tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10668916745326407232024-03-13T08:05:27.919-07:00MAKING A DREAM REALMy experiences at Drake University and in the United StatesRita Alvarezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986466040030717680noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1066891674532640723.post-22076814958549140422007-11-27T04:51:00.001-08:002007-11-27T04:51:29.365-08:00Hello!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q6Jp_ENpK8o/R0wSNQZr3PI/AAAAAAAAAiI/G01xfd05uEI/s1600-h/n34005279_31163070_691.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q6Jp_ENpK8o/R0wSNQZr3PI/AAAAAAAAAiI/G01xfd05uEI/s400/n34005279_31163070_691.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137501293873192178" border="0" /></a>Hello friends! I didn´t write in a very long time... But I´m back in Spain, I´am a senior now and my graduation is going to be next May. A lot of things have changed in my life, now I live in Madrid with two of my friends, I go to class in the mornings, I have an internship in the afternoons in a newspaper and I have to talk in Spanish almost all the time.<br />I miss the United States and China so much! But thanks to Facebook, Skype and MSN I can talk with the people. Two of my classmates in China are now in Madrid learning Spanish and I went with them to my hometown. And now it´s Tuesday already! And I have to go to my work!Rita Alvarezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986466040030717680noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1066891674532640723.post-57486336827959948612007-08-22T12:35:00.000-07:002007-08-22T13:04:54.734-07:00Take advantage of the opportunities<div align="left">Today is the international orientation day! I was helping the new international students. I talked with internationals from last year, I saw some members of the staff and I have a lot of good and sad memories.<br />It is really nice to welcome the new students and help them telling where are the buildings on campus but it is also really sad to realize that my year is over and I'm going back to Spain in less than a week.<br />We meet at 8.30 am at Olmsted and we started to meet the new students. They are from all over the world, including France, Spain, Italy, China, Japan, Kenya, South Africa, Mexico, etc.<br />I met two students from my home university who are going to study here for one year.<br />During the morning, Leslie Mamoorian, the Associate Director of Admission, talked about education in the States and gave examples about how to study, attend to class and asked me to give an advice to the new students.<br />I just said to do the readings before class because it helps you a lot and you don't feel lost when the professor is talking about it.Then I gave a campus tour with stops at Bell Center, Cowles library, Health Center, FAC, Old Main, Meredith and Olmsted.<br />The best part was when I introduced them to the Journalism School facculty. I had lunch with Carla McCrea and Professor Wright and we were talking about my first days at Drake and how everything worked with work and talking with people.<br />They told me to talk about how I success on campus and I just told them to take advantage of all the opportunities and do as many things as possible.I gave the example of the newspaper, The Times-Delphic, and how writing and taking pictures I met new people and my English improved. </div></span><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5101615580865155922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYfYU25GVgtHSXUO8Yq-G0LP5EHFg4VxLqiFlvq_l620LRPIjjhyUg3nUlkgN_gDQmd20Tlyl60nz6I0O3n4xXEabMum8wt5P3bQQrD6KlGXJKp1Y3kEFzRDcivDQDOG5CHRaWDZt3EeK0/s320/untitled.bmp" border="0" /> <p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>Picture from last year meeting with American host families </em></span></p>Rita Alvarezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986466040030717680noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1066891674532640723.post-25535413183556259522007-08-13T13:30:00.000-07:002007-08-16T13:56:28.664-07:00Coming back to Iowa<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAG78zuHojtxp4kq06fMKJ9JkVPzHmfBunfysNIR7syW7cmtUVNbZPnZb46Dj8uXQ9aN8Z7xhanlP2dsKcTX60Q_uCaJo0f6zStCwbI6UZgA12vTGdYW7uzU8k3KDN3AsmyqLJfyeHCNaY/s1600-h/n34005279_30982686_397.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAG78zuHojtxp4kq06fMKJ9JkVPzHmfBunfysNIR7syW7cmtUVNbZPnZb46Dj8uXQ9aN8Z7xhanlP2dsKcTX60Q_uCaJo0f6zStCwbI6UZgA12vTGdYW7uzU8k3KDN3AsmyqLJfyeHCNaY/s320/n34005279_30982686_397.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099405004147577650" border="0" /></a>I arrived on Saturday night, after taking three planes, a panic moment at Beijing airport, a lost plane in Minneapolis, another lost baggage and 13 hours of difference.<br />On Saturday morning, while I was checking in at the airport I had some trouble with inmigration. I had to buy a plane ticket from the States to Spain so I could probe that I'm going to be here less than 90 days as a tourist. I bought my ticket and then the computer chose me to do a security checking. I almost lost the first plane.<br />The stop in Japan was cool and nothing unexpected happened. But when I arrived in Minneapolis more things happened. I was waiting at the immigration line for more than one hour, then I spoke some words in Chinese when I was supposed to be speaking English, and I was at gate B and my plane to Des Moines was from gate G. I tried my best to take it but I didn't make it. When I arrived at the gate my plane was leaving the airport. I had to wait for another couple of hours until the next flight.<br />I arrived in Des Moines around 7pm and one of my suitcases didn't arrive! I went to the help desk and the assistant told me that my baggage was in Beijing, but I just saw it a few hours before in Minneapolis. I was so confused, disappointed and worried that I couldn't believe why my baggage was lost again.<br />But I have good news. On Sunday they called me and they found my baggage, they delivered it at home and everything is perfect again.Rita Alvarezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986466040030717680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1066891674532640723.post-63816951303756862542007-08-12T13:20:00.000-07:002007-08-16T13:29:02.296-07:00My Chinese graduationLast Friday it was my graduation from IES Beijing. All the students and the staff members went to a Chinese restaurant to have lunch together. After the lunch we received our diplomas, there were some awards, people talked about their experiences and then time for pictures.<br />In this one all the IES Beijing members: they were really nice and helpful. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh40EGUXIdZS0jOVa3C-w7UIiIFTqT7q64GQl-O9D9PCZucY-JEPpuMsNXs3L1vREhecmXrOv44UaPFG1XrCKCrQn-2PFzm2pxjQzXN2ISCyMGGrslLt_Au4G2mLsCiRQLY3lr9uzIdxufy/s1600-h/n34005279_30982638_7750.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh40EGUXIdZS0jOVa3C-w7UIiIFTqT7q64GQl-O9D9PCZucY-JEPpuMsNXs3L1vREhecmXrOv44UaPFG1XrCKCrQn-2PFzm2pxjQzXN2ISCyMGGrslLt_Au4G2mLsCiRQLY3lr9uzIdxufy/s320/n34005279_30982638_7750.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099396062025667298" border="0" /></a>My Chinese class with our professor, Zhong Laoshi: she was very helpful. My first two weeks I couldn't differentiate the Chinese sounds she was teaching us and I couldn't memorize the characters for our daily exams.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd3IWBI5iiIdYZ89VlpgAt3XsWsIfPsBib2ALh_g-VRclrxopOAHILO8ahy1VOMzNr12QN0wI_Lp6XcYu5RWbQnKzhoIXfYH0xjl-1vYZizmloLoryftiTSuQVILlCX0Aup1hMTvMZYA8J/s1600-h/n34005279_30982639_319.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd3IWBI5iiIdYZ89VlpgAt3XsWsIfPsBib2ALh_g-VRclrxopOAHILO8ahy1VOMzNr12QN0wI_Lp6XcYu5RWbQnKzhoIXfYH0xjl-1vYZizmloLoryftiTSuQVILlCX0Aup1hMTvMZYA8J/s320/n34005279_30982639_319.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099396062025667314" border="0" /></a>Our calligraphy class, our teacher didn't speak any English but thanks to Anne-Reed and Connie everything worked. Fang Laoshi is a man full of culture and knowledge who can teach you amazing things about China, specially calligraphy!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitm0XD2jZKAj7drCGTaHhC9-0vRaJ5PE4mCLFBcmL2qh0mbMsBmhoNSiILxvpFcQfIfLhyrQOmcLOuKe5-ibxeTZgNj9NQfR0USjX-tyEEReN4NeIfs7BPYOfVyQFXo3O_n95EY15Qfo-8/s1600-h/n34005279_30982645_6437.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitm0XD2jZKAj7drCGTaHhC9-0vRaJ5PE4mCLFBcmL2qh0mbMsBmhoNSiILxvpFcQfIfLhyrQOmcLOuKe5-ibxeTZgNj9NQfR0USjX-tyEEReN4NeIfs7BPYOfVyQFXo3O_n95EY15Qfo-8/s320/n34005279_30982645_6437.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099396070615601922" border="0" /></a>It was really cool that some students were wearing Chinese dresses during the graduation. The silk looks so pretty.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge5x-14JjwFImS6dZA8BUO8Lp6wS3HrjQamFzp0sYWtS9ewf2Ws3Dw9HSg6Ee79cav_IniXb360wUuPJLVK-DgdIp89XGok7grGTtApmnJSakXdXYbLAi2jl22QgZtHdPpk0Caw60jMRV2/s1600-h/n34005279_30982648_4237.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge5x-14JjwFImS6dZA8BUO8Lp6wS3HrjQamFzp0sYWtS9ewf2Ws3Dw9HSg6Ee79cav_IniXb360wUuPJLVK-DgdIp89XGok7grGTtApmnJSakXdXYbLAi2jl22QgZtHdPpk0Caw60jMRV2/s320/n34005279_30982648_4237.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099397664048468754" border="0" /></a>Next destination: Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa.Rita Alvarezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986466040030717680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1066891674532640723.post-50549381316282485122007-08-06T10:00:00.043-07:002007-08-06T10:37:11.035-07:00Just one more week in China!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QfbRtpcNm4I/RrdUngMY5TI/AAAAAAAAAMU/HLyoo3vFjac/s1600-h/IMG_0192.JPG"><span class="on down" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Vínculo" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);"></span><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QfbRtpcNm4I/RrdUngMY5TI/AAAAAAAAAMU/HLyoo3vFjac/s320/IMG_0192.