Eight Must-Have Applications When in China

We all use our smartphones daily and presumably this will be true if you travel to China as well.  There are some applications on your smartphone that you will use frequently in China, and some that you will discover are actually a necessity.  We get into routines and comfortable with applications’ functions, and I had an initial discomfort of learning a number of new apps, but later discovered their great value.

Here are eight apps that you should download and use when in China:

1. WeChat

WeChat is a free application that you will use every single day in China.  It is used for messaging, calling, and even has a social media aspect. It is akin to any other messaging app, with audio and messaging, built-in emojis, and group chat functionality.  I found WeChat to be extremely useful when I was in China, as I was to able to message my friends and even pay for items at stores or at street vendors through the app with QR code technology.  If you have a Chinese bank account, simply link your card to the app and you are ready to easily shop!

2. DiDi

DiDi is the Uber of China.  It is super convenient to order a ride if you do not want to take a taxi or there are no taxis around you.  I found that riding with DiDi was a little better than taxis, since taxis are metered and often more expensive.  The user interface is very similar to Uber, as you can also split rides with other users. Also be prepared to almost always speak to the driver on the phone, the driver will call you to ensure your location and pickup, so be prepared to speak Chinese!  You can alternatively message the driver through the app to ensure a proper pickup and even pay the driver in cash if you prefer to.

3. Ofo & Mobike

Both Ofo and Mobike are very convenient bicycle-sharing applications.  In China, I would walk on the sidewalk, find an Ofo or Mobike, scan the QR code with my phone, and then the bike unlocked and I was ready to ride!  Within the app, there are the fees for riding, but they are very cheap prices, most of the time around fifteen cents for each ride! Of course, you want to be cautious when riding bicycles especially in a foreign country.  In major cities, there are separate bike lanes in the street going in the same direction, but you have to always be cautious of other bikes, mopeds, and bicycles sharing the same lane.

4. Taobao

Taobao is the perfect application for all of your shopping needs.  You can practically find any item that you desire on Taobao, which is also a website.  I have used Taobao to purchase cheap clothing, shoes, and accessories in the past, and the items were shipped right to me!  You can easily have items shipped to any location in China, including your school or university shipping center. It is the best site in China for cheap, online shopping, and you can always find great deals.  However, this may not be the best idea for buying gifts for others, as it depends on what it is you are buying.

5. Ctrip

If you are planning on travelling within China, Ctrip is the application for your travel needs.  Through the app, I compared flight prices from one city to another and purchased my flight tickets.  Through Ctrip, you can also book bus tickets and even hotels. Ctrip is very convenient for purchasing your tickets, and they are usually the cheapest prices out there!

6. Amap

If you are looking for more local commuting routes and updates, consider Amap you Apple or Google Maps.  Well, in China you will most definitely need to find your way to your destination, and Amap is the perfect solution.  With basic functions just like Google maps, you will never get lost if you use this app. I used this app every day in China, as it is also great for providing locations, authentic reviews, and recommendations, in addition to directions.

7. Xiami

Want to listen to music in China?  Xiami is the best application for listening to music and watching music videos.  Think of it as Youtube, along with the functions of Spotify. I love this app because I was able to listen to my favorite English-speaking artists, but also discover new and amazing Chinese artists!

8. Pleco

When in China, you will want to practice your Mandarin.  Pleco is an amazing application for learning new Chinese words, with a focus on self-learning.  You can simply type in an English word, and learn the Chinese character, stroke order of the character, related words, and even sentences using the word!  Additional capabilities include being able to bookmark words you want to save for later, and a built-history that allows you to look back at previous words.  I found this app to be extremely helpful for a daily practice of Chinese and I could even translate from Chinese to English too!

I can say that with the usage of all these applications, my life in China became much easier.  In some ways, it was even easier than life in America, as I was fascinated by the widespread use of QR code technology.  I was amazed at how easier and faster it made daily activities, such as paying for items at checkout and grabbing an Ofo or Mobike.  

For me, there was not a huge adjustment to using these apps, since they all have equivalents that would be used in America for example.  To this day, I still use WeChat and Pleco in America. I love to keep in touch with my friends in China through WeChat and practice Mandarin even more with Pleco.  These are not all of the applications you will find yourself downloading in China, but these are eight essentials, making for an easy transition to life in China!

Interested in learning more about life in China? Check out my Five Customs You Should Know When in Public in China!

Five Tips For Proper Etiquette with Chopsticks in China

During your first meal in China, you will realize that the main utensil used during meals is chopsticks. When I first moved to China, it was the first time I ever used chopsticks in my life.

The use of chopsticks requires proper etiquette, and when you pick up your chopsticks, you join in a cultural experience. It’s important to go into your dining experiences in China with some knowledge about to have good manners the chopsticks.

