Stephanie Lin, studying at Columbia University, joined Lotus 20 weeks Fall Semester program in 2006.

Lotus Educational Foundation has given students the opportunity to truly see the way other people live and thus expand their minds and increase understanding. They have done this through providing homestay families as well as charity excursions to places such as senior homes and orphanages. Participating in both kinds of activities is still a rarity in China. The majority of foreigners visiting China are wealthy tourists who will never get a taste of the real, nitty-grittiness of China, or foreign students who all too easily get sucked into a comfortable lifestyle of living in dorms or apartments, going to class occasionally, and eating and partying for scarily low prices. They may leave China after one year without ever sitting down to eat dinner with a Chinese family or gaining an awareness of how both the government and non-governmental organizations are addressing poverty issues that still pose a significant obstacle to the country's rise into the class of developed nations.

Currently, I am living with what you may call a typical middle-class Chinese family. Besides improving my Chinese language skills, interacting with these people everyday has given me a more real understanding of China's present social trends and pressures than I could ever have gained through books and articles. I'm getting a close glimpse into the way a few out of China's millions live everyday. It's actually a pretty incredible opportunity. Besides being an observer, I feel that I am a significant part of my host family's life. I only hope that I can teach them as much about American culture and the way I live my life as they have taught me about Chinese culture and the way they live their lives.

Since arriving in Beijing, I've participated in two charity events in nearby Hebei province through the Lotus program. One event was to a senior home, and was specifically open to all students in the Lotus program. The other event was to a children's orphanage. Both volunteer experiences impressed me deeply. I really encourage current and future Lotus students to make the most out of their time in China and value any opportunities to understand Chinese people on a deeper level.  

-- Stephanie Lin  

Spencer Jemelka, from Occidental College, USA, joined Lotus 12 weeks summer program (4 weeks One on One plus 8 weeks summer course at BLCU) in 2006.

Last year I was lucky to choose Lotus Educational Foundation as my Chinese language program. After comparing many such programs I chose Lotus because of its low price and variety of services.

Looking back on this past summer, I could never have imagined Lotus would provide such an amazing and unique program. My experience in Beijing was absolutely invaluable, both in Chinese instruction and understanding Chinese culture. Lotus tailored their program to my specific needs, something I feel no other program could have provided. Lotus had personnel on call every day and was very helpful and personable. My Beijing experience, I feel, was exceptionally unique. Along with studying Chinese I also wanted to study Buddhism in Beijing. Lotus not only provided me with a family that practiced Buddhism, but also made special arrangements and contacts for me that I could not have done by myself. This is the commitment that Lotus has to its students.

I really can’t thank Lotus enough for my wonderful, unforgettable summer. Lotus provided all the services they had promised and went out of their way to make the program even more meaningful and exciting. I highly recommend this program to any future students wanting to study Chinese in China.

A story about the excursion to the senior center from Spencer

This past weekend I had the chance to visit a run down school that was charitably given over to a group of aging, retired elderly Chinese men. There are many chances in this life when we are given the opportunity to lend a helping hand to those in need. I was offered such a chance by Lotus, an event that proved to be one of the most enlightening and fulfilling experiences yet during my stay here in Beijing. It is rare that we realize just how lucky we are when compared the destitute living conditions of those like the men we visited, men with no family or home to call their own. But, the strength of spirit in these individuals, living in a tight-knit community where the friends they make will be there for the rest of their lives, touched me deeply. Never have I felt such complete joy playing a simple game of balloon volleyball. It was in this simplicity, surrounded by squalor, that I realized that the important things in this life is not the environment that surrounds us, but rather the people we surround ourselves with. I wanted to stay with these men for months, hearing their stories, understanding their many individual trials and tribulations. In one day, far away from the bustling streets of Beijing, in a run-down school turned old person's home, I realized the power of reaching out to those that just needed a friend. All these men needed was someone to hold their hand and lend a sympathetic ear.

I want to thank Lotus for giving me such an opportunity, one that I will remember for the rest of my life. All I did was spend a day with those that needed a little care, and I came out with memories that will last a lifetime.

Thank you Lotus.

Meagan Smith, from the University of Michigan, USA, joined Lotus 5 weeks One on One program in summer 2005.

My host family was wonderful! They were extremely helpful and welcoming that I felt like I was with my own family. They were extremely hospitable and opened their home and their hearts to me. Also, the family had a good grasp of English but only allowed me to use it when I did not know how to say something in Chinese. They were very helpful and patient with me as I struggled with the language. After only one month, I speak and understand a great deal and I contribute that to the family's assistance. However, they did not stop at teaching me Chinese. They also introduced me to the culture and customs. I went to so many places I can hardly count them, including the Summer Palace, Great Wall, Tian-an-men Square, and the Forbidden City. We also went to many restaurants with food from the different provincial regions of China. What we couldn't experience in person, we discussed in great detail and great length.

Some of my best memories are the intellectual conversations we had during dinner. After only a month, I really bonded with the family and we became close. When it was time to leave, I was very disappointed. However, the family and I have been keeping in touch and they would like me to return. Hopefully, I can next year!

My tutor was wonderful! She was very patient and helpful. She really worked hard to make the most out of my lessons and find the appropriate textbooks that catered to my level of understanding. My only regret is that I did not take more lessons while in China.

