My short but sweet time at Omeida/Yangshuo

If you want to learn Chinese, explore China, meet some great people, try new foods and enjoy the social side of life then Omeida is definitely the place for you.

I had some great teachers at Omeida who were effective, patient and humorous. Lessons often consisted of reading, writing and a lot of discussion. I believe my lessons were tailored to my learning style and speed which made my short week at Omeida very effective. Some lessons involved walking around outside with my teacher where I was able to practice saying my directions in Chinese. This became very useful in Taxi and scooter rides. We also walked to markets were I was able to practice food names and purchase different fruits.

My two language partners also helped me with pronunciation and enjoyed telling me about Chinese history and myths.
As a student who was studying at Omeida at a beginner level, a struggle was using Chinese websites to book flights. However, this was not a problem as there was always someone to help me. Overall, everyone was very helpful and supportive whether it was with homework, organising flights, adapting to China, anything.

During my ten days in Yangshuo, I conquered TV tower three times, sped in and around the county many times by bike, was challenged mentally and physically during two rock climbing sessions, sung my heart out at KTV, taught my Chinese friend some swimming techniques, enjoyed several very humorous nights in the town, and all of this was done with my new friends, both Chinese and foreign. Additionally, every morning I would open my curtains to see the beautiful peaks scattered throughout Yangshuo. I always enjoyed going to markets where I bought cheap, delicious and often interesting food and ate them while watching the local skills and talent. Adding to these great experiences, I was very happy to be surrounded by a group of like-minded people, all wanting to learn, make new friends and have a great time.
This trip was recommended to me by the International Marketing Manager, Sarah, who is also from New Zealand (go the Kiwis!) She told me that Yangshuo would be a great introduction to China and she was absolutely right. I highly recommend Omeida and Yangshuo.

I do however have one regret... That I didn't stay longer.