Here are five tips for using chopsticks in China:

1. One important piece of etiquette when using chopsticks is to never knock any dishes such as plates and bowls with your chopsticks.  In Chinese culture, the meaning of hitting your dishes with chopsticks traces to beggars and homeless. This is viewed as negative and rude at the dinner table.  If Chinese children do this, they will be scolded by their parents or not allowed to eat.

2. When you are eating food with chopsticks, especially with rice, do not stick your chopsticks into your food or rice. This is seen as a curse in Chinese culture. This is taboo and said to bring bad luck because it reminds people of the incense used a funeral. Out of respect, you especially do not want to do this as a guest in someone else’s home. Instead, simply lie your chopsticks together and flat across your plate or bowl.

3. Whenever you are out to a meal with family or friends, and you want to hand someone else chopsticks, you want to double check the chopsticks: make sure the two chopsticks are equal in length, same colors, and same materials.  This is a sign of respect and table manners at the dinner table.

4. It viewed as very rude in Chinese culture to point at people with chopsticks.  This is similar to the rude action of pointing to a person or something with one finger in China.  To avoid this, keep your chopsticks relatively low to the table when picking up and eating food.

5. When eating a meal and perhaps being indecisive, you cannot use chopsticks to pick up food randomly that you do not intend to eat.  In other words, you cannot pick up a piece of food from a shared plate and then put it back down. If you touch the food, you must follow through with it!

Eating with chopsticks may be something different and out of your comfort zone, but it is not a difficult feat with practice.  As long as you are aware of the etiquette involving chopsticks, you will be ready to properly and politely feast on delicious Chinese food!

Want to learn more about Chinese people and culture? Check out my blog on Five Important Tips When Meeting People in China!

Three Unknown Phenomenons You Should Know About Chinese New Year

The Chinese zodiac cycles every 12 years with 12 animals, and every year, a new animal starts the Chinese New Year. You can also call Chinese New Year “Spring Festival”, as it marks the beginning of the new year and the beginning of Spring in the traditional Chinese calendar.  

Spring Festival is the most important and popular festival in China. It is a time of year for people in China to mark a new year with traditional celebrations and engage in cultural activities with family.

These are 3 phenomenons you may not have known about Chinese New Year.

1. Enjoy a Large Meal

During Spring Festival, Chinese people get together and have a large dinner on the eve of the Lunar New Year.  Before the festivities actually begin, during the evening before, called Spring Festival Eve, you will see many people set off fireworks and firecrackers.  

This is done with the hope of casting away any bad luck and to bring good luck for the new lunar year. Food items on the menu include dumplings (for most of Northern China) and rice dumplings, these are some of the most traditional foods.  In preparation for this important event, Chinese people usually clean and decorate their houses before Spring Festival.

2. Decorate Accordingly

For Spring Festival, people in China will put New Year paintings on the wall, post poetic verses, like Spring Festival couplets, and decorate with red lanterns.  Traditionally, the color red in China symbolizes success and harmony, which is why there are numerous red decorations during Spring Festival.

In addition, people will place paper-cuttings on main doors or windows for good fortune and prosperities.  The last day of the Spring Festival is called the Lantern Festival. People in China will usually go to parks to see beautiful displays of lanterns, of which there are different stories for each of the lanterns. They play an important part in the traditional celebration of the last day of Spring Festival to bring good luck next year.

3. Exchange Gifts

Chinese New Year lasts for 15 days!  It is an important time for family to be together, give gifts, and send warm greetings to each other.  

A common practice is for children to receive money from their parents and relatives. This money is typically given in a red packet and is meant to symbolize good luck and protection.  It is also very common for children (and some adults) to wear new clothes that they receive as gifts on the first day of Spring Festival.

Chinese New Year is a special time of year for those in China.  It is a time for a fresh start and a happy time to relax and be in the company of family.  Each family may celebrate a bit differently, but there are commonalities throughout China. The most important common thread is to spend and enjoy time with your loved ones.

Curious to learn more about China and how my experience with EdOdyssey changed me? Check out How Chinese Food in China Changed Me Forever!

Four Tips For Embracing The Language Learning Journey

When you hear the phrase “language learning”, how many of you think about your past language classes? Have you ever judged your own ability to speak or learn another language based on your grades in those classes?  

I ask you those questions because I can relate to it. In college, I dropped out of a low intermediate class due a high likelihood that I’d fail the course. Nonetheless, I moved to Spain with beginner Spanish and that's when I started to learn to love how I learned Spanish. I listened to fun music in the language, used language learning applications and also searched for information surrounding my interests to enforce grammar and vocabulary learned in class abroad. 

