April 25th, 2012 - Our Final Day in China
Today we attended our last day at the Shanghai Number 3 Girls School and in China. We had a few really exciting events planned for today. We first had a seal carving lesson. Each of us was given a cube of rock that had a butterfly drawn on it and a chisel. We had to chisel the outline of the butterfly out to make a stamp. It took some time and work but everyone really enjoyed it. Following, we had a going away party today which started with a slideshow of some photos of us and our host sisters. It made me realize that we’re actually leaving tomorrow and how much I’m going to miss my host sister and all the friends I’ve made here. Then we were shown a dance performance, a saxophone quartet, and a harpist. It was amazing to watch how much talent all the students had. Afterward we were told we would be singing for them, which we had not expected. We talked, planned rapidly, and sang. We started with a wonderful rendition of “The 50 nifty United States” followed by singing along with the “Dui Bu Qi” video. It definitely got us thinking on our toes. Finally there was a life size board game that was played about how well we Americans knew Shanghai and we took a group picture. I went home with my host sister and mother after being at school for 12 hours (6:30-6:30) and in the car I realized I couldn’t have asked for a better host family. They are the sweetest people ever and the parents treat me as their daughter and Sunni treats me as her sister. I truly feel part of the family. Whether we’re laughing around the dinner table or just sitting watching TV, I know they will always be in my heart. It will be so hard to leave my host family tomorrow.
I don’t think any of us have realized how much we’ve grown on this trip. I know that we kids hear it all the time: “This trip will change your life” and although it doesn’t feel like it; it has. All 11 of us have become so much stronger, courageous, and open to the world around us. When originally faced with the challenge of living with total strangers for two weeks, we were all terrified. But look at us now – we’ve become so close to them. And all the different food we’ve tried, and enjoyed. We would have never fathomed eating it back home. Foods like eel, red bean, jellyfish, and prawn. All Chinese delicacies. We’ve also experienced so many life changing things. The good and the bad. From working with the kids at the Dandelion School to seeing the many beggars on the street. . This trip will stay with us forever; and so will all the amazing people we’ve met. And with all of these experiences changing us, they also brought us together. While we often joke about being one big happy family and calling Kristen and Rich “Mom” and “Dad”, that’s pretty much what happened; we’ve become a family.
We love you China!
-Lila Seeman
I don’t think any of us have realized how much we’ve grown on this trip. I know that we kids hear it all the time: “This trip will change your life” and although it doesn’t feel like it; it has. All 11 of us have become so much stronger, courageous, and open to the world around us. When originally faced with the challenge of living with total strangers for two weeks, we were all terrified. But look at us now – we’ve become so close to them. And all the different food we’ve tried, and enjoyed. We would have never fathomed eating it back home. Foods like eel, red bean, jellyfish, and prawn. All Chinese delicacies. We’ve also experienced so many life changing things. The good and the bad. From working with the kids at the Dandelion School to seeing the many beggars on the street. . This trip will stay with us forever; and so will all the amazing people we’ve met. And with all of these experiences changing us, they also brought us together. While we often joke about being one big happy family and calling Kristen and Rich “Mom” and “Dad”, that’s pretty much what happened; we’ve become a family.
We love you China!
-Lila Seeman
April 25,2012
Once we arrived in Shanghai our group was kind of torn up a
little bit. We were all whisked away to stay with host families, and to be honest I
wasn’t sure how I would adjust to staying in a stranger’s house for 2 weeks by
myself. Of course it took some time to adjust but looking back on it I’m so
glad I had this experience. I had to step outside my comfort zone and push
myself, and even though this was difficult at times I realized it was so worth it and now
I know I can really accomplish anything if I set my mind to it.
Tonight was my favorite night of staying with my host
family. Usually when we get home from school Sherry locks herself in her study
so she can do her homework and I am left to do as I please. I know that our
host sisters get so much homework and it is important to them to do well, but I
really feel like Sherry always locking herself in her room at night really
reduced our time together which made it harder to bond. However, tonight we
went to dinner early because my host family knew I wanted to go to bed early so
I won’t be too cranky when I have to wake up early tomorrow. We walked to a
restaurant my host family goes to quite frequently. On the walk over, which took about 15 minutes Sherry and I just got to talk. It was
really nice to have a conversation without having to worry about if she was busy
or if I was keeping her from doing her work. When we got to dinner Sherry’s
father (Jack) and her mother (Julias) told Sherry and I that our characters were very similar. They told us
that at first we are both shy, but very kind, and caring. I never really thought
about that, but it is kind of true and the more I think about it the more
similarities I find between Sherry and I. After dinner we walked back to the
apartment along the river. It was so pretty to see Shanghai lit up at night and
all the lights shining in the dark sky. Sherry and I walked behind her parents
and just talked. I felt closer to Sherry tonight than I had anytime during the last 2
weeks. It’s crazy that all we needed was some time to talk to realize how
similar we are and how well we get along. I’m pretty bummed that it took this
long to figure this out, but it was nice to end the trip on a good note.
As we were walking back to the apartment Sherry took out her ipad and we were taking
funny pictures on photo booth when her dad looks back and asks what we are
doing. Sherry looks at him and says, “I am taking pictures with my sister.”
So, our last day in Shanghai has ended. We wake up tomorrow and
are leaving the Shanghai #3 Girls High School to go to the airport at 6:30 a.m. It is hard to
believe we have spent three whole weeks in China. It seems like we were in
Beijing doing the rickshaw tours forever ago yet these three weeks have just
flew by. Today as we were sitting in our white house we discussed how sad we
all are to be leaving. Some of us thought we were ready to go home and get back
into routine but now that the time to leave is here, we have realized we aren’t
ready to leave quite yet. While we were traveling we pushed ourselves to
the limit, experienced new things, and accomplished things we never knew we
could do. The first week while we were in Beijing and Xi’an we bonded as a
group. Coming into the trip we were all just classmates. But something
unexplainable happened while were here. We came together and created this
special bond. We joke that we are a family and Rich and Kristen are our parents
but in a way this is true. We have spent every moment of every day together for
the past 3 weeks. We have seen each other during our good days and bad days.
Before the trip we joked that we would all be sick of each other by the end of
the trip, and I don’t know about the rest of you but I am really going to miss
spending every second of every day with all of you. We have created memories
that I will never forget, we truly are the Chex family.
China has been amazing and although we are sad to leave, all good things must come to an end.
Goodbye China, we will miss you!
And America... you better watch out because Chex 2012 is coming home!!!
- Kiki Martin
little bit. We were all whisked away to stay with host families, and to be honest I
wasn’t sure how I would adjust to staying in a stranger’s house for 2 weeks by
myself. Of course it took some time to adjust but looking back on it I’m so
glad I had this experience. I had to step outside my comfort zone and push
myself, and even though this was difficult at times I realized it was so worth it and now
I know I can really accomplish anything if I set my mind to it.
Tonight was my favorite night of staying with my host
family. Usually when we get home from school Sherry locks herself in her study
so she can do her homework and I am left to do as I please. I know that our
host sisters get so much homework and it is important to them to do well, but I
really feel like Sherry always locking herself in her room at night really
reduced our time together which made it harder to bond. However, tonight we
went to dinner early because my host family knew I wanted to go to bed early so
I won’t be too cranky when I have to wake up early tomorrow. We walked to a
restaurant my host family goes to quite frequently. On the walk over, which took about 15 minutes Sherry and I just got to talk. It was
really nice to have a conversation without having to worry about if she was busy
or if I was keeping her from doing her work. When we got to dinner Sherry’s
father (Jack) and her mother (Julias) told Sherry and I that our characters were very similar. They told us
that at first we are both shy, but very kind, and caring. I never really thought
about that, but it is kind of true and the more I think about it the more
similarities I find between Sherry and I. After dinner we walked back to the
apartment along the river. It was so pretty to see Shanghai lit up at night and
all the lights shining in the dark sky. Sherry and I walked behind her parents
and just talked. I felt closer to Sherry tonight than I had anytime during the last 2
weeks. It’s crazy that all we needed was some time to talk to realize how
similar we are and how well we get along. I’m pretty bummed that it took this
long to figure this out, but it was nice to end the trip on a good note.
As we were walking back to the apartment Sherry took out her ipad and we were taking
funny pictures on photo booth when her dad looks back and asks what we are
doing. Sherry looks at him and says, “I am taking pictures with my sister.”
So, our last day in Shanghai has ended. We wake up tomorrow and
are leaving the Shanghai #3 Girls High School to go to the airport at 6:30 a.m. It is hard to
believe we have spent three whole weeks in China. It seems like we were in
Beijing doing the rickshaw tours forever ago yet these three weeks have just
flew by. Today as we were sitting in our white house we discussed how sad we
all are to be leaving. Some of us thought we were ready to go home and get back
into routine but now that the time to leave is here, we have realized we aren’t
ready to leave quite yet. While we were traveling we pushed ourselves to
the limit, experienced new things, and accomplished things we never knew we
could do. The first week while we were in Beijing and Xi’an we bonded as a
group. Coming into the trip we were all just classmates. But something
unexplainable happened while were here. We came together and created this
special bond. We joke that we are a family and Rich and Kristen are our parents
but in a way this is true. We have spent every moment of every day together for
the past 3 weeks. We have seen each other during our good days and bad days.
Before the trip we joked that we would all be sick of each other by the end of
the trip, and I don’t know about the rest of you but I am really going to miss
spending every second of every day with all of you. We have created memories
that I will never forget, we truly are the Chex family.
China has been amazing and although we are sad to leave, all good things must come to an end.
Goodbye China, we will miss you!
And America... you better watch out because Chex 2012 is coming home!!!
- Kiki Martin
April 24 2012-
Now that the trip is winding down, everything is starting to feel rushed. Over the weekend, my host family took me to do more sightseeing. We walked along the historic part of the Bund, where all of the colonial buildings are, went to People's Square, and visited the Shanghai Museum. Then on Sunday night, I had dinner with Lucy, who I hosted when she came to DHS in the fall, and her parents. It was great meeting her parents, and reconnecting with her. First we went to their apartment where Lucy showed me around the complex they live in and where they gave me some gifts. They then took me to a restaurant at a mall in Pudong, which had amazing views of the river and the Bund. We then walked on a boardwalk on the Pudong side of the river and had dessert at a place that specialized in smoothies and cold desserts-I had a dish that had coconut juice, mangos, mango ice cream, pamelo, and sago, which apparently is something that comes from palm trees.
And now that my exchange experience comes to a close, I know more about myself. I wanted to use this trip as a way of gauging multiple things-am I comfortable with being away from home for long periods of time, and am I comfortable withe being in foreign countries for long periods of time. But I haven't felt homesick once. There have been times when I've missed the conveniences of the United States, like being able to use and drink the tap water, or having faster internet, but I never felt a distinct need to go home. I've been liking the experience of being in a non-western, non-English speaking, in some ways underdeveloped, country. It's a challenge to adjust and navigate, but I like those types of challenges. In some ways I don't want to go home just yet, I want to keep pushing my limits. I haven't been able to be on my own-it would have been nice if I could have had some time to walk around Shanghai by myself, figuring things out for myself rather than just being guided by my host family, but I guess being on my own abroad is something I can look forward to in the future, and this exchange trip is a test run in being in unfamiliar places-a baby step.
-Jack Christensen
And now that my exchange experience comes to a close, I know more about myself. I wanted to use this trip as a way of gauging multiple things-am I comfortable with being away from home for long periods of time, and am I comfortable withe being in foreign countries for long periods of time. But I haven't felt homesick once. There have been times when I've missed the conveniences of the United States, like being able to use and drink the tap water, or having faster internet, but I never felt a distinct need to go home. I've been liking the experience of being in a non-western, non-English speaking, in some ways underdeveloped, country. It's a challenge to adjust and navigate, but I like those types of challenges. In some ways I don't want to go home just yet, I want to keep pushing my limits. I haven't been able to be on my own-it would have been nice if I could have had some time to walk around Shanghai by myself, figuring things out for myself rather than just being guided by my host family, but I guess being on my own abroad is something I can look forward to in the future, and this exchange trip is a test run in being in unfamiliar places-a baby step.
-Jack Christensen
April 22 2012
Sadly my last weekend in china is coming to an end. One thing I learned is you just need to go with it. Plans change very quickly, and with a family that speaks in a majority of Chinese you don’t always know when they have been changed. Saturday morning, still unaware that Cookie changed our plans, we got in the car and drove for about an hour. Going over the bridge I saw shanghai in the distance, but I only saw what I would call a graveyard of warehouses in front of me. When I asked where we were going my host mom kept saying that we were going to the exit. Seeing that we were leaving the city and going to the “Exit” I was concerned. I still did not know where we were going, nonetheless my host parents kept on turning into these beautifully designed warehouses, however they were all empty and roped off. After the 4th building that we tried to enter we came around a corner and found an open entrance. It comforted me to now see crowds of people, and a sign reading Shanghai 2010 Expo. I know understood why we kept on turning into empty warehouses to see the shanghai “Exit.” The expo was amazing. My host mom said that about 500,000 people came each day, but on the busiest days there were up to 1,000,000! Most of the buildings are closed now; the only ones that I saw that were still open are China’s, Saudi Arabia’s, and the Mercedes Bens Arena. We walked around and looked at some of the closed buildings, it was sad to see such beautiful and intricate buildings just abandoned. Then we went inside Saudi Arabia’s building. It is still running as it was during the expo. The most interesting part was the 4d movie that was on the top floor. We were on a moving conveyer belt and were completely surrounded by the film- it was above, below, and on all sides of you. On the top of the building there was a garden with a view of the whole city. It was remarkable, and worth the 10min wait… but not the 5-8 hour wait that there was during the expo. I realized that our lunch plans had also been changed when we went to the top floor of the Mercedes Bens Arena and had lunch. It was at a Sichuan restaurant so everything was spicy… it was one of my favorite meals so far.
Then we left and my host parents dropped us off at a shopping area that looked very similar to London. Cookie said that foreigners built it during the early history of Shanghai. It was a good afternoon because I bought almost all of my presents while I was there… something that I was worried that I might not finish before I left. We also watched them film a TV show where they were competing to be the most handsome/ beautiful person in Shanghai. That is a TV show idea that I cannot wrap my head around.
We headed home because we were going out to dinner with my host mothers parents. We met them at a restaurant that was close to their home. There was also a wedding on the same floor. Interested in the wedding we walked around to take a quick look. The waitress saw us and shuttled us back into some empty seats in the back of the wedding. We said that we were not there for the wedding and she said that she knew but there was room. Somehow we ended up crashing a wedding for a good 20min. Every time that we would try to leave the waitress would tell us to stay. It was very interesting but I felt very awkward sitting in the back of a strangers wedding and wanted to go back to our table. But from what I did observe, even though I could not understand anything, their wedding was very Americanized. We listened to the best mans and made of honors speeches before snuck out of the wedding that we somehow got stuck in. The wrest of the meal was delicious. Even though I could not talk with her grandparents we still found ways to communicate. They were so friendly, constantly filling my tea and putting food on my plate. 13 dishes later I could not think about eating another bight and was glad that we had a walk home.
After a long day, even though I was tired, we came back and watched No Reservations. They picked this movie out because they knew that I liked cooking and that my project was on food. Even though my plans were constantly being changed throughout the day, and I was being thrown into things… such a wedding… I just went along with it and it paid off because it was one of my favorite days in Shanghai so far. Everyday has been getting better; I wont be ready to leave in just a few short days.
Rachael
Then we left and my host parents dropped us off at a shopping area that looked very similar to London. Cookie said that foreigners built it during the early history of Shanghai. It was a good afternoon because I bought almost all of my presents while I was there… something that I was worried that I might not finish before I left. We also watched them film a TV show where they were competing to be the most handsome/ beautiful person in Shanghai. That is a TV show idea that I cannot wrap my head around.
We headed home because we were going out to dinner with my host mothers parents. We met them at a restaurant that was close to their home. There was also a wedding on the same floor. Interested in the wedding we walked around to take a quick look. The waitress saw us and shuttled us back into some empty seats in the back of the wedding. We said that we were not there for the wedding and she said that she knew but there was room. Somehow we ended up crashing a wedding for a good 20min. Every time that we would try to leave the waitress would tell us to stay. It was very interesting but I felt very awkward sitting in the back of a strangers wedding and wanted to go back to our table. But from what I did observe, even though I could not understand anything, their wedding was very Americanized. We listened to the best mans and made of honors speeches before snuck out of the wedding that we somehow got stuck in. The wrest of the meal was delicious. Even though I could not talk with her grandparents we still found ways to communicate. They were so friendly, constantly filling my tea and putting food on my plate. 13 dishes later I could not think about eating another bight and was glad that we had a walk home.
After a long day, even though I was tired, we came back and watched No Reservations. They picked this movie out because they knew that I liked cooking and that my project was on food. Even though my plans were constantly being changed throughout the day, and I was being thrown into things… such a wedding… I just went along with it and it paid off because it was one of my favorite days in Shanghai so far. Everyday has been getting better; I wont be ready to leave in just a few short days.
Rachael
Ocean's Six
Weekends at the Sarah's Host Family household seem to repeat themselves in a very strict pattern, and this one didn't fail to meet standards.