I speak several languages, each of which took several years to learn and master. However, one month in China was more helpful for me to learn Chinese than two years of class for any of my other languages. Lotus' program is invaluable to my education in Chinese and I could not be able to thank them more!

Besides the actual experience in China, my encounters with the Lotus staff prior to my trip were very good. The American based office made sure all of my needs were met and all of my questions answered. My decision to go to China was very last minute but Patrick and Henry really helped me to understand all that I needed to obtain before I could go to China, and helped to pair me with a compatible family. Once in China, the Beijing office frequently emailed and called me to check on my status and ensure that I was enjoying myself. I felt very safe and well tended to. The staffs that picked me up from the airport and took me back were extremely friendly and weren't daunted by my enormous bags. :-)

Overall, my experience with Lotus was a wonderful one. I learned so much and enjoyed myself so immensely that I want to return to China via Lotus. My advice to students going to China, stay for as long as you can and make full use of what Lotus Study has to offer. It will be the best experience of your life!

Meagan Smith

Whitney Swedlow, from Florida State University, USA, joined Lotus 5-week one-on-one program in fall 2007.

My time with the Lotus Educational Foundation study abroad program in Beijing was outstanding. From the minute I arrived to the minute I left, Lotus was there to assist and to answer any question I could imagine. It was my first time in Asia, and I was scared out of my mind when I first stepped off of the plane in China. I was afraid no one would be there to meet me, or my host family wouldn't like me, etc. A million potential problems were racing through my mind. I walked through the arrivals gate at Beijing airport to see Grace holding a sign saying "Lotus Educational Foundation" and heaved a sigh of relief. Grace introduced herself, presented me with my welcome package (full of valuable information!), and told me a little more about the program and what to expect as we rode to my host family's apartment.

My host family was fantastic. I had a 24 year old host sister (Xu Wei) who was studying English, and she made it her personal goal to act as dictionary, tutor, and translator for me throughout my stay. My host mom and dad were very busy and worked hard but they always made a special effort to talk to me when they had the chance. Xu Wei took the initiative to introduce me to all of her friends and family, and before long I had not one Chinese mom, but four! By the time I left China, my Chinese families called me "sar" (Third Child with a Beijing accent) and I called them "Mama" and "Baba." They took me to eat family meals, see amazing and important sights, taught me to play Mah-jong, and allowed me to just spend time with them and practice my Mandarin. It was very difficult to leave, and I had to make many promises to return and visit in the future!

Because of my time constraints I decided to do 5 weeks of the homestay with private tutoring. I was a little worried and I didn't know what to expect when I first started the program. I studied Chinese for a year in university, but when I got to China, I realized I had a lot to learn. My first few days in Beijing I understood NOTHING except "hello" and "thank you," and it took me about 45 minutes and a dictionary to form a whole sentence. My tutor came on my second day, and together we went to the study center to pick out books and talk about what I wanted out of the tutoring. By the time I left China I was able to have complete conversations in Chinese. I could get around, talk to people, and ask questions in Chinese! My tutor was fantastic, and always worked hard to make sure that I understood and that I learned as much as possible. I learned way more in my 5 weeks in China than I had learned in my whole year of Mandarin classes at University. 
 
Not only was Lotus fantastic in the tutoring and homestay, but they also made a special effort to make sure that all of the students got as much out of their time there as possible. Lotus arranged cultural expeditions every few weeks that really helped to enrich my stay in China. One of the expeditions Lotus took us on was to visit a Chinese Senior Center. We spent time with the seniors: pampering them, celebrating their birthdays, and performing for them, and it was truly a unique experience. Lotus made sure that we all understood the cultural significance of a senior center in China and it really helped to understand the magnitude of what we were doing. Lotus also held a Chinese cooking class for the students in the program and took us on an expedition to the Lama temple in Beijing. These expeditions were great because they were a chance for me to meet and socialize with the other students in the program and a chance for me to better understand the history and culture of China.
 
All in all, my experience with Lotus Educational Foundation was something I will value for the rest of my life. Through Lotus I made innumerable friends and acquaintances in China, and I can't wait to return. I would definitely reccomend Lotus to ANYONE who would like to improve their knowledge of the Chinese language and culture, and have a great time while doing it!.

Thomas Smithurst, from Australia, joined Lotus One-on-One program in 2006.

Over April 2006, I enrolled with Lotus Study for a two-week homestay and one-on-one study program. Though the time was very short, I nonetheless came home with significant improvement to my Chinese. And the extent of my cultural understanding improved even more.

The first weekend of my stay coincided with a Lotus excursion to the Beijing Lama Temple. Lisa Sheng and her staff ran an excellent tour. As a guide Lisa not only explained to us the significance of what was there, but also illustrated how the practice of Buddhism has influenced Chinese language and culture. In a short visit such as it was, I learnt a great deal. And something I couldn’t but notice was the character and motivation of fellow Lotus students. I thought it reflected well on Lotus.

I also joined a group of fellow Lotus students and Lotus-affiliated Chinese volunteers for a benevolent excursion on a Sunday. We visited an old people’s home in Hebei, at a distance not too far from Beijing.

