Sunday, October 30, 2016
Celebrating 130 Years with the Cha Cha Slide: Lilah's Blog!
Today I woke up well rested after going to sleep at 7:00, and ready for a new day. By 8:30 my host sister and I had taken the underground and arrived at 上海市光明中学, or Shanghai Guangming Highschool. Guangming Highschool has a long history as it was built in 1886. Today was actually the 130th year anniversary of the school, so a celebration was held. The celebration consisted of a number of performances, from Beijing Opera to us....doing the chacha slide. It was hilarious to perform such a silly song! At the celebration there were also two french schools who performed with us. Since the school is so old, alumnis visited Guangming to reminisce and celebrate it's history. My host sister even told me that some of them were as old as 100! Something that I think we all found interesting and quite funny was how many people were taking pictures of us, we felt famous! Everytime we turned there was someone else with their camera out. It actually made me feel very welcome because that was a sign that they were all very happy to have us there. After the celebration, my host sister took me again by underground to her home to have lunch. I then had some relaxing time which was well needed. My host sister and I watched twilight, opened gifts, and played with her cat named lucky, who she believes brings her and her family good luck. After resting we went out to have soup at the mall. The restaurant was nothing like I have ever seen before. There was a stand full of fresh ingredients such as Chinese cabbage and tofu, and we were given bowls to pick out which ones we wanted in our soup. I think tonight's meal was the best I have had so far, it was 很好吃 (delicious)! After dinner we went shopping for a little while and then headed back to her apartment. I was pleasantly surprised by the incredibly low prices of everything, the noodle soup was 13 ¥, which is equivalent to a little under 2 USD! I'm going to end this blog here as I am going to go to sleep, but I am more than grateful for what I have been able to experience and I am so excited to continue on this journey!
Beautiful Sunday in Shanghai: Liv's Blog!
Beautiful Sunday in Shanghai
Today I started the day off with a fresh cup of tea and milk, along with a Delicious piece of homemade bread and butter! After breakfast Judy, (my host sister) and I watched a hilarious Chinese game show similar to, "American ninja warriors." The game show consisted of two competitors sitting on a rope with a pool underneath them. The aim of the game was to push the other player off the rope, leading you to victory! If you need a good laugh I defiantly recommend this show!
Today I started the day off with a fresh cup of tea and milk, along with a Delicious piece of homemade bread and butter! After breakfast Judy, (my host sister) and I watched a hilarious Chinese game show similar to, "American ninja warriors." The game show consisted of two competitors sitting on a rope with a pool underneath them. The aim of the game was to push the other player off the rope, leading you to victory! If you need a good laugh I defiantly recommend this show!
After, watching t.v. we headed down to a well know mall in Shanghai named 日月光中心. The mall had many stores along with cute cafes and restaurants! Judy and I had a great time walking around the stores and getting to know one anchor better!
For lunch, we went to a cute cafe that was famous for there cakes and smoothies! I got a strawberry smoothie along with a slice of almond cake. Judy ordered a mango smoothie with some puffs. The treats were amazing and if I could go again, I would!
During the car ride home I noticed many food markets and stores hanging Halloween decorations, which I thought was very interesting because many people don't celebrate this holiday in china.
By the end of the night my host family brought me to the famous "Yu garden." The garden was made in 1556 during the Ming dynasty and it still holds a beautiful meaning as well as an impressive value! The heart of the garden held a tea house with a pond full of hungry fish. Judy and I were handed fish food to feed the fish with, and little did I know there were hundreds of them! At first, we could only see a few fish, but as soon as the fish pellets hit the water hundreds of fish came out of nowhere! It was an unbelievable experience I will never forget!
We headed back to the main area of Shanghai to get dinner. My host family asked me what my favorite American food was and of course my answer was hamburgers! Going out of there way, my host family drove one hour away, to bring me to one of the best American restaurants in all of China! I had one of the best hamburgers of all time, along with chicken wings, and a salad! The dinner was amazing and I was very grateful for everything my host family did for me. The hamburgers were a great way to end such an amazing and fun filled night! I had such a great day filled with many learning experiences, new interesting foods, and great shopping!
Saturday, October 29, 2016
A Sneak Peek at the Fun: A Few Photos from Le Laoshi
Although it has been quite easy to send photos via WeChat, sending them via email has been less reliable--but finally, this morning, Le Laoshi and I were able to get some through! Here is a sneak peek at the fun they're having:
Friday, October 28, 2016
Meeting the Homestay: Kenniece's Blog!
Today is the most nerve racking, yet the best day so far. Today I got the opportunity to check out the beautiful school called Guangming. Not only was the school beautiful, it also has so many welcoming students . We are one of the four schools that are visiting their school, and I can honestly say that we are the best prepared, respectful, and good looking students there :) awkwardly, as we were practice our dances our host sister came 😳.