If you’re taking a short trip, or if you’re going to study abroad, you’ll enjoy preparing and practicing your language learning skills ahead of time in a way that's fun for you.   

These are our four tips to embrace your own language learning journey:

1. Listening is Crucial!

The first part of your language-learning journey starts with taking some time to embrace the sounds and the new language. At first, you might feel like the words and phrases are bouncing off you and that’s normal when you start listening to another language!

If you’ve taken language classes in the past, fantastic! You already have some tools in the toolbox, but the biggest part of the journey involves listening because it’s the majority of what we do as human beings.

We actually spend more time during our lives listening than writing, reading, or speaking. According to the University of Missouri, we spend 45% of our lives listening as opposed to 30% speaking, 9% writing and 16% reading. Isn’t that amazing?

2. Find Your Music In Your New Language

To take your listening to the next level, you have to find some good music in your new language. Everyone has their favorite genre of music, and chances are that your music exists in another language! You’ll love the process of language learning if you find songs and artists that grab your attention.

If you search the genre and the name of the language then you’ll be surprised what you find, and don’t be discouraged if the music or song is fast! As you listen to the song more, you’ll go from hearing mainly noise and catching a word or two to understanding phrases and eventually understanding the entire song.

There’s a website called LyricsTraining that allows you to listen to a beginner, intermediate or advanced song that allows you to type the lyrics as you hear them. It was one of my favorite tools when I started learning Spanish!

3. Focus On Your Interests

Beyond only music, you’ll widen your vocabulary in your new language if search for your interests in another language. One of the easiest ways to start embracing a new language is consume content in the target language. If you like sports, you can watch games in the language (if possible), search for news articles or social media posts in the language.

You can find this information easier than you think! For example, on social media, if you search hashtags in the other language then you’ll find a lot of content in the language. 

4. Incorporate Language-Learning Apps Into Your Routine

Free language applications like Duolingo provide a fun, interactive way to track and build your foundation in the target language. They help you start to focus on making the correct sounds and mastering your pronunciation during your free time. Although they start with some basic phrases and vocabulary, they help you master the fundamentals of the language that you can start to use and incorporate.

In the end, we have to integrate our interests and our learning style into our language learning journey. Luckily, we have the internet which has given us more tools than ever to have access to materials in other languages. We also have more access than ever to hear more about experiences surrounding language learning.

Are you interesting in taking your language to the next level before you go abroad? You should definitely check out Consumer Advocate's extensive breakdown of language learning materials here to see which one might fit your needs! 

Three Reasons Why Travel Empowers Women

Guest Feature by Kristen Richards

When you’re standing in the airport, passport in-hand, and ready to embark on a journey abroad, under all the excitement and anticipation are often nerves.

It’s little stressful for just about anyone to take off to a new place and be away from all that’s familiar, but this is especially true for women. But walk right into that discomfort, because there’s a whole new world on the other side.

These are my three reasons why traveling abroad empowers women:

1. There’s Time for Solace

At home, it’s so easy to get roped into a daily routine. Whether you’re working, going to school, or both, it’s hard to juggle all of those commitments, let alone find time for yourself.

I think especially as women, we not only get swept up in our daily routines, but often we try to take care of friends and loved ones around us.  And in doing so, we can lose sight of ourselves.

Aside from having time to experience a new culture and discover a new place, one of the beautiful things about going abroad is you have ample moments to sit back and watch the world go by.

When I had the opportunity to study in Pau, France, one of my favorite things to do was grab my music and take a run down by one of the major rivers in the city. Not only did it help me feel like more of a local, but when I would finish my miles, I would pause my music, close my eyes, and listen to the water rumble.

Having moments for myself were not only enriching, but when I got home I made a point to take that time for me.

2. Strengthen Your Self-Confidence

I think when women talk about wanting to travel or study abroad, it can often be met with others’ anxiety and nerves. In this person’s mind they are only looking out for your personal safety. But while they have no ill-intent, hearing their  fears over and over can be discouraging.

I was nervous when I left for Pau. I barely spoke any French, I had never been away from home for that long, and I had never travelled alone. However, I found that not only was I surrounded by others who were excited to see the world, but many of them like myself were nervous.

With each coffee order, bus ride, and weekend trip, I started to show myself that I could do it. I began to realize that I came to a new country, I was learning a new language, and I was planning and executing successful trips for myself, even though I was away from all that was familiar.

I am certainly not advocating throwing caution to the wind - one should always be aware of their surroundings whether abroad or home - but the trips I was able to take with my female friends were among the best. Helping each other through inevitable mishaps because things didn’t go as planned not only helped us learn we could rely on each other, but ultimately that we could rely on ourselves.