The excursion was great for two reasons: firstly, because of an insight into welfare conditions in China, which I might now suggest are nothing exceptional. Secondly, and more importantly, because of feeling the rewards of community service. While there we helped out with bathing of the elderly men, cleaning of their clothes and rooms, and by giving them companionship with conversation and games. They were immensely thankful, and despite broken communication, those of us from abroad seemed to be accepted as familiars. Not only was this feeling felt in relation to the elderly men, but the Lotus affiliates seemed willing to extend a genuine bond of friendship to us as well. It was a tremendous day. I should remember it distinctly for a long time to come.

For the homestay, I stayed with a very hospitable husband and wife couple. Zhang Xiansheng and Li Nushi were both decent and temperate, eager to help however they could. Best of all, they and their neighboring friends had established an affable social network. I spent a lot of time over meals and spare hours chatting with them all. It was through these occasions that my conversational Chinese and cultural knowledge received their greatest boost. Essentially, the homestay proved outstanding.

Li Laoshi, my teacher for the two weeks, was highly capable. She was also a very decent person, which was reflected in the moral significance of examples from current affairs and culture she introduced to her teaching. I was particularly pleased with the way Li Laoshi prepared a conversational exercise at the beginning of each day, identifying that this would be of singular benefit to me. And during the course of the lessons, Li Laoshi quickly plugged gaps in my proficiency, noticing and following up on any shortcoming in my vocabulary or grammar.

In terms of administration for the stay, the Lotus staff in Beijing coordinated things smoothly and proficiently. I was impressed by their degree of care and attention.

All in all, I would highly recommend Lotus to new students.

Thomas Smithurst

Katherine Michonski, from the University of Chicago, USA, joined Lotus 6 weeks Summer program at BLCU in 2005.

My host family was very kind and helpful in every way. They always offered to help with my homework when I was having difficulty, and every night at dinner our conversations provided me with ideal listening and oral practice, as well as a lesson in Chinese culture! I really enjoyed having them as a resource to ask all the inevitable questions that arise when traveling. In turn, having the answers to these common questions made me a reliable resource for my classmates and other travelers. In addition, doing the homestay through a program made the trip much more enjoyable and hassle free. I felt that everything I needed was provided for by Lotus; from cabs to and from the airport, to a dictionary, map, and most importantly enrollment at the University, health insurance and a visa! I feel that this made my stay less stressful than my classmates, who constantly had to deal with these important issues using their beginning Chinese. My advice to anyone planning an intensive language course and homestay in China is to coordinate your stay through a program, and Lotus Study is the best one to use!

Lotus Study is an excellent program for anyone who would like to learn Chinese- the correct way. While classes provide students with the necessary grammar background, family life gives homestay participants constant listening and oral practice that any native speaker receives when learning a language. This combination intensifies your language study giving you an unbelievable advantage over the rest of the class. Living with a family also educates you in everything from Chinese history and culture to common idioms and cooking.

Lotus was amazing. From the initial stages of my planning until the very end, the employees at Lotus were always prompt in their responses to my inquiries and very detailed in their answers. They were also very flexible and dedicated in helping me to achieve my goal of traveling to China. I honestly did not have a single problem, miscommunication, or bad experience with Lotus. I highly recommend this program. The employees are all incredibly kind and devoted to making Lotus Study the best program for travel and study in China. As the program continues to grow in popularity, they are definitely succeeding!

Nicole Figley, from Strayer University, USA, joined Lotus Free Homestay program for 12 weeks in 2005.

Dear Lotus Study,

I want to thank you for giving myself and others the opportunity to actually live the Chinese culture during our stay in Beijing and study of Mandarin. Before coming, I knew the home stay you offered would allow me to truly experience life in Beijing, but now that my stay is coming to a close I am even more aware of its benefits. After speaking with other foreign students studying Mandarin in China, the difference between living on a campus surrounded by foreign students and living with a Chinese family is extremely evident when comparing the level of Chinese language ability (especially comfort when speaking) and also cultural understanding. They join me in recommending your program to anyone interested in studying Mandarin in the future.

Life in Beijing, interacting with Chinese everyday, has been incredible. Almost everyone I meet wants to talk to me and welcome me to their country. While many of them want to practice English, everyone is so proud of their country’s culture and language that they are very eager to teach me everything they can and appreciate my effort to speak Chinese. Everyone has been incredibly hospitable, making sure I am always comfortable, happy, and full!!

My home stay family was a perfect match for me. I am lucky to have been placed with them; I have felt comfortable from the first day when I received a very warm welcome. All anxieties about my first time in China disappeared. While they too wanted to improve their English, they have been extremely helpful in my language study. We have sincerely enjoyed our time together, and made learning English and Chinese a lot of fun. Luckily, they had a cell phone for me upon arrival, and they have not only shared their home, but also their family and friends. I was fortunate enough to go on a trip with their family to the beach, and they were all very caring. My three-year-old “Chinese nephew” has learned a lot of English and is the best Chinese teacher I have ever met! Their friends also took me in as if we had grown up together, teaching me about their jobs and taking me to different tourist sites around Beijing. I don’t doubt that we will always be in touch. I am already planning my return…it's the only way I can leave with peace of mind! Everyone has been very patient and helpful as I have become acquainted with everything from using chopsticks to finding my way around the city through public transportation. The cultural lessons I have also learned are invaluable.

