Learning in Beijing: A Personal Account

Taking time off from my job and life in the United Kingdom to study and travel in China was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. Starting in Beijing with beginner's Chinese courses and then travelling south from there, I've been fortunate enough to make life-long friendships whilst discovering many wonderful things about life in China.

It all began with some Chinese flatmates that I had several years ago. They had been studyingat an English course Brighton to improve their English and also to experience the party atmosphere of living in Brighton. They thought that taking an English course England was the only way to really improve their English, and convinced me of the benefits of learning in a native-speaking environment.

I never lost contact with them, even though one went on to study at an English course New Zealand and then strangely enough a German course Switzerland, and the other returned to China to get married and settle down with a family. It was only when I heard that the more jet-setting of the two had returned to her hometown of Kunming that I decided spur-of-the-moment to visit them.

But first, that's right, it was off to Beijing for a Chinese class. It was, admittedly, a far cry from the French course France I had attended in high school, but maybe that's also because I was older and wiser! I enjoyed my studies and am still continuing to learn Chinese now that I'm back home. As for the highlights of the trip ?well, it's pretty hard to beat an afternoon of flying kites in Tiananmen Square or travelling around Yunnan province to the reputed Shangri-La, the beautiful Lijiang, and the tranquil Lugu Lake. I'm also glad to have had the opportunity to meet with my friends again!