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Show AggieLife Page 6 Monday, April 12, 2010 Aggies around the world Doing business in an Olympic city H ello, fellow Aggies, my name is Dustie Arnout. I am in Beijing, China, doing an internship in hotel management through the Huntsman School of Business. I am living an industrial area of Beijing called ShunYi. It's located about 40 minutes outside of Beijing Centre. I plan to be here anywhere from four to six months. I am fortunate enough to have the great opportunity to work for Best Western as an intern. However, the upper management here saw fit to place me into the GRO position, or Guest Relations Officer. I have had the great blessing to meet and exchange information with many businessmen throughout the world. I have spoken with gentlemen and women from Russia, Brazil, Mexico, USA, Canada, Argentina, India, Singapore, Japan, France, Spain, Turkey, Taiwan and many other countries. I am being used as a liaison to all the different nationalities of the world that use English as a means of communication. I, however, have taken full advantage of the opportunity to learn Chinese. Also, I teach English four times a week to three groups of workers. As the only native English speaker working for the hotel, I am constantly looked upon for advice on how to word certain phrases. I visit each department of the hotel every week to see if they have documents that need translating. It's been neat to see how my advice has instantly been put into place. All signs around or in the hotel are now correctly worded, with the exception of the menu which is an enormous project and is more clear to an English speaker. All of the new signs that are put out for brunch or buffet specials were revised and made more clear with my help. I didn't expect to see such immediate results with the documents I was translating, so it has been very rewarding to see how my presence has made an instant impact on the quality of the hotel. The Chinese have been incredibly accommodating to me in every aspect of the internship. I would urge others to look into the opportunities USU provides through its many departments. I am nearly two months into my internship at this point and have been very satisfied with the learning that I have received here. Several weeks ago, I was invited by one of the owners of the franchise to accompany him and a few colleagues to Hainan, Sanya. This is basically the Hawaii for China. We spent a good amount of time at a resort where he, as the head architect, proposed business plans and discussed opportunities in Hainan. It was awesome to be an onlooker to something that amazing. I had never seen a multimillion dollar business plan in the works, and I imagine it was an opportunity that I will most likely never have again. We also spent a bit of time visiting several hotels on the island that are world renowned for five-star service and amenities. On just one street alone, we visited The Ritz-Carlton, Hilton, The Sheraton, The Marriott and several others. To help me to fully immerse myself in the Chinese culture, my boss asked that I dine with the hotel staff three times a day in the basement cafeteria. The food has been easy to adapt to and the management has accom- USU STUDENT DUSTIE Arnout is in Beijing, China, doing an internship in hotel management. photo courtesy DUSTIE ARNOUT modated my every need, including a bed with a mattress more than two inches thick. Chopsticks really aren't that hard to use, but be aware that the Chinese will be amazed that you can eat with their utensils. I'm not a big fan of any sort of fish, so I learned quickly how to say no thank you to that dish. My least favorite food is easily haidai, or seaweed. Another thing that Beijing is infamous for is its disgusting spitting habit. This was brought to my attention very quickly upon my arrival. This is probably the one thing I can't handle listening to or seeing. They seem to dislodge body parts every time they spit. This is the one complaint all foreigners have. Having said that, I have yet to see a city the size of Beijing (16 million ppl) as clean as this one. The streets are free of holes, clear of trash and full of vehicles. The metro is by far one of the cleanest and most efficient I have seen in the world. On top of all these wonderful things I have experienced, I have been able to see The Silk Market, The HongQiao Pearl Market, The Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City and The Great Wall. In the coming months I will visit many of the Olympic sites along with many other tombs, temples and summer mansions for ancient rulers. Dustie Arnout is part of the USU Study Abroad program. Read every Monday in The Statesman for more Aggies around the world experiences. Student experienced unique encounters with animals By ALISON OSTLER staff writer Utah Statesman: What's your favorite pickup line? Richard Winters: My friends bet me that I couldn't spark up a conversation with the most beautiful girl at the party, so do you want to go get a bite to eat with me on their dime? US: When you wake up in the morning, what's the first thing that runs through your head? RW: The song that I was listening to the night before. US: If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? RW: It would be impossible to eat one thing for the rest