Lotus Study, your support has exceeded my expectations, and I am very thankful. I was greeted in the airport by very friendly faces that offered to assist me in anything, and you have gone out of your way to “check-up” on me and remind me that you are there for anything I may need. I had a perfect experience with my family, but I don't doubt immediate response from the Lotus Study Beijing staff had there been any problems. I am also very thankful for the teaching position you found for me. Teaching English part-time has been an amazing experience, and I think I have learned as much as my students. The children are a lot of fun to work with, and have given me yet another reason to return to China. The extra spending money has been very helpful, too!

I look forward to working with you next year! Thank you very much for finding me a wonderful host family, providing me support I can have confidence in, finding me a teaching position, and giving me the opportunity to meet such great people. I have had an unforgettable experience, and I really appreciate all Lotus Study in the U.S. and Beijing have done for me!

Sincerely,

Nicole Figley

Michele Sung, Organizational Architect from Washington, US, joined 5 week one-on-one tutoring program in summer, 2007.

It has been a wonderful experience. I've only been here five weeks. I didn't speak Chinese before I got here. Now I feel pretty comfortable when I got the taxi and can communicate with the taxi driver where I want to go. I like the program so much that I am considering coming back to do another session, hopefully longer. The host family that I live with was better than I have ever imagined. They really welcome me in to be their home, and made me part of their family.

I also feel very fortunate with the tutor I had. For me it worked great, because I am not the typical age of the most of the students at the university. Having the one-on-one allows me to focus on the areas that I want to learn, whether it was speaking or listening or writing. I am very interested in learning the Chinese characters so I will be able to read and write. I was able to focus with my tutor, specific in the writing of Chinese characters. It is a world opening up from black and white to color, it was very exciting to see this happen.

I would highly recommend this program to anyone who wants to come over and learn Mandarin in a relatively short a period time. It's a great opportunity for you to be completely immersed in the culture, not only the culture, but also just being forced to speak and practice Mandarin on the daily basis.

Beijing is wonderful, it is developing because of the Olympics, and there are so many changes in China. It is a very exciting time to be in Beijing to learn Mandarin. From all the researches I did on the internet, looking at the different schools and different programs, for me Lotus is my number one choice. I am glad that I found this particular school to come study with. I hope I will be able to return to do another session with them in the future. 

Dietlind Wuensche, International Exchange Program officer, University of Heidelberg, Germany, joined Lotus One on One tutoring program in 2005.

Since I had only very few time available (two weeks) I was looking for an intensive one- by -one course and a host family to stay at. I could as well have stayed at the guesthouse of one of the universities in Beijing we are cooperating with, but I preferred to stay with a Chinese family. I thought this was the best way to make the utmost of such a short time. I looked at the internet and learned that Lotus tailors courses according to the individual needs and offers host families. That was exactly what I was looking for! 

During the two weeks I stayed at two different families. Both families were wonderful and I felt at home immediately. Zhu Danqing is an intelligent, lively, helpful and open-hearted woman who loves talking and chatting. She is a journalist and has many connections with important persons in China. One day she invited me to join a business-banquet and I got an interesting insight in this specific world of Chinese society. Zhu Danqing and I felt that we share many interests and we loved to cycle through Beijing. I would always choose her place again as a homestay - as soon as the dreadful noisy construction of the underground next to Zhus house is finished!

The stay at Yung Fangs and Liu Yanlings home was also great. They are a very warm-hearted, refined and good-humored couple. They are hard working people but in their free time we went out together. On Sunday we spent a great morning at the Zizhuyuan Park and at the Houhai-Area, and in the afternoon we went to meet their relatives and played Majiang. I will never forget this day. When I got a cold Yung Fang advised me which Chinese Medicine to take. In the subsequent days he was very concerned about whether I took my pills or not. These two people really feel responsible for their guest and care about you. At the same time they let you go and you are free to do what you want. I would really have liked to stay much longer than just 10 days!

So altogether the homestay was very successful and I think it has changed a lot my own perspective of Chinese families. I know that these two families represent a very small part of Chinese society only but you always have to start with something and I hope there will be other similar experiences to follow at a later stage!

Richard Hickey, from York University, UK, joined Lotus 8 weeks Winter program in 2005 (3 weeks One on One plus 5 weeks at BLCU).

I came to China on the 8 week Winter course, which was 2 weeks of one-to-one tuition when I arrived, a five week course at BLCU, and then a final week of one-to-one. I arrived not knowing a single word of Chinese, and wanted to learn just enough Mandarin to allow me to travel around China alone easily. For me therefore, the individual tuition was great. I also found that combining group classes with half a dozen individual lessons a week was very useful in reinforcing what I had learnt. Having not enjoyed languages at school, I was expecting to be thoroughly ready to move on and leave school behind by the end of the course. Instead I am regretting not doing the 20-week course, buying textbooks to take home, and even planning to return to China to teach for 3 months in June, July and August, after traveling and before going back to uni. Learning the language in the country where you can actually use it every day is great.

The family were really nice. The food was tasty, and it was good to see what real Beijingers eat every day. They were all remarkably patient with my faltering Chinese, especially as I had start with "wo" and go from there. Zhou Jia Yi, the daughter, speaks quite good English, but her parents don't speak much. For me this was the perfect combination, since I could practice with her mum and dad, but if i got stuck we could generally work it out. The flat was good, and well-located for BLCU. They even lent me a bicycle, which i came to love, even when I nearly went under a bus one day. Beijing is a very interesting place, the energy really is palpable.

