A Week in the Himalayas

Day 1:

Today we departed for our week long adventure led by some teachers in our program. All 25 of us gathered in the lobby of our dorm at 9am to bus to Hongqiao airport where we boarded a 12pm flight to Kunming. Kunming is the Capitol of a province called Yunnan. The area is notorious for having the most ethnic minorities in China and therefore offers a completely different cultural world than Shanghai.

Our flight was probably the worst I have been on thus far. It was rocky with volatile turbulence from the very start and our descent was so bumpy that many passengers were vomiting. I made the joke to my friends that this quite possibly could've been our pilots first landing ever. No one was amused enough to laugh due to a little too much nausea.

After our stomachs recovered from the rocky plane ride, we headed onto our bus which took us to a lovely scenic area called Dian Lake. It consisted of a big body of water, back dropped with high grassy mountains. I instantly knew I chose the right trip to go on. After walking around the lake area, we got back on our bus to head over to a local Kunming restaurant for dinner. We had rice noodles, chicken with vegetables, pork with vegetables, and many more delicious chinese dishes.

With full bellies we headed to our hotel to crash after a long exhausting day. Tomorrows wake up call is at 7am and we have a day filled with hiking. I cannot wait. 

Day 2:

Today we woke up bright and early at 7am preparing for our long second day. The hotel was not the nicest accommodation I have stayed in and the wifi didn't work. That's Chinese Internet for you! 

After we ate breakfast we headed on the bus to see the Stone Forest. This area was extremely scenic with breathtaking views of the tectonic ruins. The area was packed with tourism which made some sightseeing aspects semi frustrating. When chinese people want you to move out of their way, they don't say "sorry" or "excuse me" they'll just push you aside. That part was a bit annoying especially when many people had cigarettes in hand (dangerously close to your head..). Aside from the packed area, the sights were still beautiful and it was nice being outside in sunny 80 degree weather.

After the Stone Forest we stopped off at a local flower market where I purchased a jade  bracelet and a delicious mango pineapple smoothie.

We had another traditional chinese meal for dinner while one of our tour guides taught us a few songs. After dinner we took the bus to Kunming train station where we boarded an overnight train to Dali. This marks the beginning of our ascent where we begin to climb altitudes daily until we hit the Tibetan peaks.

More adventure and pictures to come.

Day 3:

We arrived at Dali around 6am and headed to our hotel. We had a chance to head in the shower and get ready for our day ahead. After breakfast we got on the bus and went to Cangshan national park. It was incredible. We took cable cars all the way up the mountain and the views were exquisite. I got a little dizzy at the top of the mountain but the views were too good to consider the slight headache I was experiencing. After the climb, we headed to Erhai Lake, a big body of water at the bottom of the mountain. We boarded a giant cruise ship where we coasted in the water for about 3 hours. The sun was strong and my face showed the signs of a bad burn after exiting the long cruise. I was exhausted by our long day but our exploring wasn't over yet. 

After our day activities we had the night free to grab dinner and explore downtown Dali. We went to a place called the "Foreigners Street" to escape to some western food for dinner. We got some pizza and burgers and enjoyed the view of bustling Dali. After dinner we weaved through countless markets where I ended up purchasing a bunch of souvenirs for family and friends. 

Time for bed, big travels tomorrow!!

Day 4:

Today we got our wake up call loud and clear around 6:30am. We packed up quickly and checked out, heading to the Tiger Leaping Gorge...the place I most looked forward to. We met our new local tour guide named William. He almost looked like an Asian Johnny Depp and led us fearlessly through the city of Shangri-la. We arrived at the Tiger Leaping Gorge and it looked even better than I imagined. Huge mountainous landscapes surrounded by rushing white water, I was speechless. We climbed up and down over 1,000 stairs to see the full view of the mountain. After the hike we headed to lunch where my dizziness started to creep back. Only this time it was accompanied by a more aggressive headache and waves of nausea, but I tried to ignore it and carry on. 