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5095634541026534706" border="0" /></a>At the end of April I was sad because the year at Drake was almost over, then I keep my international experience abroad one more month with a <a href="http://www.drake.edu/international/ccep/ccep_summer_study_seminar.php">Drake Summer Seminar in China</a>, then I applied for a two month program with <a href="https://www.iesabroad.org/IES/Programs/China/Beijing_Summer/Language_Intensive/beijingSummerB.html">IES Beijing & Chengde</a> and now: FIVE MORE DAYS and this course is over too.<br />Why does time fly? Why the summer was so great and fast? It was like yesterday when I was doing all the applications, applying for a visa at the China Embassy in Chicago, moving out of Carpenter Hall. But now, it isn't May 16th.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QfbRtpcNm4I/RrdUogMY5VI/AAAAAAAAAMk/Ez6UByf5e50/s1600-h/IMG_0149.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QfbRtpcNm4I/RrdUogMY5VI/AAAAAAAAAMk/Ez6UByf5e50/s320/IMG_0149.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5095634558206403922" border="0" /></a>It is already August 6th. I have travel all over China, I have met many Americans and Chinese people, I have learned Chinese, I have improved my English, I have read some books, I have visited almost everything in Shanghai and Beijing, I have taken thousands of pictures, I have taken calligraphy classes, I have gone to a Chinese soccer game, I have gone to a Beijing Opera, I have lived with a Chinese family, I have gone to the coolest place in the world: Tibet, and I have missed Drake family a lot. I have learned so much this summer!!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QfbRtpcNm4I/RrdUmwMY5SI/AAAAAAAAAMM/Grik0B0-y48/s1600-h/IMG_0118.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QfbRtpcNm4I/RrdUmwMY5SI/AAAAAAAAAMM/Grik0B0-y48/s320/IMG_0118.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5095634528141632802" border="0" /></a>And yes I'm Spanish, as it appears written in the Chinese calligraphy in the picture, <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">西班牙人: </span></span>xībānyá rén, and I miss my family, friends and home, but this have been the year of the opportunities and the year of my dreams and I don't want to say goodbye to it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QfbRtpcNm4I/RrdUoAMY5UI/AAAAAAAAAMc/X2EgmlCO7fk/s1600-h/IMG_0373.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QfbRtpcNm4I/RrdUoAMY5UI/AAAAAAAAAMc/X2EgmlCO7fk/s320/IMG_0373.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5095634549616469314" border="0" /></a>I don't like goodbyes and I'm next to another one. But at least on Saturday morning (Chinese time), I'm going to take three planes and arrived 24 hours later and with a 13-hour difference in Des Moines and see all of you again. I can't wait to share stories, go to Kansas City, walk around Drake campus, go to <a href="http://des.moines.diningguide.com/data/d100512.htm">Drake Dinner</a>, go to <a href="http://www.myspace.com/marscafe">Mars Cafe,</a> go to an <a href="http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/index.jsp?sid=t451">Iowa Cubs</a> game, visit the <a href="http://www.iowastatefair.com/">Iowa State Fair</a>, etc.Rita Alvarezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986466040030717680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1066891674532640723.post-60277518749790266482007-07-31T22:13:00.000-07:002007-08-01T23:34:17.322-07:00Woody Allen in my hometown!!Yes, the movie director Woody Allen is in Oviedo, a city in the north of Spain, my hometown.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1OJomQOQF9OWnDfkBJw8YMnxxgXxzBS9eryfD86gmhyg7Qvnp9V0127IJas5M8WqsFDhSk3gOsT5H3MEAMA9ZTwpTFtF-DgpP8Z-34HTxfrbZwPDAwkuCgFHIHVgmmLDLpgWYCWPW7hh/s1600-h/n679570507_920678_5709.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1OJomQOQF9OWnDfkBJw8YMnxxgXxzBS9eryfD86gmhyg7Qvnp9V0127IJas5M8WqsFDhSk3gOsT5H3MEAMA9ZTwpTFtF-DgpP8Z-34HTxfrbZwPDAwkuCgFHIHVgmmLDLpgWYCWPW7hh/s320/n679570507_920678_5709.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093986789708326162" border="0" /></a>Allen is doing his new movie next to my mother's job in the center of the city, Mercado el Fontan. But he also has been in Barcelona and other places in Asturias next to the ocean.<br />There are some movie stars like Scarlett Johansson, Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem with him. I hope it is as good as <span style="font-style: italic;">Match Point</span>, my favorite until this moment.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuCblFtnsOJSZzN_4ZNUqmZ4zdafer48qhCN1RWpE5PWk6voHcvfJNNXXjJqakhEavOpC9ZEu_gS1xgh6_sRezUKQiO6xflgFJKqWxQDbJKagmcsAb8ONXIxkiAhfnxtyfNHqY7UbWWTST/s1600-h/1185990941_extras_fotos_gente_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuCblFtnsOJSZzN_4ZNUqmZ4zdafer48qhCN1RWpE5PWk6voHcvfJNNXXjJqakhEavOpC9ZEu_gS1xgh6_sRezUKQiO6xflgFJKqWxQDbJKagmcsAb8ONXIxkiAhfnxtyfNHqY7UbWWTST/s320/1185990941_extras_fotos_gente_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093968192499934466" border="0" /></a>Penelope Cruz riding a bike in Oviedo.<br />Photos: my friend Juan and Reuters.<br /></div>Rita Alvarezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986466040030717680noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1066891674532640723.post-35027737773644117482007-07-29T01:48:00.000-07:002007-07-29T02:11:45.064-07:00Trip to Xi'an ILast weekend I went to Xi'an. It is located in the center of China, around 12 hours by train from Beijing. It is a place full of history and it has been the capital of 13 dynasties.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrzqt7vvRc3TpDtzm4Q46LHD6AfXskH97u8NeFcEci-8NOkCY9O10aoB6JdY4AerLKSVNfTu4YmgZQMNREgETqSOf00K_031MM83RrYGkD8-WkHZRXjWpEqR0N13w276uV2dW-cQ2tAXq4/s1600-h/n34005279_30945549_9584.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrzqt7vvRc3TpDtzm4Q46LHD6AfXskH97u8NeFcEci-8NOkCY9O10aoB6JdY4AerLKSVNfTu4YmgZQMNREgETqSOf00K_031MM83RrYGkD8-WkHZRXjWpEqR0N13w276uV2dW-cQ2tAXq4/s320/n34005279_30945549_9584.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092539179571143874" border="0" /></a>We left Beijing on Thursday afternoon after our Chinese midterm. We went by taxi to the West Railway Station to take the train that departed at 7 p.m. When we started to plan the trip we were going to be just four people but at the end we were ten. We bought our tickets very late and we only found hard seats!! The trip was long, we couldn't sleep for more than three hours and the train was crowded and hot at dinner time. Everybody was eating noodles. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RrKBOMogTgY3gjYwzuf1TiYmKoxy-e92PA8gyGQt9gb3Vj29HzcoVWY7HvrTjiyyjDJkMt2HlC3n6s6Y8zHdISqgGikiTw1Sv_CaU-E7nJg2Vwll3uBJ-uQLrAqv_QWEwA8LBtpxq7W6/s1600-h/n34005279_30945554_4384.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RrKBOMogTgY3gjYwzuf1TiYmKoxy-e92PA8gyGQt9gb3Vj29HzcoVWY7HvrTjiyyjDJkMt2HlC3n6s6Y8zHdISqgGikiTw1Sv_CaU-E7nJg2Vwll3uBJ-uQLrAqv_QWEwA8LBtpxq7W6/s320/n34005279_30945554_4384.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092539179571143890" border="0" /></a>We arrived at Xi'an around 6 a.m. and we tried to buy train tickets to go back to Beijing on Saturday night but all the tickets were sold out, so after two hours waiting in the train station, we decided to go to our hotel.<br />We asked a taxi driver about it and he said that our hotel was very closed and we could walk. We started to walk, we get lost, it started to rain, etc. It took us around 45 minutes to arrive in our hotel... By this time we just wanted to sleep, but it was too early and our rooms weren't ready yet.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSzP2-iMqvDN_oaMFQv6P0boK3dytj_TX4B3nl414oUCyr3cpa7qPhBLqbYaZ5LNxcfNg2y-kbTWK7thIpK-SCRUuhbpRfrCTMFOZA6wMPnUhzzHHEycGdV54BXOEWAWUwScEo-BpmG-C3/s1600-h/n34005279_30945589_2579.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSzP2-iMqvDN_oaMFQv6P0boK3dytj_TX4B3nl414oUCyr3cpa7qPhBLqbYaZ5LNxcfNg2y-kbTWK7thIpK-SCRUuhbpRfrCTMFOZA6wMPnUhzzHHEycGdV54BXOEWAWUwScEo-BpmG-C3/s320/n34005279_30945589_2579.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092541352824595682" border="0" /></a>After a long nap, we went out for lunch and we found some Starbucks coffee. I really miss coffee in China, but there are Starbucks everywhere in Shanghai, Beijing and Xi'an.We explored Xi'an all the afternoon and night. We visited the Forest of Stones Steles Museum, the Bell Tower, the Drum Tower, the City Wall, <strong><span class="td4"></span></strong>etc.Rita Alvarezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986466040030717680noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1066891674532640723.post-85421738796230230402007-07-22T21:08:00.000-07:002007-07-22T21:12:14.109-07:00Calligraphy classes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjom583r7W34_EJfuFpBt79ieez4I0_ncYCKz2s-PFOzvea6gGs18QXqz0DDDgIRFRUgB_Lh7hN1Xs7rZ_HWX8EaOKh5MaZ0ZvAVyMWdtGzOlBwk3COuP0-r7Q0v76XijVHoyNEajatadsq/s1600-h/1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjom583r7W34_EJfuFpBt79ieez4I0_ncYCKz2s-PFOzvea6gGs18QXqz0DDDgIRFRUgB_Lh7hN1Xs7rZ_HWX8EaOKh5MaZ0ZvAVyMWdtGzOlBwk3COuP0-r7Q0v76XijVHoyNEajatadsq/s320/1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090239593951323298" border="0" /></a>On Mondays and Wednesdays I attend to calligraphy classes in Beijing. It is really cool although it is hard too. You have to keep doing it many times until it works.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5gHmnm_PTu0oMAjkbpwNB_VWjadlYe6E-7mRFHjOgYVEjPOct8R7R2x_yay7McTsdPxIQyHUNRcLdPeVTYK1P67N5l36tT2V1JF1VleYV0AuzBr0_ED2TTAVfDxlnjFEhsY2VAxIv38WT/s1600-h/2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5gHmnm_PTu0oMAjkbpwNB_VWjadlYe6E-7mRFHjOgYVEjPOct8R7R2x_yay7McTsdPxIQyHUNRcLdPeVTYK1P67N5l36tT2V1JF1VleYV0AuzBr0_ED2TTAVfDxlnjFEhsY2VAxIv38WT/s320/2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090239593951323314" border="0" /></a>Our professor is Chinese and has a lot of experience, but he doesn't speak any English, so one of the top Chinese level students has to make translations during class. The last day was really cool because we were talking about classic music singers that he like and I could understand some of the Chinese.Rita Alvarezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986466040030717680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1066891674532640723.post-36116671142977363132007-07-15T10:07:00.000-07:002007-07-15T10:16:46.450-07:00Back in BeijingSince one week ago, I am back in Beijing. We are living at the Beijing Foreign Studies University located in the third ring, very close to the zoo and the Summer Palace, where I want to go very soon.<br />Everyday I have class in the morning, I visit places around Beijing, I meet with my language partner, I go to calligraphy classes and I study Chinese in the afternoons.<br />I also bought a bike so I can go by bike from one side of the campus to the other, to have lunch, and to some streets around. I really like. I was afraid about the traffic but now I am used to it.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtpw0bbu5aulSrJqbWWWB4waBdLw_LJeeV9SWFZsKQ4BQv-EX2uwfPZQThrgMh_8mUo0dieDWMgohe36bb9JFa_fPJwPBXtv_tRGsvPVMpjpGLGwxCEVo2vb8iqGySPDfPfYcH7zqT-zVj/s1600-h/n34005279_30927380_194.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtpw0bbu5aulSrJqbWWWB4waBdLw_LJeeV9SWFZsKQ4BQv-EX2uwfPZQThrgMh_8mUo0dieDWMgohe36bb9JFa_fPJwPBXtv_tRGsvPVMpjpGLGwxCEVo2vb8iqGySPDfPfYcH7zqT-zVj/s320/n34005279_30927380_194.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087471930207095634" border="0" /></a>Other thing that I really like is the Beijing Opera and the costumes they wear. I hope I can find cheap tickets and go to one performance.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguXBDnARo6YNSyndirNAEsdR7B8OZ-CzjfDMfAZdvALEE7b7ROnQ8bVvuwlcmf87yDXEm7QEB-AyEq1TkletPbmN2kUL-6B4ipLoB-E1D1eJpykeTOQ1wTByca1UUVXQaXSea5xgWKyoRl/s1600-h/n34005279_30927423_3905.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguXBDnARo6YNSyndirNAEsdR7B8OZ-CzjfDMfAZdvALEE7b7ROnQ8bVvuwlcmf87yDXEm7QEB-AyEq1TkletPbmN2kUL-6B4ipLoB-E1D1eJpykeTOQ1wTByca1UUVXQaXSea5xgWKyoRl/s320/n34005279_30927423_3905.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087471930207095650" border="0" /></a>This is my room in the dorm. It is decorated with Spanish flag colors (yellow and red), some notes, flowers, the Asturias flag, and Fernando Alonso flag (my favorite F1 driver who is from my hometown).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIj4csBu8X0O3RnK9nrDhX1rcsooNMxBIZDWytRiBD4ts8SaiLx-CI9D7-pbPTrZ79cL7xNUdX52BJy_zXAQf59Ix3Gli2UVJ8NqSseX45VYTwthI8DRK9HlphKSCBHu-nsxn3GEZ1cGfz/s1600-h/n34005279_30929241_2586.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIj4csBu8X0O3RnK9nrDhX1rcsooNMxBIZDWytRiBD4ts8SaiLx-CI9D7-pbPTrZ79cL7xNUdX52BJy_zXAQf59Ix3Gli2UVJ8NqSseX45VYTwthI8DRK9HlphKSCBHu-nsxn3GEZ1cGfz/s320/n34005279_30929241_2586.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087471934502062962" border="0" /></a>And this is the door of my room. It has my name (Rita), my Chinese name (Ai Litai) and some flags from China, the United States, Spain, Asturias, and of course Iowa. I really miss the white board that I had when I was at Drake. I hope I can find one soon!!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsJODgR_WDB36Z9YOaVvkMhRcJdkoYkMWgxavBDcITS7ti0J_-QjdsNbJLv7jwzS6JSS5i9iveedtgP8NcFu2oETlCDMV0LMUG77hk1e4kXHpozWMSoZ80o3GzHv6IkH-RtaVba1aJFPqd/s1600-h/n34005279_30929242_3408.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsJODgR_WDB36Z9YOaVvkMhRcJdkoYkMWgxavBDcITS7ti0J_-QjdsNbJLv7jwzS6JSS5i9iveedtgP8NcFu2oETlCDMV0LMUG77hk1e4kXHpozWMSoZ80o3GzHv6IkH-RtaVba1aJFPqd/s320/n34005279_30929242_3408.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087471934502062978" border="0" /></a>Rita Alvarezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986466040030717680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1066891674532640723.post-48229817256103785662007-07-12T10:03:00.000-07:002007-07-15T10:06:38.943-07:00Clean waterWhile we were in Chengde we made a trip to the countryside. Everything was pretty, specially the water that was very clean.<br />Here you can see some pictures:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXhRD-XQ9sznbB_dGuDIpSaw7JpLxLjtOSqwdxgkJQW0LpuEuHsJNVcbGJXA_-0TbeIMn52l8IiXSlr62oitKuTTDX7oLZFfI2-ElrW-wJ3nvtd2MC63BXj3oCC5Q-AmknZH4V4F9c67j1/s1600-h/n34005279_30922362_1714.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXhRD-XQ9sznbB_dGuDIpSaw7JpLxLjtOSqwdxgkJQW0LpuEuHsJNVcbGJXA_-0TbeIMn52l8IiXSlr62oitKuTTDX7oLZFfI2-ElrW-wJ3nvtd2MC63BXj3oCC5Q-AmknZH4V4F9c67j1/s320/n34005279_30922362_1714.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087470796335729426" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyZIwd2wMY1-14N9AxwB_Yx6nXhzS2rGo52gvk9KJoV4eT4UUcJvpUvU3lBmnf56J-0An1a4MNnYoSiPa4TwqSNUG_6-A2mKv9Za2PldrDOXm2WFBYSaRj87wA95L0chu_GyEDo0BYNwY0/s1600-h/n34005279_30922363_2248.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyZIwd2wMY1-14N9AxwB_Yx6nXhzS2rGo52gvk9KJoV4eT4UUcJvpUvU3lBmnf56J-0An1a4MNnYoSiPa4TwqSNUG_6-A2mKv9Za2PldrDOXm2WFBYSaRj87wA95L0chu_GyEDo0BYNwY0/s320/n34005279_30922363_2248.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087470796335729442" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWY_QCIMzkURboDvsTcwN65r6CQJICljxPQpMDitfsxr8ASodE5MtOkTge8prMWgqKl_NLGWFHeLlI8HfKGMhCGsUYXKxRXpwv523ktCJ5kOEwpOp288byTJF4RESjOmHFHRdtHjNAup66/s1600-h/n34005279_30922364_2708.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWY_QCIMzkURboDvsTcwN65r6CQJICljxPQpMDitfsxr8ASodE5MtOkTge8prMWgqKl_NLGWFHeLlI8HfKGMhCGsUYXKxRXpwv523ktCJ5kOEwpOp288byTJF4RESjOmHFHRdtHjNAup66/s320/n34005279_30922364_2708.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087470800630696754" border="0" /></a>We have a great time fishing in the river, playing badminton and talking with people around there.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46HCbBtghXVD5PvHsEq8dYVM8jran6RUnodyMwkkXqaCNoe-r91FSkS1TB6ttmIRuaVvCiixmhybWfWt5CP4i_tLSXp7MR9xWrtaahUgbq3cF2L6u9b4QGnPZSuejRXDBj-4-QSLEJlSp/s1600-h/n34005279_30922389_2864.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46HCbBtghXVD5PvHsEq8dYVM8jran6RUnodyMwkkXqaCNoe-r91FSkS1TB6ttmIRuaVvCiixmhybWfWt5CP4i_tLSXp7MR9xWrtaahUgbq3cF2L6u9b4QGnPZSuejRXDBj-4-QSLEJlSp/s320/n34005279_30922389_2864.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087470800630696770" border="0" /></a>Rita Alvarezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986466040030717680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1066891674532640723.post-54631644654293500572007-07-10T09:57:00.000-07:002007-07-15T10:02:04.029-07:00Learning ChineseChinese is in my opinion one of the most difficult languages to learn. I have studied English, French, German and now Chinese and I think this one is the hardest.<br />It was very difficult the first week, when we were working with pronunciation and listening to some sounds and I couldn't even differentiate them. But thanks to the help of the teacher, my language partners and some classmates, everything is better now.<br />I would like to continue studying Chinese when I'm back in Spain and come back to this city next year for the Olympic Games.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >One of the songs we have learned in class</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8ox86WUvHEs40IFvcs2Lo6XgXUeZIEyIUqZxDZWJ65oMzrTXD0TP7GWM9yyVmJV6uGtr2UVnHCuR3veiKGk7Ab8Hqu7EY38KFGW0jnaYWGBw23d42tIeHr2IsBRI9IPH4UkNrM11MnbP/s1600-h/n34005279_30922454_9784.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8ox86WUvHEs40IFvcs2Lo6XgXUeZIEyIUqZxDZWJ65oMzrTXD0TP7GWM9yyVmJV6uGtr2UVnHCuR3veiKGk7Ab8Hqu7EY38KFGW0jnaYWGBw23d42tIeHr2IsBRI9IPH4UkNrM11MnbP/s320/n34005279_30922454_9784.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087468876485348082" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >My classmates and our Chinese professors<br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjcBWVNJwkDGV3QsUnkhhjOfo5zu1tDdu6Y2RRHC9pMXwIkYHWLsKCR4OF_-YVAph-Ari52G1PImVVdFuP4QNctboPEzRlXi_5vlxjWXlp37exfcaJZg2V7RE7_fmcUp9PYrD6J_bhgmzT/s1600-h/n34005279_30922546_9518.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjcBWVNJwkDGV3QsUnkhhjOfo5zu1tDdu6Y2RRHC9pMXwIkYHWLsKCR4OF_-YVAph-Ari52G1PImVVdFuP4QNctboPEzRlXi_5vlxjWXlp37exfcaJZg2V7RE7_fmcUp9PYrD6J_bhgmzT/s320/n34005279_30922546_9518.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087468880780315394" border="0" /></a>Rita Alvarezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986466040030717680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1066891674532640723.post-52856809564081942542007-07-06T09:44:00.000-07:002007-07-15T09:56:18.645-07:00I love travelling all over the world!!Yeah, the more I travel, the more I like it. I started when I was a little girl of 10 years old. I went to many cities in Spain during the weekends with my grandparents, following the soccer team of my hometown. Thanks to them I visited a lot of cool places and I enjoy soccer games.<br />Then, I started to travel with my classmates to Europe and I did a school exchange with Westlake High School in the USA. Since then, I couldn't stop traveling.<br />Why do I like it so much? Because I meet new people, I visit beautiful places, I take lots of pictures, and the most important: I learn a lot of things everyday, every second.<br />And this is what is happening now in China. I love this country, I met new people from the States and China, I visited beautiful places, I took a lot of pictures and I have learned so much.<br />That's is probably why I want to be a correspondent, so I can keep traveling, taking pictures, and share my experiences and the information about what is going on all over the world.<br />One of my last experiences was to celebrate for first time the 4th of July with Americans in China. It was incredible to be with people from two countries, having fun and making new friends.