Would i recommend homestay? Definitely. Compared with friends who stayed in dorms at BLCU with other international students, my Chinese is better. Plus, there is far more incentive to learn of you get to practice it every day. Thanks to everyone at Lotus for rushing my application through.

Brent Smith, Managing Director of Developing Bank of Singapore, joined Lotus 2 weeks summer program in 2007; his son Kyle Smith, from Singapore American School, joined Lotus 3 weeks high school program.

I highly recommend Lotus, and had an excellent experience. I found the program to be very well organized, all of the teachers both the university and through the one on one tutorial program that was set up from Lotus were excellent. The other program, the extra curriculum programs set up by the Lotus was fun and instructional. And I had a very good time; I felt the program was well put together and I would recommend it.

Like many other parents of a high school student, my wife and I were apprehensive that first about our son being in Beijing, lucky I was able to be with him for part of the time, I am very happy to say that Lotus has a very safe, well-organized, and age-appropriate program for teenagers that I would recommend, I feel very happy about it.

Do home stay has been an intriguing part of the program for me, living with the Chinese family not only practicing a language outside the classroom, but actually being a part of the culture, learning new words was a very exciting and very important part of the program, and I had a lot of fun doing it, and would recommend to others. 

Matthew Cecil, from the University of Colorado, USA, joined Lotus 8 weeks Summer program at BLCU in 2005.

My experience coming to China with the Lotus program was great. I was given a friendly greeting in an unfamiliar country in the form of the airport pick-up.

The host family they found for me to live with was also great. The family was incredibly hospitable, cooking tasty dinners and taking great care of me. I enjoyed playing with their two-year old and playing Go with the father. The host family was the perfect setting for me to practice my Chinese. They speak some English, and I signed up to tutor them, to get the free homestay. It worked out that to fulfill the 1-hour of tutoring I was expected to give them, I just went back and forth between English and Chinese in my conversations with them, giving them English practice and giving me Chinese practice. Also, the many conversations we had talking about cultural differences between the US and China were very enlightening to me.

My experiences at Beijing Language and Culture University were equally good. They put me in a class exactly right for my Chinese level, and the teachers were great. I had a total of 5 teachers in my 8 weeks there, each with a different teaching style; so no matter your learning style, you'll find a teacher who fits it. The university also planned optional trips to the Great Wall, Inner Mongolia, and Xi'an, giving me a chance to gain an appreciation for Chinese history and see the sights. I went on the Xi'an trip and got to be a full-fledged tourist for a weekend, which was good fun.

Lotus connected me with a calligraphy teacher, and learning calligraphy with him was a definite highlight of my time in Beijing. The teacher taught not only calligraphy methods, but also the philosophy, history, and appreciation of calligraphy - It has opened for me a whole new world of a very rich form of expression.

I would definitely recommend Lotus as the perfect way to plan your first visit to China, as they make it the most worry free experience possible, and also the most authentic and engrossing. I would also recommend it to any return visitors to China, as the treatment you'll get through Lotus is friendly and worry-free.

Matt

Emily Ow, from the University of Western Ontario, Canada, joined Lotus 5 weeks Summer program (one week One on One plus 4 weeks at BLCU) in 2005.

Lotus homestay is an excellent program. During pre-registration and throughout my trip, all of my questions were answered promptly and thoroughly. While in Beijing, the staff made themselves easily accessible and demonstrated great concern for my well-being. The Lotus organized excursion to the Lama Temple with a vegetarian lunch afterwards was one of the many highlights of my time in Beijing. Lotus staff acted as our personal tour guides providing interesting information about the temple's history and Buddhism's history in China. The staff went above and beyond by making the tour fun with games and prizes. The restaurant we ate lunch at was also excellent!

I could not have asked for a better host family. They really helped me to improve my Chinese listening and speaking skills. We often went shopping, to see movies at the theatre, and to many different types of restaurants to eat. My host family even organized short trips up into the mountains and to a holiday resort just so I could see how people in Beijing like to spend their weekends. I was treated just like a family member and I am going to miss them a lot. I highly recommend the Lotus homestay program!

Emily Ow

Toronto , Canada

Howard Robinson, Assistant Clinical Professor of Social Work, Fordham University, joined Lotus 4 weeks One on One tutoring program in summer 2005.

I am deeply impressed by the organization and care of Lotus Study while I studied Mandarin in Beijing for one month. I was met at the airport and driven to my host family, the Zhang's, who were remarkably warm, friendly and engaging -- just the kind of family that I wished to meet. I felt safe and cared for in a location where travel to any part of the city was possible. My tutor was a conscientious and dedicated teacher who helped me to appreciate Chinese culture and improve my fluency and tones. Lotus Study immediately provided me with a phone card, a map, and an invitation to a tour of the Lama Temple where I met other students, enjoyed an unbelievable vegetarian lunch, and learned about Buddhism in China. Whenever I had questions, Lotus Study responded quickly and I always felt supported -- whether making hotel reservations in another city or needing to know how much baggage I was allowed to bring on the airplane. Even though I was living many miles away from my homeland ( USA), I experienced a personalized care that helped me to gain the most from my time in China. I felt secure in the knowledge that personnel from Lotus Study were willing to assist and that my host family really cared about my enjoying Beijing and learning about China. I am indebted to Lotus Study for helping me to organize and enjoy a safe and satisfying experience in China.

