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

6:15 AM. I open my eyes, making out the ceiling through the dim room. I lie flat on my back, spine uncomfortably straight on the wooden board. The snores of three others gently rise and fall under thin blankets. I swivel into sitting position, thin blanket slipping off my shoulders. My bare-feet touch cold white stone floor tiles. I stand, gently move a few steps, and assume a crouching position at the charging station. A voltage converting power bar plugged into an unusual Chinese outlet, with the cords of my dorm’s devices coming off like the tentacles of a jellyfish. My right hand picks up my iPod, while I push my bangs out of my face...

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

On the bus ride home I was in need of a distraction to take my mind off horrible visions of myself at 80, showing my grandchildren my antique fidget spinners collection now taking over my house, dust-ridden spinners causing my single cat to sneeze with distaste. As had been on our previous bus rides, Jack offered open mic to anyone willing to entertain us during the long hours. I took my sudden need of a distraction to be brave and share my geeky side with the fellow students.

Smiling mischievously I read from the screen of my iPod, reciting the Periodic Table song (unfortunately I’m not cool enough to have it memorized). I managed...

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

I was familiar with the silk market of Shanghai and assumed this one would be along the same lines. Lots of little stores and tables set up, slightly aggressive and loud vendors with steel looks that could make me shiver despite the thirty-five-degree heat. Bargaining skills a must, unless you were okay with paying more than the price in Canada. Preferable to have good judgement for the value of sale items.

What I was not expecting was the wall of fidget spinners, hundreds of fidget spinners. More than just every colour of the rainbow, numerous shapes, sizes, and materials. Some with gears, some light aluminium, some tempered rainb...

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

As a little kid I used to create menus, usually for my dream restaurant that would serve every one of my favourite foods, from Mac and cheese to Nanaimo bars. These menus were written in different coloured markers, under the category of lunch breakfast, dinner, and dessert. On the dessert menu, of all the possible ice cream flavours I could have desired, green bean was not the first that came to mind. It wasn't even the forty fifth I thought of. However, here in the summer palace of Beijing, I wonder why I had never thought of it. Of course it would be a great ice cream flavour! China has thought of everything I realized, from the moments...

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

There was lots of extra time and I got talking to one of our instructors, who was actually only 17. He and his friends were from Beijing and were volunteering for this camp to gain more experience with international programs. They were planning on applying to English universities overseas and wanted something that would set them apart on their application. They explained to me that only a small percent of international students from Asia have a chance of getting into universities in the US and they have a lot of other Asian countries to compete against.

It was one of the conversations where I felt I had a look at the real China. Th...

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

Deoxyribonucleic acid, the carrier of all genetic information, containing the fundamental characteristics that make us unique. Today, I stared at a clumpy white blob floating in a test tube of blue raspberry gatorade that was my DNA. I looked around the classroom at the other students examining their own white clumpy blobs,and smiled at this awesome opportunity within the Beijing Royal school. Today was a learning day.

Having the whole day to try different classrooms really allowed us to have more freedom with our day. We could choose to not go to class, take an always needed nap, have some down time, wander around the track with f...

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

By the time we reach the great temple with Mao's portrait, the poncho has come off and I am now welcoming the rain upon my clothes.

As we enter one, then two security checkpoints, and make our way through the square towards the forbidden city, I develop a goal. I notice numerous locals wearing rainbow umbrella hats, about half the size of a regular umbrella and worn with a band around the forehead. I want one.

I decide that I need to have one and make it my mission to obtain one. I love the colour rainbow. This is because I cannot choose, I love all colours and I love diversity and I love standing out. I want this umbrella,...

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

Sleep deprivation is something most teenagers experience at some point in their years, usually during the school year when procrastination is common and getting homework done early is not. We stay up late on our phones with no regard to how we're going to feel the next day, because we know we have the weekend to sleep in and stock up on sleep.

At the Beijing Royal School, it is like being on school time, the schedule fills every hour of the day. We go to sleep late and get up early, especially on the days we have outings. By the time Day 6 comes, we are all pretty run down, tired of cafeteria food and tired of the heat and tired in...

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

After we are nourished and briefly rested on the bus ride, it’s time to walk around a massive shopping centre for 4 hours! I was prepared to go shopping, and am very glad to hear we were aloud to go off independently if we met back for dinner.

The first store I go into is a clothing store, and my first hour is spent trying on clothes and getting used to the different sizes, which I find to be much smaller than Western sizing. I do like the styles of clothing though, they seem a lot more colorful than our boring gray clothes back home.

I pull myself from the enticing fashions and explore the rest of the mall with a friend fro...

Category: Student Blog

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