CHINA
One in five people in the world today lives in China. It is a country whose history and civilization stretch back thousands of years, a country boasting regions as diverse as the country is grand. A large proportion of the population still lives in the countryside, mainly relying on traditional methods to cultivate tea, rice and cotton, but the number of city dwellers is steadily rising.
Spending a year living with a Chinese family, mastering the intricacies of the language, and gaining enhanced sensitivity to the national culture, will help pave the way for a successful understanding of one of the world’s oldest and most impressive civilizations.
By choosing to spend an ASSE exchange year in China, you are stepping into a new world. The language is totally different and the writing an art in itself. Say goodbye to knives and forks, as chopsticks become your means to sampling new and tasty Chinese dishes served in small bowls. Discover that even the daily chore of grocery shopping becomes an amazing adventure when small market stalls jam-packed with interesting wares replace large supermarkets, and where handlers haggle for the best prices. Attend a Chinese high school, and learn the importance of education in a country where only those who graduate have what it takes to compete in the expanding economy. Most importantly, experience life amongst a people who nurture close family relations, loyalty and a dependency on one another, mostly unknown in the western world.