of your life. That would be ludicrous. You'd get so sick of that food ... you know what, I'd probably pick something that would make me die faster. US: You just won the lottery - how are you going to spend the money? RW: First, I'd buy a house. I'd pay off all of my debt, and then I'd buy a lot of food, some gold and silver, and guns. US: If you were ever going to be arrested for something, what would it be for? RW: I would probably get arrested for filling a cop car with packaging peanuts. US: What's your favorite kind of potato chip? RW: Salt and vinegar. Caught on Campus Richard Winters undeclared freshman US: Do you have any weird scar stories? RW: Well not really, but I've had a lot of experiences where I've been bitten by animals. Like when I was a kid, we had turtle races, and one time I picked up a turtle and it clamped down on my chin. Having a turtle clamp down on your chin is probably the most painful thing ever. US: You say you've been bitten by a lot of animals. Any other Students... Going away for the summer?... What about your stuff? At Armor Storage, 1095 North 600 West, in Logan we have a secure, lockdown facility with a wide range of storage options. Please visit us at ArmorStorageofLogan.com or call 787-2007 examples? RW: Yeah, I've been bitten by a squirrel once, too. US: What's your favorite word? RW: Indubitably. It means without a doubt. US: What's the best fortune cookie you've ever gotten? RW: That wasn't chicken. US: What is your favorite kind of candy? RW: I like Reese's Easter Eggs, Reese's Christmas Trees and Reese's Pumpkins. The peanut butter-to-chocolate ratio in those is divine. Those candies are only available three times a year, though. Oh, and any candy during Easter is infinitely better than normal candy. US: What do you do for candy those other times of the year when it's not Easter, Christmas or Halloween? RW: I definitely suffer. But I try to suffice by settling with candy bars like Fast Break, you know, just make do with what I have. US: What was the last song you played on your iPod? FRESHMAN RICHARD WINTERS said he likes Reese's Easter Eggs, Reese's Christmas Trees and Reese's Pumpkins because of the peanut butter-to-chocolate ratio. ALISON OSTLER photo RW: "All I Ever Wanted" by Basshunter. US: What's your favorite video on YouTube? RW: The greatest freak-out ever. It's awesome. US: If you could fill a swimming pool with anything, what would you want to put in it? RW: I'd fill it with bubble-bath Beautifill. Enduring. Remarkable. An expansive collection of the most memorable diesigns created with the most meticulous attention-to-detail. From the classic creation to the modern marvel, each ring exhibits quality flt for a Queen. 930 N. Main St. Logan, Ut. 435-753-9755 Come in and enter to win a Caribbean Crusie for 2!! More Details @ Wwwjerricksfinejewelry.corn or on our Facebook Fan page!! Good Luck! liquid. The masculine kind, though. US: What's the most random thing you have ever gotten in trouble for? RW: When I was a kid, I used to find rocks and sell them to the other kids on the playground. Eventually I got caught for doing it. US: What do you do when you have time to kill? RW: I like paintballing, taking photographs and reading about what's going on in the world. - alison.ostler@aggiemaiLusu. edu Shoes: Summer footwear decisions continued from page 5 but they are a little tricky to wear. Because they sit high up the leg and have a lot of horizontal straps, they tend to make your legs look shorter and wider. If you have skinny, toned legs, go for it. If not, try a low top gladiator with thin straps or straps that sit low on the leg. Pair them with shorts or with short flowing skirts to add some soft lines to your silhouette. Boat shoes - These canvas slip-ons are one of the season's most popular nautical inspired trends. They are comfortable, easy to wear and are available in many colors. Wear them with casual clothing or with preppy-inspired looks. Because they tend to have chunky soles, avoid pairing them with long skirts or skinny jeans as they will shorten your legs. Flat sandals - Think of them as the flipflop's older, more fashionable cousin. They have the same y-strap as a flip-flop, but are made out of materials other than foam. Because they don't add height, look for sandals with delicate embellishments and thin straps to make your legs look longer. They can be dressed up or down, depending on the detailing in the shoe and look great with pants, shorts or skirts. While guys don't have much to choose from as far as summer footwear (unless they are a fan of Tevas, no offense to Teva fans), there are many comfortable and affordable styles available for women. Instead of relying on the old, trusty flip-flop this summer, why not try something feminine and different? You might be surprised on how little you will miss your noisy foam companions. Before you make your purchase, shop around and find a shoe that fits your lifestyle (going hiking in gladiator sandals is not the best idea). Don't buy into trends. Summer footwear should always be comfortable and breathable. Also keep in mind that comfort doesn't always have to be sacrificed for style or vice versa. And as always, remember that confidence is always your best accessory. Questions or comments can be sent to Jimena Herrero at jimena.h@aggiemaiLusu. edu. |