We got on the bus and made a long trip headed to a local Tibetan families house. The pain in my stomach had become so strong I couldn't think of anything else. I told my teachers my stomach was not okay and they told me to relax and it was probably due to the altitude. Relaxing was not a possibility for me. My stomach was in so much pain that I couldn't eat any of the dinner or even speak to anyone. I began to feel chills all over my body and got really cold. When my stomach got to the point of no return I ran behind a stone wall and got sick for the next 3 hours we were there. I finally felt like my sickness passed for a bit so I boarded the bus and sat there alone waiting for my group to be done. I was texting my mom and feeling particularly homesick without her loving and sympathetic touch during my illness. 

My health only felt worse as we got to the hotel and I called the teachers to my room. They took my temperature and told me that my fever had reached 102. That felt like the least of my worries as I continued to get sick and have a splitting headache. The tour guide came up to my room and gave me a portable oxygen tank to help relieve my headache. I laid in bed wondering when I'd be feeling better. 

Day 5:

I wasn't allowed to go on the hike today due to my altitude illness so I stayed in our Shangri-la hotel with one of our tour guides. I continued getting sick early in the morning but felt better after a quick videochat with my mom. I slept until around 11:30 and then met up with my group for lunch. I couldn't eat anything at lunch and the idea of Chinese food made my stomach hurl. 

The whole day I still didn't feel right. After lunch we had a 3 hour bus ride to Lijiang, our next destination. We checked into the hotel around 5pm and I stayed in for the rest of the night. I was able to have some chicken noodle soup for dinner but that was about it. Heading to bed early tonight. 

sleeper train

Day 6:

Still not feeling well. Stomach was in pain all night and morning. The group is hiking the Jade Snow Mountain today, which is at the highest altitude our group would reach. My teachers told me that I had to stay in the hotel again so I slept until around 2pm. I had some eggs and toast for breakfast which actually made my stomach feel better. Next I met the group for dinner and watched them eat some chinese food. Now I'm in the train station at Dali ready to board our overnight train to Kunming where we will fly out tomorrow.

Can't wait to get back into my bed in Shanghai! 

Day 7:

Got off the overnight train around 7am. The train was a nightmare. At times I was scared that the train would fall off the tracks because it felt as if we were going too fast. Then, at 3am the train employees decided to blast Chinese music in the corridor of the train, so none of us slept the rest of the way. 

After an adventurous trip, I finally made it back to Shanghai and I'm already feeling better. Time for class tomorrow. 

Hainan: China's Hawaii

Drink of choice in Hainan

This weekend we had an extra day off to celebrate Tomb Sweeping Day in China. My friends and I decided to book a quick get away to a place called Hainan, an island off the south of China. Hainan is known as "China's Hawaii" and it did not disappoint. 

On Thursday afternoon my friends and I left our school and headed to Pudong international airport to catch our 7:55pm flight...or so we thought. We zoomed through baggage and security lines with no problem only to arrive at our gate and see the words "DELAYED" flashing across our gates screen. We approached the counter and tried our best to communicate in Chinese to see what was going on. The woman at the desk told us the plane was delayed due to weather in Shanghai and we would have to wait an additional 2 hours to board. We were a little bummed out but we decided to make the best of it by grabbing some dinner and a few bottles of wine. When 10pm rolled around we went back to the gate, only to see a large group of angry passengers huddled around our gate. My friend Katie and I pushed our way through to try to see what was going on. Apparently our plane was indefinitely delayed and the airline was shuttling people to a hotel overnight and told us they had no idea when we would take off. I found one staff member who spoke a little English and I asked him "please tell me what you know, when will the plane be here so that we can board?" And he responded "no time." "Soo, never?!" I asked with a half smile on. "Yes." I could tell he didn't fully understand me. He had that blank stare that I often have when people speak too much Chinese to me. I returned to my friends with a confused look on my face. "So looks like we may never be leaving..?" 

