Today we visited Shanghai Normal University Freshman College. First we visited the dorms, which were pretty spacious. They had a bathroom separated form the shower and the sink area with a mirror. Every bed is lofted with the students desk and dresser underneath. Each dorm has a cultural and study room. They do not have programs or resident assistants these rooms are put together by a committee, who also helps with mediation also, but do not have to live in the dorms. Also for some of you reading they called them dorms not resident halls like our housing is called at Lander University. I assume it is lost in translation.
After lunch, we practiced our calligraphy and painting skills with the Art Majors in Shanghai Normal University. I had great practice writing my name and other words in calligraphy. Next we went to the gym to learn Chinese Kungfu. We learned parts of the three performances the students performed for us. I think the performances with the fans were the most difficult, besides the numb-chuck's practice.
Today was really fun! We had dinner at westernize restaurant called Sally's. It was very delicious and I didn't realized how much I missed fries until tonight. I think my favorite part about the day was the kungfu practice and having the students teach us what they are learning in their major.
Today we went to the Yuan Garden. It was beautiful. In the garden there were doors ways shaped like vases so the scenery through the vase looks like a painting. My favorite part of the garden were see the gold fish. I knew gold fish grew to there environment but I never saw gold fish that big except in a Chinese Restaurant. After our tour of the garden we had some spare time to burn, so we went to look around at all the vendors. They had a store where you could make yourself into a bobble head. I think I have to seen a website that sells the same ideas and their products are made in China, I wonder if it is the same people.
After the garden we had lunch and I think my favorite dish was the eggs and tomatoes. Next we went to the People Square. Here we were could see the water front of the city and went to see a museum of the cities development. It was really fun walking round with the students at Shanghai Normal sight seeing what the locals like to experience for once.
 Once our groups got back together we went to Shanghai museum. There were a lot of things to look at in this museum. One of my favorite exhibits were the cartoon and animation. The display began with how anime started to what it has developed into. Another exhibit I enjoyed was the modern art. I can not get enough of modern art, especially the graffiti!!!!
After a delightful dinner with spring rolls and bean sprouts, we visit the Music College of Shanghai Normal University. The performance was amazing that we heard from the singers and instrumentalist. It was very exciting to experience.
Today, we went on a tour of the upperclassmen campus after breakfast in our nice clothes. The campus was very big and beautiful. I wish the weather was sunny, so we were able to take more pictures and enjoy more of the beautiful scenery on campus. Thank goodness for Jack and Alice to provide us umbrellas during the tour because most of us did not dress for rainy weather. The infrastructure was gorgeous. I wouldn't mind going to school here.
So the reason most of our group was not dressed properly for the weather because we were all dressed to meet the Dean of the Shanghai Normal University. We learned about their University and met the students and visiting scholar that were planning to come to Lander University in the fall. Cindy, Chang Shin, and Alice asked many questions after we gave our presentation about Lander university.
After the conference we had lunch, which was really good and fancy. We ate lunch with teachers, former academic scholar and students that attended Lander and the future students and scholars that will attend Lander. I think the shrimp and the fruit was my favorite part of the meal.
Next we went back to the conference room to learn about Chinese history, culture, customs and etiquettes. It was very interesting to listen to all the symbolism found in the Chinese culture. I wonder how it would be if we knew all the meanings of everything in our culture of America. I believe there has to be someone out there that knows it all, but I know I do not.
After a busy day, the students and academic scholars took us to KTV for Karaoke. This a very popular hang out / stress relief in China. We stayed here for about 2 hours, but it seem like more people could have gone longer on the microphone. This was a very fun night, especially when we found many songs that everyone know and everyone sang along.
Today we arrived to Shanghai Normal University. For our activity today we went Tianzifang Cultural and Shopping Area. I bought some gifts for some people and my picture with area mascot. I think my bargaining are starting to shape up, since I was able to bring down the prices to more affordable prices for my wallet. I hope everyone likes their gifts!!!
After shopping, we ate dinner at the University Teacher's cafeteria. It was small and great! I hope the rest of the meals stay this small because I am so tired of always being too full to not want to eat.
Today we some of us went to a campus food place to eat a waffle with jam inside. It was good, but interesting at the same time since we did not know there was jam inside the waffle. After breakfast we went to China’s largest reservoir, Dishui Lake. At the peir the locals were flying kites and fishing. There were boats riding in the lake and people camping on the shore. It was very pretty. I wish we were able to get off the bus so we could have gotten a closer look. Next we went to The East China Sea, it was not what I was expecting to see when they told us we were going to the beach today, but the water was warm and so was the sand. Too bad the temperature was dropping as the
day went on because we were all dressed for beach weather not the cold. I think it might rain tomorrow because that it how the drastic weather change.