Basic Saturday synopsis: I woke up to an empty apartment and ate my croissant bread over the sink, comparing the balcony situation in other houses to mine. A few hours later, Sophie, wonderful as ever, made me steak for lunch that was flamingo pink in the middle. I politely ignored it and stuffed myself full of boiling hot noodles instead. Then KAROAKE which I actually really enjoyed even though, seriously, I feel uncomfortable singing alone in my bedroom, let alone with a bunch of people I have to talk to on a daily basis. Oh, and I'm sad to report, my quest for a chocolate milkshake in China has disbanded since I'm McDonald's, milkshake Mecca, only had banana and strawberry. Next was a gratuitous crash course in dumpling making which I passed with flying colors; I even made dumplings better than my host sister which I felt about 5% bad about and 95% excited about. Finalement, I traipsed around the swelteringly hot mall and took pictures of shirts I found with more than questionable English. Example: This is kitty. She collects favorite and good things. Or: I Union Jack Heart Peace. I wish your happiness.
Sunday dawned bright and early with a head cold so vague I couldn't even explain that I needed tea. I kept dashing into the kitchen when my host mom turned her back so I could pour some cold water in, otherwise my kind of sore throat would turn into an esophagus transplant. It was barely 10 AM when my host mom asked me if I was ready to go out on an adventure I had sort of agreed to the day before. We then played my least favorite game called Clown Car, wherein every member of the family gets into the family Passat and we drive around. Since most of this family includes the elderly (including a grandfather who is 88 and still walks up six flights of stairs every day), the AC can't be blowing too hard, never mind the fact that I was marinating in the heat. After Clown Car, we wandered around, sans Sophie, an 'old street' that sold a whole lot of stuff. Stores in China kind of terrify me: they're always crowded and the shopkeepers YELL at each other from across the room about pumpkins, for all I know. Maybe it's just a clever consumerist idea, to make your patrons so uncomfortable they buy what they need and then book it out of there. Lunch was good but there are just some foods in China that I cannot manage to eat and that was the bulk of our meal. I went home, contented from my purchases but seriously jonesing for a granola bar, stat.
As lovely and caring as my host family is, there's nothing like a first host-hostee bond that Ocean and I have. She came to pick me up and we resumed conversation as if all the months between October and April were only a minute long. I forgot how...bouncy she is. Literally, she grabbed my wrist and bounded into the elevator with me lagging behind.
The evening I shared with her and her family was muy bueno. Ocean and I looked through pictures on her computer, I talked to her grandfather about him being in Germany years ago and I tried this, well, not really a cake and also not a dumpling, even though Ocean kept telling me it was. It was about as long as a lady finger and was covered in different kinds of seeds, followed by a gelatinous layer that translated into compressed glutinous rice. Tasty. Then the middle was red bean paste and even though I made it sound like I was eating worms (it kind of seemed/looked like it), they weren't horrible. Afternoon go-to snack? No, I'm good, thanks.
Dinner was, as the Ancients said, absolutely freaking delicious. What did I eat, you ask? I don't know, but it was good. There was a dish that tasted just like pot roast, a bowl of lima (?) beans that I didn't even attempt to peel the skin off of, some kind of fish with some kind of vegetable (I do believe it was pufferfish), crystal shrimp with green peppers, mushrooms with green peppers and the list goes on and on. Fun fact about China: even if I had shoveled every bowl of food onto my litte saucer and ate every single morsel, if I didn't leave a few bites on the plate, they will still offer me another round. Chinese people never believe you when you say you're full unless there is a clear indication on your plate.
Seriously, though, being with Ocean again and meeting her family made me beyond happy. I guess we just clicked back in the US, and even though she had the home turf advantage, I felt the most relaxed I have in days. They even only laughed a little bit when I kept trying and failing to pick up shrimp with my chopsticks. I don't know what it is about the phrase 'welcome to my family', but this is the second time it's taken away, even if momentarily, any anxiety I have over being The Foreigner. I just wish I could spend more time with Ocean and her family (and I wish I could have met her dog, Toto, before he died at age 17, presumably in a doggy sweater), laughing and eating and drinking blisteringly hot tea.
-S. Terhune
P.S. Actual conversation:
Me "Do many people in China keep chipmunks, you know, little squirrels, as pets?"
Ocean: "Yes, because the dogs need to learn how to behave and not jump on you. You know, there are so many people in China, it is important that dogs and cats have necklaces."
Basic Saturday synopsis: I woke up to an empty apartment and ate my croissant bread over the sink, comparing the balcony situation in other houses to mine. A few hours later, Sophie, wonderful as ever, made me steak for lunch that was flamingo pink in the middle. I politely ignored it and stuffed myself full of boiling hot noodles instead. Then KAROAKE which I actually really enjoyed even though, seriously, I feel uncomfortable singing alone in my bedroom, let alone with a bunch of people I have to talk to on a daily basis. Oh, and I'm sad to report, my quest for a chocolate milkshake in China has disbanded since I'm McDonald's, milkshake Mecca, only had banana and strawberry. Next was a gratuitous crash course in dumpling making which I passed with flying colors; I even made dumplings better than my host sister which I felt about 5% bad about and 95% excited about. Finalement, I traipsed around the swelteringly hot mall and took pictures of shirts I found with more than questionable English. Example: This is kitty. She collects favorite and good things. Or: I Union Jack Heart Peace. I wish your happiness.
Sunday dawned bright and early with a head cold so vague I couldn't even explain that I needed tea. I kept dashing into the kitchen when my host mom turned her back so I could pour some cold water in, otherwise my kind of sore throat would turn into an esophagus transplant. It was barely 10 AM when my host mom asked me if I was ready to go out on an adventure I had sort of agreed to the day before. We then played my least favorite game called Clown Car, wherein every member of the family gets into the family Passat and we drive around. Since most of this family includes the elderly (including a grandfather who is 88 and still walks up six flights of stairs every day), the AC can't be blowing too hard, never mind the fact that I was marinating in the heat. After Clown Car, we wandered around, sans Sophie, an 'old street' that sold a whole lot of stuff. Stores in China kind of terrify me: they're always crowded and the shopkeepers YELL at each other from across the room about pumpkins, for all I know. Maybe it's just a clever consumerist idea, to make your patrons so uncomfortable they buy what they need and then book it out of there. Lunch was good but there are just some foods in China that I cannot manage to eat and that was the bulk of our meal. I went home, contented from my purchases but seriously jonesing for a granola bar, stat.
As lovely and caring as my host family is, there's nothing like a first host-hostee bond that Ocean and I have. She came to pick me up and we resumed conversation as if all the months between October and April were only a minute long. I forgot how...bouncy she is. Literally, she grabbed my wrist and bounded into the elevator with me lagging behind.
The evening I shared with her and her family was muy bueno. Ocean and I looked through pictures on her computer, I talked to her grandfather about him being in Germany years ago and I tried this, well, not really a cake and also not a dumpling, even though Ocean kept telling me it was. It was about as long as a lady finger and was covered in different kinds of seeds, followed by a gelatinous layer that translated into compressed glutinous rice. Tasty. Then the middle was red bean paste and even though I made it sound like I was eating worms (it kind of seemed/looked like it), they weren't horrible. Afternoon go-to snack? No, I'm good, thanks.
Dinner was, as the Ancients said, absolutely freaking delicious. What did I eat, you ask? I don't know, but it was good. There was a dish that tasted just like pot roast, a bowl of lima (?) beans that I didn't even attempt to peel the skin off of, some kind of fish with some kind of vegetable (I do believe it was pufferfish), crystal shrimp with green peppers, mushrooms with green peppers and the list goes on and on. Fun fact about China: even if I had shoveled every bowl of food onto my litte saucer and ate every single morsel, if I didn't leave a few bites on the plate, they will still offer me another round. Chinese people never believe you when you say you're full unless there is a clear indication on your plate.
Seriously, though, being with Ocean again and meeting her family made me beyond happy. I guess we just clicked back in the US, and even though she had the home turf advantage, I felt the most relaxed I have in days. They even only laughed a little bit when I kept trying and failing to pick up shrimp with my chopsticks. I don't know what it is about the phrase 'welcome to my family', but this is the second time it's taken away, even if momentarily, any anxiety I have over being The Foreigner. I just wish I could spend more time with Ocean and her family (and I wish I could have met her dog, Toto, before he died at age 17, presumably in a doggy sweater), laughing and eating and drinking blisteringly hot tea.
-S. Terhune
P.S. Actual conversation:
Me "Do many people in China keep chipmunks, you know, little squirrels, as pets?"
Ocean: "Yes, because the dogs need to learn how to behave and not jump on you. You know, there are so many people in China, it is important that dogs and cats have necklaces."
April 21. 2012
Greetings! Today is my last scheduled blog post, so hopefully you will all find it be an enjoyable and satisfying read. Today was the first day of our second weekend in Shanghai, and in my opinion it was a good beginning to what shall hopefully be another wonderful weekend. After spending a relaxed morning that included reading and making dumplings with my host mother (though it was more like me making dumplings while my host mother watched), Chelsea (my host sister) and I took a taxi to a karaoke bar. After taking an ever-so-slightly sketchy elevator to the sixth floor, we found ourselves in a very nice looking karaoke establishment complete with almost our entire exchange program (Ivy and Rachael, as well as their host sisters, were otherwise engaged). Since we had such a large group of people we decided to split into two separate karaoke rooms. Mine held myself, Chelsea, Lila, Sunny (Lila's host sister), Jack, Pandora (Jack's host sister), Hannah (Lila's host sister from October), Lucy (Hannah's twin sister), and later we were joined by the person I hosted in October, Ann. In addition, Chelsea and Sunny had to leave early to attend extra classes. We started off a little akwardly with a little bit of Lady Gaga, but as we eventually became more comfortable and used to the karaoke experience we had quite a lot of fun! Everyone participated and the establishment had a wide selection of popular American songs, as well as Chinese.
As well, the two rooms made a combined massive order to McDonald's, which marked my first experience with Chinese American food. In truth, the chicken nuggets and fries that I had tasted almost exactly like the McDonald's food in America. The main differences between the two stores lay in the milkshakes. The Americans all were looking for the chocolate or vanilla milkshakes we know and love, this McDonald's sold neither. Instead, they had banana and strawberry. I decided to try the banana and I was rather dissappointed. The milkshake tasted less like banana and more like cough syrup, which was unfortunate. Despite that, it was nice to have some form of "traditional" American food as a break from the endless "new experiences" we have been having since we entered China.
After karaoke my host mother took me home, and not long afterwards Chelsea returned from her class. The rest of my day was relatively relaxed and uneventful. In general I believe that so far, I have had a very positive experience with my host family and the Shanghai No. 3 Girl's School. My host family has been very welcoming and accomodating, as well as unquestionably kind. Despite not knowing English, my host mother has been trying very hard to communicate with me. As well, she has been trying to teach me how to say some words in Chinese, such as different types of foods and dishes. Though, I fear I am not the best student. My host mother has also been determined to learn and practice English words and frases, with Chelsea and I as her teachers. I believe she has been much more successful than I. Chelsea has also been wonderful! While perhaps a littly shy at first, we now have a much better understanding of each other and we are becoming good friends. My younger host sister, who's American name is Angela, is very sweet and adorable, but doesn't really speak any English. As a result our interactions are limited to her talking to me in Chinese, trying to get me to give her my phone to play on, and me sitting there nodding my head no and trying to keep my phone out of her reach. While this might sound rather harsh of me, she's usually trying to take my phone while I am messaging people in the U.S. who include some of those who read this blog, and once I give her my phone, it is very difficult to get back so it is your choice: talk to me or not. As well, when she can't use my phone, she usually is able to play on her mother's phone or Chelsea's iPod relatively easily. My host father is the only person with whom my interactions have been extremely limited. It is my impression that he has very long and demanding work hours because I never see him in the morning and he usually returns home either around the time I am going to bed or after, albeit I have been going to be relatively early lately. All in all, though, I barely see him, and when I do we don't really talk because he, like my host mother, doesn't speak English.
The School has also been very enjoyable. The classes have been very intriguing, especially English. Often the English teacher will try and bring the Americans in my class into the discussion by asking about differences between the two schools. As I believe other members of this group have already mentioned in their posts, one interesting point has been the difference in homework. There seems to be this belief among Chinese students that we do little to no homework, while in truth we have about the same amount they have, which is a couple hours worth. However, the students at Shanghai No. 3 usually get out of school an hour or two later than we are released from DHS. Although, often we have many afterschool activites that are not included in the school time, while I think their extracurricular activities are calculated into their school day, which is why ending time changes from day to day. An example is that yesterday during lunch Chex attended and participated in a debate with the Shanghai No. 3's debate team. Three of our students went against three of their students in a debate with the resolution that the Chinese government should provide free school buses for kindergartens nationwide. The point of this debate was to give the Chinese students an oppurtunity to practice the debate as well as their English, since they have a competition on this topic tomorrow (Sunday), and the competitions are in English. While we had a slight disadvantage due to significantly less preparation time as well as a limited understanding of China's current kindergarten system, we were still able to have an interesting and engaging debate. Our side (the affirmative) strongly supported the idea that buses would ensure the safety of the students as well as provide them with equal oppurtunity to attend school, our opposition argued that buses might not be feasible in every region of China, that there were other alternatives, and that it would not be as effective in the long run. While the debate itself was very interesting, what came later I found to be even more intriguing. Since most of the Senior 1 students (including Chelsea) had gone to extra classes at colleges during the debate, myself and the few other Americans who had stayed behind split up into two senior 2 classes. Lila and I went with Ann, because she had been at the debate, and the others went with Scarlett (who had been hosted by Janie in October), who had also been at the debate. Ann's class was very enjoyable because we had English, and the English teacher made sure to include us in her activities, except for the quiz they took at the start of class. Afterwards, however the debate team had their regular meeting, which Lila and I decided to attend. At this meeting, the students discussed different points that had been brought up during our earlier debate, as well as worked on strengthening their arguments. This gave us an oppurtunity to learn more about the Chinese kindergarten system versus the U.S. school system. The teacher and students asked us questions about our school and bus system, including public vs. private, as well as how this system formed. I learned that in China, kindergarten is not a part of the required school system, as it is in the U.S., though many people still attend kindergarten (about 56%). Also, in rural areas the schools could be up to an hour away, and bus stops are different because the houses and small villages are far away from eachother. I really enjoyed that discussion because it gave us an oppurtunity to learn more about the background of the debate as well as discuss differences between the two education systems, without having to try and crush the other team's arguments.
I shall stop here because this post is getting to be much longer than I had intended, so I apologize. Thank you, everyone, for your continued support and for following us on our blog, it is really wonderful when we hear about all the people back home who have been reading our blogs and looking at our pictures.
Thank you all!
Nicole Gagne
As well, the two rooms made a combined massive order to McDonald's, which marked my first experience with Chinese American food. In truth, the chicken nuggets and fries that I had tasted almost exactly like the McDonald's food in America. The main differences between the two stores lay in the milkshakes. The Americans all were looking for the chocolate or vanilla milkshakes we know and love, this McDonald's sold neither. Instead, they had banana and strawberry. I decided to try the banana and I was rather dissappointed. The milkshake tasted less like banana and more like cough syrup, which was unfortunate. Despite that, it was nice to have some form of "traditional" American food as a break from the endless "new experiences" we have been having since we entered China.
After karaoke my host mother took me home, and not long afterwards Chelsea returned from her class. The rest of my day was relatively relaxed and uneventful. In general I believe that so far, I have had a very positive experience with my host family and the Shanghai No. 3 Girl's School. My host family has been very welcoming and accomodating, as well as unquestionably kind. Despite not knowing English, my host mother has been trying very hard to communicate with me. As well, she has been trying to teach me how to say some words in Chinese, such as different types of foods and dishes. Though, I fear I am not the best student. My host mother has also been determined to learn and practice English words and frases, with Chelsea and I as her teachers. I believe she has been much more successful than I. Chelsea has also been wonderful! While perhaps a littly shy at first, we now have a much better understanding of each other and we are becoming good friends. My younger host sister, who's American name is Angela, is very sweet and adorable, but doesn't really speak any English. As a result our interactions are limited to her talking to me in Chinese, trying to get me to give her my phone to play on, and me sitting there nodding my head no and trying to keep my phone out of her reach. While this might sound rather harsh of me, she's usually trying to take my phone while I am messaging people in the U.S. who include some of those who read this blog, and once I give her my phone, it is very difficult to get back so it is your choice: talk to me or not. As well, when she can't use my phone, she usually is able to play on her mother's phone or Chelsea's iPod relatively easily. My host father is the only person with whom my interactions have been extremely limited. It is my impression that he has very long and demanding work hours because I never see him in the morning and he usually returns home either around the time I am going to bed or after, albeit I have been going to be relatively early lately. All in all, though, I barely see him, and when I do we don't really talk because he, like my host mother, doesn't speak English.
The School has also been very enjoyable. The classes have been very intriguing, especially English. Often the English teacher will try and bring the Americans in my class into the discussion by asking about differences between the two schools. As I believe other members of this group have already mentioned in their posts, one interesting point has been the difference in homework. There seems to be this belief among Chinese students that we do little to no homework, while in truth we have about the same amount they have, which is a couple hours worth. However, the students at Shanghai No. 3 usually get out of school an hour or two later than we are released from DHS. Although, often we have many afterschool activites that are not included in the school time, while I think their extracurricular activities are calculated into their school day, which is why ending time changes from day to day. An example is that yesterday during lunch Chex attended and participated in a debate with the Shanghai No. 3's debate team. Three of our students went against three of their students in a debate with the resolution that the Chinese government should provide free school buses for kindergartens nationwide. The point of this debate was to give the Chinese students an oppurtunity to practice the debate as well as their English, since they have a competition on this topic tomorrow (Sunday), and the competitions are in English. While we had a slight disadvantage due to significantly less preparation time as well as a limited understanding of China's current kindergarten system, we were still able to have an interesting and engaging debate. Our side (the affirmative) strongly supported the idea that buses would ensure the safety of the students as well as provide them with equal oppurtunity to attend school, our opposition argued that buses might not be feasible in every region of China, that there were other alternatives, and that it would not be as effective in the long run. While the debate itself was very interesting, what came later I found to be even more intriguing. Since most of the Senior 1 students (including Chelsea) had gone to extra classes at colleges during the debate, myself and the few other Americans who had stayed behind split up into two senior 2 classes. Lila and I went with Ann, because she had been at the debate, and the others went with Scarlett (who had been hosted by Janie in October), who had also been at the debate. Ann's class was very enjoyable because we had English, and the English teacher made sure to include us in her activities, except for the quiz they took at the start of class. Afterwards, however the debate team had their regular meeting, which Lila and I decided to attend. At this meeting, the students discussed different points that had been brought up during our earlier debate, as well as worked on strengthening their arguments. This gave us an oppurtunity to learn more about the Chinese kindergarten system versus the U.S. school system. The teacher and students asked us questions about our school and bus system, including public vs. private, as well as how this system formed. I learned that in China, kindergarten is not a part of the required school system, as it is in the U.S., though many people still attend kindergarten (about 56%). Also, in rural areas the schools could be up to an hour away, and bus stops are different because the houses and small villages are far away from eachother. I really enjoyed that discussion because it gave us an oppurtunity to learn more about the background of the debate as well as discuss differences between the two education systems, without having to try and crush the other team's arguments.
I shall stop here because this post is getting to be much longer than I had intended, so I apologize. Thank you, everyone, for your continued support and for following us on our blog, it is really wonderful when we hear about all the people back home who have been reading our blogs and looking at our pictures.
Thank you all!
Nicole Gagne
April 20, 2012
As I write this blog post, I can’t help but think how far I’ve
come from last weekend. Just over a week ago, I was sent off to live with a
new family, in a new home, and in a new city. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t
hard to adjust. But looking back at last weekend, I think I was so focused on
myself (and sometimes thinking, get me out of here!) that I didn’t get the
chance to make many observations or reflect. This week, though, was very
different.
Beta and I have talked a lot about education, and Thursday night
as we walked to the bus stop, she began asking all these questions, about how
our school is different and how we learn. Education in the US vs. China has been
a very interesting topic for me. At first, I was frustrated by it. The first day
of school, in English class, some of the students confessed that they thought
we, as Americans, never studied, and only went to parties and skipped school.
They didn’t believe we worked as hard as they did (or close to it). And then I
saw the reverse. As we attended classes yesterday, the teacher said that she
thinks some Americans are under the impression that schools in China are really
strict, and that they only study and get hit by rulers if they don’t follow
instructions. I know just as well as the girls do, that this is also wrong. The
teacher blames traditional China for this, and while Shanghai has been forgotten
as a small town by the sea (and is now one of the largest cities in the world)
people are still clinging on to old images of the culture.
Having these two classes and being a part of the Shanghai No. 3
Girls’ School has changed my own impressions of Chinese education. I’ve come to
the conclusion that education in China isn’t as black and white as we might like
it to be. Girls still erupt in laughter when someone tells a joke, and whisper
to each other. They get tired just like us after pulling a long night doing
homework (I caught Beta sleeping in class yesterday). It reminded me more of DHS
than I ever would have thought.
It’s rather that the motivation is different. My personal
motivation is to broaden my horizons, become the most educated I can be, so I
can be happy and satisfied with myself. I hope that these things will lead me
to a job where I feel needed and a life where I feel secure.
In China, the girls know that they will end up at a university,
as their English teacher told me. But what university they attend is where the
real competition comes from. They have a different end goal than we do, which
explains why things like extracurriculars and social skills aren’t a priority.
It’s all about school and studying. I guess in some ways we have that here; some
people get so focused on colleges and grades that it seems to overwhelm them and
become the only part of their life.
I think it’s also hard for these girls to accept that other
people will simply be “better” than them. Beta complained at dinner the other
night about a girl in Senior 2 whom she described as a “goddess.” She had
amazing grades, spoke English and Chinese beautifully, was pretty, and all the
teachers loved her. I think these girls think that with more focus and studying
harder, they can top her talents.
It’s been interesting to make these observations and have such a
first-hand experience with all of these topics and ideas. I think it’s people
like us who need to be the ones to change these misconceptions.
Sorry for writing so much, and if you made it to the bottom of
this, I thank you for reading! We’re learning a lot, and we’re having so much
fun. But today’s all about shopping and karaoke!
Barbara
come from last weekend. Just over a week ago, I was sent off to live with a
new family, in a new home, and in a new city. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t
hard to adjust. But looking back at last weekend, I think I was so focused on
myself (and sometimes thinking, get me out of here!) that I didn’t get the
chance to make many observations or reflect. This week, though, was very
different.
Beta and I have talked a lot about education, and Thursday night
as we walked to the bus stop, she began asking all these questions, about how
our school is different and how we learn. Education in the US vs. China has been
a very interesting topic for me. At first, I was frustrated by it. The first day
of school, in English class, some of the students confessed that they thought
we, as Americans, never studied, and only went to parties and skipped school.
They didn’t believe we worked as hard as they did (or close to it). And then I
saw the reverse. As we attended classes yesterday, the teacher said that she
thinks some Americans are under the impression that schools in China are really
strict, and that they only study and get hit by rulers if they don’t follow
instructions. I know just as well as the girls do, that this is also wrong. The
teacher blames traditional China for this, and while Shanghai has been forgotten
as a small town by the sea (and is now one of the largest cities in the world)
people are still clinging on to old images of the culture.
Having these two classes and being a part of the Shanghai No. 3
Girls’ School has changed my own impressions of Chinese education. I’ve come to
the conclusion that education in China isn’t as black and white as we might like
it to be. Girls still erupt in laughter when someone tells a joke, and whisper
to each other. They get tired just like us after pulling a long night doing
homework (I caught Beta sleeping in class yesterday). It reminded me more of DHS
than I ever would have thought.
It’s rather that the motivation is different. My personal
motivation is to broaden my horizons, become the most educated I can be, so I
can be happy and satisfied with myself. I hope that these things will lead me
to a job where I feel needed and a life where I feel secure.
In China, the girls know that they will end up at a university,
as their English teacher told me. But what university they attend is where the
real competition comes from. They have a different end goal than we do, which
explains why things like extracurriculars and social skills aren’t a priority.
It’s all about school and studying. I guess in some ways we have that here; some
people get so focused on colleges and grades that it seems to overwhelm them and
become the only part of their life.
I think it’s also hard for these girls to accept that other
people will simply be “better” than them. Beta complained at dinner the other
night about a girl in Senior 2 whom she described as a “goddess.” She had
amazing grades, spoke English and Chinese beautifully, was pretty, and all the
teachers loved her. I think these girls think that with more focus and studying
harder, they can top her talents.
It’s been interesting to make these observations and have such a
first-hand experience with all of these topics and ideas. I think it’s people
like us who need to be the ones to change these misconceptions.
Sorry for writing so much, and if you made it to the bottom of
this, I thank you for reading! We’re learning a lot, and we’re having so much
fun. But today’s all about shopping and karaoke!
Barbara
April 20, 2012
It's hard to believe that in less than one week we will be home! It will be weird not to be woken up by the sound of horns beeping, and random firework shows that seem to happen daily here for no specific reason.
Today, after school, we had some free time which I used to go out to dinner with my host sister, her friend, Nicole M., and her host sister. After a very lengthy dinner, we went to an acrobatics show. Many of the performances at the show were the same or similar to the acrobatics show that we saw in Beijing; however, the acrobats in this show were slightly older than the young child performers at the other show (they still did look very young). During the performance, my host sister asked me if I was enjoying the show. I told her that it was very exciting, but then I asked her if the kids were scared or if she thought it was painful for them to perform the tricks. She looked at me in a weird way and said, "Oh, most of the performers are already 14 or 15 years old!" She went on to explain that, "most of them have been training for this since a very young age." (I knew that China did this to the Olympic gymnasts, but I did not think that this also applied to acrobats!) I didn't think that any kid would willingly choose that they wanted to preform painful and dangerous stunts for a bunch of foreign toursits on a Friday night, so I assumed that the children's parents had something to do with their training in their early lives.
At the end of the show, while many of the kids left the stage to go out into the lobby and try to sell DVD's of their performance to the tourists, a couple of the performers stayed on stage and looked to be taking pictures with people who I assumed to be proud parents. It was great that their parents were proud of them, yet this moment made me appreciate the parents that I have at home more than I had before. It made me realize just how fortunate I am to have my life where I don't have to work to help my family, and I also don't have to sell myself to people on stage every night. My parents would be proud of me for doing things that I like, not things that they set me up to be good at. All in all, it was a great performance, which finished off a fun day at school.
Kerry
Today, after school, we had some free time which I used to go out to dinner with my host sister, her friend, Nicole M., and her host sister. After a very lengthy dinner, we went to an acrobatics show. Many of the performances at the show were the same or similar to the acrobatics show that we saw in Beijing; however, the acrobats in this show were slightly older than the young child performers at the other show (they still did look very young). During the performance, my host sister asked me if I was enjoying the show. I told her that it was very exciting, but then I asked her if the kids were scared or if she thought it was painful for them to perform the tricks. She looked at me in a weird way and said, "Oh, most of the performers are already 14 or 15 years old!" She went on to explain that, "most of them have been training for this since a very young age." (I knew that China did this to the Olympic gymnasts, but I did not think that this also applied to acrobats!) I didn't think that any kid would willingly choose that they wanted to preform painful and dangerous stunts for a bunch of foreign toursits on a Friday night, so I assumed that the children's parents had something to do with their training in their early lives.
At the end of the show, while many of the kids left the stage to go out into the lobby and try to sell DVD's of their performance to the tourists, a couple of the performers stayed on stage and looked to be taking pictures with people who I assumed to be proud parents. It was great that their parents were proud of them, yet this moment made me appreciate the parents that I have at home more than I had before. It made me realize just how fortunate I am to have my life where I don't have to work to help my family, and I also don't have to sell myself to people on stage every night. My parents would be proud of me for doing things that I like, not things that they set me up to be good at. All in all, it was a great performance, which finished off a fun day at school.
Kerry
April 20, 2012
One of the joys of travel is you learn to do things you never knew you could do, or hadn't ever thought of doing. Rich and I have started a list of some of our newly acquired skills. Here is a sample of some of the things we have figured out:
- To hail a cab in China, the key is to look bored. The more apathetic you look, the better your chances. Wave your hand down near your body (not over your head). Make a subtle waving motion with your fingers. Just remember, less is more.
- If you need a towel in China, chances are if you wander your neighborhood long enough, you will find a store that carries towels. And only towels. If you need a plastic bucket, go down a block to the bucket store. Same strategy applies to most common items. Good luck finding sponges, though.
- Take pictures of your street sign if you want to find your way home.
- Shrink your personal space bubble as quickly as you can. There's no way to get around the crowds, so just go with it.
- If someone wrote "3:00 means on" in Sharpee on your wall, it may just be where you have to turn the pipe valve to have hot water.
This is just a small part of our list. It would take the fun out of the discovery process if we gave away all our secrets!
~Kristen
- To hail a cab in China, the key is to look bored. The more apathetic you look, the better your chances. Wave your hand down near your body (not over your head). Make a subtle waving motion with your fingers. Just remember, less is more.
- If you need a towel in China, chances are if you wander your neighborhood long enough, you will find a store that carries towels. And only towels. If you need a plastic bucket, go down a block to the bucket store. Same strategy applies to most common items. Good luck finding sponges, though.
- Take pictures of your street sign if you want to find your way home.
- Shrink your personal space bubble as quickly as you can. There's no way to get around the crowds, so just go with it.
- If someone wrote "3:00 means on" in Sharpee on your wall, it may just be where you have to turn the pipe valve to have hot water.
This is just a small part of our list. It would take the fun out of the discovery process if we gave away all our secrets!
~Kristen
April 19, 2012
Only a week left in China! It has gone by so quickly, but we have
loved every minute of it! Minus some minor problems we have faced including
Rich’s trip to the hospital. But after spending around $130 US dollars he
finally received some antibiotics. But, we were lucky that Rich was feeling well
enough to accompany us on our tour to the water village today called Zhujiajiao.
Everyone arrived at school early this morning and we waited in
our “cottage” for Rich and Kristen to arrive. Conversation varied about our host
families, the Australian boys we have been keeping in touch with, and how we
were all wishing for a long bus ride to the water village. However, we were all
saddened when Nicole G informed us that her host family’s 3 month old bunny had
“taken a trip to bunny heaven”. RIP little guy.
Anyway, once Rich and Kristen arrived, we walked to the front
gate of the school where 2 teachers greeted us and told us they would be our
tour guides on the trip today. Luckily, we all got what we hoped for -- a long bus
ride. It took us about an hour and a half to get the water village. When we got
off, we immediately felt like tourists again; people surrounded us and tried not
to make it look too obvious that they were snapping pictures of us. We walked
through the crowded streets along the river and looked at the colorful stores.
We all were hoping we would have a little time to do some shopping.
Once we took some pictures on top of one of the bridges, we took
a boat ride down the river. It was really relaxing and nice to be able to sit
back and enjoy the swaying of the boat and take in the scenery. When we got off
the boat, we walked to an old building that we learned used to be a middle
school, and before that it was a home to the Ma family. The building was
beautiful and had the most beautiful garden.
We walked through the garden and took a rest on some of the
benches. We all started talking but Kristen had some questions for one of the
teachers who brought us (who is now retired). Kristen started off asking if he
misses teaching, and his answer was yes, very much. The conversation continued
and somehow the topic of family got brought up. The teacher told us about how
he sent his daughter to America to have a better life, but by doing this the
government in China made him sign something that said he can never leave China
again. He has no family here and has really no way to communicate with his
family or his daughter. He is all alone. The teacher really opened up to us, and
it even brought tears to some of our eyes.
Janie and I were talking because our projects include childhood
and parenthood. We were both so shocked about what he was telling us. While we
are in China we want to find out what a parent wants for their child, and what
their hopes and dreams are for them. Today we learned that this man wanted to
the best for his daughter, and did what it took (making this sacrifice) to make
sure she got what she wanted.
Once we finished enjoying the garden we walked to lunch, where we
had a nice meal. Then, after lunch we boarded the bus to go back to school. Even
though we were disappointed we didn’t get to do any shopping, we were all
exhausted and ready for a relaxing bus ride.
We weren’t supposed to return to school until 4 but we got back
much earlier around 2:30. Our host sisters were not expecting us so it was a
huge surprise to all of us when the teachers told us we had to go to class with
our host sister for the rest of the day. It’s not that we don’t like going to
class with them it’s just most of us cannot understand anything that is going on
and have no clue what the teacher is saying (except for English class). Class
ended around 4:30 today. This was one of the earlier times they are let out, my
host sister Sherry told me that sometimes they will stay until 7:00 at night.
Sherry has not been feeling well the past couple of days; she has
a really bad cold, so because of this we had an early dinner. We went to a
restaurant near our apartment complex. I’m not sure what it was called but it
looked very nice. We were seated by the window in the restaurant and my host
father gave me the menu to look out and told me I should pick out whatever I
wanted. I ended up picking out some dishes and then my host father added some
things he thought I would like.
Sherry and I went to the bathroom to wash our hands and when we
returned there was a plate sitting in the middle of our table. My host father
looked at me in excitement as I sat down. He told me to try it. I asked him what
it was and his translator told me it was ice. I looked at it and determined that
there was no way that could have been ice. It was tan in color and looked like
really really thin, small noodles. I put my spoon into it and put it in my mouth
expecting it to be warm. But to my surprise it was cold and it melted in my
mouth! He laughed as he watched my expression change. He told me it tasted like
peanuts. I took another spoonful, it was so delicious. It tasted like peanut
butter ice cream but it was lighter almost like gelato.
I kept taking spoonfuls and it got to the point where my host
father just pushed the whole plate in front of me, even though we were supposed
to share with the table. This was probably one of my favorite foods I’ve had
since we arrived in China.
My host father and I share a love of ice cream (almost every time
I am out with him he makes sure we have time to stop and get ice cream), so it
didn’t surprise me that he knew I would like this. He has gotten to know me very
well. It is really nice that Sherry’s family and I have developed such a strong
bond already. I can’t wait to spend another amazing week with my host family and
learn more about them!