When I seen my homestay my heart drop; so many thoughts ran through my mind. Will she like me ? Does my hair look okay ? What if her family doesn't like me ? All the common negative thoughts ran through but as soon as she said hello, all those thoughts diminished. Her presence made me feel at home, our conversation made me feel like we have been friends for years, and her parents, especially her grandmother, treated me like family & not a guest.
Overall, my biggest fear for this trip was meeting my host family. But I came to realized that not every foreign is like Americans (mean and ignorant). Although I kept asking random question in Chinese and smiled when I totally didn't understand anything that came out their mouths, they realized how much I appreciated them. Im just going to give you some quick highlights of my day; I reconnected with my old homestay who I miss dearly, we watched a performance from the students, we surprised Natalia at McDonald's with a birthday cake, I took my first subway & uber in China, & lastly I carried my luggage six flight of stairs. Well, I had to write this blog post really fast because the grandma is trying to shove grapefruit down my throat, so I have to go. 晚安好 🌙
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
The Mountain of the Emperor: Emily's Blog!
The Mountain of the Emperor
Legend has it that long ago, the first emperor of China sought to create an antidote for mortality. He wished to live forever - and he found what he was looking for on a mountain. The first time he visited this mountain, he discovered herbs that he believed would make a potent elixir of longevity. After drinking the potion, he proceeded to bathe in the hot springs of the mountain for seven days and nights, and at the end of the seventh day, his white hair transformed to black. His wrinkles disappeared and were replaced by smooth skin. His elixir had indeed worked. With his youth restored, the emperor summoned a dragon and rode to the heavens, forever remaining an immortal. Centuries later, in the Tang Dynasty, the new emperor heard of this legend and wished to commemorate China’s first emperor who had become immortal. He chose to do so by naming this mountain 黄⼭ (Huangshan). The character “黄” has two different meanings. It can translate to the color yellow, or it can be a person’s family name. In this case, it means a family name. Namely, the first emperor’s family name. Today, it is said that the first emperor of China forever lives and watches over this mountain.
Today, I had the honor to trek up and down this mountain. As I learned from my tour guide, 黄⼭ has risen to become one of the top ten national attractions in China. A total of 3.1 million tourists visit the mountain annually, making tourism play a significant role in the local economy. The majority of the local civilians are farmers, and their major crops consist of chrysanthemums, sesame, and tea. Chrysanthemums are used to brew tea that is said to cool the body down, so it is drunken in summer. I also discovered that green tea and black tea both originate from the same plant. Black tea is actually fermented green tea that transforms into a red color in two weeks, which is why it is known as 红茶, or red tea, in China.
Typically, the average tourist will go to major cities in China, ones structured similarly to New York including Beijing and Shanghai. However, 黄⼭ has risen in popularity because those that have visited have returned to their homelands to spread the word of Huangshan’s uniqueness. 黄⼭ is a national park, but unlike other national parks that we know of, there is an abundance of trees. The trees at the bottom of the mountain grow closely together with their branches bound tightly. At the peak, however, the pine trees have their branches completely spread out in a fan-like formation. All the trees have unbelievably strong roots, enabling them to grow into crevices of stone and rocks.
Today, we had the opportunity to explore this mountain. We began by taking a shuttle bus from the bottom of the mountain to the middle of the mountain. We then boarded a cable car for another ten minutes up the mountain. After these transportation systems, it was time for us to depend on our willpower. We hiked the rest of the way up the mountain, all the while taking photos of the breathtaking scenery. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t most suitable for sightseeing, so fog covered the majority of the mountain and obstructed much of its natural beauty from our view. Coming down the mountain, we had the choice of hiking all the way down or taking a cable car. While I was tired, I felt that in order to truly experience 黄⼭, I should walk the remainder of the way. I didn’t want to have any regrets, and I felt that it would be a very worthwhile journey. Walking down the mountain was honestly the most strenuous process I think I have ever been through in my life. The steps were not only steep, but they seemed to continue endlessly after each turn. However, I understood that this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I may likely never have again. I wanted to make the most of it, and although I certainly didn’t win an award for “World’s Fastest Hiker,” I felt that every moment I spent on the mountain was memorable because I was able to hike with my classmates and teacher and see sights I had never seen before. We were all exhausted, but when one person felt deterred, there was no pause or hesitation for another person to cheer them on and motivate them to keep going. At the end of the five hours, I glimpsed the end of our trail, and when I at last passed under the exit gate, all I could think about was how lucky I am to be where I am when I am and that this was a moment in time I’d remember forever. We really did it. We climbed the mountain of the emperor.
