Xiao Xiao Xiao

Since we have been in China, we have had so many unique opportunities and learning experiences, such as traveling, making new friends and trying new things. One of my favorite experiences has been the food! One of the things that surprised me the most when I came to China was that real Chinese food was not actually what I had envisioned at all. Authentic Chinese food is nothing like what we have in Chinese restaurants in America…it is much better! One of our favorite restaurants to eat at is Xiao Xiao Xiao, where we usually get sweet and sour pork.

Oreo Milk Tea

The way food is made here is different from what we are accustomed to in the United States, but still delicious! Back home, I wasn’t too crazy about eggplant, but now I can’t get enough of it! Also, since Dalian is a coastal city, there is plenty of sea food. Fried shrimp dumplings are heavenly! Milk tea is a common drink here and is very good!

Friends Cooking in the Dorm Kitchen

A couple of our Chinese friends even cooked an authentic Chinese meal for us in our dorm.

International Dorm Building

That leads me to my next point; I have really enjoyed living in the international dorm. There are so many nationalities under one roof. On our hall alone, there are people from Russia, Korea, Uzbekistan, Holland, Italy, and Angola. Living in the dorm has really been an interesting experience! Not only have we made new friends from the dorm, but also from working in the academic center. We have become friends with Chinese students we have tutored and the other tutors in the academic center. Talking to our Chinese friends is really interesting because we learn differences and similarities between our cultures. We have had so many great times together!