Spicy food, anyone?

May 26, 2016

It has only been 12 days since I have left the US and I can say for sure that it has already been an experience for sure. I have experienced homesickness for the first time and I can honestly say that it has not been fun. I have been missing my family, friends, and most of all, the food. Although food here is great; it is extremely spicy. For someone that does not eat spicy food, my stomach has not been a happy camper.

At the Yunnan University, I have been eating lunches in their cafeterias. They have two cafeterias available for students; one is a regular one with many options and the other is a halal cafeteria. I have been preferring the halal one just because there are more non-spicy options available. The cafeterias are like most cafeterias with different sections and a meal card that you just tap to redeem your food. Some of the many sections consist of noodles, rice, baos, and fresh made juices.
Quick note: real Chinese food is not the same as the take-out we get in America. With that in mind, I must say that the most delicious local food that I have tasted while here has been the baos. A bao is a steamed bun filled with your choice of veggies, rice, meat, and such. My favorite has to be the pork bao. They are served in the cafeteria as well as the local store fronts near the hotel that we are staying at. What is so great about the location that we are in is the fact that we have an day food market going on our street at all times of the day. I have enjoyed bargaining for papayas and mangos while also getting myself a small bowl of fried potatoes.

I am looking forward to seeing what else comes my way and pray that I do not get sick while over here.

Written By

Jessica Palma-Perez

Hi, my name is Jessica. I am an entering senior at the business school, studying management. Growing up, I have had the dream to one day travel the world on a hot air balloon like in the movie. At this stage in my life, I have come to the realization that I cannot ride on a hot air balloon around the world but that should not stop me from going to all the places I would love to go to one day. I have chosen to go on dialogue programs these last couple of years to be able to fulfill my passion of traveling while also learning of new people, their ways, culture, and food. People are all around us and not all of us act the same. In order to one day become a successful manager, I have made the promise to myself to learn more about the people around me. That is what I aim to do, starting with these short dialogues. We all have to start somewhere