suntaoran

Still waiting...I imagined inventing a dialogue of the arguments they are having over who to pick, I imagined that they are each very passionately fighting for those of us on this board to win the scholarships, and that they've argued all day and night for the last 4 months. Obviously the discussions have gotten very involved by this point, and there is a power struggle between the French and the German counties, with the French Swiss arguing that as the Swiss German side already has a majority of the country, in compensation the French should be honored with more grantees, but then the German and the French ganged up on the Italian side, and made sure that they got even few grantees (with apologies to anyone who applied to an Italian province). And the Romansch are just standing on the sidelines, shaking their heads, in utter dismay at the behavior being presented. Shame on you, they say, Switzerland is about equilibrium, so obviously each side should get the same number, no matter the size or population. So the Romansch side with the Italians, and they both throw a coup over the French-German alliance. So then it's May, and they're back where they've started, 12 spots over 3 sections, and they're scrambling to put together their lists as they then deal with rival universitities lobbying for their affiliated candidates. Then it goes to a vote to the general population, and they declare that people will select the winners, but because of the complicated voting process, it will take two weeks to put together the vote. So, then it'll be the end of May before the winners are selected, but they will win by the will of the people, and when they arrive, everyone will know who they are.

I secretly wanted to, haha.
 
Drinking culture in China is the opposite to what I'm accustomed to in the States. The drinking age in China is 18 but kids just... don't really drink. Not a lot of them. Definitely not any parties on the college campus where I was, beyond the occasional "let's hang out on the quad and eat snacks and drink soda" kind of party. When I did see people drinking, they were adults, and more often than not elderly. But even that wasn't super widespread.

But then, a couple times of year, my workplace (a university) had banquets where all the administrators and teachers got together. Some of the most formal people I've ever met. And they all just got trashed. Most of the time, Chinese people drink by taking shots, no matter the alcohol. Traditionally it's hard liquor called "bai jiu," infamously translated as "white wine," even though it's actually 55% grain liquor that tastes like death. But they also take shots of beer. I was lucky because my school was trying to "westernize," which meant in addition to the death liquor, people were also taking shots of expensive red wine, which is a lot more manageable. But I would still get the president of college and chairman of the board of trustees walking up to me several times during these banquets and toasting me with bai jiu. And in turn, I'd sneak up on the table where all the higher ups are sitting and toast all of them.
 
On Chinese New Year, after one such banquet, I was invited by one of the administrators to go sing karaoke with all the higher ups. They brought more bai jiu and some pretty expensive bottles of whiskey. We sang Backstreet Boys and some traditional Chinese music. By 10 o' clock, the official photographer had passed out on the couch, so... and I hesitate to mention this, I'm so embarrassed .. my friends and I took his camera and took pictures of me sitting next to him pretending like I was licking his face. While this was happening, I heard this high pitched giggle coming from next to me, and I turned and it was my immediate supervisor, a dour 50-year old Chinese woman in charge of the international office. And she was laughing so hard she was crying.
 
When I woke up the next morning, I was certain I was going to be fired. Deported. I'd never been more embarrassed in my life. But I went into the office and everything was fine and no one ever made mention of that night again. I later learned that in China, being drunk is an acceptable excuse, for the most part, for inappropriate behavior. If you do something that offends someone, you can say "Oh sorry, I was drunk" and that's fine.
 
So strange. When I had two beers at a bar on a Friday night, I'd have students walk up to me and ask "are you okay? why are you drinking so much?" But then apparently getting blackout drunk with your boss at an official function is okay. 
 
Sorry for clogging the board with stories of China. Congratulations to moregraceful (and hopefully other Vietnam alternates?) for getting the grant!

I secretly wanted to, haha.
 
Drinking culture in China is the opposite to what I'm accustomed to in the States. The drinking age in China is 18 but kids just... don't really drink. Not a lot of them. Definitely not any parties on the college campus where I was, beyond the occasional "let's hang out on the quad and eat snacks and drink soda" kind of party. When I did see people drinking, they were adults, and more often than not elderly. But even that wasn't super widespread.

But then, a couple times of year, my workplace (a university) had banquets where all the administrators and teachers got together. Some of the most formal people I've ever met. And they all just got trashed. Most of the time, Chinese people drink by taking shots, no matter the alcohol. Traditionally it's hard liquor called "bai jiu," infamously translated as "white wine," even though it's actually 55% grain liquor that tastes like death. But they also take shots of beer. I was lucky because my school was trying to "westernize," which meant in addition to the death liquor, people were also taking shots of expensive red wine, which is a lot more manageable. But I would still get the president of college and chairman of the board of trustees walking up to me several times during these banquets and toasting me with bai jiu. And in turn, I'd sneak up on the table where all the higher ups are sitting and toast all of them.
 
