We’ve been featured in 21st Century! Read the story here and tell us what you think:

China Dreamblogue 21st century

Thanks to Charlie Shifflett for his faithful reporting.

Recently, I spoke with Coffee, a former student of Liu Yanzhi, about the scholarship she received and about the dreams she wants to achieve. As some of you know, Coffee is a university student in Guangzhou and lost her leg last year to cancer. Though she spent months out of school, she studied over summer to make sure she graduated on time, and has now received a $20,000 USD scholarship to study French and learn to how to become a UN translator. I wanted to share this conversation I had with Coffee.

Dawei: Tell us a little bit about the scholarship you received to study translation.

Coffee: Yeah，I should say‘ thank you’ to my French teacher, he is so kind. He has high expectation on us and so he is strict with us in class, but he is easy-going after classes. I know what it means the moment he decides to grant me this opportunity. I will not let him down. Of course I will grab this opportunity to improve my French proficiency.

Dawei: Will you tell us about your dreams for yourself and why you wanted to study translation?

Coffee: I am always ambitious, I want to learn more about the languages and the cultures about the world, and I want to be a bridge between China and other countries in the world, to be a translator. I am fond of French; Luckily, I got this chance, thanks to the kindness of one of my former teachers at my school. I am now taking French as a second foreign language, and I will keep improving it.

Dawei: What are your dreams for your family and community?

Coffee: Yeah, I’ve been dreaming of changing the condition of my family for a long time. Dad and Mum are now getting old, and they have been swinking all their lives, it’s high time I did something for them, I want to make their lives better, and enjoy their lives in their old ages. I am now living in a small village, it’s far away from Guangzhou, most of my peers receive a secondary school education, and then pour into the job world. I am the only one to get a college education in my village. I hope I can change all this, and to make more children get access to higher education.

Dawei: Dreams are often held back by fears. What is your biggest fear about your dreams, and how have you overcome it?

Coffee: I always tell myself not to put all the eggs in one basket. I am always trying different ways to do things better, to be frank，when striking for my dreams, I am not fear of anything. I have confidence on myself. And I wish I could get a job as a translator, that’s the first step of fulfilling my dreams.

Dawei: What do you encourage others to do in order to achieve their dreams?

Coffee: I want to do my best and to be excellent and to show people life is to be conquered however hard it is. As long as you have a will, nothing is difficult. It is important keeping optimistic while facing difficulties.

Dawei: What do you hope to do with your scholarship and after you complete your training?

Coffee: I will keep on learning , as the saying goes : It’s never to late to learn. It does not mean my French proficiency is good enough after attending the training, there are lots of things I need to learn about. I hope I can learn more during my work. And I know clearly that to be a good translator, I should keep renewing my knowledge.

Keep Dreaming:

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China Daily Photos: Tibet, Shanghai, Beijing

Today’s photos of the day come from Beijing, Shanghai and Tibet and were taken by one loyal reader, Elvina Trixie, and one newcomer, G.M.

The first two photos today come from Elvina Trixie. This photo was taken in Tibet:

The second photo is called “Zeile Geit” (美好时光) and was taken in the Shanghai Art Museum:

Finally, G.M., a native Canadian, sent us this photo of a lotus at the Beijing Summer Palace:

Vote for your favorite photo:

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Remember to keep sending photos to !

Today’s Photos come from Elvina Trixie and Barbara Octaviani were taken in Shanghai (上海). Two of the photos come from the Yu Gardens (豫园).

The first photo today from Elvina Trixie is called “Yu Gardens Shanghai:”

More photos after the jump.

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For those of you dreaming of going to America to study: We have posted pdf files of the guides in English and in Chinese (see the sidebar for Chinese)…

Study in the US part 1

This is a guide to undergraduate study and educational opportunities in the US. You can find Arabic, French, Spanish, and Russian versions of the text here: Undergrad Study in the US.

Study in the US part 2

This guide explains the process of applying for and preparing for graduate study in the US. It includes information about admission, types of institutions, degrees, course loads, and grading systems. It will also discuss the different academic culture in the US and the US academic environment. It also covers specialized programs of study in the US: US nursing school, American law schools, US veterinary medicine, and American dentistry. You can find versions of the text in Arabic, French, Spanish, and Russian Study in America: US graduate degrees.

Study in the US Part 3

This guide provides thorough descriptions of short-term study options in the US, such as: high school exchange programs, work and professional exchange programs, vocational and technical programs, short-term university study, and professional study. You can find versions of the text in Arabic, French, Spanish, and Russian here: Study in US: Short-term US study.

Study in the US part 4

This guide provides important details on preparing for study in the US, such as obtaining a visa, predeparture information, housing in the us, and travel to the us. You can find versions of the text in Arabic and Russian here: Study in the US: US Visas, Travel to the US, living in the US..

Keep dreaming:

Because we are kicking off our trip in Guangdong province, today’s feature photos all come from Guangzhou, the capital city of Guangdong province. Credit goes to one of our loyal readers, Jade, for providing us with this pictures of everyday campus life. The first picture today is called “Campus Life Florist:”

The second picture featured today is called “Campus Life Basketball。” See the pictures after the jump.

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Today we are featuring photos posted on our Over the Wall group on Facebook.

This photo comes from Nathan Beauchamp Mustafaga and was taken in Shenzhen:

A photo and caption from Paul James:

“This is the Hua Pagoda in Xi’an at night. This near the south gate of the inner city of Xi’an. This is not to be confused with the Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi’an as well, which dates back to the Tang dynasty. Though I don’t have any pictures of that particular pagoda, it’s quite an impressive site, with amazing stamina. In 1556 a massive earthquake hit this area, which killed an estimated 800,000 people (to date, the most devastating earthquake in human history) The Wild Goose Pagota withstood the earthquake. But the force of it was so outstanding, that it went from around 17 meters high to 15.5. The earthquake shook it so much that it settled into its foundations 1.5 metres! Amazing!”

The last photo we’ll show today comes form Zine Van Der Walt and was taken in Kaifeng, Henan Province:

Until the photo contest begins, we’ll continue to run a daily contest for you to vote on your favorite photos:

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Keep voting and sending photos to !

And of course, keep dreaming: