actually recognized each other, I guess we all must have been somehow exotic and ‘exchange-studentish’ looking.

We were 23 (I guess) and the camp leaders themselves were exchange students 2 to 4 years ago (Thailand, Indonesia and Southafrica and China).

We called our group ‘Die Exoten’ (Exotic People) beacause we are the part of AFS Switzerland, who is going to spend a year in really exotic destinations (mainly Asia). Most of us are going to Japan, but also to Malaysia, India, Thailand, Indonesia, South Africa, Hong Kong and China.

The camp was without time or any electronical devices, therefor we had to hand in our cells, cameras and watches. I would have neeeever ever believed that I’d like to be without them, but it was great. Everyone was really outgoing and open minded and we all got to know each other fast.

Basically we spent the 2 Days playing some games, laughing, talking,(jogging at mignight) and reconstructing situations that might happen in the host country. It was great to talk with  Miranda (the leader who spent her year in China) about her experiences.

She could tell us a lot about her year and take our anxiety a little. But still I’m getting more and more excited day by day (72 days to go).
I had a great time, thank you all! ♡

Die Exoten