Legend has it that long ago, the first emperor of China sought to create an antidote for mortality. He wished to live forever - and he found what he was looking for on a mountain. The first time he visited this mountain, he discovered herbs that he believed would make a potent elixir of longevity. After drinking the potion, he proceeded to bathe in the hot springs of the mountain for seven days and nights, and at the end of the seventh day, his white hair transformed to black. His wrinkles disappeared and were replaced by smooth skin. His elixir had indeed worked. With his youth restored, the emperor summoned a dragon and rode to the heavens, forever remaining an immortal. Centuries later, in the Tang Dynasty, the new emperor heard of this legend and wished to commemorate China’s first emperor who had become immortal. He chose to do so by naming this mountain 黄⼭ (Huangshan). The character “黄” has two different meanings. It can translate to the color yellow, or it can be a person’s family name. In this case, it means a family name. Namely, the first emperor’s family name. Today, it is said that the first emperor of China forever lives and watches over this mountain.
Today, I had the honor to trek up and down this mountain. As I learned from my tour guide, 黄⼭ has risen to become one of the top ten national attractions in China. A total of 3.1 million tourists visit the mountain annually, making tourism play a significant role in the local economy. The majority of the local civilians are farmers, and their major crops consist of chrysanthemums, sesame, and tea. Chrysanthemums are used to brew tea that is said to cool the body down, so it is drunken in summer. I also discovered that green tea and black tea both originate from the same plant. Black tea is actually fermented green tea that transforms into a red color in two weeks, which is why it is known as 红茶, or red tea, in China.
Typically, the average tourist will go to major cities in China, ones structured similarly to New York including Beijing and Shanghai. However, 黄⼭ has risen in popularity because those that have visited have returned to their homelands to spread the word of Huangshan’s uniqueness. 黄⼭ is a national park, but unlike other national parks that we know of, there is an abundance of trees. The trees at the bottom of the mountain grow closely together with their branches bound tightly. At the peak, however, the pine trees have their branches completely spread out in a fan-like formation. All the trees have unbelievably strong roots, enabling them to grow into crevices of stone and rocks.
Today, we had the opportunity to explore this mountain. We began by taking a shuttle bus from the bottom of the mountain to the middle of the mountain. We then boarded a cable car for another ten minutes up the mountain. After these transportation systems, it was time for us to depend on our willpower. We hiked the rest of the way up the mountain, all the while taking photos of the breathtaking scenery. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t most suitable for sightseeing, so fog covered the majority of the mountain and obstructed much of its natural beauty from our view. Coming down the mountain, we had the choice of hiking all the way down or taking a cable car. While I was tired, I felt that in order to truly experience 黄⼭, I should walk the remainder of the way. I didn’t want to have any regrets, and I felt that it would be a very worthwhile journey. Walking down the mountain was honestly the most strenuous process I think I have ever been through in my life. The steps were not only steep, but they seemed to continue endlessly after each turn. However, I understood that this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I may likely never have again. I wanted to make the most of it, and although I certainly didn’t win an award for “World’s Fastest Hiker,” I felt that every moment I spent on the mountain was memorable because I was able to hike with my classmates and teacher and see sights I had never seen before. We were all exhausted, but when one person felt deterred, there was no pause or hesitation for another person to cheer them on and motivate them to keep going. At the end of the five hours, I glimpsed the end of our trail, and when I at last passed under the exit gate, all I could think about was how lucky I am to be where I am when I am and that this was a moment in time I’d remember forever. We really did it. We climbed the mountain of the emperor.
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Hongcun, Food, and Shopping: Day 2! Ashley's Blog
October 25, 2016
This morning, everyone had to wake up at 5:30 AM, which was extremely early for some of
us. The funny thing is, though, that some people didn’t get even a wink of sleep the night before,
and the others slept like babies.
We all got a breakfast from the hotel which was comprised of three little loafs of bread, a
yogurt, and a bin of tomatoes and grapes. I liked everything except for the yogurt because it was
a flavor that I wasn’t a big fan of. After breakfast, we made our way to where the bullet trains
were. We had to wait for an hour for ours to come. Getting on the bullet train was hectic since
there were so many people, and we were a large group ourself. We had to spend around five
hours on it, and I just slept through the most of it (but I did do a little bit of my homework, too!).
Maggie managed to make friends with a random photographer during that time, which I thought
was funny.
When we got off the train, we immediately went to go eat
lunch. The lunch was my favorite meal of the day, probably
because I was starving by the time it was served. After lunch, we
went to Ancient Hongcun, where the film of “Crouching Tigers
and Hidden Dragons” was shot. The scenery was really cool, and
we learned a lot about China’s
culture. Did you know that the
structure of Hongcun was designed to resemble the anatomy
of a water buffalo?