Hope everything is going well at home. We miss you all and will
be home shortly!
-Kiki Martin
p.s.-- who let the dogs out? yupp it was STINA and by the way hitting your arm as hard as you can in public for a solid 15 minutes is totally normal...barbara you are welcome for getting you a prom date for next year (you'll thank me later...HOOK IN)
loved every minute of it! Minus some minor problems we have faced including
Rich’s trip to the hospital. But after spending around $130 US dollars he
finally received some antibiotics. But, we were lucky that Rich was feeling well
enough to accompany us on our tour to the water village today called Zhujiajiao.
Everyone arrived at school early this morning and we waited in
our “cottage” for Rich and Kristen to arrive. Conversation varied about our host
families, the Australian boys we have been keeping in touch with, and how we
were all wishing for a long bus ride to the water village. However, we were all
saddened when Nicole G informed us that her host family’s 3 month old bunny had
“taken a trip to bunny heaven”. RIP little guy.
Anyway, once Rich and Kristen arrived, we walked to the front
gate of the school where 2 teachers greeted us and told us they would be our
tour guides on the trip today. Luckily, we all got what we hoped for -- a long bus
ride. It took us about an hour and a half to get the water village. When we got
off, we immediately felt like tourists again; people surrounded us and tried not
to make it look too obvious that they were snapping pictures of us. We walked
through the crowded streets along the river and looked at the colorful stores.
We all were hoping we would have a little time to do some shopping.
Once we took some pictures on top of one of the bridges, we took
a boat ride down the river. It was really relaxing and nice to be able to sit
back and enjoy the swaying of the boat and take in the scenery. When we got off
the boat, we walked to an old building that we learned used to be a middle
school, and before that it was a home to the Ma family. The building was
beautiful and had the most beautiful garden.
We walked through the garden and took a rest on some of the
benches. We all started talking but Kristen had some questions for one of the
teachers who brought us (who is now retired). Kristen started off asking if he
misses teaching, and his answer was yes, very much. The conversation continued
and somehow the topic of family got brought up. The teacher told us about how
he sent his daughter to America to have a better life, but by doing this the
government in China made him sign something that said he can never leave China
again. He has no family here and has really no way to communicate with his
family or his daughter. He is all alone. The teacher really opened up to us, and
it even brought tears to some of our eyes.
Janie and I were talking because our projects include childhood
and parenthood. We were both so shocked about what he was telling us. While we
are in China we want to find out what a parent wants for their child, and what
their hopes and dreams are for them. Today we learned that this man wanted to
the best for his daughter, and did what it took (making this sacrifice) to make
sure she got what she wanted.
Once we finished enjoying the garden we walked to lunch, where we
had a nice meal. Then, after lunch we boarded the bus to go back to school. Even
though we were disappointed we didn’t get to do any shopping, we were all
exhausted and ready for a relaxing bus ride.
We weren’t supposed to return to school until 4 but we got back
much earlier around 2:30. Our host sisters were not expecting us so it was a
huge surprise to all of us when the teachers told us we had to go to class with
our host sister for the rest of the day. It’s not that we don’t like going to
class with them it’s just most of us cannot understand anything that is going on
and have no clue what the teacher is saying (except for English class). Class
ended around 4:30 today. This was one of the earlier times they are let out, my
host sister Sherry told me that sometimes they will stay until 7:00 at night.
Sherry has not been feeling well the past couple of days; she has
a really bad cold, so because of this we had an early dinner. We went to a
restaurant near our apartment complex. I’m not sure what it was called but it
looked very nice. We were seated by the window in the restaurant and my host
father gave me the menu to look out and told me I should pick out whatever I
wanted. I ended up picking out some dishes and then my host father added some
things he thought I would like.
Sherry and I went to the bathroom to wash our hands and when we
returned there was a plate sitting in the middle of our table. My host father
looked at me in excitement as I sat down. He told me to try it. I asked him what
it was and his translator told me it was ice. I looked at it and determined that
there was no way that could have been ice. It was tan in color and looked like
really really thin, small noodles. I put my spoon into it and put it in my mouth
expecting it to be warm. But to my surprise it was cold and it melted in my
mouth! He laughed as he watched my expression change. He told me it tasted like
peanuts. I took another spoonful, it was so delicious. It tasted like peanut
butter ice cream but it was lighter almost like gelato.
I kept taking spoonfuls and it got to the point where my host
father just pushed the whole plate in front of me, even though we were supposed
to share with the table. This was probably one of my favorite foods I’ve had
since we arrived in China.
My host father and I share a love of ice cream (almost every time
I am out with him he makes sure we have time to stop and get ice cream), so it
didn’t surprise me that he knew I would like this. He has gotten to know me very
well. It is really nice that Sherry’s family and I have developed such a strong
bond already. I can’t wait to spend another amazing week with my host family and
learn more about them!
Hope everything is going well at home. We miss you all and will
be home shortly!
-Kiki Martin
p.s.-- who let the dogs out? yupp it was STINA and by the way hitting your arm as hard as you can in public for a solid 15 minutes is totally normal...barbara you are welcome for getting you a prom date for next year (you'll thank me later...HOOK IN)
April 19, 2012
Hello everyone! I am really excited to blog again after hearing that a lot of people are reading it in town, and I would just like to say that we all really appreciate the support and are thrilled that some people are finding it interesting! We have been talking excitedly every day about how many people have been emailing us about it. Xie Xie to all you blog readers out there!
Today consisted of a tour around a water town called Ju Ja Jiao (I'm really sorry to all the Mandarin speakers I totally just butchered that name without even saying it), where we were given a peaceful ride through the streets (that are actually rivers) to a garden that was very quiet and relaxing. It was nice to sit and enjoy the feng shui, as they call it, of the garden and our surroundings. A couple of us even got to hear the life story of our tour guide, a very kind older man who used to teach at the school and had an interesting story about sending his daughter to America. He is actually not allowed to leave China now because, as he described it, China is a lot like the Titanic. You send the ladies first, like his daughter, and the men stay behind and work with what they have. He is obviously sad that he can't see his daughter, but he says he lives his life by his own rules and enjoys being himself. It opened my eyes to the kind of things I had heard about but never really been told firsthand. I would like to someday learn more about this "Titanic" idea, especially because my research project while I'm here is about parenthood.
The best part of my day happened about an hour ago when I sat down to dinner with my host family. Since neither of my host parents speak English, most of our conversations over the past week have consisted of Hellos, Goodbyes, and small talk through my host sister. We have gotten along well but never had the chance to try communicating alone. At dinner, however, Kate (my host sister) finished her food quickly and ran back to her room to finish a project she was working on, so I was left with her parents. For a second we just looked at each other, and then her dad began speaking to me in broken English. He started off asking me if I liked ice cream, and told me that we would have pizza on Sunday (!!western food!!), and then gained confidence and started speaking pretty well. I was amazed, because before this he has barely tried to speak any at all, except when he asked me to translate the food we were eating into English. It was a lot of fun talking to him and trying to figure out what he meant, while my host mom sat next to him laughing at his hand motions and making fun of him in Chinese (that I could understand without knowing what she was saying). We went at this for about ten minutes, until he got stuck asking me something about American food. He started just throwing out words like "moment" and "laundry" and "German", among other things that have absolutely nothing to do with food. Finally, we gave up and broke down laughing until my host mom stood up and threw her hands above her head, saying something that I imagined meaning "abandon ship". We all went to our separate rooms.
I am so glad I've have the chance to get to know my host parents better, even if the only things they know about me are that I like ice cream and that in the US Hello Kitty is not really a big thing anymore unless you're in pre school, and probably not even then. Just the fact that we all felt more comfortable talking to each other was enough. I can't wait to have more dinners like this with my host parents. And who knows, maybe I'll find out my host mom actually speaks English, too!
Janie
Today consisted of a tour around a water town called Ju Ja Jiao (I'm really sorry to all the Mandarin speakers I totally just butchered that name without even saying it), where we were given a peaceful ride through the streets (that are actually rivers) to a garden that was very quiet and relaxing. It was nice to sit and enjoy the feng shui, as they call it, of the garden and our surroundings. A couple of us even got to hear the life story of our tour guide, a very kind older man who used to teach at the school and had an interesting story about sending his daughter to America. He is actually not allowed to leave China now because, as he described it, China is a lot like the Titanic. You send the ladies first, like his daughter, and the men stay behind and work with what they have. He is obviously sad that he can't see his daughter, but he says he lives his life by his own rules and enjoys being himself. It opened my eyes to the kind of things I had heard about but never really been told firsthand. I would like to someday learn more about this "Titanic" idea, especially because my research project while I'm here is about parenthood.
The best part of my day happened about an hour ago when I sat down to dinner with my host family. Since neither of my host parents speak English, most of our conversations over the past week have consisted of Hellos, Goodbyes, and small talk through my host sister. We have gotten along well but never had the chance to try communicating alone. At dinner, however, Kate (my host sister) finished her food quickly and ran back to her room to finish a project she was working on, so I was left with her parents. For a second we just looked at each other, and then her dad began speaking to me in broken English. He started off asking me if I liked ice cream, and told me that we would have pizza on Sunday (!!western food!!), and then gained confidence and started speaking pretty well. I was amazed, because before this he has barely tried to speak any at all, except when he asked me to translate the food we were eating into English. It was a lot of fun talking to him and trying to figure out what he meant, while my host mom sat next to him laughing at his hand motions and making fun of him in Chinese (that I could understand without knowing what she was saying). We went at this for about ten minutes, until he got stuck asking me something about American food. He started just throwing out words like "moment" and "laundry" and "German", among other things that have absolutely nothing to do with food. Finally, we gave up and broke down laughing until my host mom stood up and threw her hands above her head, saying something that I imagined meaning "abandon ship". We all went to our separate rooms.
I am so glad I've have the chance to get to know my host parents better, even if the only things they know about me are that I like ice cream and that in the US Hello Kitty is not really a big thing anymore unless you're in pre school, and probably not even then. Just the fact that we all felt more comfortable talking to each other was enough. I can't wait to have more dinners like this with my host parents. And who knows, maybe I'll find out my host mom actually speaks English, too!
Janie
April 18th 2012
Sorry this is a day late, I fell asleep early last night and didn't finish.
During morning exercises, after running I was expecting to hear a man's voice over the loud speaker chanting numbers and all of the students would start stretching, but was surprised when Waka Waka started to play. Compared to the morning exercises from the previous day, that only consisted of a variety of pulsated stretches, to see everyone dancing was unexpected. I stopped so I could film… so sorry for leaving you partnerless Nicole.
Then we made our way to the little white house (Our Building) for a Chinese culture class. The English teacher who was going to teach the class arrived before our chaperones… meaning we were locked out. He got very flustered and ran off “To solve the problem of the lock.” I wish I knew his name; the only thing that I know is that he is a senior 2 English teacher. He was so sweet with his pants up to his belly button and a tucked in plaid button down. We learned a lot but what made the class interesting were the funny comments that he would make. I hope I get to go to one of his English classes.
After lunch we had a volleyball game against the Shanghai #3 Girls school. We learned some new rules… for example did you know that you were allowed to kick the ball? Also it is still in if it bounces back into the court off of someone’s head. Even with these new rules we still favored our side of the volleyball net… often not getting the ball to the other side. But thanks to Kiki’s serving streak it ended up being a close game.
Later that day we went to the Shanghai Zoo. I did not know what to expect because I had heard stories ranging from the animals being in small metal cages to my sister who held a tiger cub. At first everything seemed good when we were going through the bird section. The cages were on the small size but they were large enough and were nice. When we got to the pandas it was a different story. The small red pandas were in a pit that was surrounded by a brick wall. There were people feeding them peanut butter sandwiches, chips, candy, and coca cola. I have never seen or heard of anyone feeding animals in the zoo, especially candy and soda. It was sad that people would treat animals like this, and that the zoo did nothing to stop it. The large pandas were no better. I did not see anyone feeding them but the condition that they were in was shocking. They all had trouble walking because their paws were in such poor condition, they were brown instead of white, and they were all unhealthily skinny. They all looked sick, one of them was even lying on its back with its paws spread in the air. Many of the animals were sleeping but were in such poor condition that they looked dead. Someone was throwing rocks at the lion to wake it up. The pens that they were in were bigger that I originally thought that they were going to be, but the animals were in worse condition then I originally thought. They all looked depressed because almost all of them were sleeping. One cage that was very hard to watch was the bear’s. The cage was full of trash. People were giving it water and cranberry juice. Someone dropped a water bottle and the bear knew how to open it immediately… that is not something that a bear should know how to do. I love animals so to see the condition at this zoo was painful.
Wednesday night we had another delicious dinner, and we continued our usual conversation comparing the US to China, which started yet another debate comparing their education to my own. I also helped clear up a few stereotypes that my host mom had such as that we eat fast food every night, that we only eat raw vegetables, and that we never have homework. I was surprised by these, but glad that I got a chance to clarify these false stereotypes. Overall, it was a good day. I always have a good night because we have very interesting conversations at the dinner table. Excited to spend another week with my host family!
Rachael
During morning exercises, after running I was expecting to hear a man's voice over the loud speaker chanting numbers and all of the students would start stretching, but was surprised when Waka Waka started to play. Compared to the morning exercises from the previous day, that only consisted of a variety of pulsated stretches, to see everyone dancing was unexpected. I stopped so I could film… so sorry for leaving you partnerless Nicole.
Then we made our way to the little white house (Our Building) for a Chinese culture class. The English teacher who was going to teach the class arrived before our chaperones… meaning we were locked out. He got very flustered and ran off “To solve the problem of the lock.” I wish I knew his name; the only thing that I know is that he is a senior 2 English teacher. He was so sweet with his pants up to his belly button and a tucked in plaid button down. We learned a lot but what made the class interesting were the funny comments that he would make. I hope I get to go to one of his English classes.
After lunch we had a volleyball game against the Shanghai #3 Girls school. We learned some new rules… for example did you know that you were allowed to kick the ball? Also it is still in if it bounces back into the court off of someone’s head. Even with these new rules we still favored our side of the volleyball net… often not getting the ball to the other side. But thanks to Kiki’s serving streak it ended up being a close game.
Later that day we went to the Shanghai Zoo. I did not know what to expect because I had heard stories ranging from the animals being in small metal cages to my sister who held a tiger cub. At first everything seemed good when we were going through the bird section. The cages were on the small size but they were large enough and were nice. When we got to the pandas it was a different story. The small red pandas were in a pit that was surrounded by a brick wall. There were people feeding them peanut butter sandwiches, chips, candy, and coca cola. I have never seen or heard of anyone feeding animals in the zoo, especially candy and soda. It was sad that people would treat animals like this, and that the zoo did nothing to stop it. The large pandas were no better. I did not see anyone feeding them but the condition that they were in was shocking. They all had trouble walking because their paws were in such poor condition, they were brown instead of white, and they were all unhealthily skinny. They all looked sick, one of them was even lying on its back with its paws spread in the air. Many of the animals were sleeping but were in such poor condition that they looked dead. Someone was throwing rocks at the lion to wake it up. The pens that they were in were bigger that I originally thought that they were going to be, but the animals were in worse condition then I originally thought. They all looked depressed because almost all of them were sleeping. One cage that was very hard to watch was the bear’s. The cage was full of trash. People were giving it water and cranberry juice. Someone dropped a water bottle and the bear knew how to open it immediately… that is not something that a bear should know how to do. I love animals so to see the condition at this zoo was painful.
Wednesday night we had another delicious dinner, and we continued our usual conversation comparing the US to China, which started yet another debate comparing their education to my own. I also helped clear up a few stereotypes that my host mom had such as that we eat fast food every night, that we only eat raw vegetables, and that we never have homework. I was surprised by these, but glad that I got a chance to clarify these false stereotypes. Overall, it was a good day. I always have a good night because we have very interesting conversations at the dinner table. Excited to spend another week with my host family!
Rachael
April 18th 2012
We started out the day with morning exercises. After running a couple of laps, we followed the girls in performing their own version of Waka Waka by Sakira, which was very entertaining (though most of the time I had a very hard time following them). We then had a Chinese culture lesson. We were greeted by an extremely nice and animated English teacher who taught us all the different aspects of culture in China. We learned everything from the different foods to the tones used in the Chinese language, to dragons. This was followed up by going to class with our host sisters. Sarah, Nicole G., Janie, Barbara and I all attended an English class. This class is my favorite because not only can I understand what’s going on, but we also get to participate more. We discussed with the class the differences between their classrooms and ours. How the desks are arranged however the teachers want them arranged, not always in rows, and how there are boys in our classes, this got laughter out of the entire classroom. And after lunch and a bit of down time we participated in a Darien versus Shanghai volleyball competition. We had such a great time playing and learned some new rules along the way (like you can kick the ball). Although we didn’t win – we look forward to playing again.
