About

My name is Tom Nailor, and I’m a rising Senior at Providence College. This past year I was lucky enough to travel to England to study abroad at Oxford University. While there, I did quite a bit of traveling across Europe, including Turkey, Italy, Greece, France, and Ireland, as well as England itself–while traveling so much, I really developed a taste for it, and when I was offered the opportunity to participate in a summer study-abroad program through Providence College, this time to travel to China, I leaped at the chance. This blog will chronicle my trip, including photos, videos, stories, and (hopefully!) some lessons for people who would like to travel to China in the future!

My blog’s title may seem odd at first glance, but I think it really says something about what I want to get out of this trip. So much of what I, and many of us, know about China is stereotypes–the bearded sage, the Chinese dragon, rickshaw drivers, kung-fu movies, and of course, the ever recognizable Chinese food take-out box: General Tso’s Chicken, Pork Chow-Mein, and Crab Rangoons, are all staples of an American Chinese food Restaurant, ordered by so many of us over so many years.

But what is China really like? It has a long, complex history, and is a country that seems to be ever-changing. I am hoping in my travels, to see some of what China really is like–to look at where the country has been so to speak, and to see where it is going. Along the way, I’ll be seeing many of China’s most famous sights, taking a 2 week Introductory Mandarin Course at a Chinese University, and trying my best to soak up as much of the country as I can. Most of all, I am hoping to meet and have real conversations with Chinese natives, and other visitors, to listen to their stories and see how they think of their country. And, perhaps what I am most looking forward to experiencing, the food!

So, I hope that you will enjoy reading stories from my travels, getting a chance to look at some photos and videos taken across China, and seeing just how much I learn about the country’s history, it’s culture, it’s people, and it’s cuisine. I will be doing my best to update a few times a week, and I hope that if you’re reading this, you’ll be able to find the time to read about my experience.

-Tom-