My HI Life: study abroad

Hi everyone!

I finally went to Disneyland Shanghai and am so excited to share my experience at the park with everyone. For those unaware, there is a Disneyland in China, and it is located just outside of Shanghai. It actually took about an hour and a half to get to the park from my university.

Compared to the other parks, Disneyland Shanghai is very small and tickets sell for about 390RMB for a single day, non-holiday and not a weekend. This is equivalent to approximately $60, so in that regard you're getting what you pay for. However, I want to point out that the price of the ticket changes drastically based on when you go, and for those hoping to go during the weekend, expect to pay 200RMB more and wait much longer. For this reason, I want to stress that if you have the opportunity, go during the week.

I'm very lucky to have gone on a day where the weather was fantastic (although air quality... not so much)! The longest I waited for a ride was only thirty minutes, and at that it was to ride the Seven Dwarf's Mine Train. Surprisingly, I was able to walk right onto both the Pirates of the Caribbean and Tron rides.

My experience at Disney was good, and I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the parks and of Disney. I found the park to be a little too small and too spread out. Overall I think there aren't more than 25-30 rides at the park, and many of them are tailored to the little children and aren't very intense. Now, I'm not asking Disney to create a park with high-intensity rides, but I felt that the Shanghai Disneyland was not at the same level as the park in Orlando, Florida. The rides were too fast and the wait was long, and had I gone on a weekend I know that I would have left feeling upset. In fact, besides Tron and the Mine Train, there are no other coasters at the park. Oh, and if you were expecting the Teacups ride, It's a Small World, or tower of terror, you can forget about those being there.

I'm not trying to criticize the park, but having gone from the American, original version to the Chinese version is a rough transition. Would I go back? Sure, but not on my own dime.

Going to Disneyland was a nice break from classes, and I am thankful that I went. I don't want to discourage anyone who is interested in visiting the Disneyland Shanghai, but keep in mind that you have to do a lot of walking for rides that are likely going to be shorter than the time you waited.

Furthermore, if you take anything from this post, I hope it's this: unlike the other parks, who highlight the princesses and what have you, Shanghai Disneyland does a fantastic job of incorporating Chinese culture into their rides and activities. For one, everything is in Chinese. If you don't understand at least some Mandarin, you're going to be encouraged to go somewhere else-- I say this because it happened to me. I was approached by a worker who told me that the Stitch movie was in all Chinese. To her surprise, I responded to her English with a simple, "That's fine" in Mandarin and she quickly nodded her head, letting me proceed. This won't happen a lot, but don't be surprised if a worker approaches you and warns you of the language barrier that could ensue. Shanghai Disneyland also features Chinese songs and dance, and from what I could see, places a lot of emphasis on Mulan. This is something very unique to Shanghai Disneyland, and I am glad to see that the park wasn't completely Westernized, at least in that sense.

All in all, I would encourage everyone to look into, but not feel obligated to go, to the park. I will say that there is a limit to how many tickets the park sells a day, so if you're planning your trip in advance either buy your ticket online through the Disney app or through DianPing, a Chinese app. My friends and I got our tickets electronically and it ended up working out best. No stress and we could walk right through to the park without waiting to buy a ticket!

What do you think? Have I convinced you to go, or are you still on the fence? Like always, leave a comment below letting me know your thoughts.

December 04, 2018 No comments

Wow has it been a while since I've done an update! I remember back in my freshmen year I would post frequent updates as a way to keep my blog active, but as I grew as a blogger I've come to learn that I shouldn't write about things I wouldn't want to read.

Which is exactly why I am writing this post! Because I wanted to update you all on everything I have gotten up to, and in the future I hope to look back on this and remember these times.

There's only a few more weeks left here in China, and I catch myself more often than not thinking about how strange a feeling it is to be here in China once more. In many ways I feel the same here as I do in America, but at times I do remember that I am abroad and in a completely different place in the world. This was highlighted earlier this week, when my friend Lara and I went to the English Club on Tongji's campus. I was especially excited to go, and given the fact that we haven't been given many opportunities to actually interact with Chinese students, I saw this as a great opportunity to meet some more students on campus.

