Downtown Shanghai

Ni Hao,

Well another week has gone by. Classes have started to settle in and it seems autumn is upon us in Shanghai. The last few days have been rainy and cold. The weather reminds me of Seattle or London. I have been enjoying my classes. We have progressed from learning tones and pronunciation of the Chinese language to writing characters. I have learned several basic sentences. I have to admit I’m not a fan of early morning classes. Classes have been different from my experience in Wyoming. Normally in Wyoming classes were fifty to ninety minutes. Every class in China is a hundred and twenty minutes with a ten minute break during the middle of the class. I’ve been doing plenty of studying. I’ve probably wrote a thousand characters by now. I’m still struggling with writing characters in their appropriate strokes. The language is very fascinating and challenging at the same time. The language is a lot like singing different tones have different pitches in voice and tone. When putting together sentences the tones change from high to low and move very quickly. The course work in the next few weeks will pick up according to our teachers. However, they say the class should be speaking basic Chinese by the end of the semester. I’m excited to see how far I get in the next few months. However, I must be making progress I was able for the first time to order food properly outside of the west gate of campus! I’ve included pictures from around the campus. I’m going to post a few new pictures from around the campus with each new blog post. The campus is massive so I should have new pictures almost every week. The one on the left is the library on campus and the one on the right is one of the class room buildings.
The university last weekend hosted a trip to downtown Shanghai. We started with a trip to the second tallest building in the city. The tower is called the Jingma Tower, which is located in the center of the city next to the tallest building in the city and the famous T.V. Tower across the way. After going through a long and winding line the group was escorted to an elevator that traveled up 88 floors/340 meters. I can’t say I’ve ever had my ears pop in an elevator until last weekend. At the end of the elevator guests are dropped off at the observation deck. The deck included windows on every side. We walked around in a circle fashion. There were interesting pictures, posters, and a brief history of the tower. The day was very smoggy so we couldn’t see that far out of the city. I can’t imagine what the view must be like on a clear day. It felt like we were in the clouds. My favorite part of this building was located in the very center of the observation deck. There is a glass window that looked straight down into the atrium of the hotel located in the tower. I included a picture of this on the right. It took several seconds for my eyes to catch up with the distance down to the main floor. It still surprises me how many skyscrapers are located in Shanghai. The other pictures I’ve included here are some of the international friends I have made and a picture with me and the T.V. tower in the background. Also, you can see in the background of this picture the Huangpu river. It was fun to see the large cargo ships and small private boats using the river for transportation. Shanghai is a port city, which has a large amount of international trade. Some of us are talking about touring the large shipyard at the end of the city. I think it would be fascinating to check out how much business is done through trade on the open seas. Hopefully, one of my blog posts will include a little more about the impact Shanghai has on worldwide trade.
Next the trip headed out for Yu Garden. The drive was about twenty minutes from the towers. We had several hours to kill so the group decided to get some lunch at a local dumplings restaurant. I can’t say I had many dumplings in my life before this trip, but we messed up the order and had about 40 dumplings between 3 people. It was a ton! We got it done, but can’t remember the last time I was that full. I’m still amazed how little everything costs here. Most meals outside of the university cost between eight and sixteen Yuan (which is equivalent to about two US dollars). But for this price you get enough food to feel full. Most meals include rice or noodles, so on top of meat you get carbohydrates that expand in your stomach. I still don’t know how the Chinese can stay thin on the amount of food that’s available for a low price. After leaving the restaurant the group proceeded to walk through local markets and shops to the gardens. While walking downtown it is common to see crumbling buildings next to American companies like McDonalds, Burger Kings, and Starbucks. Just before entering the gardens we crossed a bridge if crossed should bring good luck (hopefully it works). We paid about twenty Yuan to enter the garden. This garden was unlike the one I posted about before. The Yu Garden was built during Emperor Mao’s time. It hosted only elite members of society. Most the buildings were in good shape. There was water and bridges throughout the gardens. In the water were large gold fish, which people took the time to stop and feed the fish. We spent a few hours touring the buildings and taking pictures. Unfortunately, I don’t have all the pictures from other people’s cameras from this event so I included the few I had. I will include more from this trip in later posts. It was a beautiful place. I look forward to visiting the several other gardens throughout the city and country.