We were then brought to the Shanghai zoo. Excitement was high as we sought out the beloved “pander”. We started out seeing the birds and fish, but it wasn’t long until we encountered the red pandas. These small almost raccoon-looking bears were the most adorable things ever. And we traveled onward seeing the giant pandas (which was the groups favorite), elephants, giraffes, lions, tigers, and bears (Oh my!) Yet I saw some things that were disturbing to me; many of the other people who came to the zoo threw food or poured their soda at the animals. Since the animals enclosures were partially opened, people could get away with that – trying to get the animals as close to them as possible. For a person like me who really loves animals, this was heartbreaking to see some people act so poorly towards the animals.
We returned to school where my host sister picked me up and we went back to have an amazing dinner with her family. Having dinner is always my favorite part of the day because it’s when I get to learn more about my amazing host family and practice my Mandarin.
-Lila
We were then brought to the Shanghai zoo. Excitement was high as we sought out the beloved “pander”. We started out seeing the birds and fish, but it wasn’t long until we encountered the red pandas. These small almost raccoon-looking bears were the most adorable things ever. And we traveled onward seeing the giant pandas (which was the groups favorite), elephants, giraffes, lions, tigers, and bears (Oh my!) Yet I saw some things that were disturbing to me; many of the other people who came to the zoo threw food or poured their soda at the animals. Since the animals enclosures were partially opened, people could get away with that – trying to get the animals as close to them as possible. For a person like me who really loves animals, this was heartbreaking to see some people act so poorly towards the animals.
We returned to school where my host sister picked me up and we went back to have an amazing dinner with her family. Having dinner is always my favorite part of the day because it’s when I get to learn more about my amazing host family and practice my Mandarin.
-Lila
I think I was supposed to post yesterday, but the only computer available to me is the one my host dad uses to do work at home, so he was on it most of the time I was home-he gets home before I get back from school. Both my host family and myself have been opening up to each other over the past five days.. The first Saturday when we had lunch and dinner we barely talked. I didn't know what to say or talk about, and neither did my host parents or grandparents-none of the adults speak any English, and I wasn't quite ready to start using my Mandarin.. But I've started asking my host sister, Pandora, how to say certain things in Chinese, so I've begun speaking directly to the parents and grandparents in Mandarin.
The high point so far in my relationship with my host family was the dinner I had with them just this night. My host dad explained that one of the dishes we were having was pumpkin (which was actually pretty tasty) and he asked me if we ate pumpkin in the US. That led to me explaining Halloween and Thanksgiving and pumpkin pies-all in Chinese, but haltingly and with hand gestures and help from Pandora. I guess that really got the ball rolling, because soon I was talking about school, homework, what type of languages DHS students study, Shanghai's water village (which we are visiting tomorrow) and even what foods I can and can't eat because of my braces. I think having that whole conversation in Chinese has been one of my proudest achievements on the trip. Now, I'm looking forward to dinner with my host family, and just being able to talk with them. It still takes me a little bit of time to think and understand what they are saying to me, though, especially the grandparents, since they speak with the Shanghainese dialect. And I think now that I am actually using Chinese on a conversational level, I'm more enthusiastic about learning the language, more so than when I was just studying it in the classroom.
Jack Christensen
The high point so far in my relationship with my host family was the dinner I had with them just this night. My host dad explained that one of the dishes we were having was pumpkin (which was actually pretty tasty) and he asked me if we ate pumpkin in the US. That led to me explaining Halloween and Thanksgiving and pumpkin pies-all in Chinese, but haltingly and with hand gestures and help from Pandora. I guess that really got the ball rolling, because soon I was talking about school, homework, what type of languages DHS students study, Shanghai's water village (which we are visiting tomorrow) and even what foods I can and can't eat because of my braces. I think having that whole conversation in Chinese has been one of my proudest achievements on the trip. Now, I'm looking forward to dinner with my host family, and just being able to talk with them. It still takes me a little bit of time to think and understand what they are saying to me, though, especially the grandparents, since they speak with the Shanghainese dialect. And I think now that I am actually using Chinese on a conversational level, I'm more enthusiastic about learning the language, more so than when I was just studying it in the classroom.
Jack Christensen
Breakfast at Room 601.
To be honest, I'm a bit nervous about blogging for the second time because, apparently, the entire town of Darien is now reading this blog, newborn babies and sanitation workers alike.
So today was today.
For the first few days with my host family,I was kind of
not digging it so much. I learned that, even if I pretend the
foreign language I hear everywhere is just constant
movie quotes from Easy A, eventually it becomes overwhelming.
Also,I was brought to a farm over the weekend,and Sarah
Terhune does not do farms. Sarah Terhune goes apple pickingfor maybe 20 minutes, eats an apple cider doughnut and
goes home. I don't mean to whine because I did understand
that my host sister, Sophie,was both interested organic
farming and had to film the entire outing, so skipping it
was not an option. Still, I got homesick for a bit because
I hadn't seen anyone from the Chex group for a few days.
But today. Today made all of this worth it. Ithink Ivy talked about what
we did today in her blog, so I'm not going to recap. But after the welcome ceremony (where I sang, which
is laughable. Also, who doesn't know the theme to The
Golden Girls? Apparently some people I know.), I was full
of pizza that I think had soup on it and my feet
hurt from the martial arts lesson and I just wanted to go home and read
for the rest of my life. So, admittedly, when Sophie told me her parents were going to pick us up to go to a
restaurant, I was not the happiest of clams.
The restaurant was called nana's and basically everything had either green tea, onions or both in all the dishes. I,
still on a hunt for a milkshake in China, ordered what I thought was a chocolate latte but was actually a kind of
chocolate latte with green tea. Not a fan. Her parents arrived after us and I was jonesing for it to be a quick
meal and then back on home.
I guess, though, during dinner, either I perked up or the purple rice I ate
had some restorative (green tea?) properties, because I seriously enjoyed the meal.
The food was tasty, obviously,but I think it just finally
clicked with me that, oh,this is my host family and even
though sometimes they drop critical words in sentences and
don't believe that Ican peel an egg on my own, they are lovely and kind and also pay for my
meals so thanks! We talked about all the words Iknow how to say in Chinese (if you're
ever chatting with a rabbit or cat and need to say thank you,
well, don't ask me for the thank you part but I do know
rabbit and cat. And dog! Go Sar!), morning/eye exercises,
and how I really dig using chopsticks.
Ifelt better, then. I felt more like a person with interests besides sitting and not standing in lines. We went to
buy bread (made out of croissant dough) and stopped at a little kiosk that sold all kinds of waving cats. I'm
currently wearing the little charm my host mother bought for me, which is a cat wearing an inner tube because,
while it loves to swim, sometimes it can't stay afloat well enough and in my bag is my grinning cat Christmas
ornament. Oh! And I can understand the word for America,so I shared
a moment with the cashier when I heard her ask if I was
from there. It was so pleasant and farmiliar, even in a
foreign country.
The car ride home,though,was what sealed the deal. We were looking at and discussing all the different buildings and
bodies of water and districts in Shanghai and stopped
twice to get out and look at the river whose name I can't
remember on the sidewalk (there were turtles ambling about in the water, doing their turtle thing, and I
thought they were plastic water bottles.) The breeze was
so warm and the view was so beautiful, it reminded me of
home in an appreciative way, but not wistful. Instead of
missing the city, I just thought of the differences betweenthe two.
I don't know, I just feel more me-ish now. It took me a few
days, but instead of being the American host student, I
feel a bit more like the American friend.
PS "No, we're laughing because I told a joke about how my friend, Jillian, always says that if you lick someone's elbow and they don't know it,they can't feel it."
April 17th, 2012
So I'm suppose to post tomorrow but I've decided that I might not have time to. So let's start with today. At the school we designed fans and painted on them. I love to paint so I enjoyed that class very much. Our students also had the opportunity to learn martial arts with bendy, fake swords while a few video-tapers taped our every move. I have to say, it is something that I don't I will ever forget. We visited the Shanghai Oriental Tower which was an amazing sight. We also visited the Shanghai Museum; the dummies in the museum kinda freaked me out though. So I basically grabbed on to Lila for the whole time. You know those dummies that pop up out of no where at the next corner? Well, those were the kind of dummies I saw. It was really fun being with everyone and traveling again (not that I don't like spending time with my host family). I just really enjoyed traveling with everyone and cracking jokes with them now and then.
Our group participated in a welcome reception along with the girls that came to America last year and the host sisters that are hosting our group this year. We went through all the fond memories of the group that went last year. It was very reassuring of all the memories and friendships that were created last year. It also reminded me of the memories and everlasting friendship that we will continue to have with our host families this year. We never seem to stop wanting to see each other even though we are countries apart. Today Ann, Nicole Gagné's host sister last year, explain to our class of the friendship that had emerged between Lila and her previous host sister, Hannah, Nicole, Ann and I back in Darien and in Washington D.C. I believe that this moment was the highlight of my day because even though I had never host any of these two Shanghai girls, I had somehow made an impact on their lives. It was as if they had given me a gift that I would never forget. I am very happy to be able to be a part of their group. That is why I want to thank Ann for this wonderful gift.
After the welcome reception which reminded everyone of the experience that the Shanghai Girls had over in America, I returned home with my host sister, Kitty. We talked like little school girls laughing and talking about our days. From the first day I met my host family, I felt a bit nervous, yet, excited at the same time. When I returned home that day and from then on, I have felt really comfortable living here. I feel really lucky to have them. They are all very heart-warming and they had the ability to make me a part of their family and to make me feel comfortable talking with them. I feel that I talk to them the way that I talk to my family.
During class time in the Drama class, I feel that the girls were very laid-back and relaxed. I guess it was probably because they were only watching movies. So I attended class with Kitty and she and her classmates felt so carefree that I was very surprised. Back in class with her Geography teacher this morning, they were all so formal. When the teacher arrived, they all bowed and said good morning to their teacher. At the end of this class, they also had to do this while saying bye to their teachers. I guess I really like the contrast between the classes and how the personalities of the students change when they have the different classes. In some classes at school, it is like that too but there isn't a big gap between the more "formal classes" and the more "relaxed classes" like the China Exchange class.
I also enjoyed learning about the school systems here. They start school at like 8 a.m. and on some days get out a 6 p.m. It all depends on the day of the week so one those days they get out at like 3 p.m. Before classes though, sometimes they do their morning excersises. The running at the beginning is easy but when it comes to memorizing the movements for the stretching part, it is a bit difficult. I think that it may be better for our school to do morning excersises as well because it helps wake up our brains for learning. I, personally, enjoyed the morning excersises but others may disagree. Anyways, I complain that I want the school day in Darien to end sooner but in their school, it ends at 6 p.m. Wow, what a difference, right? They have to sit in the same classroom until 6 learning about all of their subjects. I guess I have to be a bit more grateful that the school days back in Darien end earlier.
Ivy
Our group participated in a welcome reception along with the girls that came to America last year and the host sisters that are hosting our group this year. We went through all the fond memories of the group that went last year. It was very reassuring of all the memories and friendships that were created last year. It also reminded me of the memories and everlasting friendship that we will continue to have with our host families this year. We never seem to stop wanting to see each other even though we are countries apart. Today Ann, Nicole Gagné's host sister last year, explain to our class of the friendship that had emerged between Lila and her previous host sister, Hannah, Nicole, Ann and I back in Darien and in Washington D.C. I believe that this moment was the highlight of my day because even though I had never host any of these two Shanghai girls, I had somehow made an impact on their lives. It was as if they had given me a gift that I would never forget. I am very happy to be able to be a part of their group. That is why I want to thank Ann for this wonderful gift.
After the welcome reception which reminded everyone of the experience that the Shanghai Girls had over in America, I returned home with my host sister, Kitty. We talked like little school girls laughing and talking about our days. From the first day I met my host family, I felt a bit nervous, yet, excited at the same time. When I returned home that day and from then on, I have felt really comfortable living here. I feel really lucky to have them. They are all very heart-warming and they had the ability to make me a part of their family and to make me feel comfortable talking with them. I feel that I talk to them the way that I talk to my family.
During class time in the Drama class, I feel that the girls were very laid-back and relaxed. I guess it was probably because they were only watching movies. So I attended class with Kitty and she and her classmates felt so carefree that I was very surprised. Back in class with her Geography teacher this morning, they were all so formal. When the teacher arrived, they all bowed and said good morning to their teacher. At the end of this class, they also had to do this while saying bye to their teachers. I guess I really like the contrast between the classes and how the personalities of the students change when they have the different classes. In some classes at school, it is like that too but there isn't a big gap between the more "formal classes" and the more "relaxed classes" like the China Exchange class.
I also enjoyed learning about the school systems here. They start school at like 8 a.m. and on some days get out a 6 p.m. It all depends on the day of the week so one those days they get out at like 3 p.m. Before classes though, sometimes they do their morning excersises. The running at the beginning is easy but when it comes to memorizing the movements for the stretching part, it is a bit difficult. I think that it may be better for our school to do morning excersises as well because it helps wake up our brains for learning. I, personally, enjoyed the morning excersises but others may disagree. Anyways, I complain that I want the school day in Darien to end sooner but in their school, it ends at 6 p.m. Wow, what a difference, right? They have to sit in the same classroom until 6 learning about all of their subjects. I guess I have to be a bit more grateful that the school days back in Darien end earlier.
Ivy
April 16th, 2012
Yay! My first time blogging in Shanghai! Lets get started.
I came to Shanghai knowing I was going to be dealt my fair share of the unexpected-unexpected foods, customs, clothing etc. What really left me astonished however wasn’t anything so culturally diverse…it was the subway! Grace (my host sister) takes the subway to and from school everyday. Last night, on the eve of our subway escapade she warned me that the underground was, and I quote her when saying this, “dirty” and “very, very busy.” I was preparing myself for the worse…rats, garbage everywhere, mobs of suited men and women on their way to work- the whole spiel.
When Jeff (my host-dad) dropped Grace and I off at the nearest subway-stop however, I was indeed taken by surprise, yet not for the reasons I quit expected. The subway was spotless…no more than spotless, glistening! Grace and I swiped our metro cards at the machine and entered into a futuristic world comprised of white marble floors and soundless shuttles transporting its people from stop to stop. I told Grace that the Shanghai underground was nothing like that we New Yorkers are used to. She ardently agreed stating that our subways were in fact, “disgusting.”
Asides from the glossy floors (that were so shiny I felt as if I should have been wearing my Chinese house-slippers on them instead of my muddy shoes), the soundless hum of the approaching trains, and the effortlessly sleek design of the overall underground, I was mightily impressed with the organization of it all. In front of each of the glass doors (that opened to the subway when the train stopped) were painted arrows demonstrating where people should line up to get on and off the subway. There were arrows pointing away from the train indicating where people should exit, and arrows facing in a diagonal towards the trains indicating where people should board. Much to my amazement, everyone followed the arrows accordingly making the whole rush-hour thing a breeze. Slight exaggeration…the cramped conditions of the subway once I boarded, is a whole different story…
-Nicole Meir :)
April 15th, 2012
Happy 10th birthday to my sister Isa!!!
Here is what I did today!
Sunni (my host sister) and I started the day at the crack of dawn (10 AM) by taking the subway to Nanjing road. The subways are all color coded which made it easier to navigate but still difficult because it was all in mandarin. We were joined by Nicole G., her host sister Chelsea, her host sister from October Ann, Jack, his host sister Pandora, Ivy, and my host sister from October Hannah. For Nicole and me, we had formed such a strong connection back in the fall with our old host sisters that seeing them again was extremely exciting. And I know the whole group hopes to form as strong of connections with our new host sister. In the morning we did a lot of shopping (yet didn’t buy anything) and then headed off to a restaurant called the Dolar Store. It was an absolutely amazing hot pot restaurant where we are all given plastic aprons and our own pot (much like a personal version of the melting pot) and we cooked our own food. We had lamb, bamboo, white radish, potatoes, meatballs, and cow’s stomach (which I did not partake in eating). Afterwards, we went to a part of Shanghai more for bartering, and I was so thankful my host sisters were there. At one point I was trying to buy some chopsticks. Sunni and Hannah were next to me and when the salesperson came over to tell the price my host sisters started speaking extremely rapid mandarin and in a matter of a minute I had gotten a very cheap price. In Beijing when we bartered it took me about 10 minutes to get a good price, so I was amazed by their quickness and assertiveness with the salespeople. After, we went to a very beautiful garden from the Ming dynasty (I think) and we saw the most amazing lake that was right in the middle that surrounded by rocks that look like coral and 400 year old trees. It was a very surreal place. We also went over a bridge that had 9 twists and turns in it. We were told that crossing this bridge will get rid of your troubles because you already had the difficulty of going across it. Then, we went to a very famous dumpling place where we ate absolutely delicious (and hot) soup dumplings filled with crab and pork. And finally, we took a stroll down the boardwalk and headed back to the subway where we parted ways. Sunni and I ended the day with an extremely healthy meal of KFC. Overall the day was very enjoyable. It was a blast getting to know my host sister (along with the others) better and hanging out with our old host sister and some other Darienites. Today was definitely hoopla! (Thank you dictionary.com for giving me this synonym)
-Lila
Here is what I did today!
