Shanghai

Thanks to the Chinese holidays, we did not have classes last week.  My friends and I were lucky enough to be able to travel during this time, and after much back-and-forth, we booked an airbnb, train tickets, and packed our bags for Shanghai.

Our study abroad program this semester is based in Beijing.  It is a relatively safe and inexpensive city, filled with tons of history and culture.  Moreover, it is probably the best place for foreigners to learn standard Mandarin.  However, Beijing does not really inspire me like other cities I have been fortunate enough to visit, including New York, Rome, and Stockholm.

Shanghai, on the other hand, is absolutely breathtaking and gives the aforementioned cities serious competition.  Someone in the CET program advised us to stay in the French Concession, and it certainly did not disappoint.  If you did not read the characters on the street signs, you could trick yourself into thinking you were walking around downtown Georgetown in D.C., or even strolling through Back Bay in Boston.  The people were friendly, the cuisine was familiar, and the views were spectacular.

We had a really relaxing vacation overall.  Walking around and trying good food at different restaurants is always all right with me.  We also went shopping, bargaining for discounts on everything.  My favorite part of the trip, aside from not having too much homework to do, was looking at the harbor lights* on the nighttime boat cruise of the Putong River.  Even though we did not do too many other things, relaxing was nice and I think we all bonded on the trip.  We saw a different part of China, satisfied our American-style brunch cravings, and stayed up way too late making fun of each other every night.

Although we did not have class, I did learn a few things:

• To avoid having the driver drive away with one person still in the cab, everyone should exit the vehicle at the same time.

• If the price seems too high, start to walk away, and more often than not, the storekeeper will lower it.

• The Wu dialect is sometimes impossible to understand.

• We really missed organic food.

• You should probably do your homework before you leave for vacation.

• Eating fruit from the street will not kill you.

• But a 15-hour overnight train ride just might.

Wednesday marked our fifth week of the semester; we are more than one third of the way through the program.  With fewer than 10 weeks remaining, I still have tons of things to do, including exploring Beijing and going to Hangzhou with CET.  Until then,

-Holly

*Check out this song: “Harbour Lights” by A Silent Film

The Bund by day

The Bund by night

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