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >With some Chinese friends in Chengde</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMmJBGRmN1qB3777j8-LymN98VWhSClCfqKjqrwGT2duqN215qabG3QjQNBBxwkFly6SRu0qLIrjchGqLdA9UvXfTDyaqB2dmxVPgXF8pbRoOFnwtgkXGx7zxsuMqKWyuggxB_NC_NNl2i/s1600-h/n34005279_30922980_3889.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMmJBGRmN1qB3777j8-LymN98VWhSClCfqKjqrwGT2duqN215qabG3QjQNBBxwkFly6SRu0qLIrjchGqLdA9UvXfTDyaqB2dmxVPgXF8pbRoOFnwtgkXGx7zxsuMqKWyuggxB_NC_NNl2i/s320/n34005279_30922980_3889.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087467918707641042" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Celebration of the 4th of July in Chengde</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPVwZhCa4_Bqztm0n_Mgclywne5VzBy3EieqWbucgWwoFOnwu1OiT6eHd5a8u5aXSPd75WurF_biZeQWObI3IADijDM1y1lKzrkv7LffAsYNXWVoNBnnhnYYFAbUSHcAD7limW3cf_ptue/s1600-h/n34005279_30923050_6652.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPVwZhCa4_Bqztm0n_Mgclywne5VzBy3EieqWbucgWwoFOnwu1OiT6eHd5a8u5aXSPd75WurF_biZeQWObI3IADijDM1y1lKzrkv7LffAsYNXWVoNBnnhnYYFAbUSHcAD7limW3cf_ptue/s320/n34005279_30923050_6652.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087468137750973154" border="0" /></a>Rita Alvarezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986466040030717680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1066891674532640723.post-9918940661585738902007-06-25T06:10:00.000-07:002007-06-25T06:19:51.893-07:00Some pictures<div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">Having lunch with Americans and our tutors</span></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTRg1hWpzqHxDyg5a-cc-hDUgf47CRdCKQGJ_3BM1YbjdfT6gb5_OzfC9ruZTD8zE_lZMe4sHcWVmWeYrxKmW64Jbr6r0wNiyNxPbAHqjrMGIKibauop0QLrxLT9bcKM6WUx5vsB89LqAI/s1600-h/IMG_0294.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079990465271798898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTRg1hWpzqHxDyg5a-cc-hDUgf47CRdCKQGJ_3BM1YbjdfT6gb5_OzfC9ruZTD8zE_lZMe4sHcWVmWeYrxKmW64Jbr6r0wNiyNxPbAHqjrMGIKibauop0QLrxLT9bcKM6WUx5vsB89LqAI/s320/IMG_0294.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> With my tutor and other friends<br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrEaJCyO9Tg0q6ufUKjgLz3THJdTWzPvRH23Gmq4j3Jd6EPmeVn5cpHdfdA27deJT1XhlJ5seg8KMq2nAoaapy1QvfC9YWCiaXiKWV2lv6nsBqW8DaWD1V1upyYXClgYSx3ZyMloPrhOAo/s1600-h/IMG_0296.jpg"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079990469566766210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrEaJCyO9Tg0q6ufUKjgLz3THJdTWzPvRH23Gmq4j3Jd6EPmeVn5cpHdfdA27deJT1XhlJ5seg8KMq2nAoaapy1QvfC9YWCiaXiKWV2lv6nsBqW8DaWD1V1upyYXClgYSx3ZyMloPrhOAo/s320/IMG_0296.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> A man cooking at the street<br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhauFldlb9Hpp_htJrIpCT24vDlcyGoDAU-zaIcrAk82MHwTVUb2ZM1pZUvBv9GD5a-bG6iWy-JCINUxGipTJpk0jF9WeiHNnhJY8zJkVYaTYx2tFLqZlLZf0vK1lUhKN24p2aRMJJ5LLhj/s1600-h/IMG_0304.jpg"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079990478156700818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhauFldlb9Hpp_htJrIpCT24vDlcyGoDAU-zaIcrAk82MHwTVUb2ZM1pZUvBv9GD5a-bG6iWy-JCINUxGipTJpk0jF9WeiHNnhJY8zJkVYaTYx2tFLqZlLZf0vK1lUhKN24p2aRMJJ5LLhj/s320/IMG_0304.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">A Mongolian tent<br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbGOdU169AWLe8QywvlaD7YK7i7l6KKj-uBTWNaXwFCcRYg6DnjRcSrj0Fij-xWFLIIvpStfUZdHXRMiDj-vFPzJoW9c9CHJqxMT4EZ0ZDqNeUiAaKGNNXP-dIa_k5uTyDxtEDh-LJ1Hhm/s1600-h/IMG_0314.jpg"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079990486746635426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbGOdU169AWLe8QywvlaD7YK7i7l6KKj-uBTWNaXwFCcRYg6DnjRcSrj0Fij-xWFLIIvpStfUZdHXRMiDj-vFPzJoW9c9CHJqxMT4EZ0ZDqNeUiAaKGNNXP-dIa_k5uTyDxtEDh-LJ1Hhm/s320/IMG_0314.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style="font-size:85%;">With my tutor Hatty</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh883oiZm4DZvCCcBDbkotp12Z2WAk1S51LfS8I00ljRZZJdPrR_svlPnA8PxjBK24FUxPJmOzPUYqPOsV5YoSF1W1b50ypVkUCQd5y6MdB9izJdxIP4GLXrdDpIju14AQhhV6whvc13MsQ/s1600-h/IMG_0288.jpg"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079989155306773602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh883oiZm4DZvCCcBDbkotp12Z2WAk1S51LfS8I00ljRZZJdPrR_svlPnA8PxjBK24FUxPJmOzPUYqPOsV5YoSF1W1b50ypVkUCQd5y6MdB9izJdxIP4GLXrdDpIju14AQhhV6whvc13MsQ/s320/IMG_0288.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span></div>Rita Alvarezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986466040030717680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1066891674532640723.post-9457742839675108592007-06-25T05:42:00.000-07:002007-06-25T06:01:56.177-07:00SorryI'm in Chengde, living with a Chinese family since yesterday until next Friday.<br />Chengde is a summer retreat around 200 km outside of Beijing. We took a bus on Monday and it took us more than 4 hours to arrive. There was a lot of traffic and they were working on the highway.<br />On Tuesday I started with my Chinese classes from 8 am to 12.30 pm. I got a tutor (like a language partner at DULAP), her name is Hatty and she studies at Chengde Nursery University, we meet everyday one hour and she is very nice.<br />The Chinese classes are really intense. I am in the beginner level and we are seven. Our professor is really good and we were working with tones and pronunciation the first week and then today we started to learn some characters. I really like the characters and writing them, but they are really difficult to memorize, and in a few minutes I forgot them.<br />This weekend we made a trip to Inner Mongolia and it was great. We visited a National Park, we ride horses, we met Mongolians, they made a Mongolian BBQ, they played cool music, we play some games and we walk around the forest and countryside.<br />Now I am living with a Chinese family. Yesterday when we came back from Inner Mongolia we met them and I came to their house. They had to change my family because the first one didn't know any English and I don't know any Chinese to communicate with them. I felt bad because the mother and her daughter were really nice, but I couldn't understand them.<br />In my new family the mother doesn't know English either, but I can speak with the father and her daughter who is a junior at high school.<br />Today I woke up at 5 a.m. because it was very light, then we had breakfast together at 6 a.m. and the mother came with me to take the bus. It was weird because we couldn't talk during the trip but we smiled to each other.<br />Then, I had Chinese class, we went for lunch, we met our tutors and I took a bus back to downtown. In the morning it was really sunny, but on my way back to home it was raining a lot and I didn't have an umbrella.<br />Now it is time to go and learn more characters because we have a test everyday at the beginning of each class.Rita Alvarezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986466040030717680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1066891674532640723.post-39463773215015255932007-06-16T09:10:00.001-07:002007-06-16T09:15:59.836-07:00June 17th in Beijing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho7K5_hy2pcXC_uwcMtnoXAwn74iamnfpmNgFj_86ohdjsxSG6JS54KxF1V5C5xTSoqafn1LIeWZOfiTm4rFJAwXSj24IInE_YXzGgpwjYVoz2d05e8ov8zhRDQA8-SyoTg67KRc0sbU7r/s1600-h/happy-birthday.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho7K5_hy2pcXC_uwcMtnoXAwn74iamnfpmNgFj_86ohdjsxSG6JS54KxF1V5C5xTSoqafn1LIeWZOfiTm4rFJAwXSj24IInE_YXzGgpwjYVoz2d05e8ov8zhRDQA8-SyoTg67KRc0sbU7r/s320/happy-birthday.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5076695246103223378" border="0" /></a>It's June 17th in China, and today it's my birthday! 21 years! :D I never thought about celebrate my birthday outside of Spain and less in China, but here I am.<br />On Friday I took a plane from Shanghai to Beijing. Some people from IES went to the airport to pick me up and then, we came to the BFSU campus where IES has its offices and our dorm.<br />We are going to stay here until Monday that we are going to Chengde for three weeks. On Tuesday I am to start with my Chinese lessons, five hours a week, and I have to weak up early again because the classes start at 8 a.m.<br />Today and yesterday I met the group of Americans that are going to study with me and all the IES staff in Beijng. We have some orientation meetings and I made some Chinese friends! So cool!Rita Alvarezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986466040030717680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1066891674532640723.post-88707443153059865432007-06-11T10:34:00.000-07:002007-06-11T11:10:20.427-07:00A year at Drake in pictures<div style="text-align: center;"><font size="2">Dinner at president's house</font><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrj1C8EZ-dI02HQN6i72WeEOZPt56JeehT4dyomL5M0m6j_J6LQ_-HwFfnfYDlfCWn0-4epAJt_EEyMWVnCY4Q39lBzW21YU9giYCuY0XQoHy14uAPteVkgnP69CQtKkYqVRUBoI3pMtEh/s1600-h/n34005279_30384585_7407.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrj1C8EZ-dI02HQN6i72WeEOZPt56JeehT4dyomL5M0m6j_J6LQ_-HwFfnfYDlfCWn0-4epAJt_EEyMWVnCY4Q39lBzW21YU9giYCuY0XQoHy14uAPteVkgnP69CQtKkYqVRUBoI3pMtEh/s320/n34005279_30384585_7407.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074869670254058562" border="0"></a><font size="2">Drake choir concert</font><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHUXFHjJDMposYkBc-K3r4cVEeYoUUa9JL3r_eBXHcb0NJ3Li7wIqbBeUlHFa5ijvpZ8V8BLW7SBOd_r9o63r96XdgaIpMxzf3TFAzlSqfzL551cKDcHR3wxwADy44mF1uqTOvko1TIh0Z/s1600-h/n34005279_30419927_7521.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHUXFHjJDMposYkBc-K3r4cVEeYoUUa9JL3r_eBXHcb0NJ3Li7wIqbBeUlHFa5ijvpZ8V8BLW7SBOd_r9o63r96XdgaIpMxzf3TFAzlSqfzL551cKDcHR3wxwADy44mF1uqTOvko1TIh0Z/s320/n34005279_30419927_7521.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074869348131511346" border="0"></a><font size="2">Ben & Jerry on campus<br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8kU9zq71spOcmAI65GsiBobisNW8otnfoXlUUzniZkXpDxnkUJ6LeuimU_P9AzwlomHVyB6RuhyphenhyphentL7gXg0-0AMtgDGVXuQY8k_1-U4oGga2LcyB1Uv-WrGlh2st0spclyjXcn-CTD1uMA/s1600-h/n34005279_30414556_3299.