Our final stop for the day was a river tour of the Huangpu River. We traveled on a fairy that took the group up and down the river. Each side included a great view of the skyscrapers located in Shanghai. The tour took about an hour to go down and back. I couldn’t believe the amount of ships passing our tour. There is a huge difference between large shipping companies and the local fisherman. I tried to get the contrast in a few pictures I posted here. I was really shocked to you see huge freights carrying large amounts of cargo pass your little tour ship. The skyline was cool to see from the ship. I got a few videos of passing the large ships and buildings. Architecture in China is very different from the United States. I guess with the large population they have to adopt a build up philosophy. I don’t know if you can tell in the pictures, but days here are very gray. Rarely do you see the sun or blue sky. It’s unfortunate because on a clear day the boat ride would be even more spectacular than it already was. The city is preparing for the World Trade Expo next year so you can see and hear construction operations everywhere you go in the city. Signs are posted with the cities logo “better city, better life” all over the place. The city is torn up now but I have see pictures of the final visions of the planners and it looks amazing. I hope to see the final stage of Shanghai before I leave next year. The picture on the left is a small part of the Shanghai sky line and on the right is the large cargo ships I mentioned above.
After our tour of the city a few of us got ready to go out later that night. We decided to check out a few different clubs located downtown. The first we went to was a very European/American dance club. It had modern dance music and tons of people. The atmosphere was thick and the majority of the people there were from Europe. So due to the amount of people and prices of drinks we went to a different bar located further downtown. This included much better prices and techno music. Night life located throughout the city. The first place was located in a large mall and the second was included in a shopping district. Every Friday night they host different themes and types of drinks. The night life has been very impressive so far. Although, it takes about forty-five minutes in a taxi to get downtown, so it’s a full night event when we go out.

I don’t have anything planned for the upcoming weekend, but I hope to do more touristy type things. I’m going to buy a tourist book about Shanghai and check off different places each weekend. I look forward to posting pictures from our adventures this weekend!

Hope all is well!

Travis

First Week of Class

9/8 Hello everyone,

The last week has been very exciting! After a few trips to the local Trust Mart (owned and similar to Wal-Mart in the United States) I’m fully moved into my overseas apartment. I regularly hang out with students from around the world. Most of the students at the university are either in their undergraduate program or have recently graduated. We pass time by playing ping pong, pool, and discussing different aspects of our lives back home. I’ve enjoyed discussing political aspects of each country I meet students from. I’m shocked by the similarity of problems we share. The majority of the discussion about the U.S. is unfortunately negative. Most students comment on the war in Iraq, American eating, and the U.S. media. I enjoy learning about the American perception worldwide. Although it’s hard to hear others comment on the way of life I’m accustom to it serves as a learning experience for what I can do better in my own life. The picture on the left is from my apartment the Chinese students registered for classes in the blue tents.
Most of our conversations occur over lunch or dinner. Eating in China is treated much different than at home. Dinning out in the U.S. is very quick. You go, you eat, and you leave in a very prompt fashion. In China, eating out is considered a longer occurrence. Typically, the group is sat at a round table with a rotating disk in the center. The waiter stands near the table until the party is ready to order (which can last anywhere from five to ten minutes). A few students have mastered the Chinese language, so they order for the entire group. Ordering in China is unlike the U.S. because it takes much longer. The menu is very negotiable. In some cases you answer several cases about each dish and bargain about the price of the dish.. I’m use to prices on goods and services being set without room to bargain. Prices can be bargained at markets and in Chinese restaurants. Once the meal has been order, the party is in for the long haul. Eating is treated as a marathon. Dishes come sometimes for a solid hour! The entire party shares the dishes by rotating the disk. Each meal is served with rice and chop sticks to eat. Drinks include tea, soft drinks, or beer. As a side comment I have drank more beer with meals than I ever did in the United States. I don’t know if it is due to water qualities or being surrounded by Europeans (who can drink me under the table), but the adult beverages are always flowing. The picture included in this paragraph is from a Chinese restaurant a few days ago. The majority of restaurants around campus are located around the west gate. The university has four main areas (north, south, east, and west). When leaving out of the west gate, you are immediately surrounded by shops and restaurants. Street vendors’ constantly try to get you to buy their goods or food. When walking the down the street you see fresh sushi, noodles, stir fry, and several other types of food being made in front of you. A few hundred feet further there is a market similar to a strip mall in the U.S. Several shops are all lined up to one another (most of them are restaurants). The market includes a movie theater with select movies in English. I haven’t had a chance to take pictures in this area they will come in later posts. I have enjoyed all the food in China. Surprising my favorite dish is an egg plant with a sweet sauce. Students can also eat at the different cafeterias located on campus. They are cheaper, but the food isn’t the same quality as outside the west gate.
A few of us spent last Friday visiting Jing An Park/Temple and People’s Square. We started the day off at a local restaurant that was really good. We than visited the Jing An Temple. We paid 20 Yuan’s (Chinese currency equivalent to about $2 USD) to get in. The site is a Buddhist temple located in the middle of Shanghai. Everywhere you go in China ancient structures are mixed into the modern skyline. In the picture to the left you can see the contrast between the temple and modern buildings in the back ground. The temple was beautiful with several different gold statues located in different corners of the temple. Locals were burning incents and praying to different gods while we visited the temple. Parts of the temple were under construction so we didn’t get to see all of it. There was a statue in the middle of the court yard. Much like a wishing well, visitors throw coins into the center in order to be granted a wish. I include a picture of one of our party members participating in the event. After we left the temple we walked across the street into one of the cities many parks. Everything is green around the city so the park was full of different types of trees and plants. In the center there was a small restaurant and a pond with lilies throughout it. In one section of the park guests are able to walk through a small cave. There is nothing exciting in the cave, but it was fun to walk through a cave in the middle of the city. The park was beautiful and a great place to get a drink on a very hot day. I still can’t get use to sweating everywhere I go in the city. The humidity is something to be desired. We took the subway to People’s Square. This part of Shanghai is known for a very impressive shopping mall. The mall was about seven stories located near the center of the square. The shops located inside were very hi end products that rivaled any mall I have been to in the United States. I know of a few people who would enjoy shopping in this mall equipped with Burberry, Brooks Brothers, and other well known cloths companies. Prices were more expensive than in the U.S., which was very surprising. Most products are very inexpensive compared to back home. After an hour or so we left the square to head back to the dorms. Later that night we went downtown to a night club called Zapatos. It was a hoping club full of lots of people from around the world. The day was a very exhausting, but incredibly fun. The final picture on the right is in front of the Shanghai World Expo Mascot Haibao (meaning treasure of the world).
Classes started this week. I’m enrolled in Chinese listening, conversation, and writing. My schedule is twenty hours a week. Monday thru Friday I have classes from 8am until noon. On Wednesdays I have one additional class from 1pm till 3pm. Classes are about the same size as the U.S. (between twenty and thirty students) who are all new to Chinese language. In the first few days we have been learning about tones and pronunciation of the Chinese language. The language is very different from English because it puts different emphasis on tone to create meanings for words. So the same word with a different tone has a different meaning even though it may be spelled the same. Today we started writing basic characters. I included the first picture of my Chinese homework. Memorizing the characters is a challenge, but writing them is an additional level of difficulty. Classes are going well I enjoy my classmates and the teachers. By the end of my trip I hope to speak basic Chinese. On the left is a picture of the group of people I hang out with and a little bit of the campus in the back ground. Throughout my blog posts I will try and include different pictures of the campus. I have enjoyed my experience at Shanghai University so far.
This coming weekend the University is hosting a trip around Shanghai. We will visit one of the tallest buildings in the city, take a boat tour, and go to another large shopping area in the metropolitan area. I look forward to updating you after the trip.