Howard Robinson

Jnai Gaither from Carleton College, USA, joined Lotus Fall semester program at BLCU with Free Homestay package in 2003.

Lotus Study is an excellent program. The support is wonderful. I got much help while in the States before I came to China. I really wanted to use this program to come to China to study and I was having many problems. I made frequent calls to Lotus' headquarters in California. My calls were returned promptly and were always friendly. Patrick, at the California Lotus office, was extremely helpful. I greatly appreciate all his time and patience he had with me.

My two families in China are wonderful. I had two because my first family had to unexpectedly go on a business trip and I was sent to another family. They are very gracious and will do anything in their power to keep you happy. They definitely aim to please. I had a lot of fun with both families and they taught me a lot. They are so well versed in their culture so they taught me a lot about different aspects of Chinese culture and history. I will never forget either family and hope to stay in touch with both when I "hui guo" ( return to the states.) So, all in all, Lotus is an excellent program that puts the students first and make sure that everything is going smoothly. I highly recommend the program to anyone who wishes to study in China and stay with a Chinese family. Thanks for everything, Lotus!!!

Zoe Quan, from Chicago, USA, joined Lotus for a 4-week summer program at BLCU in 2003.

Educational Background
Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University, Doctor of Philosophy from The University of Chicago.

Profession
CEO, Qingchu Thinking, LLC; Chicago

A Thank-you note from Zoe to our staff in the US:

Dear Pat:

I just wanted to thank you very much for the excellent program that Lotus Educational Foundation provided to make my stay in China so successful. I was seeking an efficient and cost-effective means to learn Chinese, that would allow me to learn Chinese and still get some work done, but between the demands of my business and the SARS outbreak earlier this year, I was unsure whether I would be able to realize this objective on such short notice. Thanks to your program, my Chinese has improved significantly, in ways that would not otherwise have been possible. Your unique home-stay program not only accelerated my learning of the language by constant exposure to its use in day-to-day living, but also gave me a much better understanding of the rapid changes that are now occurring in contemporary Chinese culture.

I appreciated your willingness to accommodate my schedule, your arranging for tutors geared towards my specific business needs, and the help of your Resident Director, Lisa Sheng, in taking care of the details needed to get settled in, as well as some additional travel plans while in China. Your in-country support helped me to concentrate on the work at hand, with minimal loss of time spent on attending to administrative and logistical matters.

I was also impressed by how well Lotus matched the host family and myself in terms of interests and objectives. The family with whom I stayed was very friendly and helpful, going out of their way to make me feel included and comfortable. They were most generous in sharing their time and their lives with me. Because we shared some common interests, we had much more room for deeper conversations and communication. I developed a far better understanding of the business and cultural environment in China than I could ever have done on my own.

I would wholeheartedly recommend your offering to others who wish to learn and understand Chinese by immersion; in fact, I have done so, to both American and European acquaintances. Should I ever have the opportunity to spend more time in China, I would certainly take advantage of your program again, particularly since you are so responsive to helping me to tailor the program to my needs.

Many thanks to you and your staff in-country for your marvelous support and service. I look forward to using Lotus Study again in the future.

Kind Regards,

Zoe Quan

Alex Hadorn, from Switzerland, Project Manager, joined Lotus 2 weeks Summer Program in 2007

My family really went to great lengths to find out about my needs and interests. They taught me a great deal about Chinese language and culture, and the food was very good. I even got a different breakfast every single morning during two weeks! :-) The location was convenient, too, as it only took me twenty minutes or so to drive to BCLU using the bicycle which was kindly provided by my family.

I'd like to thank Lotus again for organizing these two weeks in Beijing to my great satisfaction. I wish you every success with your homestay program and your charity activities. 

Laura & Meredith, from USA, joined Lotus One on One program in summer 2006.

Dear Lotus Educational Foundation,

Thank you for the wonderful experience my daughter and I had in Beijing. Being able to be immersed once again in Chinese helped Meredith speak and understand the language more fully and apply the knowledge gained from her high school Chinese classes.

Meredith found her tutor helpful, responsive and knowledgeable. Meredith had specific goals she wanted to attain to help her with her continuing study of Chinese and the tutor helped her achieve those goals. On our daily wonderings and sight seeing through Beijing after her lesson, Meredith confidently spoke Chinese in all situations. It certainly was nice for me to be able to have someone about who could speak the language!  

Our host family was generous and kind. Fortunately, most of them could not speak English, which was very helpful to Meredith, although having some family members have a good command of English was also helpful, as Meredith was able to receive an in situ lesson for things she did not understand. The host family was comfortable having two additional people in their house and Meredith also enjoyed playing with the children…and the opportunity to once again, use her Chinese. 

To be frank, I wanted to go to Beijing to “check out” the situation regarding quality of tutoring, home stay family quality and the overall quality of the program. As you know, Meredith is a high school student and has been studying Chinese for four years. She will continue her study of Chinese for the remainder of her high school career. To that end, I was looking for a program in which Meredith could return to every summer that provided steadily increasing difficulty of mastery of Chinese, taking fully into account her steadily increasing fluency and study of Chinese during the academic year. The Lotus program provides such a structure. I am also confident that staying with a host family will also continue to be a very good experience.

