Comments for Bridging Gaps

Comment on The Bloggers by Nadia Mubashar

Nadia Mubashar — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 18:31:49 +0000

Hi Rick

This is Nadia, Website Director at GoOverseas.com. I’ve just been reading about your gap year experience so far in China, and it sounds like you’re having a great time (what a great way to spent your time off and learn some Mandarin!). At Go Overseas, we feature gap year experiences like yours to help our audience plan their trips. Let me know if you’re interested in sharing your experiences as well, and I will send more details, our audience would love to learn more about your gap year.

Best, and happy traveling!
Nadia

Comment on The Bloggers by Gap Years Can be an Adventure | Forging Futures

Gap Years Can be an Adventure | Forging Futures — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:52:35 +0000

[...] can also visit Greg and his friend Rick’s blog, which chronicles their gap year in China. This entry was posted in Education. Bookmark the [...]

Comment on China and Liberal State by gregkristof

gregkristof — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 20:47:42 +0000

Hey Julie, I think it’s really cool that you’ve been learning mandarin all this time! I know what its like to learn a language in school, and i have to say that going to the actual country is a thousand times better. You learn everyday words that just don’t come up in the classroom (most teachers, for instance, never tell you how to say “doorknob” in chinese)

A gap year is an amazing experience. traveling by yourself in a foreign country gives you street smarts you would never develop otherwise, and you’ll build a lifetime’s worth of kaleidoscopic memories. And teaching english to migrant children, as I did, will give you new appreciate for the education you already have. You’ll be more excited to learn when the following september rolls around. Of course, you’ll have to way all this against the scholarship you’ve been offered. Bear in mind that you can certainly curtail the cost of tuition by working during your gap year. Good luck with your choice!

Comment on China and Liberal State by Julie Valence

Julie Valence — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 02:44:45 +0000

Thanks for replying!
I actually started learning mandarin when I was 6-7 years old but my teacher barely spoke English so to be honest,I didn’t learn much!
And I took a half-semester beginners spanish at school last year but we only learnt how to write rather than how to speak the language so if I went to a spanish-speaking country right now,I’d be pretty much screwed Do you find that actually going to these countries to learn the language helps you become fluent even if it’s only for a month or two?
And I’m thinking about taking a gap year too…I’m currently taking AP and IB courses and I’m already starting to feel burnt out.Did you find your gap year really life-changing and would you do it again if you could go back in time?The problem is that I have a full scholarship that can’t be put on hold so that would be the disadvantage of taking a year off.
By the way,awesome blog

Comment on China and Liberal State by gregkristof

gregkristof — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 01:13:56 +0000

Hey Julie,
I went to Tsinghua University’s Chinese language program in Beijing, and it deserves a thumbs up. But I learned even more at the Ruiwen school in Dalian, where they can tutor you one on one.

Spanish is much, much easier than Chinese.

Comment on China and Liberal State by Julie Valence

Julie Valence — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 23:53:10 +0000

Hey Gregory,

Just wondering…which language school did you attend in China?And is Spanish harder to learn than Chinese?

Comment on Cusco by Kim

Kim — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 23:42:42 +0000

Thanks for the reply!

Comment on Cusco by gregkristof

gregkristof — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 06:29:22 +0000

Hi kim, there’s usually four or so hours of class (either group or individual; you choose) and whether you have class in the morning slot (8:30-12:30) or the afternoon slot (2:30-6:30) will vary. off hours can be spent joining a gym, congregating with fellow students in the (very nice) residential areas, eating guinea pigs, etc. The teachers themselves vary from good to great, and if you make each day’s sign up deadline (a gruelingly early 11 am), then school’s cook will provide it to you free. Cusco is a terrific city in which to study spanish, and amauta has just about the best location in cusco–a 1 minute walk from the main plaza.

Comment on Cusco by Kim

Kim — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 20:30:03 +0000

What’s a typical school day like?

Comment on Cusco by Janine Gross

Janine Gross — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 00:51:12 +0000

Thank you!!