The meeting lasted an hour and I can honestly say it made for the best day of my semester thus far. Meeting other Americans (I've only met one other student from America since being here-- more to come on that later!) and actually being able to converse with new people, even if it was in English, made for a really fun night. I remember when I went to China for the first time, and teaching middle school students English was my favorite part of that whole trip. Going to the English club and helping students feel more comfortable speaking English brought me right back to those memories. My only regret is not having attended earlier, although I will say the club is not well advertised. For the 100 Chinese students present, there were only 4 foreigners, myself and Lara included. I look forward to the future meetings and am excited to see the friendships that will be made throughout my time here.

Thanksgiving is this week, and the cohort from Hawaii celebrated with a nice American meal at a place called Al's Diner. Known for their classic Western food, and for me personally a good grilled cheese sandwich, we decided on this place to enjoy all of our faves. I was also invited to spend Thanksgiving with some other American's on Friday evening. I am looking forward to the good food and, needless to say, my favorite parts of my week have been when the UH Manoa cohort gets together, because we all get along and no one is left out.

For reference, 168 RMB is equivalent to $24

As far as classes go, one would expect that the last weeks abroad would be spent studying for finals. Unfortunately, this has not seemed to be the case. Finals fall on the second week in December and, as of right now, there is no talk about finals or even so much as a study guide.

I hope you enjoyed this little look into my life this week. In the spirit of thankfulness, I wanted to share my thanks to all of you for being with me on this little corner of the web. I am thankful to be where I am, and where you have been reading since Hawaii or since just last week, I am thankful for you, too.

Enjoy the turkey!

Until next time,

November 27, 2018 No comments

November 20, 2018 No comments

Hi everyone,

A few weeks ago I was asked what my thoughts are on "being white in China". I've thought about how I should answer this for quite some time, as I believe this is a question many will have but few might voice. For weeks I have sat back and watched various American news channels and media make claims about Chinese people, and today I want to address how I am treated in China-- exclusively as a white, blue-eyed, blonde haired American female.

First, Shanghainese people do not care that you're foreign. Shanghai is an extremely diverse city and, with that, comes the fact that many foreigners will be here alongside you. Shanghainese people do not treat me any differently than they do Indian, Korean, and Japanese people. In Shanghai, people do not look twice at me. People do not care about my fair skin and blonde hair. People do not gawk at me like I am some foreign object. Shanghainese people especially do not discriminate against me in stores or at school. Contrary to what you may think, Shanghainese people are not defensive, aggressive, or even ignorant towards me. Shanghai is a huge city, and everyone here is too busy worrying about what they need to get done to even think about what I'm doing.

Second, knowing the language makes the biggest difference as a foreigner in China. I don't know the Shanghainese dialect, but this doesn't mean I can't still speak standard Mandarin. By choosing to speak the national language, I set myself apart from those who assume they can get away with English. Contrary to what you might think, that is what the Chinese people don't like about foreigners. You cannot come to another country, especially China, and expect to get by using only your language. The least you, as a foreigner, could do is learn some Mandarin and do your best to communicate with them. This step alone has made all the difference, and by communicating in Chinese I am able to break down some of those barriers and have an easier time here.

Third, China is huge. Sure, cities like Shanghai and Beijing are more modern and familiar to outside faces, but the farther inward you go is where you'll likely meet people who have never, or rarely have, seen foreigners. Again, in cities like Chengdu, I have never been treated poorly for looking different. People are more curious and inquisitive about who I am and why I am in China, but this is not done so in a rude manner. Instead, I will have shop owners looking at me through their store windows as I walk by, school children wanting to practice their English with me, and even older ladies giving me their grandchildren to hold because want pictures of their grandchildren with foreigners. Chinese people, no matter where I have gone, have never treated me negatively. I would even argue that the farther away from the cities I went, the nicer I would be treated.