Talk to you all soon!

Travis

Hello from Shanghai

Ni hao (hello),

I’m now at Shanghai University in my new dorm room. I apologize for the late response, but I just got my internet connected two days ago. Things are going great. The accommodations at the university are nice. My room is very basic with a cabinet, desk, and a bed. I have two other roommates who have similar layouts. We share a common bathroom complete with a shower, two sinks, and a toilet. My roommates are very nice. They are from Columbia and Bangladesh. Both live with their girlfriend/wife, the apartment is busy between the five of us. The room has AC, but rarely works. It’s been hard getting use to the humid air. The worst part is mandatory service requirements for Chinese students. The university has drills starting at 6am and ending late into the night. Drills take place throughout the campus, so getting to sleep has been a challenge. I have included pictures from my dorm room above.

Shanghai University is very impressive. Walking the campus alone takes almost two hours. Running water and gardens are found throughout the campus. Most notably are the library and a fountain nearby (I will include them in later posts). All the international students I’ve met are very nice. Most of them speak two or three different languages. English is the most common. We have spent the last week discovering the university and downtown Shanghai. Monday we decided to head into the city on the public transit system to a local market. Transportation around the city is packed from the subway to the bus. The streets are overrun with natives, tourists, and salesman. The population in the city makes it difficult to appreciate the size. Even while downtown it was hard to see the skyline in part because the endless high-rise living areas. The majority of the haze in the pictures is a product of pollution. The local market was full of cheap goods from around the world. Shirts, purses, and watches are the common theme throughout the market. Natives are always trying to sell you something. While walking down the street we were stopped by two Chinese men who attempted to escort us to their shop. Although politely telling them no thank you they proceeded to follow us throughout the city! The streets are crowded with bicycles and motorized scooters. In fact if you’re not paying attention you could easily be ran over or pushed to one side. I enjoyed my first day in the city. I learned a lot about modern cities in China.

Classes will start on Monday. I’m enrolled in the basic Chinese language program. The last few days have been administrative. Monday was registration, Tuesday was a placement exam, and today was a medical exam. The medical exam was very interesting. After paying for the services we were required to have a basic physical, but provided in a mobile vehicle. A Chinese bus was equipped with an x-ray machine, EKG, and a blood pressure machine. The experience was very enlightening and downright creepy at the same time.

All is well and I look forward to starting class in a few days. Very few people in the city and the university speak English. The other international students and I get around in groups. A few of them have taken several years of Mandarin classes, which has helped getting around the city. They have also took us to authentic Chinese restaurants. The food is good, but very different from the US. The final picture on the left is from the South Korean airport.

Hope all is well!

Zai jian (goodbye),
Travis