This was written a few days before I went to China while I was in Vancouver:

When I write, I often tend to be pretentious, which is likely the result of a heavy-handed approach to communication manifest from doing philosophy for the last two years. In this blog, I'm going to try to avoid this penchant. However, I'd like my words to carry some weight, as I don't want to mitigate the importance of the endeavor I am about to pursue - In a few days, i will be leaving for Asia for months in order to learn Chinese.

The collegiate jaunt into Asia is fast becoming cliched. The interest in China, which is reflected and perpetuated by the New York Times, has caused a huge number of students to learn the language of "the dynamic Middle Kingdom". At Macalester, the enrollment in Introductory Chinese has increased almost five-fold since its inception two years ago. My journey to China is one instance of a more global phenomenon, as American students inticed by job opportunities are taking an interest in China. I like to believe that my own journey to Asia is fueled by curiosity about Asia rather than a striving to profit from its exploitation. Still, I recognize that my decision to study China is not as idealistic and academic as I would lead myself to believe. Veering my academic interests towards Asia was a rare and paternally celebrated move towards the pragmatic. This pragmatism has also allowed me to entertain plans ranging from learning Indonesian to enrolling in law school to participating in the business free-for-all currently beginning in China. I am one of many college-aged Americans who fear becoming a twenty-something without health care, so plans about my distant and ever-changing future will be agonized over. I hope that my scheming and get-rich-quick schemes do not overburden this journal.

I'll be there for a while, but I'm not really sure how long. There are some certainties. I will arrive on January 13th to participate in a language immersion program in Beijing. At this program, I will be forced to speak only Chinese. If I am caught speaking English, I will first be given a warning. Next, I will have my grade reduced from one of my classes. The third time, I will be expelled from the school. The program ends in early May. My visa is good until the 13th of June and my flight will return to Milwaukee on the 15th of August, but that is subject to change.

I hope that this blog is entertaining and that my friends and family will enjoy reading it. I also hope that it provides a lens to view the widespread trend of Americans studying in Asia. I will likely keep my own journal and this blog will feature only things from it that I think have widespread relevance. I would like to thank my parents for supporting this venture both financially and emotionally.