Although many of us struggled to sleep through the night, we all managed to eat a full breakfast at the American-Chinese buffet before departing to our first destination. Some of us were groggier than others; Emily, for example, decided to brush her teeth at 2:30 in the morning, waking up her roommates to pursue her fitness goals; some, like Malcolm, woke up at 1:30 AM and were unable to fall back asleep. Mariel and Owen (the writers of this entry) were quite well-rested and acquired a full night’s sleep. Nevertheless, our adjustment to Chinese time is a continuous process.
After breakfast, we went to the People’s Square in the heart of downtown Shanghai and engaged in spontaneous Taichi. Coincidentally, one of our elderly Taichi instructors told us that her daughter lives in Summit, NJ, not far from ‘Mama Bee’ (Pingry).
Next, we walked to our first museum of the day: the Shanghai Museum. There we found ourselves surrounded by various artifacts spanning several dynasties: from Ming furniture to imperial jade. As stated by our very own Hao Laoshi, there is a Chinese saying, the value of certain jade could be greater than that of a city. Other exhibits included displays of calligraphy, paintings, and traditional dress, the latter often distinguished by different ethnic groups. Overall, although we faced some obstacles (e.g. no flash photography), the cultural experience far outweighed the drawbacks of our visit.
After a brief interlude in subterranean tunnels (underground path for pedestrians), we emerged in front of our next stop, the Shanghai Development Museum. Students were initially taken aback by the sheer vastness of the Shanghai city diorama; little did they know that a greater surprise was lurking just around the corner. As soon as the lights dimmed a few minutes later, the diorama lit up in glorious LED-lit color. However, due to the rumbling of our empty digestive tracts, we were forced to proceed to a food establishment.
With the help of our trusty ‘Gonggongqiche’ (that’s bus in Chinese) and Mashifu (our driver), we arrived at a multi-leveled Chinese restaurant and split into two groups divided by age. In our respective rooms, we ordered lunch. Some of the more adventurous among us feasted on a frog soup with peppers (aiyah) and sipped the sweet nectar of the watermelon fruit. Our stomachs were soon full and most complained of impending indigestion and a voracious desire to ‘shop til we drop’.
We then traveled past the first Communist Party meeting location, stopping for a picture and noting the fascinating parallel between our thirteen school members and the thirteen members of the original Communist Party (thanks again, Hao Laoshi). Is it a coincidence? We think not. But we digress.
Our next adventure took the form of a roundabout journey to the Bank of China. On the way, we encountered many Western shops (including an exorbitantly expensive Haagen Daas). At the Bank of China, we faced rampant discrimination solely due to our age during our efforts to exchange currency. Cheng Laoshi, Yu Laoshi offered to exchange our money for us, and, in a valiant sacrifice of their time and mental stability, waited at the bank while we retreated to Starbucks. Although some questionable decisions were made by our fellow classmates (for example, the addition of sugar to an already saturated fruit drink), the air conditioning in the Starbucks was greatly appreciated.
Next came the highly anticipated conclusion to our day: shopping. In this section of our saga, we traveled in groups of three or four with a native-speaking chaperone through a street lined with Western department stores. Although we did not have enough time to fully explore the area, several students bought clothing items from stores such as H&M and UNIQLO. We returned to the hotel, intent on shopping some more later but were sidetracked by the need for food.
After a brief but well-appreciated break in the hotel rooms (20 minutes), we walked to a nearby food court. The vast majority of students sated their appetites at the well-respected McDonald’s (I’m lovin’ it), breaking our one day long streak of eating solely Chinese cuisine. The taste of sweet, sweet hamburgers, accompanied by French fries, was heavenly. One group (consisting of Emily Kwon, Keileh Atulomah, Yu Laoshi, and us) broke off from the rest and set off on a late-night quest for a highly sought-after handbag (Emily’s doing).
One of our stranger experiences during our aforementioned quest occurred when we stumbled upon a cryptic Chinese message in neon red lights in the mall. After some thoughtful examination, we soon discovered that the Chinese characters were, in fact, inverted in an attempt to confuse us. Although our translation will forever remain unfinished, we have the solace of knowing we could have read it if we’d had the time and patience.