Whether you take a short trip abroad or study abroad, you see that these experiences bring curious and adventurous individuals together which not only makes for great memories but life-long friends

3. You Face and Conquer Challenges Along the Way

Even the best laid plans are going to change. It’s going to rain when it was supposed to be sunny. The bus is going to arrive late. The museum you wanted to go to has a four-hour wait. Unforeseen mishaps are going to happen. And that’s okay.

Travel is going to teach you to roll with what’s happening even when you’re out of your element.

Ultimately, whether you were finally able to order your coffee correctly or come up with a new plan on the fly after a booking cancellation, you’ll prove to yourself time and time again that you can do whatever life throws at you. And that’s something you’ll always carry with you.

There’s endless amounts of opportunities to explore and there’s no better time than now. My travels and long-term study abroad experience have not only allowed me to discover other countries and cultures, but have taught me about myself and ultimately made me a better, more confident woman at home and abroad.

Ready to take that next step? Start planning your program with EdOdyssey today!

5 Customs You Should Know When in Public in China

Once you are in China and adventure out into the public, there are certain cultural differences that you should keep in mind.  As you go out to restaurants, for example, there are tricky nuances that can be a little different from the states. However, the truth is that everything that you experience will  be new to you in one way or another and it’s important to your time abroad as a learning experience.

I found these eye-opening moments to be especially true during my trip to China.  After learning from my experiences and asking the right questions, I have a much better idea of what one should expect when being in public and traveling to China.

These are my five customs that you should know when you’re in public while you’re in China:

1. Tea Etiquette

You may find yourself having tea in a restaurant or in someone’s home, and you always want to follow proper tea etiquette.  If someone offers you tea, you do not want to reject it.

When you with others, if their tea cup is empty or running low on tea, you want to fill their cup all the way to the very top for them.  I learned this lesson when one of my friend’s after dinner told me that I should have filled our host’s cup of tea when it was empty, and from now on, I do this at any meal in China.  

It can be very impolite to not fill the cup all the way, as it is a sign of respect since you are a guest.  If your cup is running low but you would not like any more tea, it is acceptable to politely ask that you would not like any more tea if someone wants to refill your cup.

2. Do not tip

The practice of tipping varies from every country, and in China it does not exist.  It may seem normal to tip waiters and waitresses at restaurants or cab drivers in your culture, but you do not have to in China.  In fact, any type of service worker may be offended by your tip, as it perceived as pity and suggesting that they need extra money.  

I did not know this before arriving in China, and one time when the bill came, I was calculating the tip, and my friend said, “what tip?”.  This took some getting used to, but it is a part of the culture to adapt to.

I’m on a cable car going over a river in Chongqing!

3. Crowded spaces

Soon after you arrive in China and use the super-convenient subways in major cities, you will realize that there are a lot of crowded public spaces in China.  This is not something to worry about, since navigating and using public transportation is super easy in China.

While you should never touch others in China, the one exception is perhaps riding on the subway and waiting in huge lines.  You have to get used to people around you pushing and shoving a little. I experienced this in Shanghai, as the only way for me to get off at my subway stop was nudging my way through the crowd.

4. Do not point with one finger

This custom may seem random or strange, but it is true in Chinese culture.  You want to make sure that you are never pointing at anything or anyone with one finger.  

I learned my lesson first hand when I pointed to an item on a menu board, and my friend told me afterwards that I should not point, especially in public spaces.  It is seen as extremely rude, and you should rather gesture to something with the entire palm of your hand, with no fingers specifically pointed at something.

Enjoying breakfast at a friend’s house!

5. Accepting a host’s generosity

Whenever someone hosts in China, whether in their home or at a dinner, you should be very respectful of your host.  Part of this is accepting your host’s generosity. I would advise that you do not offer to pay if you are being hosted by someone.  This can be seen as rude, since if there is a clear host, they are expecting to pay the bill. Most people in China never split bills, as one person serves as the host.  I once found myself in Chengdu wanting to pay the restaurant bill, but I was refused countless times, and since then I have seen numerous fights over who will be ‘host’ and pay the bill.  These good-spirited fights are very common and pretty hard to avoid, but if you are being treated to a meal by a host, you should always express your gratitude and say thank you after a meal.

Whenever you find yourself in public in China, you want to always be mindful of your actions.  This self-awareness is especially key since you will stand out in the crowd as a foreigner. As long as you take these  different customs into account when you’re out in public in China, you should have no problem going out and exploring this beautiful country

As you learn from your mistakes, you should never be afraid to ask someone you know in China or EdOdyssey any questions you may have because it’s a beautiful part of the experience.  With these tips, you should have a better idea about life public and restaurant culture in China!