Sunni (my host sister) and I started the day at the crack of dawn (10 AM) by taking the subway to Nanjing road. The subways are all color coded which made it easier to navigate but still difficult because it was all in mandarin. We were joined by Nicole G., her host sister Chelsea, her host sister from October Ann, Jack, his host sister Pandora, Ivy, and my host sister from October Hannah. For Nicole and me, we had formed such a strong connection back in the fall with our old host sisters that seeing them again was extremely exciting. And I know the whole group hopes to form as strong of connections with our new host sister. In the morning we did a lot of shopping (yet didn’t buy anything) and then headed off to a restaurant called the Dolar Store. It was an absolutely amazing hot pot restaurant where we are all given plastic aprons and our own pot (much like a personal version of the melting pot) and we cooked our own food. We had lamb, bamboo, white radish, potatoes, meatballs, and cow’s stomach (which I did not partake in eating). Afterwards, we went to a part of Shanghai more for bartering, and I was so thankful my host sisters were there. At one point I was trying to buy some chopsticks. Sunni and Hannah were next to me and when the salesperson came over to tell the price my host sisters started speaking extremely rapid mandarin and in a matter of a minute I had gotten a very cheap price. In Beijing when we bartered it took me about 10 minutes to get a good price, so I was amazed by their quickness and assertiveness with the salespeople. After, we went to a very beautiful garden from the Ming dynasty (I think) and we saw the most amazing lake that was right in the middle that surrounded by rocks that look like coral and 400 year old trees. It was a very surreal place. We also went over a bridge that had 9 twists and turns in it. We were told that crossing this bridge will get rid of your troubles because you already had the difficulty of going across it. Then, we went to a very famous dumpling place where we ate absolutely delicious (and hot) soup dumplings filled with crab and pork. And finally, we took a stroll down the boardwalk and headed back to the subway where we parted ways. Sunni and I ended the day with an extremely healthy meal of KFC. Overall the day was very enjoyable. It was a blast getting to know my host sister (along with the others) better and hanging out with our old host sister and some other Darienites. Today was definitely hoopla! (Thank you dictionary.com for giving me this synonym)
-Lila
April 15, 2012
So I was supposed to post yesterday, but I just got internet, but
I would love to share my day with my host family and all of you! Sorry for the
delay!
Like Kerry said, we landed in Shanghai and before we all knew it,
we were leaving with our host families. Nerve-wracking but exciting. I am so
fortunate to be living with Beta: she is extremely smart, funny, and caring. And
her mom (Aunty to me) is also very sweet, and fond of animals. Beta told me how
much she loves feeding stray cats with dinner leftovers.
We live right by the local university for political science and
law, so the view from my window is beautiful. I hardly feel like I’m in a city.
There is a nice park and a library right next door, and I love the sound of the
bell tower chiming every hour. Both of my parents work at the university, so it
makes for a super easy commute. My living accommodations are beyond what I
expected: my own room, shared bathroom, and nice open space.
My adventures in Shanghai began the next day. Aunty took me by
taxi to meet Beta in Yu Gardens, after she had classes (she studies German on
Saturdays). Taxis are worse here than anywhere I’ve seen, they zip around cars
just like motorcycles do! It’s just as hard to navigate around the streets too.
People are everywhere, and all different types. A lot of people stared at me,
but by now I’m used to it!
We visited Yu Gardens and the city temple, and then the Bund. The
gardens were very impressive, and beautifully designed, and the temple was nice
too, but I was most intrigued by the Bund. We got there right as the lights
began to turn on, and what a show they are! All the buildings are lit up, and
they reflect off the river; a pretty spectacular sight. You definitely feel like
you are in the heart of the city.
Those were my highlights of Saturday, and today was fun too! We
met up with Kiki, Scarlett, Vivian, and Freya. It was so fun to see familiar
faces! They took us to a karaoke bar, a place we will for sure come back to,
and lunch and shopping.
I also finally got to meet my host dad today! He seemed really
shy at first, but Beta translated for me and the first thing he asked was if I
thought he looked handsome. (I of course answered yes) After presenting gifts at
dinner, he told me how much he loved my tie. Then he told his wife that he
needed a new shirt to match it! I think that his presence in the family was the
piece that I thought was missing, he made me a lot more comfortable!
I can almost say that I’ve gotten through an entire weekend here!
Not as bad as I thought, but I think we’re all still adjusting, and I’m so
excited to see everyone at school tomorrow and hear all about their weekends.
Thanks for taking the time to read this, and hope everything’s going well at
home!
Barbara
I would love to share my day with my host family and all of you! Sorry for the
delay!
Like Kerry said, we landed in Shanghai and before we all knew it,
we were leaving with our host families. Nerve-wracking but exciting. I am so
fortunate to be living with Beta: she is extremely smart, funny, and caring. And
her mom (Aunty to me) is also very sweet, and fond of animals. Beta told me how
much she loves feeding stray cats with dinner leftovers.
We live right by the local university for political science and
law, so the view from my window is beautiful. I hardly feel like I’m in a city.
There is a nice park and a library right next door, and I love the sound of the
bell tower chiming every hour. Both of my parents work at the university, so it
makes for a super easy commute. My living accommodations are beyond what I
expected: my own room, shared bathroom, and nice open space.
My adventures in Shanghai began the next day. Aunty took me by
taxi to meet Beta in Yu Gardens, after she had classes (she studies German on
Saturdays). Taxis are worse here than anywhere I’ve seen, they zip around cars
just like motorcycles do! It’s just as hard to navigate around the streets too.
People are everywhere, and all different types. A lot of people stared at me,
but by now I’m used to it!
We visited Yu Gardens and the city temple, and then the Bund. The
gardens were very impressive, and beautifully designed, and the temple was nice
too, but I was most intrigued by the Bund. We got there right as the lights
began to turn on, and what a show they are! All the buildings are lit up, and
they reflect off the river; a pretty spectacular sight. You definitely feel like
you are in the heart of the city.
Those were my highlights of Saturday, and today was fun too! We
met up with Kiki, Scarlett, Vivian, and Freya. It was so fun to see familiar
faces! They took us to a karaoke bar, a place we will for sure come back to,
and lunch and shopping.
I also finally got to meet my host dad today! He seemed really
shy at first, but Beta translated for me and the first thing he asked was if I
thought he looked handsome. (I of course answered yes) After presenting gifts at
dinner, he told me how much he loved my tie. Then he told his wife that he
needed a new shirt to match it! I think that his presence in the family was the
piece that I thought was missing, he made me a lot more comfortable!
I can almost say that I’ve gotten through an entire weekend here!
Not as bad as I thought, but I think we’re all still adjusting, and I’m so
excited to see everyone at school tomorrow and hear all about their weekends.
Thanks for taking the time to read this, and hope everything’s going well at
home!
Barbara
April 15, 2012
Before we came to China, the students who went last year told us about how, even though it was difficult, it was certainly possible to communicate with members of your host family who don't speak English. My host sister, Chelsea, is the only person who speaks English in my host family. Despite this, I still have been able to communicate with my host mother and, though not as easily, with Chelsea's six-year-old sister. Saturday morning, Chelsea had to go to a class from 10:00 to 12:00. This meant that I had two hours alone with my host mother and younger sister (my host father was away on a business trip until today). I was a little worried, but everything worked out fine. Before Chelsea left her mother and I made dumplings, which I'm apparently very good at :D Then after Chelsea left, her mother, sister, their adorably albino bunny, and I went out to the apartment complex garden area and let the bunny out to hop around and eat grass. Other children in the area also came over to spend time with the bunny. Interestingly, my host family's apartment complex has many foreign residents as well as Chinese. While I was in the garden I'm pretty sure I heard a family that was Spanish. Chelsea also told me that the next floor up housed a Japanese family. My host family's apartment and complex is gorgeous! We live on the 25th floor of a 32 floor building, which is one of four or five buildings that surround a beautiful garden area. The view from my host family's apartment is spectacular as well. After spending some time with the bunny, we returned it to the apartment and retrieved a kite, which we brought downstairs and attempted to fly, but there wasn't much wind. Afterwards we returned to the apartment where my younger host sister decided to play games on my cellphone. My little host sister is very adorable and rambunctious. She loves to climb all over things: tables, beds, couches, you name it, she climbs it. She also likes to touch and play with things like cameras and phones, and once you let her use it once, she wants to use it over and over agiain. Chelsea describes her as naughty. After a while my host mother and I cooked the dumplings we had prepared earlier, and they were really delicious! When Chelsea returned home she ate lunch, then we went to a nearby park that also has an aquarium! The aquarium was extremely crowded, but still fun. Then we walked around the park for a while and enjoyed the beautiful sunny day. Eventually we bought bubbles and spent away sitting on a dock and blowing them. It was funny because the bubble=blowers were these kind of annoying, but fun, whistle things that sounded kind of like kazoos. We had a lot just sitting there, blowing bubbles at the passing boaters. Later we went to a seal, sea lion, and beluga whale show the aquarium had, which was really fun! Afterwards we went to an arcade and played different games such as air hockey, drums, Tokyo cop, and some pirate zombie shooting game. It was a blast, and it made the language barrier dissappear for those few hours. For dinner my host mother cooked a delicious spread of different foods, including clams and prawns, which I usually don't like, but found delicious in this case! Today was a really fun day as well! We at breakfast, which was a traditional spring festival meal that was delicious! Then we walked to the underground where we met Lila and her host sister Sunny. We took the underground to a major shopping area where we met Ann (the person I hosted in October), Hannah (the person Lila hosted in October), Ivy, Jack, and his host sister Pandora. We spent some time in the shopping mall but didn't really find anything, so decided to go find lunch. We ended up at a hot pot restaurant, which was absolutely delicious! It was really fun being able to catch up with Ann and Hannah, as well as spend time with the other Americans. After lunch we took the underground to the Yuyan gardens where we saw the beautiful home of an official from the Qing dynasty. Then we did some shopping, bought icecream, and ate dumplings. Then we decided to go visit the Bund, however Ann had to go home, so we lost her. The Bund was cool because I liked seeing how it had changed, or not changed, from the photos my sister had showed me from 6 years ago. Then we took a cab to the underground, where we separated from Lila and Sunny. Slowly the group dispersed and eventually it was just Chelsea and I walking back to our apartment complex. On the way we discussed our mutual love of the show Big Bang Theory, especially Shelden. Then she also mentioned that her father had returned home, he seems very nice. I'm really happy with my host family. They all seem very nice and happy to have me here. My host mother is especially caring. I also am impressed with her seemingly infinite amount of patience. I have not heard her once raise her voice with either of her children, though she does have to keep the younger one from stealing my things, and she always has a smile and nice attempted English for me :D Tomorrow is our first day of school, and will be a relatively early morning for me. I'm sorry this is so long...
Nicole Gagne
Nicole Gagne
April 14, 2012
Before we left the states for this incredible journey through China, I remember our teachers informing us that we should be honest and open in these blog posts. So I would just like to start off by saying that honestly, today was one of the most terrifying and liberating days of this trip/my life so far. I have never been so scared and excited at the same time in my life. Truly, nothing can prepare you for being totally immersed in a culture so different from your own. It is one of the most satisfying experiences, and one that I have already experienced after day one with my host family. There were definitely some hiccups, but it was altogether unforgettable.
My day began with a wake up call at 9 o'clock from my host sister, Kate, and then a quick breakfast of sweet bread with ham. We ate with her dad, who doesn't speak English well but is very kind. I actually haven't met my host mom yet, which is a little strange, but Kate tells me she's in another province "traveling" which I'm assuming is part of her job. I guess it was surprising for me because both Kate and her dad didn't know she would be gone, so I guess it's more casual to travel on a whim here than it is at home. Kate, her dad, and I then drove to a small, poor looking neighborhood to pick up one of her cousins, named Jerry, who is 22 years old and studying somewhere in Shanghai. He spoke zero English so a lot of our communication involved hand-waving and probably ridiculous looking gestures. Jerry, Kate, and I went to an avenue whose name I can't pronounce that gave us an amazing view of the famous tower in Shanghai whose name I also can't pronounce (I obviously need to work on the Mandarin). The tower is the one that is shaped like the Eiffel tower but has two giant sphere shapes on it. We then went to lunch in a shopping mall where I tried jellyfish (not my greatest idea, but worth a shot) and a lot of other seafood. We then went to the bund where we were supposed to meet Kerry and Claire, as Kerry discussed below, but our timing was messed up so we went alone. It was a lot of fun and the view there on the river is great.
The most interesting part of my day came afterwards. The three of us went to Kate and Jerry's grandparents' apartment, which is collectively about the size of my living room. It was very modest but at the same time clean and nicely decorated. We watched TV for about an hour, and then the relatives started pouring in. It turns out both of Kate's parents have a sibling, so by the time we ate dinner there were two grandparents, two aunts, two uncles, three cousins, and me at the table that was probably meant for two. It was one of the most fun dinners I have had since leaving my family in the US. Even though Kate was the only one that spoke English, we managed to have a continuous conversation, and because they kept refilling my cup I drank more tea than I have drank in my entire life. We stayed there for about six hours, talking and eating (the food was amazing, nothing I have ever eaten before/could possibly name but it tasted good!) and watching TV. We then went to Haagen Dazs where another one of Kate's aunts works, and then drove home and collapsed in our seperate rooms. As I'm sitting here typing very quietly so as not to wake up anyone, I realize that I did a lot of things today that I've never done before. For most of the day I was absolutely terrified, mostly because my host family has gotten very comfortable with me faster than I have with them, but today was also the first time since coming here that I've seen a big family together since leaving home. Of course it makes me miss my own big family at home, but it also reminds me that I have a lot more in common with the people here than I thought. Even though the kids now can't have siblings, they find ways to get close to people that become more like siblings than cousins or friends, which is something we do at home too. I'm finding that living with a host family is even more unexpected that I had thought it would be, but it might just be something I won't forget.
Janie
My day began with a wake up call at 9 o'clock from my host sister, Kate, and then a quick breakfast of sweet bread with ham. We ate with her dad, who doesn't speak English well but is very kind. I actually haven't met my host mom yet, which is a little strange, but Kate tells me she's in another province "traveling" which I'm assuming is part of her job. I guess it was surprising for me because both Kate and her dad didn't know she would be gone, so I guess it's more casual to travel on a whim here than it is at home. Kate, her dad, and I then drove to a small, poor looking neighborhood to pick up one of her cousins, named Jerry, who is 22 years old and studying somewhere in Shanghai. He spoke zero English so a lot of our communication involved hand-waving and probably ridiculous looking gestures. Jerry, Kate, and I went to an avenue whose name I can't pronounce that gave us an amazing view of the famous tower in Shanghai whose name I also can't pronounce (I obviously need to work on the Mandarin). The tower is the one that is shaped like the Eiffel tower but has two giant sphere shapes on it. We then went to lunch in a shopping mall where I tried jellyfish (not my greatest idea, but worth a shot) and a lot of other seafood. We then went to the bund where we were supposed to meet Kerry and Claire, as Kerry discussed below, but our timing was messed up so we went alone. It was a lot of fun and the view there on the river is great.
The most interesting part of my day came afterwards. The three of us went to Kate and Jerry's grandparents' apartment, which is collectively about the size of my living room. It was very modest but at the same time clean and nicely decorated. We watched TV for about an hour, and then the relatives started pouring in. It turns out both of Kate's parents have a sibling, so by the time we ate dinner there were two grandparents, two aunts, two uncles, three cousins, and me at the table that was probably meant for two. It was one of the most fun dinners I have had since leaving my family in the US. Even though Kate was the only one that spoke English, we managed to have a continuous conversation, and because they kept refilling my cup I drank more tea than I have drank in my entire life. We stayed there for about six hours, talking and eating (the food was amazing, nothing I have ever eaten before/could possibly name but it tasted good!) and watching TV. We then went to Haagen Dazs where another one of Kate's aunts works, and then drove home and collapsed in our seperate rooms. As I'm sitting here typing very quietly so as not to wake up anyone, I realize that I did a lot of things today that I've never done before. For most of the day I was absolutely terrified, mostly because my host family has gotten very comfortable with me faster than I have with them, but today was also the first time since coming here that I've seen a big family together since leaving home. Of course it makes me miss my own big family at home, but it also reminds me that I have a lot more in common with the people here than I thought. Even though the kids now can't have siblings, they find ways to get close to people that become more like siblings than cousins or friends, which is something we do at home too. I'm finding that living with a host family is even more unexpected that I had thought it would be, but it might just be something I won't forget.
Janie
April 14th, 2012
Today was our first full day with our host families. Last night, we arrived at the Shanghai #3 Girls School and were whisked away for the weekend after quick goodbyes to each other. After getting acquainted with my host mom and dad, because I already knew my host sister Claire, I went to bed. I woke up very early this morning, even though my host family said that I could sleep in until late. My host dad and sister helped pass the time until we would cook by taking me for a walk around their neighborhood. We walked by two playgrounds, one for kids and another for the elderly to exercise, a bus station which my host sister sometimes waits at for the bus to school, and a small pond which is the home to many guppies, fish and turtles! When we came back from our walk, my host mom said that she was ready to help make the dumplings, so Claire, my host mom and I all started to make dumplings, while my host dad snapped away with his camera. After making what must have been over 50 dumplings, we finally stopped. After cooking and eating the dumplings, though not all of them because there were so many, we "rested." Iwent to my room to do a little bit of homework, and Claire did the same. A little later, my host family said that it was time to go, so we headed of to Yu Gardens, which in fact, are not gardens at all but rather a bunch of shops in a place that the was built in the Ming Dynasty. On the way there, my host mom turned on some music for us to listen to. When a song by Taylor Swift came on, I was in shock as my host mom, who does not speak music English started to sing along quietly. It surprised me that she would know the lyrics of the song, when she did not know what some of the words meant in English!