After my friends and I decided that we would try out the hotel deal, we were told they weren't bussing anyone from our plane to the hotel because it was full. The airport that was once warm and humid during the day became frigid and I was struggling to stay warm in a longsleeve shirt and shorts. We all fell asleep on the floor, chairs, or any open space we could find. Finally around 4am we were notified that our plane arrived and we could board. I almost squealed with excitement as we ran to the gate. The plane was relatively small and crowded. We were told by a semi-English speaker nearby that we got delayed so long because we were on a budget airline so air traffic control looked at us as a last priority. 

I started to doze off on the plane waiting to take off and by the time I woke it was 6am and we were still on the ground. We were told once again we were indefinitely delayed and people were starting to exit the aircraft. My friends looked at each other with distress...what do we do?? A few of my friends favored the idea of leaving and just heading back to campus. I said I did not want to leave. I felt that we made it this far and I was dying to see the beach. Two of my good friends agreed and we strapped in for the long haul. 

The crew at dinner

Our plane finally took off at 8am, 12 hours after our scheduled departure time. We landed in sunny Hainan around 11am and I instantly knew we made the right decision. The island is sprinkled with big mountain ranges and vast bodies of water. We stepped off the plane and were welcomed with 85 degree weather and sun. After a short 10 minute cab ride we arrived at our resort...the Holiday Inn.
The next few days were bliss. We laid out by the pool with sunshine and piña coladas in hand. We also used plenty of our Chinese as none of the staff spoke English. We headed to the beach most afternoons, and I almost forgot what it felt like to have sand between my toes. 

I am on the plane now heading back to Shanghai. We took off without a hitch and had no delays this time. Now I'll have to rush home to catch up on the Chinese homework I was neglecting while getting a little bronzed on the beach. Time to go back to reality. 

Sight Seeing and Giving Back

Shameless selfie with the Bund

Last weekend I finally got to see the Bund. The Bund is one of the most notorious regions of Shanghai, where its first development began. There are rows of prestigious banks and business offices lining one side of the Huangpo river, while the other side boasts some of the most impressive architecture I have ever seen. At night, all of the buildings are lit up and the sight of it is surreal and can take your breath away in seconds. My friends and I visited the Bund in daylight after a leisurely day of shopping in People's Square. People's Square reminds me of Times Square in New York City, with big colorful lights and a bustling atmosphere. After we saw the incredible views of the Bund in daylight, we knew we had to stay to see it lit up at night---and we definitely made the right decision. Everywhere we walked along the Bund, Chinese people asked to take pictures with us, and if we were posing in a picture together there were at least 3 other people snapping a picture of our pose. At this point its safe to say that my face is littered all over China's camera rolls, but it's all in good fun.

The Bund & crew at night

People's Square

Today (Wednesday 3/18) I finally got to give back to the country that has already given me so much. I joined a volunteer associated called "Stepping Stones," and it has already been an incredible experience. Shanghai has an extremely large migrant population, including workers who leave their rural hometowns to come to Shanghai to make a living for their family. Often times the children of these families struggle, as they lack stability and proper education. English is one of the three core subjects in the Chinese primary education system and is also considered the most challenging subject for rural teachers. On the Stepping Stones website they describe the discrepancies of education here perfectly. "English level is the biggest differentiator between urban and rural Chinese children, and this above all perpetuates the gap in educational and employment opportunities."

After hearing about this wonderful organization, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to get more involved here in Shanghai. After attending a 4 hour training session, I was accepted to be a teacher for a Fourth Grade class in a school called HLH2. After my Chinese class this morning, I headed out to the subway to navigate myself out of the main city of Shanghai towards the outskirts of town. I hopped on the 3/4 line towards Zhongshan Park where I then switched over to the 2nd line for 6 more stops. Finally I arrived at my destination and hailed a taxi to take me the remaining 2 miles to the school. While driving towards the primary school I watched as the city I knew disappeared. There were no more impressive sky scrapers or men in business suits. The streets were run down and the air quality was noticeably worse. My heart ached a bit to think that these children attend school here everyday and it is a privilege that they do. 

