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A shot from our graduation ceremony. More to come soon!
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Elvin Cobankiat
I could still recall the night before I left for China. After I packed my belongings, I felt very confident for the XCE. I expected that the XCE would be a fun-filled experience so I was excited. I couldn’t sleep so well during that night due to over-excitement. While on board the aircraft, my mind was filled with thoughts that there will be a lot of enjoyable activities and the studying would be so easy.
Now that I’ve spent a week in the new surroundings I feel lonely because this is the first time I will be so far away from my parents and relatives. Even if I e-mail them everyday and I am with 50 other students, there is still a sense of loneliness inside me. It did not turn out how I expected it to be. There are so little field trips and enjoyable activities. Instead there is more classes and homeworks. We have 15 hours of Conversational Chinese per week and so little free time. The only expectation I had that came true is that I will learn and will speak better Chinese as time progresses within the 6-week period.
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Nel Jefferson Lim
After I had finished packing my things, I was so worried about the trip because I did not know what would happen here in China. I was at the same time excited because this was a once-in-a-lifetime trip for me. I also felt very lonely because I would not be living with my parents, friends and other loved ones back at home.
I expected the XCE to be very exciting and interesting. I thought that it would be very exciting because I would be going to China with my friends. I also thought that it would be very interesting because we were going to learn a lot of new things here. I also expected this trip to help me in a lot of ways not only academically but also in becoming more independent. Academically because I will be more responsible in studying. Physically, by helping me become more responsible in my actions, words, etc. I also expected my studies to be hard and challenging but at the same time very interesting. I also expected my room to be very beautiful because when I saw the pictures I was so amazed that we will be staying in a beautiful place. I also thought that it would be very beautiful because the campus seems to be very big and beautiful.
I feel very lonely and homesick but confident at the same time. I feel very lonely and homesick because I miss my mom and my family back at home. Confident because I think that even though the trip will be very hard I feel that I can surpass this great challenge. I think that everything will go smoothly. I also realize that I should not just take for granted the trip because I have a lot of things to submit.
I think that most of the things that I expected turned out to be true. Maybe except for the dorm we stay in but it’s ok at least we have a place to stay in.
The most important thing that I expected is that this trip will help me become a better individual and this expectation has not failed me. I have leaned to be more responsible in my studies and my own personal needs. Another expectation that turned out to be true is my studies here being hard and interesting. They have been very hard and interesting.
My first week here has been quite good despite all the requirements and all the sad times that I had. I hope that this trip in China will become very helpful and very fruitful for us Xavierians here.
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Emil Dy
It was actually a blur to me, as I ran through my things over and over again. Thoughts began popping in my head, thinking of my future, my future in China. I tried convincing myself that 6 weeks would not greatly influence my life, to no avail. Things would change. My life will become different. It would affect me, as well as those other students coming too. The night before the departure, I realized that I should sleep early, but that was not an option for me. I did my regular activities, wanting to hold them dear, wanting to remember them. I felt that I was overreacting. Was I? Of course people would think like that, but I strongly felt that that was just what I expected of myself. I did not deny feeling nervous, maybe even afraid. At long last, I saw the time – 1:00AM – and finally decided to sleep. Despite all these, there was a glimmer of excitement shining inside of me. I doubt that it was because it will be my first time in China’s soil. I believe it is because this adventure would strengthen myself in many ways.
At first, I thought we would be staying in a nice place, as the pictures I see both in paper and in the web. It was my first time staying in a dormitory, as I always stay in either a hotel or a relative’s home. I was not at all happy to find out that my thoughts were simply illusions. Moreover, it is unimaginable sharing a room with someone else. It was both frustrating and comforting to know the life of an overseas student. Although I was unhappy to know the kind of life merely because I wasn’t used to it, I was also thrilled. Who knows, I may be staying here again someday. I am eager to learn everything I could gather, even things only picked up through life’s experiences.
I feel at home. It seems very strange, that even I cannot comprehend the reason behind this. It may be because there are numerous similarities, or even because I actually like it here. No one will be sure, not even me. Maybe the answer could only be uncovered when the XCE ends. Maybe, just maybe, I will find out.
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Morning Prayer: The night has passed, and the day lies open before us; let us pray with one heart and mind. As we rejoice in the gift of this new day, so may the light of your presence, O God, set our hearts on fire with love for you; now and forever. PS. “Yawn”
Getting to be teacher for the day 
The Happy Bus for the Ji Mei Outing 
Leading the morning prayers:
Gulangyu Catholic Church. 
Good afternoon and welcome to you all! In five days, we will be embarking on a new adventure in our lives, the Xavier China Experience. Our batch has the distinction of being the first ever to spend an entire quarter of the school year as part of an overseas education program. While we may consider ourselves privileged, we also have the responsibility of maintaining the high standards for which we were chosen. Although this will be a difficult task since we will be away from home, we know we can do it because we will be sustained by the love and prayers of our families…encouraged by the school and our teachers…and assured of the team spirit, friendship and camaraderie of our fellow XCEans.
6月8日，?律宾光?中学院长助?SONG BEE DY?师和 YU LILY?师抵达我校进行?好访问并就有关?作交?进行?好磋商。今年??月底?律宾光?中学将派?40??学生?我校进行为期43天的汉语强化培训。由我院承担这40??学生的教学任务，并??助安排学生在厦旅游和食宿。