At Yu gardens, there were many Chinese people, however there were also many foreigners, so no one asked to take their picture with me. Also, less people tried to sell me things, because, as a large group of foreigners, we attracted alot more attention than I did surrounded by my host family. At Yu gardens, I walked over the 9 turn bridge, which means that I will be happy, and have good fortune for a whole year. My host dad said that this means I will have to come to china next year to, and I said I wish I could. In the middle of the bridge, there is a tea shop that both queen Elizabeth, and Bill Clinton had both been inside! It is a very popular place.
After a little bit more shopping and walking around in Yu gardens, my host family and I started to walk over to Nanjing road were there were more stores. On our walk there, I saw Rachael, and her host sister and a friend. This was m first and only sighting of someone from my group of the day, which was very reassuring. It was great to see a familiar face, after a day of unfamiliarity. After Nanjing road, my host family took me to The Bund. After taking a few pictures at The Bund, my host family took me on a sightseeing boat, which went up and down The Bund twice; one time for taking pictures, and the second time for taking in the sight. The lights on the buildings were all so pretty, that I was glad we could see them twice. After a long day, however, I was ready to go to bed. The first day with my host family was a success. They are so kind, and I think I will very much enjoy the 2 weeks to come!
Kerry
At Yu gardens, there were many Chinese people, however there were also many foreigners, so no one asked to take their picture with me. Also, less people tried to sell me things, because, as a large group of foreigners, we attracted alot more attention than I did surrounded by my host family. At Yu gardens, I walked over the 9 turn bridge, which means that I will be happy, and have good fortune for a whole year. My host dad said that this means I will have to come to china next year to, and I said I wish I could. In the middle of the bridge, there is a tea shop that both queen Elizabeth, and Bill Clinton had both been inside! It is a very popular place.
After a little bit more shopping and walking around in Yu gardens, my host family and I started to walk over to Nanjing road were there were more stores. On our walk there, I saw Rachael, and her host sister and a friend. This was m first and only sighting of someone from my group of the day, which was very reassuring. It was great to see a familiar face, after a day of unfamiliarity. After Nanjing road, my host family took me to The Bund. After taking a few pictures at The Bund, my host family took me on a sightseeing boat, which went up and down The Bund twice; one time for taking pictures, and the second time for taking in the sight. The lights on the buildings were all so pretty, that I was glad we could see them twice. After a long day, however, I was ready to go to bed. The first day with my host family was a success. They are so kind, and I think I will very much enjoy the 2 weeks to come!
Kerry
April 13th, 2012
Happy belated birthday to my dad also!
So here's what we did on Friday!
After starting the day with breakfast and packing we headed off to enjoy our second day in Xi an. When we got to our destination we looked up to see a giant wall. It was the city wall of Xi an. We all rented bikes and started our 9 ½ mile bike ride on top of the wall. It was one of the coolest things we did so far. Here, there weren’t that many other people unlike other places we'd been so it was a very different experience. It was extremely peaceful just riding our bikes in silence (at least, I rode in silence) and looking around at the amazing architecture and history that was around us. If we looked towards the outside of the wall, there were the looming skyscrapers and the constant hustle of a normal city. Yet when we turned to the other side, a more seminal town can be seen. With the easily recognizable but still breathtaking roofs and the signs with fancy Chinese characters on them, it’s easy to see we’re in China. And yet these two very different places are separated by just about a hundred feet of brick. I guess that’s just what the city wall was meant to do.
We then went to lunch were we met even more Australians and headed to the airport. After making a mad dash because our terminal had changed last minute we all boarded the plane and landed safely in Shanghai. Excitement was high among us as we rode to the school. We were greeted by a few of the girls whom we hosted in the fall and our new host sisters. We had a quick get together to make sure everyone was situated and then we were whisked off to our houses for the weekend. So I hope everyone is having a great time with their host families this weekend!
-Lila
So here's what we did on Friday!
After starting the day with breakfast and packing we headed off to enjoy our second day in Xi an. When we got to our destination we looked up to see a giant wall. It was the city wall of Xi an. We all rented bikes and started our 9 ½ mile bike ride on top of the wall. It was one of the coolest things we did so far. Here, there weren’t that many other people unlike other places we'd been so it was a very different experience. It was extremely peaceful just riding our bikes in silence (at least, I rode in silence) and looking around at the amazing architecture and history that was around us. If we looked towards the outside of the wall, there were the looming skyscrapers and the constant hustle of a normal city. Yet when we turned to the other side, a more seminal town can be seen. With the easily recognizable but still breathtaking roofs and the signs with fancy Chinese characters on them, it’s easy to see we’re in China. And yet these two very different places are separated by just about a hundred feet of brick. I guess that’s just what the city wall was meant to do.
We then went to lunch were we met even more Australians and headed to the airport. After making a mad dash because our terminal had changed last minute we all boarded the plane and landed safely in Shanghai. Excitement was high among us as we rode to the school. We were greeted by a few of the girls whom we hosted in the fall and our new host sisters. We had a quick get together to make sure everyone was situated and then we were whisked off to our houses for the weekend. So I hope everyone is having a great time with their host families this weekend!
-Lila
April 11, 2012
Hi all! First, let me start of by wishing my Dad a happy belated birthday! I wish I could have been there to celebrate! I apologize that there was no blog post last night, as we were on an overnight train to Xi’an with no Wi-Fi of course! Today however, is your lucky day, as you will be receiving several blog entries! Lets get started.
Yesterday we visited the dandelion school for the second day in a row. Once again the colorfully painted gates opened to a teem of smiling faces, only this time the feeling upon arrival was bitter-sweet as we knew it would be our last. We piled off the bus one by one and headed to teach our first class. I however, stayed behind and went to the infirmary, as I’ve been sick with a fever for the past two days. Luckily, thanks to antibiotics and some bizarre looking Chinese medicine I picked up from the pharmacy, I am now feeling good as new! Cindy (one of the Dandelion School teachers) brought me to a bed, about an eighth the size of a regular twin-size, to lie down. She handed me a murky looking cup of some sort of liquid, and after training myself to ignore the color it actually tasted quit good! She insisted it would help bring the fever down. I soon awoke to a teacher telling me it was lunch. I asked her where exactly lunch was, and with a puzzled expression she simply repeated the word lunch again. I concluded it was best I find it myself. After several minutes of searching, I was able to find my way to the lunch area where I ate a meal of tofu, potatoes, and rice with some of the students, followed shortly by our afternoon classes.
During the first class, we went over flash cards with a group of students around the age of 12. Once again, I was blown away by the amount of eagerness and excitement these students held to learn. They would latch on to every word that was said, and work with such diligence and patience I was left in awe. Despite a slight language barrier and the fact that we were at the school a mere 2 days, the group truly felt a strong connection with every student there.
The second period of teaching we were fortunate enough to go outsides to play, and for one of the first times able to see the kids simply be kids. We played every group-game imaginable, and after several (exhausting might I add) rounds of duck-duck-goose, the day sadly came to close. It was a goodbye I, including the rest of the group, had been dreading the entire time. After several hugs as well as several tears, our bus rolled out of the sun-filled school, onto the poverty-ridden streets of the outskirts of Beijing. I looked back and saw I sight I will never forget. Every student in the school stood at the entrance with gleaming smiles on their faces, waving longingly at us until we were out of sight. I’m pretty sure every one of us is desperate to go back!
-Nicole M.
April 12, 2012
Today was another busy, fascinating day here on the other side of the world, filled to the brim with Chinese culture. We started off (stiffly) stretching our legs and making our way out of our cubbies in the overnight train and onto the neon green bus, which then took us to our new hotel here in Xian. We each enjoyed what we agreed were the best and most needed showers we've had in our hotel rooms, and then sat down to an amazing breakfast (which actually included french toast and other western "delicacies" that we have all missed). We then left at around 9:15 for the workshop where they make replicas of the Terracotta soldiers, which was very cool. We learned how the clay is molded and shaped to resemble the real soldiers in the museum. Something I personally found hilarious was that you can send in a picture of yourself or a friend, and they can make you your own soldier head with your face on it. We saw one of Obama and David Beckham, and some other unrecognizable famous people. Very weird at first, but very clever and funny.
Next we had a half western/half Chinese lunch at a tourist restaurant, which turned out to be mostly Chinese but was delicious anyway. We tried something that Rich and I have named Monkey Potatoes, which are (we're guessing) molasses coated potato slices. It sounds really weird, but they were actually really good! We also ate a lot of other types of vegetables that I can't say I know all the names of, but they were mostly a hit at our table.
The actual Terracotta soldier museum did not disappoint. It was MASSIVE--bigger than I had ever expected. The first pit we went to looked like it was as long as a football stadium, but I am not sure exactly because the metric system and I do not get along. We learned that each and every soldier has its own unique face, so no two are the same. There were over 2000 soldiers in that one pit, which is more than the entire population of Darien High School. Crazy! They even had a little "hospital" in the back where people were dusting and repairing broken soldiers and their horses. It was all really interesting and definitely even better than expected.
We stayed at the museum for a few hours, had our pictures taken a bunch of times, had an interesting run-in with some French/Indian/Lebanese boys (shoutout to Sarah), and learned a ton about the Emperor and the reasons he had all those soldiers built. After we finished the museum, we had my personal favorite dinner so far at a Grand Theater before watching a culture show. The dinner was all different types of dumplings, which were especially eye catching because they were dyed different colors and shaped like the food they contained. For example, one that was made of pork and cabbage was dyed pink and shaped like a pig's nose. They were fun to look at and even better to eat. The culture show was a series of traditional Chinese dances and instruments that each had a back story. They were beautiful and very well put together, and though we were tired we all enjoyed the performances. Today was an alltogether exciting day, and we all can't wait for tomorrow when we can bike along the city wall!
Goodnight China, Good morning USA! See you all soon
Janie
Next we had a half western/half Chinese lunch at a tourist restaurant, which turned out to be mostly Chinese but was delicious anyway. We tried something that Rich and I have named Monkey Potatoes, which are (we're guessing) molasses coated potato slices. It sounds really weird, but they were actually really good! We also ate a lot of other types of vegetables that I can't say I know all the names of, but they were mostly a hit at our table.
The actual Terracotta soldier museum did not disappoint. It was MASSIVE--bigger than I had ever expected. The first pit we went to looked like it was as long as a football stadium, but I am not sure exactly because the metric system and I do not get along. We learned that each and every soldier has its own unique face, so no two are the same. There were over 2000 soldiers in that one pit, which is more than the entire population of Darien High School. Crazy! They even had a little "hospital" in the back where people were dusting and repairing broken soldiers and their horses. It was all really interesting and definitely even better than expected.
We stayed at the museum for a few hours, had our pictures taken a bunch of times, had an interesting run-in with some French/Indian/Lebanese boys (shoutout to Sarah), and learned a ton about the Emperor and the reasons he had all those soldiers built. After we finished the museum, we had my personal favorite dinner so far at a Grand Theater before watching a culture show. The dinner was all different types of dumplings, which were especially eye catching because they were dyed different colors and shaped like the food they contained. For example, one that was made of pork and cabbage was dyed pink and shaped like a pig's nose. They were fun to look at and even better to eat. The culture show was a series of traditional Chinese dances and instruments that each had a back story. They were beautiful and very well put together, and though we were tired we all enjoyed the performances. Today was an alltogether exciting day, and we all can't wait for tomorrow when we can bike along the city wall!
Goodnight China, Good morning USA! See you all soon
Janie
April 11, 2012
Yesterday night was spent on a train from Beijing to Xian, so blogging was not a possibility. Here is a quick synopsis of what happened yesterday.
We got up a little bit later, and headed to the dandelion school for our second day of teaching. We taught 2 classes, and taught and played with another. the kids who we worked with ranged in age between about 10 and 15. After a fun-filled day at the dandelion school, we rode on a long bus ride to a filling dinner. After dinner, we went to the train station, where it was a free-for-all to get on the train. there were four people per room, and 13 people in our group. Ivy generously and bravely volunteered to be y herself, and ended up rooming with 3 people who only spoke Chinese! The rooms in the train were very cramped, but most of us got a good nights sleep.
Kerry
We got up a little bit later, and headed to the dandelion school for our second day of teaching. We taught 2 classes, and taught and played with another. the kids who we worked with ranged in age between about 10 and 15. After a fun-filled day at the dandelion school, we rode on a long bus ride to a filling dinner. After dinner, we went to the train station, where it was a free-for-all to get on the train. there were four people per room, and 13 people in our group. Ivy generously and bravely volunteered to be y herself, and ended up rooming with 3 people who only spoke Chinese! The rooms in the train were very cramped, but most of us got a good nights sleep.
Kerry
April 10, 2012
Today we visited the Dandelion School. We had the opportunity to meet and get to know the many students and teachers. When we arrived, many of the students waited outside for our arrival. We were greeted by many students and teachers. I was very surprised to learn about all the different personalities of these students and I was very grateful to be able to teach them English as well. The students were very happy to see us; they became so comfortable with us, cracking jokes and singing in front of us. While walking around the building on our tour, we saw the paintings of Lily Yeh. I loved seeing the hard-work that the students and Lily Yeh put into painting the trees. It was even more beautiful when you’re standing in front of it. I love that feeling. My favorite part was waving to the students and seeing them wave back at us. It made me think about how much they accepted us. I loved the was that the students cared for each other. They all think of each other as a big family since they don’t change classmates when moving on to the next class. It reminded me of our group, smaller, but, still a family: caring for one another, supporting one another, and listening to each other. Can’t wait for what’s in store tomorrow.
We also visited the Silk Market. It was a lot of fun bartering with the shop attendants. It was a bit nerve-racking at first for most of us but I felt that with everyone by my side, it wasn’t that intimidating. Everywhere you walk, there are people trying to drag you into their store saying, “only for you” or something like “you crazy, American.” It was pretty amusing. This is the first time I’ve really been away from home but I grow more caring and understanding on my wonderful new family.
Ivy
We also visited the Silk Market. It was a lot of fun bartering with the shop attendants. It was a bit nerve-racking at first for most of us but I felt that with everyone by my side, it wasn’t that intimidating. Everywhere you walk, there are people trying to drag you into their store saying, “only for you” or something like “you crazy, American.” It was pretty amusing. This is the first time I’ve really been away from home but I grow more caring and understanding on my wonderful new family.
Ivy
And now a message from Sarah Terhune--4/10/12
My first time blogging! Let's get cracking.
What an amazing day we had today. It may sound kind of silly but there were several times today when I was nearly in tears. Visiting the Dandelion School was fascinating and cool and humid and beyond. I use that word a lot, beyond, but here it really makes sense: it was beyond my expectations, my pre-conceived ideas, my visible color spectrum. Even when we pulled into the front gate, we knew that something special was going down: they had taken the time to place a large sign that welcomed us and even used pictures that were on this very website! This little touch showed us that we weren't just some Americans to them.
And in return, they showed us that these weren't just some Chinese students and faculty. They are welcoming and kind and sharing and even the littlest ones were patient while we valiantly asked them questions in English that they did not understand. Personally, for me, I was most excited to working with the students in English and helping where ever possible. Thing is, these students knew what they were doing. Sure, they aren't quite ready for Ms. Sorenson's fast paced and chatty classrooms, but they were still just as bright and adaptable as the rest of us. I'd have to say, my favorite bit with the three boys and five girls (one of whom was named Sweet and I want to be friends with the rest of my life) was teaching them a simplified version of Go Fish with food-related cards they made themselves. My least favorite part of the day was when, they got the hang of it so quickly, Jack and I were quickly left out as they played faster and faster. Monsters, why did I create you!?!
Then followed a delicious lunch that the children brought to us on individual trays, but only after they had formally invited us to eat our meal with them. I accidentally dropped my wooden chopsticks and they seven year old I was sitting next to picked them up quicker than I could and went off to wash them for me. I remarked to Barbara that American children would never do this and I didn't mean it as a harsh stereotype. I just meant that these kids were what made the school so unique, not the other way around.
After leaving the school (but only until tomorrow!), we stopped at another museum/factory/store, this one for silk. Man, did we learn about silk. I have never wanted a silk bedspread more in my life than when we stuck our hands under the comforter and felt how quickly it warmed to your touch. And I also want to personally shake the hand of every silk worm and whisper "Hey buddy, thanks for doing your part, now I'm going to go live in your house." Did you know that silk comes from the cocoons these guys make for themselves? What has your house done for you today?
We had dinner at our favorite room--not restaurant, room. Of course, the food was delicious (I'm talking about you, scallion pancakes) but I think we can all agree there was a certain homey feeling in our little back area and not just because we are now a large family in China to pick up our new member of the family, Ivy. Even though we've only been here for a short time, it was nice to see how, as a group, we can have a variety of topics stretching from my magnetic attraction to empty plastic bottles to the impact of a child's common courtesy.