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8kU9zq71spOcmAI65GsiBobisNW8otnfoXlUUzniZkXpDxnkUJ6LeuimU_P9AzwlomHVyB6RuhyphenhyphentL7gXg0-0AMtgDGVXuQY8k_1-U4oGga2LcyB1Uv-WrGlh2st0spclyjXcn-CTD1uMA/s320/n34005279_30414556_3299.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074869236462361634" border="0"></a><font size="2">Prudence's birthday party</font><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9hPvWEuXSyGgQxhVHCHIP0Ia_9fmA1KMw9xsOHL6jrNN1PJSQM4js2qK31a8D0UqmrqXhV07w4Q3tIKVMSB6YMq6zalItU-rfCTn-cFMQ9913kz7Jt-rCbgVcv9gQ9tIukp3t4OSjnvnY/s1600-h/n34005279_30420105_4161.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9hPvWEuXSyGgQxhVHCHIP0Ia_9fmA1KMw9xsOHL6jrNN1PJSQM4js2qK31a8D0UqmrqXhV07w4Q3tIKVMSB6YMq6zalItU-rfCTn-cFMQ9913kz7Jt-rCbgVcv9gQ9tIukp3t4OSjnvnY/s320/n34005279_30420105_4161.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074869090433473522" border="0"></a><font size="2">First snow at Drake</font><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRIhJrvP34XDRdU9ilE6ovbI90RmZSda53bObTZ-7pzO5YGfih9lmJlcE-tuNT2z238Gzqylizzgsy15L7UQezjBdvDZWHbDCN1VzbZZZ4QSzsqDksQGaqVm6kP3WhGzUOWZs4qVIT7uQ3/s1600-h/n34005279_30476411_7504.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRIhJrvP34XDRdU9ilE6ovbI90RmZSda53bObTZ-7pzO5YGfih9lmJlcE-tuNT2z238Gzqylizzgsy15L7UQezjBdvDZWHbDCN1VzbZZZ4QSzsqDksQGaqVm6kP3WhGzUOWZs4qVIT7uQ3/s320/n34005279_30476411_7504.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074869094728440834" border="0"></a><font size="2">Apples & Caramel at Carpenter</font><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmla0tP0IKsqszzef5tt0CvT6c7VWP3SvW8WleqoETjeJaRzp-uWeiOAOlSxVJHbuOJwNaEw7jc0kr7nVP2hvDb6ZJqdokf6MnrU8X2pp_L8PhO5HGvL4NPR1xEnHratg9evu_S-eJb0D5/s1600-h/n34005279_30446784_3187.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmla0tP0IKsqszzef5tt0CvT6c7VWP3SvW8WleqoETjeJaRzp-uWeiOAOlSxVJHbuOJwNaEw7jc0kr7nVP2hvDb6ZJqdokf6MnrU8X2pp_L8PhO5HGvL4NPR1xEnHratg9evu_S-eJb0D5/s320/n34005279_30446784_3187.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074868824145501106" border="0"></a><font size="2">Halloween party with friends from Spain at Drake!! :)</font><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4rSGFoOEMdUhXpFopRsCwKT8zq9XyD2XPHTc4YK4Ke4r-ztpW7DqSluShbnVIu1sxcakBr2vuH1LCv9fLRAFCXdR-1Y73HdW8j5aN0I8NRICWysJyF9mGwK2lQ7MlFekVKT2iYBZgeLF0/s1600-h/n34005279_30448550_9312.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4rSGFoOEMdUhXpFopRsCwKT8zq9XyD2XPHTc4YK4Ke4r-ztpW7DqSluShbnVIu1sxcakBr2vuH1LCv9fLRAFCXdR-1Y73HdW8j5aN0I8NRICWysJyF9mGwK2lQ7MlFekVKT2iYBZgeLF0/s320/n34005279_30448550_9312.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074868828440468418" border="0"></a><font size="2">Cowboys party</font><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwTaobx8wty1hqEzj3nv6oNTZFUHD0oowzTi_yIVd88xHybV7rv0U4qDWbwy1Q6SsBMetx1vRPJI4ftUxXiA7rLDkF78E_GwIO9R3WJp0EILx8Fxn9qughnMpO_HZkMiRMIfLyt1wEFET1/s1600-h/n34005279_30457611_703.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwTaobx8wty1hqEzj3nv6oNTZFUHD0oowzTi_yIVd88xHybV7rv0U4qDWbwy1Q6SsBMetx1vRPJI4ftUxXiA7rLDkF78E_GwIO9R3WJp0EILx8Fxn9qughnMpO_HZkMiRMIfLyt1wEFET1/s320/n34005279_30457611_703.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074868828440468434" border="0"></a><font size="2">Trip to Madison County Bridges</font><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLWWnwIPlUV2pjDYarzqiaSkqjQ-nQOkAlCrtwho3cyka1Dhc_a90NihI0ZT8K5J-QpQ80nkFN4Gw_gWhlPrg4GWUBFcdBhvMhQ6gYrX83TAurUv2P0nv9jmw3UCoZr7-BKDZ5-CdrprDa/s1600-h/n34005279_30458089_6108.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLWWnwIPlUV2pjDYarzqiaSkqjQ-nQOkAlCrtwho3cyka1Dhc_a90NihI0ZT8K5J-QpQ80nkFN4Gw_gWhlPrg4GWUBFcdBhvMhQ6gYrX83TAurUv2P0nv9jmw3UCoZr7-BKDZ5-CdrprDa/s320/n34005279_30458089_6108.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074868832735435746" border="0"></a><font size="2">ISA night</font><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pn_Lbz0c4OiWYyPoYPvyJn8mK_ruHilFoL1YGYRZL23ePxKyLQePO_3L6p_QuELJuY-PW1rv3iuYAs6KqfkNVqMpckXkBNPVmLMBDeR_gQJjYUbkqHBcTnMP2TcIos4cB8LuzXxYy9HP/s1600-h/n34005279_30478129_2413.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pn_Lbz0c4OiWYyPoYPvyJn8mK_ruHilFoL1YGYRZL23ePxKyLQePO_3L6p_QuELJuY-PW1rv3iuYAs6KqfkNVqMpckXkBNPVmLMBDeR_gQJjYUbkqHBcTnMP2TcIos4cB8LuzXxYy9HP/s320/n34005279_30478129_2413.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074865658754603922" border="0"></a><font size="2">Basketball game at Knapp Center! Let's go Bulldogs!</font><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuG2uBYZssoT1jtArcGBzDZURODAeU1TxRbogTbs_NpmAbzFCbfasouNt7doakUVQwxc0trp7zLF6ecUM2X29MWHme_eocpEFDqnBjjtZ5hYnwBCrdx27vvOU2FMHGUCbWDke2bucMITW6/s1600-h/n34005279_30606312_633.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuG2uBYZssoT1jtArcGBzDZURODAeU1TxRbogTbs_NpmAbzFCbfasouNt7doakUVQwxc0trp7zLF6ecUM2X29MWHme_eocpEFDqnBjjtZ5hYnwBCrdx27vvOU2FMHGUCbWDke2bucMITW6/s320/n34005279_30606312_633.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074865663049571234" border="0"></a><font size="2">Yolanda, Marion, Andrea, and Muna in a basketball game</font><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9b67dbJ6jDZJN4H_Q10bnirNpoD55HD0pRozHG9xia_neWEYJ5SKrxOAcjd6rozaCQ7vdN0Y2iqida1xTde12ICcPM_HWFuZEe-6kHHvFk3-mQbnwaJzGn4cj8ekUVLP788KEqWnihS40/s1600-h/n34005279_30543388_4423.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9b67dbJ6jDZJN4H_Q10bnirNpoD55HD0pRozHG9xia_neWEYJ5SKrxOAcjd6rozaCQ7vdN0Y2iqida1xTde12ICcPM_HWFuZEe-6kHHvFk3-mQbnwaJzGn4cj8ekUVLP788KEqWnihS40/s320/n34005279_30543388_4423.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074865087523953538" border="0"></a><font size="2">At Carpenter bridge going for a floor dinner<br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ4S5x-H_673uD8AabjxirRK_IzZjy9jnHeg6lU0fA37_hKZFJj4DePajDlIPOcP69o2ShYhdpOBo3O7hbgtHr8GUqwbMTfgWZyhw49FnhBSLuqe_0SuB_3klHazFrtt2DGz9oYl-0IEB7/s1600-h/n34005279_30606263_230.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ4S5x-H_673uD8AabjxirRK_IzZjy9jnHeg6lU0fA37_hKZFJj4DePajDlIPOcP69o2ShYhdpOBo3O7hbgtHr8GUqwbMTfgWZyhw49FnhBSLuqe_0SuB_3klHazFrtt2DGz9oYl-0IEB7/s320/n34005279_30606263_230.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074864945790032754" border="0"></a><font size="2">With Shilpa, Daphne and Prudence playing with the snow</font><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJw8FF1R6dklGMICpDHUXjimgtRYsQN0nEhJx_OoO113L7aSEYsgeMeOPWeOCQv-Do4xE7KG1zD1orp_2PfeY5y2qdAPfpN_IZuw_oHGFzsGpxy-yQdGwbVXNiYIitU-lIA5JouGYh3lh/s1600-h/n34005279_30654337_6509.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJw8FF1R6dklGMICpDHUXjimgtRYsQN0nEhJx_OoO113L7aSEYsgeMeOPWeOCQv-Do4xE7KG1zD1orp_2PfeY5y2qdAPfpN_IZuw_oHGFzsGpxy-yQdGwbVXNiYIitU-lIA5JouGYh3lh/s320/n34005279_30654337_6509.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074864675207093074" border="0"></a><font size="2">With Spike</font><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikkGy6Qc12iCUvh7YP35NgxdFycVFOrmPc8s6mea3rORYnZZYNLceDF82WpaNtodwf3mfSxK-5OT1xgSkR6u1PO0_wt5aNMcPsrpDYFjHdfMp702O1oVJPeBVLJ7-qPTHK1njf0XRIcrgk/s1600-h/n34005279_30681325_344.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikkGy6Qc12iCUvh7YP35NgxdFycVFOrmPc8s6mea3rORYnZZYNLceDF82WpaNtodwf3mfSxK-5OT1xgSkR6u1PO0_wt5aNMcPsrpDYFjHdfMp702O1oVJPeBVLJ7-qPTHK1njf0XRIcrgk/s320/n34005279_30681325_344.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074864675207093090" border="0"></a><font size="2">Barack Obama in downtown Des Moines</font><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhosOROlHr4uqmc92WPCqB4bCfJzjw9YxGbVb1piYO6SyEChuAslhSdXhJFyqZMG9stQJctOitlJeHxyTsioJOlwlRNNeUdtlGGj1jirTIM5llVyECxzmXXXR5HKiBqNgSE7wovQeq6VzPr/s1600-h/n34005279_30652139_3763.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhosOROlHr4uqmc92WPCqB4bCfJzjw9YxGbVb1piYO6SyEChuAslhSdXhJFyqZMG9stQJctOitlJeHxyTsioJOlwlRNNeUdtlGGj1jirTIM5llVyECxzmXXXR5HKiBqNgSE7wovQeq6VzPr/s320/n34005279_30652139_3763.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074864378854349634" border="0"></a><font size="2">Going for the Red Hot Chili Peppers concert<br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3HpHpqwzvFzd7RzzMnhyphenhyphenioCNkgJZ8_nzvNaguVQVZnLMPxEEJYsCfMNf7SWHG-7bE1a_StFmNkgu0DpUxIHxyfX0nWA5fCYynxg6ZbyYHqERK4etl4JK57fqufeRYTTSvArJ2CrQcL0pX/s1600-h/n34005279_30664172_5969.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3HpHpqwzvFzd7RzzMnhyphenhyphenioCNkgJZ8_nzvNaguVQVZnLMPxEEJYsCfMNf7SWHG-7bE1a_StFmNkgu0DpUxIHxyfX0nWA5fCYynxg6ZbyYHqERK4etl4JK57fqufeRYTTSvArJ2CrQcL0pX/s320/n34005279_30664172_5969.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074864022372064034" border="0"></a><font size="2">ISA formal!!</font><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZDXbviSDkEIXDRuALP3FIPtOeLfzKD9keENEir24AHb9Lx4HmSxv53HdtMqTM6wP55Aflxt0-0QlNFPQnRnPxMAVSKVp65s37x-GOxYs5M4XD_Kn2Z3AruFDevH5GrHEX0ticAsnVj_w/s1600-h/n34005279_30744047_7343.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZDXbviSDkEIXDRuALP3FIPtOeLfzKD9keENEir24AHb9Lx4HmSxv53HdtMqTM6wP55Aflxt0-0QlNFPQnRnPxMAVSKVp65s37x-GOxYs5M4XD_Kn2Z3AruFDevH5GrHEX0ticAsnVj_w/s320/n34005279_30744047_7343.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074864022372064050" border="0"></a><font size="2">With Emrah, Miryam and a bulldog</font><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ4pQ9jjXWzhvmT1WOh3MF6OqmSz3a2Gft3a1V_sXDLA_jBcQ9tC2JOAev3Fxhyygx0l-c4SPjxJEPRQDLIM7-v_Jc8wxMZ2ygCRSQSc2d0jvCzvUtt9S4gqMUOeApGomxOwsXjfN14MCW/s1600-h/n34005279_30752897_9882.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ4pQ9jjXWzhvmT1WOh3MF6OqmSz3a2Gft3a1V_sXDLA_jBcQ9tC2JOAev3Fxhyygx0l-c4SPjxJEPRQDLIM7-v_Jc8wxMZ2ygCRSQSc2d0jvCzvUtt9S4gqMUOeApGomxOwsXjfN14MCW/s320/n34005279_30752897_9882.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074863846278404882" border="0"></a><font size="2">With Megan and Fiona at the foam party<br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitVmZllViwJgjMBWRRJvgX3196YSKFdEcVly00gQP6-MQxSVGTftBw9HoRmqVl2a1F7vYxnl4IKcma2VO7Q6lcsihlf2gq5ujx4croz6vlTtDhunPIQ9XttRHUaV-hieQn2NSuBA-VXmHr/s1600-h/n34005279_30789428_9076.