On Chinese New Year, after one such banquet, I was invited by one of the administrators to go sing karaoke with all the higher ups. They brought more bai jiu and some pretty expensive bottles of whiskey. We sang Backstreet Boys and some traditional Chinese music. By 10 o' clock, the official photographer had passed out on the couch, so... and I hesitate to mention this, I'm so embarrassed .. my friends and I took his camera and took pictures of me sitting next to him pretending like I was licking his face. While this was happening, I heard this high pitched giggle coming from next to me, and I turned and it was my immediate supervisor, a dour 50-year old Chinese woman in charge of the international office. And she was laughing so hard she was crying.
 
When I woke up the next morning, I was certain I was going to be fired. Deported. I'd never been more embarrassed in my life. But I went into the office and everything was fine and no one ever made mention of that night again. I later learned that in China, being drunk is an acceptable excuse, for the most part, for inappropriate behavior. If you do something that offends someone, you can say "Oh sorry, I was drunk" and that's fine.
 
So strange. When I had two beers at a bar on a Friday night, I'd have students walk up to me and ask "are you okay? why are you drinking so much?" But then apparently getting blackout drunk with your boss at an official function is okay. 
 
Sorry for clogging the board with stories of China. Congratulations to moregraceful (and hopefully other Vietnam alternates?) for getting the grant!

I secretly wanted to, haha.
 
Drinking culture in China is the opposite to what I'm accustomed to in the States. The drinking age in China is 18 but kids just... don't really drink. Not a lot of them. Definitely not any parties on the college campus where I was, beyond the occasional "let's hang out on the quad and eat snacks and drink soda" kind of party. When I did see people drinking, they were adults, and more often than not elderly. But even that wasn't super widespread.

But then, a couple times of year, my workplace (a university) had banquets where all the administrators and teachers got together. Some of the most formal people I've ever met. And they all just got trashed. Most of the time, Chinese people drink by taking shots, no matter the alcohol. Traditionally it's hard liquor called "bai jiu," infamously translated as "white wine," even though it's actually 55% grain liquor that tastes like death. But they also take shots of beer. I was lucky because my school was trying to "westernize," which meant in addition to the death liquor, people were also taking shots of expensive red wine, which is a lot more manageable. But I would still get the president of college and chairman of the board of trustees walking up to me several times during these banquets and toasting me with bai jiu. And in turn, I'd sneak up on the table where all the higher ups are sitting and toast all of them.
 
On Chinese New Year, after one such banquet, I was invited by one of the administrators to go sing karaoke with all the higher ups. They brought more bai jiu and some pretty expensive bottles of whiskey. We sang Backstreet Boys and some traditional Chinese music. By 10 o' clock, the official photographer had passed out on the couch, so... and I hesitate to mention this, I'm so embarrassed .. my friends and I took his camera and took pictures of me sitting next to him pretending like I was licking his face. While this was happening, I heard this high pitched giggle coming from next to me, and I turned and it was my immediate supervisor, a dour 50-year old Chinese woman in charge of the international office. And she was laughing so hard she was crying.
 
When I woke up the next morning, I was certain I was going to be fired. Deported. I'd never been more embarrassed in my life. But I went into the office and everything was fine and no one ever made mention of that night again. I later learned that in China, being drunk is an acceptable excuse, for the most part, for inappropriate behavior. If you do something that offends someone, you can say "Oh sorry, I was drunk" and that's fine.
 
So strange. When I had two beers at a bar on a Friday night, I'd have students walk up to me and ask "are you okay? why are you drinking so much?" But then apparently getting blackout drunk with your boss at an official function is okay. 
 
Sorry for clogging the board with stories of China. Congratulations to moregraceful (and hopefully other Vietnam alternates?) for getting the grant!

Hey guys, didn't think I'd end up back on this thread, but... I GOT THE FULBRIGHT ETA FOR GERMANY!! I was upgraded from alternate status. Aaaand I matriculated at a master's program last week. Not sure what's gonna happen next, but for right now, WOOOOOO!

Hey guys, didn't think I'd end up back on this thread, but... I GOT THE FULBRIGHT ETA FOR GERMANY!! I was upgraded from alternate status. Aaaand I matriculated at a master's program last week. Not sure what's gonna happen next, but for right now, WOOOOOO!

Hey guys, didn't think I'd end up back on this thread, but... I GOT THE FULBRIGHT ETA FOR GERMANY!! I was upgraded from alternate status. Aaaand I matriculated at a master's program last week. Not sure what's gonna happen next, but for right now, WOOOOOO!

Germany, you are killing me.

I've gotten to the point where I just expect it not to happen. At this point, I'd probably be surprised if I found out.

I've gotten to the point where I just expect it not to happen. At this point, I'd probably be surprised if I found out.

This is how I picture the fulbright comittee:
 

 
 
 
Just sitting around...laughing, watching this forum.

People are talking about everything other than Fulbright material. This is truly nonsense. Others will assume there is some sort of breakthrough.