We bought lots of souvenirs from this place, using our
tactical bargaining skills. This is also a part of Chinese
culture! And then we went to Xidi Old Town where we
bought even more things! I thought that it was more challenging to buy stuff here because of the
currency rate difference, and I had to keep on asking Emily questions about how much money I
was spending on an item in terms of American dollars. But it definitely made the experience
more fun, and I can’t wait to buy even more stuff in the future!
After our tours, we went to eat dinner. Le Laoshi kept on telling us to eat more since there
was so much left on the plates. Even our tour guide, William, said that we were wasting a lot of
food! The culture difference is really different here though, and I remember Isabel saying that she
wasn’t going to eat Chinese food for a full three weeks when she gets back because of this trip.
When we got to our hotel, we had the usual study session and a bit of practice for our
performance coming up this Saturday. Good luck, us!
Like William said, we’re so lucky to be able to visit China. I’m really grateful for this
wonderful trip, and it’s only the second day!
I miss my parents, my friends, and everyone in CGS. I’m going to be so torn when coming
back since I know I’ll love China so much, but I also love everyone back in America. I’ll just enjoy
the time that I’m spending here~
— Ashley Hong
This morning, everyone had to wake up at 5:30 AM, which was extremely early for some of
us. The funny thing is, though, that some people didn’t get even a wink of sleep the night before,
and the others slept like babies.
We all got a breakfast from the hotel which was comprised of three little loafs of bread, a
yogurt, and a bin of tomatoes and grapes. I liked everything except for the yogurt because it was
a flavor that I wasn’t a big fan of. After breakfast, we made our way to where the bullet trains
were. We had to wait for an hour for ours to come. Getting on the bullet train was hectic since
there were so many people, and we were a large group ourself. We had to spend around five
hours on it, and I just slept through the most of it (but I did do a little bit of my homework, too!).
Maggie managed to make friends with a random photographer during that time, which I thought
was funny.
When we got off the train, we immediately went to go eat
lunch. The lunch was my favorite meal of the day, probably
because I was starving by the time it was served. After lunch, we
went to Ancient Hongcun, where the film of “Crouching Tigers
and Hidden Dragons” was shot. The scenery was really cool, and
we learned a lot about China’s
culture. Did you know that the
structure of Hongcun was designed to resemble the anatomy
of a water buffalo?
We bought lots of souvenirs from this place, using our
tactical bargaining skills. This is also a part of Chinese
culture! And then we went to Xidi Old Town where we
bought even more things! I thought that it was more challenging to buy stuff here because of the
currency rate difference, and I had to keep on asking Emily questions about how much money I
was spending on an item in terms of American dollars. But it definitely made the experience
more fun, and I can’t wait to buy even more stuff in the future!
After our tours, we went to eat dinner. Le Laoshi kept on telling us to eat more since there
was so much left on the plates. Even our tour guide, William, said that we were wasting a lot of
food! The culture difference is really different here though, and I remember Isabel saying that she
wasn’t going to eat Chinese food for a full three weeks when she gets back because of this trip.
When we got to our hotel, we had the usual study session and a bit of practice for our
performance coming up this Saturday. Good luck, us!
Like William said, we’re so lucky to be able to visit China. I’m really grateful for this
wonderful trip, and it’s only the second day!
I miss my parents, my friends, and everyone in CGS. I’m going to be so torn when coming
back since I know I’ll love China so much, but I also love everyone back in America. I’ll just enjoy
the time that I’m spending here~
— Ashley Hong
The Arrival: News from Annalise!
After a grueling 15 hour plane ride from Newerk Airport, we finally arrived in Shanghai China. We were tired, hit but incredibly excited. We had finally made it! After battling our way through the long lines in the airport, we got to step out and breathe the Chinese she. China looked so different from the United States. Chinese character filled the signs, amazing architecture lined the highway and clothes flew on clothing lines outside of every apartment.
Besides the scenery changes, the differences between China and the United States kept coming. Dinner is a major difference! We all sat around a big, round table with a lazy susan in the middle. We ate everything from tofu and bok choy to French fries. After dinner, we got to explore a little bit of Shanghai. We even got to see five brides!
Overall, China is amazing! Everyone feels like they are in a hazy, dream like state. It almost doesn't feel like we are in China!
Monday, October 24, 2016
And they're off....!
After an early departure on Sunday morning, Lelaoshi writes to say:
Just a quick check in to let you know that after being on the road for more than 18 hours, we have finally arrived at our hotel in Shanghai. The students are a bit tired, but nothing a good night sleep can't fix. Everyone is in good spirits and excited to begin sightseeing and experiencing local culture.
This morning, I received two photos on WeChat: one of the group standing in front of the Pearl Tower, and second of them all studying diligently in the hotel. As soon as I figure out how to transfer photos from WeChat, I will post them here!
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