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitVmZllViwJgjMBWRRJvgX3196YSKFdEcVly00gQP6-MQxSVGTftBw9HoRmqVl2a1F7vYxnl4IKcma2VO7Q6lcsihlf2gq5ujx4croz6vlTtDhunPIQ9XttRHUaV-hieQn2NSuBA-VXmHr/s320/n34005279_30789428_9076.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074863459731348226" border="0"></a><font size="2">With Laura at street painting</font><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Cu4xLG5jFOFUTp0pqmG1wmAdIzlzVJDvTx1RXxgqFbt8d79gxoF0mQnQkYtKXtfZuo1M6gL5-4QSA7k-30CYYKT9PVg25dqpo6pKfgbSaNRrcO1fpL0potVl9e73_opDCwIHU2QWfrGv/s1600-h/n34005279_30771085_5111.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Cu4xLG5jFOFUTp0pqmG1wmAdIzlzVJDvTx1RXxgqFbt8d79gxoF0mQnQkYtKXtfZuo1M6gL5-4QSA7k-30CYYKT9PVg25dqpo6pKfgbSaNRrcO1fpL0potVl9e73_opDCwIHU2QWfrGv/s320/n34005279_30771085_5111.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074863296522590962" border="0"></a><font size="2">Miryam's birthday at Mars Cafe</font><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwbiLjuPxEocMcvSnYn_tjrGebs579nYEfiWZtKOOtyDsMW8gWBnzWsofColmLZ5uVXEZFVMlaETE5y001DvwZ0ti4prlJF4inFkaPf7mNgmLOAf3rHDnRWiztf10hyphenhyphenf5oGG7_AcXndQbj/s1600-h/n34005279_30786911_4260.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwbiLjuPxEocMcvSnYn_tjrGebs579nYEfiWZtKOOtyDsMW8gWBnzWsofColmLZ5uVXEZFVMlaETE5y001DvwZ0ti4prlJF4inFkaPf7mNgmLOAf3rHDnRWiztf10hyphenhyphenf5oGG7_AcXndQbj/s320/n34005279_30786911_4260.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074862982989978338" border="0"></a><font size="2">Playing with refugees</font><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYN7ZEW3F9k2iBpM8Ic28qhc5UVpYz6V67DBfAi0Dk9fw6gZwVRqQKCwiYHBSET9C4Wf0tGahOdck2wCQ99OvJZ_G6L1WDUhvwemRzuJpfilmWETcM17gsxEeyWuT7ql-6ScCfUnH4Bqaf/s1600-h/n34005279_30811222_4556.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYN7ZEW3F9k2iBpM8Ic28qhc5UVpYz6V67DBfAi0Dk9fw6gZwVRqQKCwiYHBSET9C4Wf0tGahOdck2wCQ99OvJZ_G6L1WDUhvwemRzuJpfilmWETcM17gsxEeyWuT7ql-6ScCfUnH4Bqaf/s320/n34005279_30811222_4556.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074862579263052498" border="0"></a><font size="2">Next to the library</font><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2b2RsaxBJtRR9L4Rc2-M5Dt9P71pd1I7elpRPepT8XxfK1l492tX2DUaRmNoupM8be7So6biqrdu8fpX68vkjLnQLBHhFjqotBHflRClOlNrH2pTDn9hJCKCJuZLqeh8g1DVUJjgIVd6p/s1600-h/n34005279_30823627_7876.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2b2RsaxBJtRR9L4Rc2-M5Dt9P71pd1I7elpRPepT8XxfK1l492tX2DUaRmNoupM8be7So6biqrdu8fpX68vkjLnQLBHhFjqotBHflRClOlNrH2pTDn9hJCKCJuZLqeh8g1DVUJjgIVd6p/s320/n34005279_30823627_7876.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074862347334818434" border="0"></a><font size="2">Surprise goodbye dinner!! thank youu!<br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_SR1z141WqS_AjeMOTLrnbiFgZN-8aMIB98VEJ4xa5qI4fuBUtvp45qd4EVwLGKckGbxMHuMj684LM7o1fEJACZu3d-tDwu-xj_h-OMH2rKGSOvyg5gW8GxWB0vmMZhOSJC0a8npgj-x/s1600-h/n34005279_30830198_114.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_SR1z141WqS_AjeMOTLrnbiFgZN-8aMIB98VEJ4xa5qI4fuBUtvp45qd4EVwLGKckGbxMHuMj684LM7o1fEJACZu3d-tDwu-xj_h-OMH2rKGSOvyg5gW8GxWB0vmMZhOSJC0a8npgj-x/s320/n34005279_30830198_114.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074862351629785746" border="0"></a><font size="2">Las coffee at Mars Cafe<br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAgToFQgShUg6BXzuSs3AASxjv58dw1EC_XJS0WVs9V4r4Tje_IZ5hYLhJb_O2Dv3aevC5YQrRoBajkeWPmwI5JtOQbUnt4xJ79INPhcdi3BZJXOjUr9U5XgEncLI7c98bRtQ5U2oIZAEr/s1600-h/n34005279_30832916_7750.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAgToFQgShUg6BXzuSs3AASxjv58dw1EC_XJS0WVs9V4r4Tje_IZ5hYLhJb_O2Dv3aevC5YQrRoBajkeWPmwI5JtOQbUnt4xJ79INPhcdi3BZJXOjUr9U5XgEncLI7c98bRtQ5U2oIZAEr/s320/n34005279_30832916_7750.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074862351629785778" border="0"></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="2">With Emrah, Fiona, Miryam and Christen.<br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik07wrfbwm5P2X7n0crUp81c13KCU62kT8AKD5TPNxfhe2WFSWrmI2IeXiw81tYhCIqURUsiIImu8mXLkFDmYCCG2QCtRr48pHCZSoiEvvvmh-HPYsautwlttMNxvQwdUn1SBePqXtogPD/s1600-h/n34005279_30813933_5713.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik07wrfbwm5P2X7n0crUp81c13KCU62kT8AKD5TPNxfhe2WFSWrmI2IeXiw81tYhCIqURUsiIImu8mXLkFDmYCCG2QCtRr48pHCZSoiEvvvmh-HPYsautwlttMNxvQwdUn1SBePqXtogPD/s320/n34005279_30813933_5713.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074861917838088754" border="0"></a><font size="2">With Jason, Christy and Christen in Pella.<br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMWRrV3T91f6PCDnUqVXlPCXbNJHLaJZLnBL5d5mDZUftwQtzsQ6E5wgHJ6A8INaMyT1IS792HWyw6wKNMdAizhvSOruh3EpfvrBL7pCMgy8PJTBxAfX-DqRoR1vBAV7YAMgMinH5iBqi/s1600-h/n34005279_30816929_5317.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMWRrV3T91f6PCDnUqVXlPCXbNJHLaJZLnBL5d5mDZUftwQtzsQ6E5wgHJ6A8INaMyT1IS792HWyw6wKNMdAizhvSOruh3EpfvrBL7pCMgy8PJTBxAfX-DqRoR1vBAV7YAMgMinH5iBqi/s320/n34005279_30816929_5317.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074861922133056066" border="0"></a><font size="2">With Pooja, Angel and Isabelle in a party.</font><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIX_trsHKCFTBTbv3DsGYZfuu67gmYJxLj2yL2vEso5HplJ1JdHMzRGLzgi30hoxjhJ3v0NwWPCNVyHlivl_lipqsIIQCxze-AZnzJhU-1O89khzF3E8UQ9nIdXO-2V-n73RytNcqOSNIB/s1600-h/n34005279_30816942_5753.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIX_trsHKCFTBTbv3DsGYZfuu67gmYJxLj2yL2vEso5HplJ1JdHMzRGLzgi30hoxjhJ3v0NwWPCNVyHlivl_lipqsIIQCxze-AZnzJhU-1O89khzF3E8UQ9nIdXO-2V-n73RytNcqOSNIB/s320/n34005279_30816942_5753.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074861926428023378" border="0"></a><font size="2">With Fiona and Ling Ling at Carpenter Dorm.</font><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIVppNutfasqTGOhX3c6GBLuUg0FHpe4-ZXbpF4tptBBlfRhUzWva0Kqk7auUM1UBNyCF4Wy8vlXiDr1szm6aJSEVj94DDfzohacCo81dMYELCL4tSnwWXnF2UjrjPyOLTETcp1jCEpQU/s1600-h/n34005279_30816965_9933.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIVppNutfasqTGOhX3c6GBLuUg0FHpe4-ZXbpF4tptBBlfRhUzWva0Kqk7auUM1UBNyCF4Wy8vlXiDr1szm6aJSEVj94DDfzohacCo81dMYELCL4tSnwWXnF2UjrjPyOLTETcp1jCEpQU/s320/n34005279_30816965_9933.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074861926428023394" border="0"></a><font size="3">Spanish coffee with my DULAP students: Jasmine, Marisa and Sherly</font><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-TWUErSlE14d6zSg7DnOjRHx1a6ZPOvFec3YCGuQNUp3jiPCVl_dEjs8fHNWDehDVMYV62-y7hReaJhSAW185rA5mLK566kgVoq3juxakUC_qtVvS921VHg1IZAS2anYKZ4OcAZn8CXOZ/s1600-h/n34005279_30823597_3021.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-TWUErSlE14d6zSg7DnOjRHx1a6ZPOvFec3YCGuQNUp3jiPCVl_dEjs8fHNWDehDVMYV62-y7hReaJhSAW185rA5mLK566kgVoq3juxakUC_qtVvS921VHg1IZAS2anYKZ4OcAZn8CXOZ/s320/n34005279_30823597_3021.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074861926428023410" border="0"></a><font size="2">Last morning at Drake with an American flag signed by all my friends.</font><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8FNGwoTXRLFdHqq0ng12hGDnVfW7_uuHWQuZoQJaQhF9I3Udz5QCjJF8psgelXuCMlsX7_7SCraYuE6_ovecMo0cecOib9sRHB61eJDxuluh-yvum66g6cchlTcE_rLbwoETkRNBpGVdt/s1600-h/n34005279_30832978_3478.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8FNGwoTXRLFdHqq0ng12hGDnVfW7_uuHWQuZoQJaQhF9I3Udz5QCjJF8psgelXuCMlsX7_7SCraYuE6_ovecMo0cecOib9sRHB61eJDxuluh-yvum66g6cchlTcE_rLbwoETkRNBpGVdt/s320/n34005279_30832978_3478.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074862355924753090" border="0"></a></div>Rita Alvarezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986466040030717680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1066891674532640723.post-58916050402513222402007-06-11T09:59:00.000-07:002007-06-11T11:18:25.798-07:00Time fliesToday I was thinking while I was answering an email about how was my experience at Drake than just a few months ago I was <a href="http://www.choose.drake.edu/admissions/visit/virtual.asp">looking videos of Drake</a> and thinking how it was going to be. And now it's over.<br />I want to summarize why my experience was so good, and in the case that any international student is reading this blog you can do it to:<br />- Speak English all the time, don't worry about mistakes: when I arrived my pronunciation was terrible, <span style="font-style: italic;">awesome</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">picture</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">choir</span> were some of these words that nobody could understood!!<br />- Try to meet new people since the first day: I only knew one person at Drake when I arrived, but I tried to meet new people since the first day.<br />- If you have questions ask them or just send an email: everybody at Drake uses the email and they always answer you very fast.<br />- Be involve in all the activities you can: I try to take part in the International Students and Journalism School activities but I went to almost all the events on campus.<br />- Write for the university's newspaper or the magazine: you learn a lot, you meet new people, you take experience, you have some clips for your resume, etc.<br />- Go to class everyday: in Spain is not so common to go to all the classes, and it was hard to wake up to go to 8 a.m. classes! But there is so much participation in the class that when you miss one class, you miss a lot.<br />- Go to the professors office hours: I had problems with some classes, JMC 59, JMC 30 and JMC 119 specially, but professor Wright, Renkoski and Flansburg were always very helpful with me.<br />- Go to the library: I went to Cowles library a lot. I made good friends there, people there know a lot and always can help you finding books and material, we were almost the same group, we help each other, we took smalls breaks and coffee together, and they helped a lot at my nervous moments!!<br />- Go to all the events: don't be afraid, even if you are going alone, then you will find someone familiar there, or in the same situation as you are.