As an organization, you all were always quick to respond to my questions and provided information for our alternative attainment of our Chinese visas. The pick up and drop off service is terrific as well as all the extras you provide, such as the SIM chip, the dictionary, etc.

Kind regards,

Laura Hayward

Philip Shellhaas/US/Lenovo/IDE, Export Compliance Office, Lenovo (United States) Inc, joined Lotus One on One program in 2005.

"I'm not your typical student, and wasn't sure Lottusstudy could accommodate my Beijing work schedule and my very basic, beginning level language requirements. I work for a computer company, HQ in Beijing, my office in USA. I spend considerable time in Beijing. Usually in hotels that are a long taxi ride to my work HQ in Haidian / Shang-di north Beijing. I decided to look for an apartment / homestay with a Chinese family, and also to seriously try to learn some Chinese language (while continuing my "day-job"). After a search on the web, Lotusstudy popped out at me as the right combo homestay and study, and there were families listed in the area of my office. I was ready for an adventure, knew this was the right way to go, but had no idea what to expect. Lotus Foundation, and the Lotusstudy staff in the US and Beijing were able to work out a homestay and one-on-one tutoring in very short notice. I was thoroughly impressed with their efficiency and attentiveness, and their superb organizational support and resources.

In just a few days, the Beijing office located a wonderful family with a fully modern, beautiful new apartment only 15 minutes walking distance from my work. This family is just great, super supportive, attentive to my every need. But more importantly, they are very open, interesting, funny, and friendly. We have much to talk about, and we laugh together often. It is always a happy time together. We became friends in short notice. And we learn from each other -- language, ideas, experiences, and more. They push me to learn Chinese, made sure that I was eating well, even exercising regularly with morning walks and weekend jaunts (to pick apples) into the countryside. Also a tour of the old Summer Palace gardens. And many wonderful restaurants – throughout this part of Beijing. From great to greasy -- eating out was so much fun with this family.

My Chinese teacher / tutor, Li Laoshi, was also superb. Patient, methodical, very attentive to my absolutely beginner level of non-competency, and always encouraging me with positive feedback. Starting from nothing, in the two weeks time that was available, I feel a real sense of accomplishment, and -- of course -- a large challenge to do much more, learn faster, phase out the English. But I'm now confident that I can make more, significant progress the next time in Beijing with more time available. In my situation, with a competing work schedule, the one-on-one tutoring was ideal. My teacher was very flexible, and we worked together to establish a schedule, heavy doses on weekends, and some pretty long sessions. But this near total immersion is the way to make serious progress, I'm convinced. When I've gained a bit more competency to communicate with the family, then the homestay immersion should click in. In the meantime, we're enjoying speaking mainly English together.

I most certainly plan to continue this program whenever I am in Beijing for longer visits. I love my family and my teacher -- and, of course, I am totally in awe of the Lotusstudy Beijing staff who has provided timely, excellent, friendly support throughout. I have nothing but praise for the way they have handled my homestay and study program. I've traveled a lot, and I must admit -- this is as good as it gets in terms of foreign reception and heart-felt welcome, as well as logistics and the targeted resources to make staying, living in Beijing, and learning Chinese a very rewarding experience. I'd recommend it to anyone in a similar situation as mine -- it beats hotels and sporadic Chinese lessons or self-study language tapes hands down."

Adrian LeCesne, from Yale University, USA, joined Lotus 12 weeks Fall Program in 2006 and Homestay Only in summer 2007.

So if you're reading this, you probably are asking yourself  "will I feel awkward, will I be able to have fun" and I think the answer to both is "a little." If you are coming to study in china, you will feel awkward in any situation other than a foreign students dormitory, which won¡¯t really give you much exposure, and will certainly be expensive.

I have done the homestay program with Lotus twice, and I feel the second time really made me appreciate the conveniences of the first and how nice the families have been both times. I've had the opportunity to see the dynamics of a young couple planning to move to New York, and a couple living with their parents way out by the 5th ring road of the city; lived in two different parts of Beijing with very different atmospheres (in every sense of the work), and become enormously more comfortable with the City and Mandarin. I also met a very good friend of mine through the program, and the two of us plan on meeting in this fall to remember our study abroad together and a trip we took at the end of the semester to Tibet.

The ladies at the Lotus office in Beijing are sweet and caring, and the group activities are fun and wholesome. If you are looking to party, this may not be your best option, but if you want to get to know a few Chinese people in a personal way, and would like someone to translate the many idiosyncracies of Chinese culture to you, this is certainly a good place to start. 

Wesley Wong, from USA, joined Lotus 4 weeks summer program in 2006.

"Why you shoud do Homestay in China with Lotus"

By the time someone is finished reading this testimony for Homestay with Lotus in China you’re gonna think they paid me to write this but they didn't. So here goes, this is the real deal about Homestay good and bad. First of all doing everything by email and fax and not meeting anyone in person when your planning a trip halfway around the world would make anyone nervous. But Lotus did everything they said they would and then some. They greeted me at the airport, they took care of the hassle of registering for school (which can be difficult if you didn't speak a word of Chinese and most of the people at BLCU University don't speak English...the latter being a good thing by the way), they took the time to answer any questions I had about living in China and most of all they were extremely honest and straight forward about everything good and bad. If you want to come to China to maybe learn the language, see the sites, hang out and meet people from Europe and other non-Chinese speaking countries and generally have a good time.............then I'm not sure Lotus is for you. BUT if your goal is to learn to SPEAK CHINESE (beautiful Mandarin of course), see an incredible country thru the eyes of local people, experience what you couldn't experience anywhere else (by the way, I can go out and hang with non-speaking Chinese people at bars and clubs any time back at home, so why in the world would I want to do that in China when they're so much else to do) eat great local food, and meet wonderful local CHINESE people, then you should try doing homestay with Lotus. In fact yours truly liked his 4-week homestay so much I decided to do a second homestay for a whole year.