As we write this blog, we sit comfortably in the lobby (curiously located on the twelfth floor of our hotel?), playing Chinese poker, and awaiting the return of our fellow classmates. This tasteful recollection of our day’s events will surely inspire nostalgia in the future and we can only hope that tomorrow will bring as much happiness as today.
With Love and warm regards,
-Owen and Mariel
After breakfast, we went to the People’s Square in the heart of downtown Shanghai and engaged in spontaneous Taichi. Coincidentally, one of our elderly Taichi instructors told us that her daughter lives in Summit, NJ, not far from ‘Mama Bee’ (Pingry).
Next, we walked to our first museum of the day: the Shanghai Museum. There we found ourselves surrounded by various artifacts spanning several dynasties: from Ming furniture to imperial jade. As stated by our very own Hao Laoshi, there is a Chinese saying, the value of certain jade could be greater than that of a city. Other exhibits included displays of calligraphy, paintings, and traditional dress, the latter often distinguished by different ethnic groups. Overall, although we faced some obstacles (e.g. no flash photography), the cultural experience far outweighed the drawbacks of our visit.
After a brief interlude in subterranean tunnels (underground path for pedestrians), we emerged in front of our next stop, the Shanghai Development Museum. Students were initially taken aback by the sheer vastness of the Shanghai city diorama; little did they know that a greater surprise was lurking just around the corner. As soon as the lights dimmed a few minutes later, the diorama lit up in glorious LED-lit color. However, due to the rumbling of our empty digestive tracts, we were forced to proceed to a food establishment.
With the help of our trusty ‘Gonggongqiche’ (that’s bus in Chinese) and Mashifu (our driver), we arrived at a multi-leveled Chinese restaurant and split into two groups divided by age. In our respective rooms, we ordered lunch. Some of the more adventurous among us feasted on a frog soup with peppers (aiyah) and sipped the sweet nectar of the watermelon fruit. Our stomachs were soon full and most complained of impending indigestion and a voracious desire to ‘shop til we drop’.
We then traveled past the first Communist Party meeting location, stopping for a picture and noting the fascinating parallel between our thirteen school members and the thirteen members of the original Communist Party (thanks again, Hao Laoshi). Is it a coincidence? We think not. But we digress.
Our next adventure took the form of a roundabout journey to the Bank of China. On the way, we encountered many Western shops (including an exorbitantly expensive Haagen Daas). At the Bank of China, we faced rampant discrimination solely due to our age during our efforts to exchange currency. Cheng Laoshi, Yu Laoshi offered to exchange our money for us, and, in a valiant sacrifice of their time and mental stability, waited at the bank while we retreated to Starbucks. Although some questionable decisions were made by our fellow classmates (for example, the addition of sugar to an already saturated fruit drink), the air conditioning in the Starbucks was greatly appreciated.
Next came the highly anticipated conclusion to our day: shopping. In this section of our saga, we traveled in groups of three or four with a native-speaking chaperone through a street lined with Western department stores. Although we did not have enough time to fully explore the area, several students bought clothing items from stores such as H&M and UNIQLO. We returned to the hotel, intent on shopping some more later but were sidetracked by the need for food.
After a brief but well-appreciated break in the hotel rooms (20 minutes), we walked to a nearby food court. The vast majority of students sated their appetites at the well-respected McDonald’s (I’m lovin’ it), breaking our one day long streak of eating solely Chinese cuisine. The taste of sweet, sweet hamburgers, accompanied by French fries, was heavenly. One group (consisting of Emily Kwon, Keileh Atulomah, Yu Laoshi, and us) broke off from the rest and set off on a late-night quest for a highly sought-after handbag (Emily’s doing).
One of our stranger experiences during our aforementioned quest occurred when we stumbled upon a cryptic Chinese message in neon red lights in the mall. After some thoughtful examination, we soon discovered that the Chinese characters were, in fact, inverted in an attempt to confuse us. Although our translation will forever remain unfinished, we have the solace of knowing we could have read it if we’d had the time and patience.
As we write this blog, we sit comfortably in the lobby (curiously located on the twelfth floor of our hotel?), playing Chinese poker, and awaiting the return of our fellow classmates. This tasteful recollection of our day’s events will surely inspire nostalgia in the future and we can only hope that tomorrow will bring as much happiness as today.
With Love and warm regards,
-Owen and Mariel