<br />- Enjoy Relays: yes, it is crazy, the week before final exams and final papers. There are so many things going on! Relays, street painting, parade, foam party, fraternity parties, games, etc.<br />- Go to the International night and ISA Formal: the best events ever! They are organized by the International Student Association and there are people from all over the world. You learn a lot from other people and it is so much fun! Everybody is so excited and happy!<br />- Share your language and culture with DULAP: I was working teaching Spanish all the year and it was a great experience. I learn about American culture and students and I share my culture and language with them. I think it was a good idea to do it. Probably I will be a professor one day in the future.<br />- Work on campus: you meet more people, you earn some money (in my case to travel around the States)... I work for The Times-Delphic, at Lois Santi office, at this blog, for DULAP and with professor Priscila Piper.<br />- Travel around Iowa and the Unites States: I made a lot of weekend trips with friends from Drake and to visit other friends in other states. It was amazing. I have never traveled so much in all my life: Las Vegas, Chicago, Miami, New York, Maryland, Washington D.C., etc.<br />- Visit the International Center: you can ask them for international issues, visas, summer courses, study abroad, etc. I'm in China thanks to all Lauren Derebey help!!<br />- Live on campus: in my opinion it is better for the first year because you meet more people and you are very close to the buildings. I lived at Carpenter dorm and it was good. My roommate was from Zimbabwe and we are good friends now. Also I did activities with my RA, mine was Duhita and we did painting, cooking, bowling, snow fighting, lunch & dinners together, etc.<br />- Make international and American friends: don't be only with internationals! Americans are nice too, probably it's harder because of the language, culture and because they are at home, but you can have fun with them too.<br />- Go to the basketball games, American football, and tennis games: the basketball games were great, male and female games.<br />- Go to international restaurants next to Drake: specially El Rodeo and El Aguila Real, for me The Cheesecake Factory is international too.<br />- Volunteer with refugees on Tuesdays: I discovered it the last few weeks and it was great to spend time with these children. I miss them so much now!<br />- Visit The Des Moines Register newspaper and Juice magazine in downtown Des Moines.<br />- Go to musicals like the Phantom of the Opera and Mamma Mia at the Civic Center<br />- Go to see some presidential candidates as Obama in downtown...<br />- And more things that I don't remember now...Rita Alvarezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986466040030717680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1066891674532640723.post-40527240962244574212007-06-10T04:12:00.000-07:002007-06-10T04:15:22.446-07:00Pictures from BeijingI have made an album in Slide so you can see all the pictures I took during the trip with Drake. This is the first one, while we were in Beijing:<br /><div><embed src="http://widget-6e.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" quality="high" scale="noscale" salign="l" wmode="transparent" flashvars="site=widget-6e.slide.com&channel=144115188085345390&cy=be&il=1" name="flashticker" align="middle" height="300" width="700"></embed><div style="width: 700px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?ad=0&tt=0&sk=0&cy=be&amp;th=0&id=144115188085345390&map=1" target="_blank"><br /></a></div></div>Rita Alvarezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986466040030717680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1066891674532640723.post-87148526097076099042007-06-09T23:07:00.000-07:002007-06-09T23:23:29.953-07:00Exploring ShanghaiLast Tuesday I was afraid. When my friends left and I stayed alone in the middle of huge Shanghai. First time alone in an Asian country. I don't know Chinese and not everybody speaks English.<br />After being talking with my family and my professors, I decided to stay and wait until June 15, when I'm moving to Beijing to start a <a href="https://www.iesabroad.org/IES/Programs/China/Beijing_Summer/Language_Intensive/beijingSummerB.html">summer program with IES</a>.<br />After one week I can say that everything has worked. I have been busy working with pictures I took during the trip in China, I wrote a lot for my <a href="http://picassina.blogspot.com/">Spanish blog</a>, I worked on my intellectual journal and I explore Shanghai.<br />I went to the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center, I visited the Shanghai Art Museum, I walked a lot everyday, I visited some libraries, I'm reading an amazing book about women in China, I bought some American movies, I visited other Chinese gardens, I read a newspaper in English called "Shanghai Daily" and I wrote some postcards.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Shanghai Television tower</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVsJaOcvzaJJwZFtJOMTmF52yytwoAxdQoEKIbd4IU2RZaBbW2SrJ-hU_9PQUOboz2HH_Jp6pZnfi6w1Cfn-UpwDySQsXFrx8JYlg3pHqH8HisHPH1koJ-PRQiNQdZEGNhOIkbc7UbW9J/s1600-h/n34005279_30868643_4843.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVsJaOcvzaJJwZFtJOMTmF52yytwoAxdQoEKIbd4IU2RZaBbW2SrJ-hU_9PQUOboz2HH_Jp6pZnfi6w1Cfn-UpwDySQsXFrx8JYlg3pHqH8HisHPH1koJ-PRQiNQdZEGNhOIkbc7UbW9J/s320/n34005279_30868643_4843.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074315890055813586" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Shanghai Daily, Shanghai's newspaper written in English</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTkHKQXdH7PcHAsOUVZEkKXz8t52NURXgiHe7jkh71B7PKNl_LaIZe5aabNMRgfPNd-ohXBaTri7BgZ5Ct9NW9e3Qay8fppci3H-VEZ8atX2jyFCo89131o-wGPB5dmBFjN6K8SYDZKrOC/s1600-h/n34005279_30868644_5811.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTkHKQXdH7PcHAsOUVZEkKXz8t52NURXgiHe7jkh71B7PKNl_LaIZe5aabNMRgfPNd-ohXBaTri7BgZ5Ct9NW9e3Qay8fppci3H-VEZ8atX2jyFCo89131o-wGPB5dmBFjN6K8SYDZKrOC/s320/n34005279_30868644_5811.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074316255128033826" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">With Angel, a friend from Drake who is working in Shanghai</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6nwcS_77gEH439knEPocVT9vERDdR1Op0TNYNPUfR18yxWw9LeXQ-Sf13JItvKzkXkOGsLoYpTBUbfGuvB85CFAWxrRsIgCsOnN7jk8_jmQL_tQyzH1Ho4MrbbuFNywZ5-NbG_rjJ1QM7/s1600-h/n34005279_30870315_4277.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6nwcS_77gEH439knEPocVT9vERDdR1Op0TNYNPUfR18yxWw9LeXQ-Sf13JItvKzkXkOGsLoYpTBUbfGuvB85CFAWxrRsIgCsOnN7jk8_jmQL_tQyzH1Ho4MrbbuFNywZ5-NbG_rjJ1QM7/s320/n34005279_30870315_4277.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074315890055813602" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Some paintings from the Shanghai Art Museum</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDMoTKFXnO8n_H70fTZK19Knz2qTMxjPP5ruW2JtGEGK9biWvV0TN8_6q9C_LRA1HyFp3D3R6QXJeQSS952C9wTrl6RPInf1t3uADBig5PD-1ZEHqTYsM3ONWDVJo9z1IXW_2lNA6GrdWN/s1600-h/n34005279_30868781_6718.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDMoTKFXnO8n_H70fTZK19Knz2qTMxjPP5ruW2JtGEGK9biWvV0TN8_6q9C_LRA1HyFp3D3R6QXJeQSS952C9wTrl6RPInf1t3uADBig5PD-1ZEHqTYsM3ONWDVJo9z1IXW_2lNA6GrdWN/s320/n34005279_30868781_6718.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074315894350780930" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">With one of the mascots of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ9zyz41Mw6V38IGILE_DwFGjj5aAV_OBDThwTrJOjX-4zVUDWSfpaof_QsIdUs6CiqktY3a_51eVx44Q-X13eNbgcADvWWgog1TdXRTzsGqvZhSXib4NzW4nLNlrYu8fsgoxd79z6xn-h/s1600-h/n34005279_30870318_6859.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ9zyz41Mw6V38IGILE_DwFGjj5aAV_OBDThwTrJOjX-4zVUDWSfpaof_QsIdUs6CiqktY3a_51eVx44Q-X13eNbgcADvWWgog1TdXRTzsGqvZhSXib4NzW4nLNlrYu8fsgoxd79z6xn-h/s320/n34005279_30870318_6859.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5074315894350780946" border="0" /></a></div>Rita Alvarezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986466040030717680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1066891674532640723.post-44106038610894562452007-06-06T04:17:00.000-07:002007-06-06T07:09:12.737-07:00The seminar around Chinas has finished<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-9IrzELxaKJCtfqFdxvam68lPVyszoAvPu07_1mCQTLEueY0kyY5b2vXn8WTbPYAOFQCGT9s4gJQ2xWjXyUXGvbQFtjUEp5cDJukOxt4W8o_ExnLBLEfY4WB_XBtG99ecgTD587sLvZp8/s1600-h/Imagen+2.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-9IrzELxaKJCtfqFdxvam68lPVyszoAvPu07_1mCQTLEueY0kyY5b2vXn8WTbPYAOFQCGT9s4gJQ2xWjXyUXGvbQFtjUEp5cDJukOxt4W8o_ExnLBLEfY4WB_XBtG99ecgTD587sLvZp8/s320/Imagen+2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072911036318063042" border="0" /></a>On Tuesday the travel seminar around China finished. The group of professors and students went back to Iowa and I am staying in Shanghai for 10 days until my program with IES starts in Beijing & Chengde.<br />The trip was amazing, the 23 days were very fast and I meet another group of very nice Americans. I hope I can see them around Drake in August or they came to visit me in Spain one day.<br />In my opinion, the most beautiful places we have visited during this trip were Lhasa and Tibet. It was amazing the Potala Palace, a temple that we went to visit and the highest lake in the world.<br />I also enjoyed the Shaolin Temple, the Confucius Temple, the Longmen Rock Carving, the White Horse Temple and historical places in Beijing.<br />Now I am in Shanghai exploring the city by myself. One friend from Drake is also in this city doing an internship and hopefully I will meet with her tomorrow.Rita Alvarezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986466040030717680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1066891674532640723.post-85869955139445295652007-06-02T09:54:00.000-07:002007-06-02T10:28:30.296-07:00Hello from ShanghaiWe are in Shanghai. The last few days we were in Chongqing, most of the days we have lectures about Chinese Arts, the silk road, Chinese Traditional Medical Science, Chinese History and Chinese Religion and Beliefs. The ones that I like the most were the lectures about arts and architecture.