My goofballs

As soon as I entered the school grounds a pair of Chinese men in guard outfits approached me with big smiles on their faces. They asked me some question in Chinese but all I could decipher was the word "ma" which is essentially a question mark. So I just smiled back and said "Wo shi yi ge Yingwen lao shi" (I am an English teacher) and they nodded and brought me towards my class. The school was huge. Almost 4 floors filled with countless classrooms and I could hear the children yelling throughout every floor. I was led up to my classroom where the kids giggled and waved at me "HAALLOO!" they screamed in their best English...clearly eager to learn. 

Temple rub during the song

I was certainly nervous that the kids would laugh at me, take advantage of me, or tell that I could barely speak Chinese...but none of that happened. They all seemed just as excited as me and when I took the front of the room the class went silent. Suddenly music came over the loudspeaker counting to 10 in Chinese and the students all closed their eyes and rubbed their temples. *Odd...* I thought, but maybe they would think that our Pledge of the Allegiance at the start of the school day is odd. 

My lesson was about fruits and senses, focusing on seeing and tasting food. The children yelled back at me "LEMON!!" when I held up a big picture of the round yellow fruit. I taught two 40-minute classes and the time flew by in both sessions. I left with a sense of accomplishment and the beginning of a very strong bond. I cannot wait to see where this program will take me. 

Me & my class

Classes Have Begun

Practicing #1-10 & vocab in Chinese

As Bucknell kids are laying on the beach for spring break, my classes have finally begun. My schedule is hectic, and I am positive that all of my classes will be challenging. My Chinese language class meets Monday-Thursday for two hours and each class begins with a "preview quiz," testing you on the material that you will be learning that day. On Monday, we signed something called the Language Commitment Pledge, stating that we can only speak Chinese to all the professors and students in the classroom. The staff takes this pledge very seriously and if they hear you speaking English on 3 different occasions they will deduct 5% from your total language grade and contact your home institution. The language class is extremely face paced and difficult, but I am confident that with this level of rigor my language skills will progress very quickly.

Lunch in the "caf"

I have attended two of my elective classes, both taught in English. My three elective courses meet once a week for three hours and they all have a substantial amount of outside work usually totaling a combined 300+ pages of reading per week. The three hour class period is definitely long and hard to keep focused for, but all of the professors are extremely passionate about their subject so it helps the time pass quickly. Now that I have a more regimented schedule, my days are passing by much faster. After I complete the class, I usually have to spend about 3-4 hours on Chinese language homework and an additional 2-3 hours on reading/writing assignments for my electives. The workload can certainly be daunting, but I think my brain has missed some exercise after a long winter break. I look forward to learning more about China through the lens of professors who were born and raised here.

Yummy dinner

My jetlag is finally getting better. I can usually sleep through the night and get around 7-8 hours of sleep (thanks Melatonin!), which helps me to be more energized and alive during the days. I have found that Chinese students don't really drink coffee, but I purchased some packets of instant coffee to help me through the day. Slowly but surely I am finding my staple meals here in China. I eat a lot of noodle bowls, dumplings, rice, and my personal favorite sushi! Sushi is the most expensive food in our cafeteria...totaling around 4-5 USD. In fact, they consider it to be so expensive that I need to enter in the last 6 digits of my passport as a security precaution when purchasing it. Admittedly, not all my meals have been delicious, and I've certainly had some stomach trouble...but authentic Chinese food has surprised me in a very positive way.

The best noodles I've had in Shanghai

One shock I have not gotten over yet is the bathroom situation in China. Most spots on campus and public facilities do not have toilet paper or traditional "western" toilets. Their toilets are called "squatters" and consist of pretty much a hole in the ground. I have been told that this sort of system exists because China's sewage is not yet advanced enough to handle toilet paper being flushed down, so instead there is a wastebasket in every stall for all trash. I love you China--but I haven't totally grasped this idea. It confuses me how a country with high speed bullet trains and flawless subway systems cannot figure out how to properly engineer a sewage system that can handle toilet paper. I guess that will remain a mystery to me for now...

Now that I am finally caught up with sleep, I am hoping to do some good traveling/sight seeing this weekend--encouraged by the weather forecast of 60 degrees and sunny! Stay tuned...

Jet Lag is Real

“To have another language is to possess a second soul”- Emperor Charlemagne

Course one at a rotating sushi bar

I never thought jet lag would weigh me down. I consider myself to be a semi-insomniac, usually going to bed very late and functioning with minimal sleep. I boasted and bragged to my friends telling them that I wasn't worried about the time difference, and that would be the least of my concerns. I was very, very wrong. Shanghai is 13 hours ahead of New York. This means that my days and nights are completely reversed and my inner clock is feeling it in a hard way. My roommate Ann, who has been here for two weeks already, warned me that her third day was the worst. I am on my fourth right now and I struggled to stay awake the entire day. My eyelids were droopy and heavy while I felt a little light headed and strange all day. The most abnormal part is that when it strikes night time, I can never sleep. I get a random kick of energy, tossing and turning in my bed until I give up all together. I have faith that I will eventually catch up, and be able to function normally as a Chinese student.





China has shocked me in many ways. Far less people speak English than I thought. The only people that really speak are some of the students, but it is their second language that they are studying so none of them are eager or excited to use it. That doesn't bother me too much though, because I aim to improve my Chinese as much as possible and the immersion has already accelerated my skill. The pollution is noticeable when looking at the sky, but I never really feel a difference in the air I am breathing. Sometimes there are bad smells in the busy parts of the city, but they are much like NYC or DC or any other big US city I have visited. When looking out at the buildings and the skyline everything is foggy, and I heard that some days it is hard to see beyond your own hand. The sky is hazy grey most of the day and at night it looks like a mix of pink, orange and brown--never black. It often makes me sad to think of what China has done to the air, and I wonder if it is ever going to be reversible.

Garden on campus

Although I have struggled to adapt to some aspects of China, I am amazed by its beauty and charm. The Chinese culture is unlike anything I have ever imagined and the people are some of the friendliest I have encountered in my life. Everyone is willing to help me, usually with a smile on their face. Granted, many times they are smiling because they are laughing at me and my foreign ways...but I find it endearing. The Chinese seem to have a certain appreciation for art, talent, and beauty that is missing in the US. I often feel positively overwhelmed by the ornate gardens, intricate art work, and stunning architecture. It is safe to say that after four days in this new world I am already falling in love with China and its people.

Cheers!! (Beers are 1 USD)

The First Day

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." --Confucius

I have finally touched down in Shanghai, China. The journey to China was 15 hours, but felt like an eternity. I sat next to two Chinese women who did not speak any English but were excited about my trip. They asked me in very broken English, "first time???" and I responded in my best Chinese "Yes, I am an American student." After I said I was American they smiled their biggest smiles and even laughed a bit (little did I know this was going to be a common reaction to the revelation of my home country--still don't know why). Their eyes lit up with excitement as they told me how great of a city Shanghai is. I could not wait.

