Monique Costello graduated with a double major in History and Asian Studies. She has been teaching at a high school in Hangzhou that has a very impressive front gate and a pretty campus. Her brief report is here:

I have been working at Tianmu High School for 5 months now – I can’t believe how the time has flown by. I teach over 800 students, most of whom could care less about English but want to know all about the typical lives of Americans. Because I am in a sub-city of Hangzhou (although the sub-city itself has a higher population than Boston), I am the only American girl within an hour of where I live. I am treated like a celebrity everywhere from the hallways of my school, to restaurants, to taxi rides. People are constantly staring. It was disconcerting at first, but I’ve learned to accept it.

I have seen so many beautiful places and tried so many new things since I arrived; this is an experience I would not give up for anything. The people here have been incredibly friendly and I have made some great friends. Spring Festival is upon us and I am meeting my mother in Beijing tomorrow before heading to Chiang Mai, Thailand. I have many more adventures planned for the next five months; I can’t wait to explore even more.

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