Lucy Dabbs
Posted by on

By: Lucy Dabbs, Georges P. Vanier Secondary School, participant of the 2017 Beijing International Education Exchange (BIEE) Summer Camp.

I never realized the importance in the art of selfie taking, never conceived that the skill of holding a phone away from ones face to take a picture would come in handy later in my life. When taking a group selfie, it takes a good deal of skill to keep your arm at the right distance, and the phone tilted at a realistic angle. There are many factors involved, to keep everyone’s faces in proportion, in good lighting, and everyone looking at the camera. Today, my selfie taking skills were put to the ultimate test.

After breakfast, everyone seemed to realize that all these people we had met, all the great friends we'd made were all goi...

Category: Student Blog
Mariam Ali, Mahurangi Regional Park in New Zealand
Posted by on

By Mariam Ali, Simon Fraser University, winner of the 2017 Stories from Abroad Scholarship and a member of the BC Study Abroad Writer in Residence Team

When I came back to Vancouver from my time in Europe, I had trouble readjusting to my new life. I disliked being stuck in the suburbs and not being able to explore other cities and countries like I could during my exchange. It was for that reason that I bought a ticket for New Zealand three weeks after I returned and flew there mid-December. My exchange had given me a desire to get out of my comfort zone to explore the world and I now had the confidence to do so.

Going to New Zealand was a comparatively less intimidating experience because I already had family there who would welcome and take care of me. Since this w...

Category: Writers In Residence
Julia Scott Lenz
Posted by on

By Julia Scott Lenz, Simon Fraser University, winner of the 2017 Stories from Abroad Scholarship.

Around three and a half years ago, I packed my mom’s sedan with everything I thought I needed to start university. Every piece of clothing, every sentimental postcard, every favourite book, and then we drove for hours. Eventually, I lugged every single bin and bag up to the 4th floor of my new building and into my very own dorm room. It was my first time living on my own and it was so exciting to be in a new city with a few of my closest friends, starting at a new school, and taking my first steps into the so-called adult world.

Now, I’m packing yet again to move away from home into a dorm room at a university at the end of this week. This time around, I’m ca...

Category: Student Blog
Lucy Dabbs, Beijing Capital Museum
Posted by on

By: Lucy Dabbs, Georges P. Vanier Secondary School, participant of the 2017 Beijing International Education Exchange (BIEE) Summer Camp.

After lunch we spent three hours at the Beijing Capital Museum. The building was massive, seven stories high with flights of escalators for each floor. There was a huge circular wall up one end of the building, containing spiral hallways leading to different circular rooms within. Two sides of the building were all glass windows looking out into the city. There were many different rooms with historical artifacts and information on old China.

Many elementary schoolers were there on school field trips, and we're very interested in taking selfies with us. Despite all the interesting exhibits on every floor, by the end of touring aroun...

Category: Student Blog

Pages