<br />Today we had some classes in the morning and in the afternoon we took a plane to Shanghai. After checking in at the hotel we met with a Chinese journalist and we were talking about Chinese media and differences with American media. Later I went to explore a little of Shanghai, the streets next to our hotel.<br />Now I am going to bed because I am very tired and tomorrow we are going to see the gardens in Suzhou.Rita Alvarezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986466040030717680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1066891674532640723.post-52509019517964370092007-06-01T05:42:00.000-07:002007-06-01T06:07:49.215-07:00The trip is almost overIn the past few days a lot of things have happened. We went to see the pandas in Chengdu and they were so cute and then we went to one of the best places in the world, Tibet. The landscape was beautiful, we visit some temples, the Potala Palace and we visited a lake, the highest in the world.<br />Everything was great until my mum phoned me from Spain telling me some bad news. My grandfather went into coma. Then we took a plane to Chongching and after checking in the hotel, some friends and I decided to watch a movie. After just 20 minutes, my mother phoned me again with worst news, my grandfather died.<br />I tried to find a plane to go to Spain but the trip included three stops before my arrival in Spain and I will not arrive until Saturday, so I would miss his funeral today. Finally I decided not to go and stay here learning more things with this program and the next one. His dream was to give me the education that he didn't have and to be in my graduation next year in Madrid. He is not going to be there in person, but he is going to be with me always.<br />I grew up with him. He was the best grandfather ever. We travel together, we played ludo, we sang traditional Spanish songs together, we took care of his cows and horse, we enjoyed my grandmother's food, we watched soccer games on television, we went to the bar on Sunday with his friends, we talked on Skype wearing cowboys hats and the best, he asked for hugs and kisses all the time. Probably the most important thing that I have learned from him was his love to our family. My grandparents were together for almost 50 years.Rita Alvarezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986466040030717680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1066891674532640723.post-71657836051215764592007-05-26T08:21:00.000-07:002007-05-26T08:37:39.732-07:00China is greatMore than 10 days in China and I just have to say good things about this country. I am really tired because in this trip we don't stop one moment. We go from one city to other, by bus, by train and by plane. We visited museums, families, farms, monuments, we have some lectures and we visit some cultural resources.<br />So far we have been in Beijing, Luoyang, Tai'an, Tianjin and now we are in Chengdu. Tomorrow we are going to see the Pandas and in the afternoon we are going to fly to Lhasa and we are going to visit Tibet.<br />In total we are 21 students, 3 Drake professors and other two adults, and a Chinese guide and a city guide are always with us. Sometimes is hard because not everybody speaks English, so they have to translate things and explain to us the things. This is a picture of our group with Miron, our Chinese guide who is seating next to me.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2WKeKoroKZp5EfQNcFthu3fWNa7UVNNCJoMDDMY_zJRnqZHhj-UwK6feMcqVyvAYoShngaa3v7ux4fKHEVDy4zmcFR2p82I5atM16RmNbmS-32LXxvFVSYCUihY1JN64kIo0GQ8xT7CF-/s1600-h/IMG_0121.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2WKeKoroKZp5EfQNcFthu3fWNa7UVNNCJoMDDMY_zJRnqZHhj-UwK6feMcqVyvAYoShngaa3v7ux4fKHEVDy4zmcFR2p82I5atM16RmNbmS-32LXxvFVSYCUihY1JN64kIo0GQ8xT7CF-/s320/IMG_0121.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5068891120325626050" border="0" /></a>One thing that have surprised me a lot is the food. I really like Chinese food, probably more than American food. We eat always together, we seat in three tables and the plates full of delicious food are in the middle as you can see in this picture of my table. Normally we never finished the food but this time was a special dinner and we did.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvEUQWs5-M7Ck_7Pz3LMH04zB2OMmV-VNnxUMLoQBwpvy7XdbmTlXvZqKigErxGd_Qy3SWmokdCPhvimHTBXu7wuefEP8na2xzvVlj8mEBbi0oIrQCubrFT6lEgh4X1Et9wSxBeW_T7INx/s1600-h/IMG_0011.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvEUQWs5-M7Ck_7Pz3LMH04zB2OMmV-VNnxUMLoQBwpvy7XdbmTlXvZqKigErxGd_Qy3SWmokdCPhvimHTBXu7wuefEP8na2xzvVlj8mEBbi0oIrQCubrFT6lEgh4X1Et9wSxBeW_T7INx/s320/IMG_0011.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5068891094555822258" border="0" /></a>I love taking pictures and in this trip I have taken so many! More than 1,000 already! And I am going to be in China for another 2 months and a half. But everyday we do so many different things. I really like taking pictures of Chinese people, as you can see in the next picture, there are two Chinese pictures that we met while we were visiting the White Horse Temple.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFSIpCXjzXpH2uecssvBI2eFv8L_P67mBb1-x0-PJ0Oyr2oKhQ-mOmr2gBzRzS1VE4x9wnvp7qhDC1286fR7nIya2FVEfuHjgdKGURvtRQ7Z5xO601LbhsR6JohtHNQheVgWbYzD1rhpyk/s1600-h/IMG_0282.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFSIpCXjzXpH2uecssvBI2eFv8L_P67mBb1-x0-PJ0Oyr2oKhQ-mOmr2gBzRzS1VE4x9wnvp7qhDC1286fR7nIya2FVEfuHjgdKGURvtRQ7Z5xO601LbhsR6JohtHNQheVgWbYzD1rhpyk/s320/IMG_0282.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5068891150390397138" border="0" /></a>That's all for today. Not it is 11.30 p.m. and Rita is going to bed because tomorrow we have to be ready by 8 a.m. at the hotel's lobby to see the pandas while they are eating breakfast. I am writing from a Starbucks in the city center of Chengdu, just in front of our hotel!! So lucky to have access after so many days without service.Rita Alvarezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986466040030717680noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1066891674532640723.post-85439588967526665972007-05-23T08:21:00.000-07:002007-05-23T08:36:53.991-07:00Sorry<div align="left">Hi everybody! I'm alive. I travel from one city to other and I don't have access to Internet everyday so it is kind of hard to upload pictures from the trip.<br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:85%;">Big Buda</span><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067777671528974482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjF891dfmd7t8SZ9KEoiU7yQFTuIXg3R6Ldpd0MGcGN6gSE6aqfFAym5U7W5NebIaqpUFiXhBcX1mMnBAwYd-_G3co8hbWi6FmGBiMi6rvmtHPvKc4YRAZ3h3AS_gD8eWv6h5yk7DNbSav/s320/buda.jpg" border="0" />I will try to tell you more things soon!Rita Alvarezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986466040030717680noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1066891674532640723.post-58652034252431547342007-05-18T17:21:00.000-07:002007-05-18T17:30:51.001-07:00First days in BeijingThe first days in Beijing have been great! We visited the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square, the Great Wall and three factories. Now we are in Tianjen, yesterday we visited two traditional Chinese families and today we are going to a museum and to talk with a professor about the research he has been doing.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">This is a picture of all the group in Tiananmen Square:</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrRz3vmi6wfhAi2DjbQpiGxCuVGWoqxw0BK9KJCQESbptDyKEx2pT4lxXXDOtdRo2vH6xlnM2RSZG4K1kVxbBVUjE_BvB-RGRDXc-cUWMhN7x8oC3u4d6iN1ZGuUBer2MxWC8NU0ELOCjq/s1600-h/todos.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrRz3vmi6wfhAi2DjbQpiGxCuVGWoqxw0BK9KJCQESbptDyKEx2pT4lxXXDOtdRo2vH6xlnM2RSZG4K1kVxbBVUjE_BvB-RGRDXc-cUWMhN7x8oC3u4d6iN1ZGuUBer2MxWC8NU0ELOCjq/s320/todos.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5066060560783902802" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Inside the The Temple of Heaven</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7GeTXpOj-5Ye1wh64ncP0iPLwXbwPjFy_PSk5vfOeh4ggONOu1tRhEmyCqRsMfI_iDceSpM9J7sdMXHZRHp0CirG9BbqNKINhZX8apMDvCKA9YH1dEmiXnl6fEIqqhbqU9fA-gPRgJZfP/s1600-h/IMG_0336.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7GeTXpOj-5Ye1wh64ncP0iPLwXbwPjFy_PSk5vfOeh4ggONOu1tRhEmyCqRsMfI_iDceSpM9J7sdMXHZRHp0CirG9BbqNKINhZX8apMDvCKA9YH1dEmiXnl6fEIqqhbqU9fA-gPRgJZfP/s320/IMG_0336.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5066062244411082850" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">In the Great Wall</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP1icXAR8vxSYNW7BfiebqmhgvAJPMRriOBoAV0yPrf2Hb3TZp-hzm2pGwx9lBZhzcPcy0Kumljtx9VyLH0TBu0bKsHxyHQPYh0lJPe3zTNItJYZ6OgUmE2SH-SVp7bTf831zmys89EwHm/s1600-h/IMG_0521.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP1icXAR8vxSYNW7BfiebqmhgvAJPMRriOBoAV0yPrf2Hb3TZp-hzm2pGwx9lBZhzcPcy0Kumljtx9VyLH0TBu0bKsHxyHQPYh0lJPe3zTNItJYZ6OgUmE2SH-SVp7bTf831zmys89EwHm/s320/IMG_0521.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5066062253001017458" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">The Great Wall</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1INA9FiHukkT2Ug5ZELAPFmKWpDqzby42khloDTsVznYX6L_NHfx2L43AOkLvhnxpvQzuba7yJw01qoszDVj8kHxn9Zc8hz-TZJFRmX2kHsSG6Hb9zOEo2d-fR3hz6G6pD-xlhWvZsxv5/s1600-h/IMG_0540.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1INA9FiHukkT2Ug5ZELAPFmKWpDqzby42khloDTsVznYX6L_NHfx2L43AOkLvhnxpvQzuba7yJw01qoszDVj8kHxn9Zc8hz-TZJFRmX2kHsSG6Hb9zOEo2d-fR3hz6G6pD-xlhWvZsxv5/s320/IMG_0540.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5066062265885919362" border="0" /></a>Rita Alvarezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13986466040030717680noreply@blogger.com0