Beth finding her long lost luggage

After a four hour delay, Beth (my friend from Bucknell) and I were extremely tired and eager to get to campus. Due to our flight delay and late arrival, the campus staff couldn't pick us up at the airport so we had to hail a taxi ourselves and navigate our way to Eastern China Normal University (ECNU). Before we could grab a cab, we waited for our luggage to sluggishly pass along the belt. I lugged my two giant suitcases off the rotating belt, and Beth looked anxiously at the revolver for her bags. Suddenly, an announcement came over the loudspeaker--only in Chinese. People around us seemed angry and frustrated, but we were pretty clueless. After waiting around a bit, a friendly Chinese man came up to us and told us about the situation. Apparently our plane was too heavy, and the flight crew removed some luggage and sent it to Europe instead of China...both of Beth's bags were now somewhere in Europe. I looked at her with disbelief and felt incredibly mad/upset for her. Beth instantly took action and went to the desk, telling the flight crew our dorms' address so that they could ship her luggage ASAP. I was really impressed with her ability to communicate in Chinese and her calm composure about the situation. "Nothing we can really do about it," she shrugged. At that moment I knew we would get along perfectly.

Statue of Mao Zedong on campus

We finally made it to our dorm around 2am, after getting very lost and hailing 3 different cabs (none of the drivers spoke a lick of English). I was elated to run up to my room and greet my roommate Ann, another friend from Bucknell. We woke Ann up and told her all about our journey as she sleepily laughed along with us. That night I slept two hours and woke for orientation at 8am.

First lunch on campus...noodle bowl with mushrooms
and boc choy (Chinese cabbage)---yum!

From 8-12:30 we listened to lectures about our academics, safety/security, emergency health situations, and more. Most of the information was extremely helpful and interesting but I was so tired I found it difficult to stay awake and engaged. I had lunch with Ann at 12:30 as we chatted about life while sipping on our delicious noodle bowls. At one point during our meal, a Chinese man turned around to stare at me for 10 minutes straight with absolutely no shame---it takes some time to get used to being a minority and outwardly "different." 

Global Harbor Mall, 10 minute walk from campus

Next we went to a 5 story mall, filled with anything you could imagine. We only went to get school supplies and other dorm necessities, but I will definitely be back for future shopping. At the register the woman asked me in Chinese if I wanted a bag and I wrongly responded "I don't have"...learning my way around the language by stumbling---a lot. 

Dinner at the Sichuan restaurant...spicy!

To finish off my first day in Shanghai, my whole program went to a traditional Sichuan restaurant. The food is from the famous Sichuan Province and everything has a spicy kick. My favorite was the sweet desert called steamed buns, shown in the bottom right of the picture. Of course there was some boc choy and dumplings to enjoy also! The day was definitely a success, but I can already feel my jet lag kicking in hard. Time to rest up and continue adventuring through this amazing city. 

Pre-Departure

"Adventure is worthwhile in itself." --Amelia Earhart

"Why China??" 
It seems that everyone expects or demands a different response to this question, but I haven't found the perfect one just yet. For those of you concerned about my academics in relation to China...I am a Political Science major and an East Asian Studies minor. All of the courses I will be taking in China will count towards my targeted studies and I will receive full credit for them. I will be trying to learn as much of the Mandarin language as I can, with very little preparation. 

Aside from my academic profile...I have always known that I wanted to study abroad and explore. I am aware that China, and Asia at-large, is not the most favorable destination for Bucknell students to study abroad in---but that never mattered to me. I based my decision to go to China off of the idea that I wanted to live and study in a country that is completely different than ours. I craved a challenge. There are countless dreams and goals I have associated with China. I'm ready to try new foods and establish a new cuisine...excluding dog or horse (sorry). I will attempt to push my language skills and try to speak Chinese to locals almost everyday. I will try to say "yes" to as many opportunities as possible, while staying safe and healthy. Principle of my goals is the hope that I can bring home a new attitude and perspective. 

 At this point, I feel ready to start my 4 month adventure in the economic hub of a Communist country.

Aside from a few reservations, I am confident that the fruits and legacy of my trip will heavily outweigh the struggles and pitfalls. And hey, there isn't even a drinking age in China! So sit back and enjoy a beer or cocktail with me as you explore Zhōngguó (China) through my lens.