As an American in China, simply put, I am treated just like everyone else. People are not bending over backwards to help me or putting up a wall because of my nationality. Chinese people have been nothing but kind to me, contrary to what American media likes to portray.

Do not be afraid to come to China because of your nationality, appearance, or level in the language. The Chinese I have met have all been gracious to me and welcomed me with open arms. I hope this showed you just a little bit of the welcoming nature of Chinese people.

Until next time,

November 13, 2018 No comments

November 06, 2018 No comments

October 30, 2018 No comments

Hello everyone,

Two months ago if you sat me down and told me everything I would run into while in China I probably would have responded with a laugh and a roll of my eyes. However, it's been 6 weeks since I arrived and I still trip up over some of these cultural differences. I wish someone had told me about these differences, as it would have made life here so much easier in the beginning. Whether you're studying abroad in China in the coming months, or just curious, here are some of the biggest cultural differences you'll notice, as an American, studying abroad in China.

Temperature is in Celsius

This was a huge shock to me, mainly due to the fact that I had completely forgotten that every other country but the USA uses the metric system. Trust me, nothing freaks you out more than waking up and seeing the weather outside is 25 degrees in the middle of September.

Measurements are in meters

Again, one of those 'only in America' moments was when I was in class learning the vocab and my teacher told us how tall she is in centimeters. She proceeded to ask the rest of the class how tall we were, and it was only then that I had to ask, "But how tall are you?" To her surprise, and to everyone else's "Ahh, that's right. She's American.", she had to teach me the conversion rate between a foot and a centimeter. On the bright side after 8 weeks I won't need to tell people how tall I am in centimeters anymore.

Street fashion is real and quite popular

For some odd reason, everyone in China follows their own rule when it comes to fashion. From my perspective, it appears that people here don't care about whether or not the clothes match but rather, do the clothes suit them. This means you'll see girls with shoes that don't match their pants, shirts that hang out below their skirts (while tucked in), and expensive looking accessories that you can't tell are real or not because you've never seen the brand in real life. It's made me realize that the emphasis placed on fashion and cohesiveness is an American thing, and yet somehow the Chinese people still pull off this lack of.

Chinglish will never make sense, and even when it does it doesn't

Finding signs with an attempt at English is funny, but there is a whole other level of comedy when it comes to fashion and accessories that try and employ the use of the English language. As a foreigner in China, there is a certain joy in seeing English on objects or clothing. Sometimes its funny, other times its just plain confusing. Either way, you're going to be amused.

School in China is nothing like school in the United States

Now, granted I knew that schooling in the two countries was different, but I didn't know just how different it would be. Classes are taught using only the textbook and creativity is not encouraged inside the Chines classroom. In America, creativity and independence is stressed, whereas in China I've noticed that everyone is taught the same way and that learning is very much the same. Conformity is very much prevalent in the classroom!

With all of this being said, I still find myself more and more comfortable here as the days pass. Have you ever been to China? What were things no one told you about that you wish you had known?

Until next time,

October 25, 2018 2 comments

Hi everyone,

It seems that every post I've been writing has something to do with me never staying put! I apologize for that, but with so much beauty and history to be found, it's hard not to travel all across China!

This past weekend I went to Nanjing. It's about an hour and a half from Shanghai by speed train, and I enjoyed getting the chance to leave campus for a little bit. Sometimes the hustle and bustle of the city can leave you feeling drained and less enthusiastic about your time here, so I try and leave Shanghai every so often so that I can come back feeling refreshed.