And wow this blog entry is getting long so I'm going to wrap it up: next came the Fake market that was truly stuffed full of, well, not every product you can imagine, but a whole lot of packaged men's shirts and sparkly bangles. I think it was bit too intense for me so late at night but I know other members were able to negotiate their way into a great buy, even if the vendors weren't too pleased with their bargaining ability. Finally, we parted ways with out lovely tour guide, Lily, as she goes to see her son. I know we've had a great time with her and I particularly will miss the feeling of being lost for a fleeting moment in a crowd, only to look up and see the Pander leading the way back to the nice bus full of water bottles.
Aaaaaaand scene.
What an amazing day we had today. It may sound kind of silly but there were several times today when I was nearly in tears. Visiting the Dandelion School was fascinating and cool and humid and beyond. I use that word a lot, beyond, but here it really makes sense: it was beyond my expectations, my pre-conceived ideas, my visible color spectrum. Even when we pulled into the front gate, we knew that something special was going down: they had taken the time to place a large sign that welcomed us and even used pictures that were on this very website! This little touch showed us that we weren't just some Americans to them.
And in return, they showed us that these weren't just some Chinese students and faculty. They are welcoming and kind and sharing and even the littlest ones were patient while we valiantly asked them questions in English that they did not understand. Personally, for me, I was most excited to working with the students in English and helping where ever possible. Thing is, these students knew what they were doing. Sure, they aren't quite ready for Ms. Sorenson's fast paced and chatty classrooms, but they were still just as bright and adaptable as the rest of us. I'd have to say, my favorite bit with the three boys and five girls (one of whom was named Sweet and I want to be friends with the rest of my life) was teaching them a simplified version of Go Fish with food-related cards they made themselves. My least favorite part of the day was when, they got the hang of it so quickly, Jack and I were quickly left out as they played faster and faster. Monsters, why did I create you!?!
Then followed a delicious lunch that the children brought to us on individual trays, but only after they had formally invited us to eat our meal with them. I accidentally dropped my wooden chopsticks and they seven year old I was sitting next to picked them up quicker than I could and went off to wash them for me. I remarked to Barbara that American children would never do this and I didn't mean it as a harsh stereotype. I just meant that these kids were what made the school so unique, not the other way around.
After leaving the school (but only until tomorrow!), we stopped at another museum/factory/store, this one for silk. Man, did we learn about silk. I have never wanted a silk bedspread more in my life than when we stuck our hands under the comforter and felt how quickly it warmed to your touch. And I also want to personally shake the hand of every silk worm and whisper "Hey buddy, thanks for doing your part, now I'm going to go live in your house." Did you know that silk comes from the cocoons these guys make for themselves? What has your house done for you today?
We had dinner at our favorite room--not restaurant, room. Of course, the food was delicious (I'm talking about you, scallion pancakes) but I think we can all agree there was a certain homey feeling in our little back area and not just because we are now a large family in China to pick up our new member of the family, Ivy. Even though we've only been here for a short time, it was nice to see how, as a group, we can have a variety of topics stretching from my magnetic attraction to empty plastic bottles to the impact of a child's common courtesy.
And wow this blog entry is getting long so I'm going to wrap it up: next came the Fake market that was truly stuffed full of, well, not every product you can imagine, but a whole lot of packaged men's shirts and sparkly bangles. I think it was bit too intense for me so late at night but I know other members were able to negotiate their way into a great buy, even if the vendors weren't too pleased with their bargaining ability. Finally, we parted ways with out lovely tour guide, Lily, as she goes to see her son. I know we've had a great time with her and I particularly will miss the feeling of being lost for a fleeting moment in a crowd, only to look up and see the Pander leading the way back to the nice bus full of water bottles.
Aaaaaaand scene.
Beijing 4/9/12
Hello all! We had an incredibly busy and exhausting day today! We started off visiting a jade cutting factory where we learned about jade and the long and patient process of cutting and carving it. Then we were given an opportunity to do some shopping, where the sales ladies followed us like vultures who have just spotted their prey. Rich's sales lady was particularly attentive. After that we went to the GREAT WALL OF CHINA! I would like to firstly congratulate everyone on a job done extremely well! The whole group faced the challenge head on and climbed for what we believe is about two miles, there and back, of almost entirely uneven and worn out stairs. By the time we got back to our starting point we were all completely exhausted and ready for lunch. We did, however, make sure to all buy a t-shirt or sweatshirt that said "I climbed the Great Wall of China" to mark our success. Afterwards we went to lunch, which was very tasty, and surprisingly included french fries. After we were full we headed to the Olympic center where we took some quick pictures in front of the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube (which we have decided should be more accurately named the Water Rectangular Prism). While we were there we also saw a 7 star hotel that is in the shape of dragon and, according to our tour guide, housed Bill Clinton in 2008. Next we visited the Summer Palace, which was absolutely breathtaking. The exquisite carvings on the buildings as well as the colorful designs are beyond compare. I am very impressed by how well the Chinese government has preserved these great palaces. Most of what our tour guide told us about at the palace was the story of the Dragon Lady, who was the Empress Dowager of the last four Chinese Emperor's. We talked about how she came into the palace as a concubine to the 7th emperor, but was the only wife to give him a son. Therefore, when he died she became more powerful and important because her son was now Emperor at about 6 years old. She was very controlling, though, and wielded most of the power after her son, then nephew became emperor and then died at a young age. The last emperor was chosen by here about two days before she died. She showed how smart and clever women could gain more power no matter how lowly they were upon entering the Forbidden City. However, she is disliked in China because she was very selfish while China and the Qing dynasty crumbled around her. After walking around the palace a little we took a short boat ride across the lake the palace is by and saw a stone bridge that has 17 arches so that counting from either side the middle arch is always number 9, which was an imperial and auspicious number in ancient China. After the palace we went to dinner where we ate lots of delicious dumplings! The day was wonderful and we saw many magnificent sites, however it all would have been even better had the day not been overcast with smog, making it difficult to see the breathtaking view form both the Great Wall and the Summer Palace. I almost forgot! Throughout our day we encountered some interesting people. On the Great Wall we met some friends of Barbara's from Norwalk who were with a teacher that used to teach English at DHS, and a couple who live in Darien. Later at the Summer Palace we discovered the Turkish President was in town and visiting the Summer Palace at the same time as us! As you can obviously see our day was completely stuffed but fun-filled!
Thank you for your continued support,
Nicole Gagné
Thank you for your continued support,
Nicole Gagné
April 9, 2012
Jack-I guess all I can say right now is that I'm tired. We hiked he Great Wall, and it is a major undertaking if you are motivated and want to reach the top. I was excited to see such an iconic symbol of China, but dissapointed by all of the smog-it really obscured what would have been amazing views of the mountains.
After the Great Wall, we quickly took pictures at the Bird's Nest, and went to the Summer Palace. I thought the Summer Palace was amazing. It wasn't as crowded, and there was a lot of greenery and a breeze from the nearby lake. But while our tour guide was showing us around she started talking about the Chinese government versus the US, which I thought was pretty profound. She talked about how there was a lot of corruption since China has a one party system, and how people in China say the government is rich while the people are poor, while in the US the government is not as rich while the people are rich, and that the US has more democracy. It really breaks the stereotype of the tour guide trying to sell Chinese government and society to the tourists, while covering up the not-so-proud aspects of China.
After the Great Wall, we quickly took pictures at the Bird's Nest, and went to the Summer Palace. I thought the Summer Palace was amazing. It wasn't as crowded, and there was a lot of greenery and a breeze from the nearby lake. But while our tour guide was showing us around she started talking about the Chinese government versus the US, which I thought was pretty profound. She talked about how there was a lot of corruption since China has a one party system, and how people in China say the government is rich while the people are poor, while in the US the government is not as rich while the people are rich, and that the US has more democracy. It really breaks the stereotype of the tour guide trying to sell Chinese government and society to the tourists, while covering up the not-so-proud aspects of China.
April 8th, 2012
To start off we want to say Happy Easter to everyone back in the states! Today we had a very busy day. We left the hotel at 9AM and headed towards Tiananmen square. We took a couple of pictures together as a group, and then got our pictures taken many more times before going underground through a tunnel to cross the street to the entrance to the forbidden city.
The forbidden city was HUGE! we learned that there are 9999 rooms in total! They chose this number because they believed that no one can be as great as god, and god had 10,000. From the forbidden city, we traveled by bus to a buffet lunch, which looked like it had more western style food. There were many foreigners entering the restaurant. After choosing some food, we realized that there was a fresh made noodle bar where you could watch a man make noodles, and then get a bowl and add on different toppings. We all got our own bowls of noodles, but could not finish them because we were already too full.
After we left the restaurant, we went to the “real pearl market,” where Kiki and I (Kerry), got to choose an oyster and guess how many pearls were in it. The highest guess from our group was 11, but after opening the oyster, we discovered that the oyster contained a whopping 23 pearls! We all got to keep one as a souvenir. Some of us did a little bit of shopping at the pearl market, and some of us made some new friends from all the way across the world in Australia!
Next we went to the temple of heaven, which was a lot more walking! We learned more about rituals that the emperor had to perform during festivals like the winter solstice. After we left the temple of heaven, we went to a tea testing. The tea was very hot at first, so some of us had to wait for to cool down. The tea tasted great! We learned that there are specific ways to drink each type of tea, and they mean different things.
After tea testing, we went to dinner. We were all tired at dinner. It is going to be an early night tonight because tomorrow we have to go to the great wall, the Olympic venues, a jade carving workshop, and might go to a market.
Kerry and Barbara
The forbidden city was HUGE! we learned that there are 9999 rooms in total! They chose this number because they believed that no one can be as great as god, and god had 10,000. From the forbidden city, we traveled by bus to a buffet lunch, which looked like it had more western style food. There were many foreigners entering the restaurant. After choosing some food, we realized that there was a fresh made noodle bar where you could watch a man make noodles, and then get a bowl and add on different toppings. We all got our own bowls of noodles, but could not finish them because we were already too full.
After we left the restaurant, we went to the “real pearl market,” where Kiki and I (Kerry), got to choose an oyster and guess how many pearls were in it. The highest guess from our group was 11, but after opening the oyster, we discovered that the oyster contained a whopping 23 pearls! We all got to keep one as a souvenir. Some of us did a little bit of shopping at the pearl market, and some of us made some new friends from all the way across the world in Australia!
Next we went to the temple of heaven, which was a lot more walking! We learned more about rituals that the emperor had to perform during festivals like the winter solstice. After we left the temple of heaven, we went to a tea testing. The tea was very hot at first, so some of us had to wait for to cool down. The tea tasted great! We learned that there are specific ways to drink each type of tea, and they mean different things.
After tea testing, we went to dinner. We were all tired at dinner. It is going to be an early night tonight because tomorrow we have to go to the great wall, the Olympic venues, a jade carving workshop, and might go to a market.
Kerry and Barbara
China! 4/7/12
After about two days of travel, we finally arrived in Beijing last night at about 11:00 pm! We unfortunately did not have a smooth exit from the airport, however, because Rachael's luggage somehow ended up in Amerstdam. Fortunately, it arrived at our hotel sometime this afternoon while we were out touring. After we spent some extra time in the airport dealing with that we made our way to the exit and met our tour guide Lily, who is very nice. Eventually we made it to the hotel and got settled into our rooms. Some of us ended up going to bed at around 2:00 am, though other had trouble sleeping because of the time change and went to bed closer to 4:00 am. Breakfast this morning was very good and boded well for our future Chinese food experiences. Dragon fruit was a big hit as well as the fried rice, corn nuggets, and peach juice. After breakfast we met Lily in the hotel lobby and headed to Hutong village, which is an old village in Beijing, which I believe originated in the Yuan dynasty. We took a rickshaw tour through the narrow village alleyways and visited a man who lived in a house his grandfather had bought about 150 years ago! He told us about life in Huntong and also about his family. His grandfather, father, two sons, as well as himself all do kung fu. They also all teach or taught kung fu, except for his younger son who is going to university to learn business English. His older son has been living in Houston for the past six years and teaches kung fu there. Apparently the man grew up with a learned kung fu with Jet Li! After Hutong we had lunch, which was delicious as well as filling! My personal favorites were the rice and the noodle, vegetable, and egg salad. After lunch we went to the art district in Beijing, called 798. This area used to be a factory, but has turned into a large expanse of art and artsy stores. I especially loved this area because it has so many beautiful and interesting pieces of art as well as cool shops and cafés. After 798 we went to an acrobatics show, which was very cool! The stunts and skills of the performers were astounding, I promise I will upload my pictures soon so you all can see! The end of the show was particularly fantastic as well as a little nerve-wracking! They had a giant, spherical, wooden cage in which they had four motorcyclists ride around in at once doing different stunts. Despite some clear shaking of the cage, nobody got hurt! After the show we went to dinner and ate Peking Duck, among other things. The duck was good, but not my favorite. To be honest between the filling lunch as well as jet-lag, I didn't eat too much for dinner, but the spring roles were delicious! Finally we got back to our hotel and after a few hours of trying and failing, we finally managed to gain internet access! So hopefully we will be able to keep you all up to date more consistently. Hope all is well on the other side of the world!
Lots of Love,
Nicole Gagné
Lots of Love,
Nicole Gagné
April 7, 2012
We arrived
We late last night to Beijing, but unfortunately we had a little mishap. After to talking to one of the security
guards with a little help from Ivy we were informed that Rachael’s suitcase got sent to Amsterdam. Rachael was
totally easy going with the whole situation (unlike me who would have freaked out) and luckily her suitcase had arrived to
the hotel as we got back from touring today! Most of us could not get to sleep last night, when
we got to the hotel around 12:30 a.m. here; it was lunch time back home. Janie and I stayed up until 4 and went down to breakfast at 9 before we started our tour at 11. For breakfast there was a variety of things to choose from. The group all went down to breakfast at different times, but Kerry, Janie, Barbara and I had some fruit and croissants, and Barbara enjoyed her “corn nuggets”. At breakfast we sat with a family from Denmark and talked to them for a little bit which was nice. As we were finishing our meal, a waiter
came in to bring more food to the platters, we watch as he sees us and his jaw hits the floor. He couldn’t stop staring at us, even
when his manager came and shooed him away, making him leave the room to let us to finish our breakfast.We all met in the lobby at 11 and did a rickshaw tour, and even visited a family’s home in Beijing. Next, we went to lunch and had 8 different delicious dishes. While we were waiting to be seated at lunch some of us went to the ATM to get cash out, but some of the group came back a couple minutes later. As they approached the rest of the group, Rachael informs us that she tried to take money out of her account, and the machine processed it, but the cash never came out of the machine. But even after this second mishap Rachel remains calm, something I’m sure most of us couldn’t do. After lunch, we went to the 798 art zone. Everyone split up but we all agreed it was such a cool place and were glad we had the chance to look around and explore. It was a beautiful day in Beijing today, it was nice and sunny. After the 798 art zone we proceeded to the acrobat show which left us all stunned. It was amazing. We had duck for dinner, not a favorite of mine but some of us really enjoyed it. All in all, it was a great first day and we can’t wait to go to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City tomorrow! We also hope the rest of Rachael’s time in China goes smoothly!
We miss you all!
-Kiki
We arrived
We late last night to Beijing, but unfortunately we had a little mishap. After to talking to one of the security
guards with a little help from Ivy we were informed that Rachael’s suitcase got sent to Amsterdam. Rachael was
totally easy going with the whole situation (unlike me who would have freaked out) and luckily her suitcase had arrived to
the hotel as we got back from touring today! Most of us could not get to sleep last night, when
we got to the hotel around 12:30 a.m. here; it was lunch time back home. Janie and I stayed up until 4 and went down to breakfast at 9 before we started our tour at 11. For breakfast there was a variety of things to choose from. The group all went down to breakfast at different times, but Kerry, Janie, Barbara and I had some fruit and croissants, and Barbara enjoyed her “corn nuggets”. At breakfast we sat with a family from Denmark and talked to them for a little bit which was nice. As we were finishing our meal, a waiter
came in to bring more food to the platters, we watch as he sees us and his jaw hits the floor. He couldn’t stop staring at us, even
when his manager came and shooed him away, making him leave the room to let us to finish our breakfast.We all met in the lobby at 11 and did a rickshaw tour, and even visited a family’s home in Beijing. Next, we went to lunch and had 8 different delicious dishes. While we were waiting to be seated at lunch some of us went to the ATM to get cash out, but some of the group came back a couple minutes later. As they approached the rest of the group, Rachael informs us that she tried to take money out of her account, and the machine processed it, but the cash never came out of the machine. But even after this second mishap Rachel remains calm, something I’m sure most of us couldn’t do. After lunch, we went to the 798 art zone. Everyone split up but we all agreed it was such a cool place and were glad we had the chance to look around and explore. It was a beautiful day in Beijing today, it was nice and sunny. After the 798 art zone we proceeded to the acrobat show which left us all stunned. It was amazing. We had duck for dinner, not a favorite of mine but some of us really enjoyed it. All in all, it was a great first day and we can’t wait to go to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City tomorrow! We also hope the rest of Rachael’s time in China goes smoothly!
We miss you all!
-Kiki