I originally had planned to just teach English but liked learning the langguage so much with my host family that I wanted to become fluent in it so I could experience the Chinese culture even better. Unexpected things and problems happen of course (particularly with me....) like the time I lost my wallet and had to have all new info and cards sent to a safe address (Lotus offices). Lotus even mad a point of hand delivering all my care packages from the U.S. so I wouldn't have to go to their office (which by the way is very beautiful). One thing about going thru Lotus is that I always felt I had a safety net if any mishap would occur (and I tend to get into a lot of mishaps). They also are great matchmakers and set me up with the perfect family. Not only was the family friendly, warm and hospitable, I even got set up on a blind date by my host mother, what a riot...(won't go into the details about that), talk about experiencing China differently if the latter is different I don't know what is. My host family became such good friends that I regularly visit them (I'm still in China by the way 9/06) and they consider me a good friend, which is a big deal in China by the way. I also learned a lot of little cultural things like proper dining etiquette from my host parents. Never eat with your hands and always finish everything on your plate (believe me the not eating with your hands part was a big challenge for me). For some reason I can't imagine you would learn that while dining with other foreign students.........Lotus by the way also makes a point of really teaching you the many facets about life in China and the Chinese culture during their weekend excursion trips which are a part of the program. My best and most memorable experience was their optional trip to visit a Chinese senior center home in the rural part of China to do volunteer work. It was by far the most heart warming and life touching experience I have ever had. That kind of experience is priceless and I'm sorry folks I just don't think you could do something like that while on your own living on your own in China for the first time. I should have to say that I also met other students doing homestay with other organizations and their experiences ranged from horrible to just just okay. So I will wrap up this little essay by saying that to show you I mean everything I say in this testimonial letter you can email me anytime about doing homestay with Lotus and I WILL answer you personally. Maybe I will even meet you while I'm still here!

Huang, Hong Jie (the man formerly known as Wesley Wong)

Kevin Busch, from the University of Chicago, USA, joined Lotus 4 weeks One on One program in 2006.

A Thank-you note from Kevin’s mother Wendy Liang:

On short notice, we had to scramble to find a suitable program for our 19 years old, a college freshman to fill the remaining summer month with some productive activity. We did exhaustive search online and came across with the Lotus program. The program fits our need perfectly in three areas. First, the program can be individual. A tutor will be provided to tailor the program to student’s schedule and pace. Second, my son did not speak nor write any Chinese, the tutor was able to start him from ground 0. When he returned from only a month long, 4-6 hour/day one on one tutoring, he could converse and comprehend in very basic Mandarin, which I think is phenomenal progress. Plus, at the end of the program, the tutor provided us with a detail study report with description of the study plan, progress, and areas for improvement. Third, my son chose the Homestay program which provided a very safe, worry-free environment especially he has never been in China before. The host mother took really good care of him. In fact, he was very ill for 3 days with fever and all and the host mother took him to the hospital for necessary medical attention and nursed him back to health. I wonder now if he had stayed in a dorm or apartment, could he have turned out ok. Last but not least, through both the Lotus program and the host family, my son was guided in various excursions to Beijing’s favorite sights on the weekends.

Throughout the program duration, I kept constant contact with the program office in Beijing via email for any question and concern. With the time difference, they always responded within 24 hours. This has really provided us ease of mind.

I also want to comment on their expedient sign-up procedure. Although we made the decision to pursue the program on short notice, they were able to accommodate our need and got everything going in one-week time frame.

I would recommend the Lotus program if you are seeking an enriching cultural experience with full language immersion. We will not hesitate to participate again in the future.

Wendy Liang

Amanda Wong, from the University of California, Berkley, USA, joined Lotus 4 weeks summer program in 2006.

I have only good words to use to describe my Lotus experience. First, the staff, both in the U.S. and in Beijing, was exceedingly helpful. Any question of mine was always promptly and thoroughly answered. Most important, the staff seemed to genuinely care about even our slightest concerns and offered immediate help when needed.

My host family was also excellent. They made me feel at home right away and always offered me more than generous portions of food. I feel that it would have been difficult for me to get the whole immersion experience by only taking classes at BLCU, as the foreign students normally use their own language once class gets out, but by having a host family to come home to every night, direct application of the lessons learned in class was immediately available. I also had a unique experience of living with a university English teacher, who was able to effectively explain more complicated parts of Chinese usage to me. Also, as we were both interested in the process of learning languages, we had many discussions about language acquisition and the differences between learning English versus Chinese.

Having completed this program I am by no means fluent in Mandarin. But at first barely able to utter basic phrases, I have significantly advanced, now confident enough to converse in any daily situation. This experience, although short, has given me a strong foundation for further Mandarin study.

I hope you are doing well. Thanks again for all your help during my 4 weeks stay.

Amanda