Nanjing is home to countless important events in Chinese history. For starters, Nanjing (meaning 'southern city') used to be China's capital. Here is where you can find the tombs of the Ming Emperor, Hongwu, the founder of the Ming Dynasty himself. Interestingly enough, Chinese emperors had to pick their burial site early into their time as ruler. In this case, the emperor chose to be laid to rest in the mountainside. What makes these ruins even more special are the 12 distinct statues marking the way to his site; they ranged from guards to various animals. Animals included are: lions, camels, elephants, turtles, horses, xiezhi, and qilin. Xiezhi and Qilin are two legendary animals/beings that are only found in East Asian countries. They have a similar appearance, but their functions are different. For instance, Qilin are hooved animals that appear before the passing of a ruler, while Xiezhi had the ability to determine which party is guilty during a trial or affair. However, the overall meaning behind this is that each animal will protect the king, and each figure will guard and lead him as he enters the afterlife. If that wasn't interesting enough, keep in mind that this tomb was built in the 14th century, meaning that for 600 years this area has stood strong and remained in amazing condition. Understanding the time period can most certainly attest to the incredible craftsmanship of this time.

Another event significant to Nanjing is the Nanjing Massacre. Back in my freshmen year of college I wrote a paper on the Nanjing Massacre and talked about my questions and concerns regarding Chinese and Japanese relations. I won't go into the detail of my paper, but I wanted to spend some time sharing my experience at the memorial. This event greatly impacted Chinese and Japanese relations and, to this day, there is still some animosity towards the other country.

The difference between a memorial in America and a memorial in China is that, in America, we tend to be more reserved and "toned down", as I like to call it. However, in China, the Nanjing Memorial was extremely detailed, and very blunt. Out front of the memorial is a giant statue of a crying mother holding her dying child. If that doesn't make you aware of what you're walking into, I don't know what will.

The memorial is much larger on the inside than it looks on the outside, which is hard to believe considering everything you read and see. The Chinese did not hold back in making this memorial. Expect to see various statues, poetry depicting attacks from the perspective of the Chinese. I was amazed at how much information was portrayed, and come the end of it felt very much confused as to why events such as these are not often talked about in American schools. I won't go into the details, but I believe it is important to know this much: From December of 1937 to January of 1938 China was attacked by the Japanese in an effort to take control of China. The government ended up actually leaving the city to operate on their own, and one of the most impactful sections was the internationally organized "safe zone", something I was not aware of before this memorial. However, that aside, the mass murder, rape, and crime against the Chinese from the Japanese soldiers left the total death count at an estimated 300,000 people. There is no way to know the accurate number, but it should be known that the Japanese government has never apologized for this event and they believe the actual number is closer to 20-40,000 people. After this event, the capital was then moved to Beijing, but this does not mean that Nanjing recovered quickly. In fact, the city took decades to recover from this attack.

I did not take any pictures at this memorial due to me wanting to be as respectful as possible. I did, however, take one picture of the total death count. This number can be seen everywhere, and I felt like this was the only appropriate thing to take a picture of.

In addition to visiting such scenic sites, I also had the privilege to go to Nanjing Fuzimiao. Fuzimiao is a Confucian temple built next to the Qinhuai River. Here is where there is a scenic riverwalk, with the option to take a boat ride throughout the river. Also found here is one of the temples where Confucius was worshiped and an enshrined.

In addition to there being temples, there is also the Jiangnan Imperial Hall, where many Chinese men would take the royal examination. Those taking the exam had the potential to enter as farmers and leave as government officials; it was that serious.

Both of these locations are very near one another, and it makes for a very convenient way to appreciate Nanjing history as well as enjoy local food and culture.

Door with a red seal inviting good luck on the outside of it

Wall art of two playing children

Wall art of cherry blossoms

Wall art of women with umbrella

Also worth mentioning are some smaller activities, including visiting Nanjing University, Laomendong, and trying some local foods. If you've ever been to China, or are familiar with Chinese food, you are well aware that there is no piece of the animal that goes to waste. This weekend I got to try ducks blood, supposedly good for the heart and lungs due to the fact that it gets rid of toxins in the body. I have no idea if this is true or not, so I didn't exactly fill my bowl. I did, however, try some, so I can at least say that I've done that.

Nanjing University building

Overall, my stay was short but the impression left on me was enough to make me want to go back. There is something alluring and inviting about a slower pace of life in China, and I couldn't help but feel sad leaving the city. Shanghai is where you would go to work, but Nanjing is where you would go and live. Does that make sense? I hope it does.

Would you ever visit Nanjing? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time,

October 23, 2018 No comments

October 18, 2018 No comments

Hey everyone,

This weekend I had the opportunity to go with 50 other students from my university to the neighboring province of Zhejiang. Here is where we will spend time learning about traditional Chinese culture and take time to enjoy a more rural part of China.

The first day was on the 28th of September. After boarding the tour busses, the 50 of us going all left at 9:30. Surprisingly, it took about 2 and a half hours before we arrived at our first stop: Hangzhou Bay Wetland Park.

Hangzhou Bay Wetland Park was where we were treated to lunch and Shaoxing Opera. The opera style is very unique. Many people were playing instruments and the focus was only on two of the performers. They were both dressed in colorful, bright clothing. The Bay was huge, and we got to see quite a bit of it as we walked through. There were various animals, like alpacas, as well as giant birds. There were a handful of families throughout the Bay, but I think with how hot it was more people opted to stay inside.

After the Hangzhou Bay Wetland Park we made our way over to dinner, where we had 45 minutes to eat, and then quickly sped off to Carnival de Nice.

The Carnival was an event. The purpose is to blend Chinese and European culture into a fun night and it ended up being a gigantic parade with animatronic floats, dancing people in costumes, and much more. It was loud. It was bright. It was something I don't think I will ever experience again in my lifetime. It truly encompasses the meaning of, "You just had to be there."

After that we finally got to rest. By this time it was late into the day and pushing midnight, and we had just checked into the Westin.

Saturday began bright and early at 7:30, where breakfast would be served until 8:30. Our meeting time was immediately after breakfast, where we would board the buses and head off to our next destination.

Since we would be leaving mid-day today, much of our activities were right after one another, meaning we would be quite rushed throughout them all. Once leaving the hotel we would immediately go to the Tianyi Pavillion and then head to Xikou.

The Tianyi Pavilion is the oldest existing library in China, having started during the Ming Dynasty. Today, the Pavilion is well kept and still operates using the original architecture. It was well worth the early drive over, as the Pavilion had few people there when we arrived. I was surprised at how nice everything looked as well as how well preserved much of the documents were. It's hard to believe that such an area once housed 70,000 books. After some theft, the library lost about 50,000 books, but today now boasts approximately 30,000. Still, the documents and books that you can see are incredible. Much of the writing is very clear, and the condition of the pieces makes it rather easy to read. Additional points to note are the mahjong room, garden, and the ancestral center.

Xikou is our last stop in Ningbo. We were told we would go and see one of the Buddha's in the mountain, but I had no idea the actual size until we got there. One of the five sacred Chinese mountains in Buddhism is Xuedou Mountain. Here is where one will find a giant, 200 foot tall copper laughing Buddha, as well as an impeccable view of the Chinese architecture. This Buddha is the largest one of its kind in the world, and If you're lucky, you may see some monks during prayer, as I was able to witness some walking around the base of the Buddha and hear them saying their prayer. To get to the Buddha you will have to ascend 300 steps, and once at the top you can pay an additional 20 yuan to take an elevator from the bottom of the Buddha to the middle, where you can then walk around the front of the body and see a more ariel view of the land. From here you can also touch the feet of the Buddha.

Getting the opportunity to leave campus for the weekend and see a place other than Shanghai was a decision I do not regret making. Through Ningbo, I got to see a part of China that I've never seen before. I got to see more of rural China, less consumed by goods and materials. I got to see history from a new point of view, and the history of people from a lesser known area. I got to see the giant Buddha in one of the holiest sites in Buddhism, and not to mention in a beautiful mountain. I often say that China is the perfect detox; it puts into perspective what really matters. If you are in the area and are close, go to Zhejiang, go to Ningbo. It will give you a breath of fresh air that the city of Shanghai lacks. It is well worth the visit.

Where are you hoping I go next? Let me know in the comments and, as always,

Until next time.

October 16, 2018 No comments

大家好，

Oh my goodness what a semester this has been. I am pushing my third week now and knew that I couldn't wait any longer without updating you all on my semester here in China.

First, this time around I am in metropolitan city Shanghai. This is the biggest city in Shanghai with 34 million people and, if you're having trouble picturing what this looks like, think about New York City but 4 times larger. This is where I am going to school for this semester.

Shanghai is an immensely global city. This means that many times Chinese aren't surprised to see me. They also don't gawk at me, like in my previous trip to Chengdu, the capital of the Sichuan province. In fact, I was taken aback at how many foreigners are in Shanghai. With this being said, be careful not to get too greedy. Shanghai is still part of China and, with that, the language of the people is Mandarin. If you're lucky, you'll meet someone who can speak putonghua （普通话）, but since this is Shanghai the dialect here is Shanghai-hua （上海话）. Like many of the Chinese dialects, Shanghainese is hard to understand. This has proved to be challenging at times, as miscommunications have often arose since my arrival.

However, I want to highlight what life in China has been like so far, and I'm hoping to achieve this in a more positive way; starting with the culture shock.

If I'm frank, I don't feel there is much of a difference in Chinese culture versus American. Maybe I'm dense, or maybe I'm too busy taking in the sky-rises and thousands of people around me to pay attention to the little things. All in all, I haven't felt out of place or experienced culture shock. The people of Shanghai have been very accommodating, from helping me pronounce a character I don't recognize to going as far to translate their own speech, I have yet to feel out of place here. If I had to pick something, which took me a few minutes to even do, I would comment on the amount of walking Chinese people do compared to Americans. I have never walked as much in America as I have here, and I don't think that is a bad thing in any way. This allows me to see different parts, and people, of the area. I also don't mind the walking, but it's the humidity that can be hard to bear. If you thought Hawaii had it bad then you wouldn't like Shanghai.

Pudong

I've mentioned the Chinese people so many times that I should probably elaborate on them, correct? For starters, the people in Shanghai are very focused on themselves and their priorities. This is the economic hub of China, so you can bet everyone you see has a place to be and is in a rush to get there. So much so that the subway after 3pm is always packed full of people. Above the unground you'll be met with numerous children, at any hour of the day, playing outside. What's struck me is that children play on the sidewalks for fun, oftentimes riding their scooters, bikes, or toy cars in circles. I would go as far as to say there is a certain type of innocence in the children here. They don't have the luxury of a backyard, as the most common type of housing are high-rise buildings, and oftentimes outside large corporations you will see playdates and day-care groups huddled up laughing and playing. On campus during the evening grandmothers and their grandchildren will be walking around, with the children either running in the grass or playing with the stones in the sidewalk. I cannot imagine how they grow up the way they do, but the look of happiness and contentment on their faces convinces me they are happy the way they are.

View From My Dorm

Chinese students, however, are a different group of people. The style in China seems to be "whatever suits you goes". In China it seems that if you like the clothing you wear it, and the rule of matching doesn't apply. Girls wear big shirts that hang out from their skirts, platform sneakers, sophisticated skirts with a graphic tee, and more. There is no standard of style in China, and no one cares what you wear. I would like to believe that they look at clothing as a form of expression. It is liberating.

There is a saying in China that goes something along the lines of, "Everyone must learn English, but few are confident enough to use it." This makes for some interesting conversations with the locals. I oftentimes forget that I am the foreigner, that I am speaking a language that many people do not understand, but this does not mean people do not try. In fact, Chinese people are not bashful or conservative with their staring. When I am in public and talking to another person in my group, you can bet there will be a handful of Chinese watching what is happening. Whether they understand me or not is another story, but the people here do not hesitate to give you their attention--whether you've asked for it or not.

I already feel like I've given so much away, but trust that there is so much more to come. I can't wait to share with you my experiences trying the food, going to class, and more. I hope you are as excited to be on this journey as I am.

Until next time,

September 25, 2018 No comments

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