Once we were done with the beach we were to Shanghai Flower Port. This was an outside museum of flowers. Emily, TJ, Melanie, and I split the cost of on paddle boat and tours the pond. There was so much duckweed everywhere that TJ had to work his magic to get it off so the boat would steer better. After paddle boating we went on a nice hike in the rocks, we did climbing and hopping to get to the other side. I am sure there was a more luxurious way to go across the rocks, but our way was more fun!!! The flowers were very pretty, but I think if we visiting two weeks earlier they would have been freshly bloomed.
For dinner we went back to the same restaurant as last night with the same couple and were able to hang out with
different students. Ellen really knew her politics and spoke English well, I am glad TJ could keep up because some of the stuff they were talking about went over my head. After dinner we went shopping with Ellen in an area near campus that reminded me of a Wal-Mart because they sold everything. While walking back Professor Jeremy and I talked about life after graduation, gave me advice and some ideas for take in consideration for the future. It is always helpful to hear others stories on how they made it to where they are now and hear the advice they have to offer from their experiences!!!
Today we have arrived to Shanghai University of Electric Power. The students at Shanghai University welcomed us to the University with a banner saying, “Welcome Lander University”. They were very excited to talk to us. They had activities and lunch planned for us once we placed our luggage in the rooms.
For lunch, the students taught us how make dumplings, I am making these when I get back to South Carolina. They were very easy and quick to make on top of it all very delicious. The activities they had planned were games that they play for fun and acted a cut from the Phantom of the Opera. These students are really talented sing opera acapella. I think my favorite game was the one we had to stand in a line and mimic what the person behind us acted out to the person in front.
After all the activities were over we went on a tour of campus. They have a place called Lovers Park and ALL the girls that were with us from Shanghai University of Electric Power wanted a picture with Gregg on the hill. They Gregg as if he was a movie star, I think he enjoyed himself.
Then we played basketball with the students who gave us the tour. The girls told us that it was not normal because most girls do not like to play sports, so that was why the other students looked shocked when we were doing our thing. I can honestly say we were the loudest on the courts and the most aggressive, but we defiantly had amazing sportsman ship. I notice the other students seem to not have as much contact with basketball as you would see in America. I wonder, is that it because of the cultural differences? After basketball we walked over to the soccer field, where we played soccer with some of the students on their soccer team. We were informed during the tour that this school is highly known for football a.k.a. soccer. I had fun running up and down the field, but when the ball came my way I was terrified someone was going to come in my face or the ball would hit me while flying through the air so, I ducked or jumped out the way to avoid this and just let Emily handle that stuff. She was beasting it on the field today!!! When the
other team had the ball I Melanie, Kiera and I started Joking around cheering for our team members or I would do flips in the grass. It is still hard to grasp the idea of not touching the ball with your hands when it coming at you off the ground at full speed .
Finally working off some of the food we have eaten since we arrived in China we went to the Pink Table Cloth for dinner with two professors that teach English at this University and two of the students that were hanging out with us today. The food was very good and spice. I can say we definitely had full flavor tonight, but way to much food. I passed out once we came back to campus from dinner and shopping.
Today was a really great day!
Today we went to the Water Village Zhao Jia Lou with Cynthia; this is not a water park. The Water village is between fresh market and a flea market. Vendors sell all types of food, clothes and other goodies. It was a great thing we had a class about numbers, currency and phrases yesterday because it came in handy while developing our bargaining skills here. I really hope none of us said anything bad while pronouncing some of the words. I saw a lot a great deals for example pearls fresh out of the shell were 8 RMB. In U.S. money that would be a little over 1 dollar. I know where to go to purchase "expensive looking" gifts. While we were at the Water Village we went into a calligraphy artist studio the paintings were very beautiful. Inside the studio there was a famous News Anchor watching this artist work his magic with only paper and an ink pen. It was very interesting to see how the locals reacted with him being around and compare it to the locals reactions to Kiera and Melanie. I believe it was about the same excitement, even they are the next Destiny Child. No worries I am the third singer that blends. ;-)
After looking around we went to lunch at a popular restaurant in the Water village. The food was great and we were able to taste Chinese beer. As you can observe from the food above we had a lot of seafood. The salmon and the pumpkin was excellent.
Next we visited the Palace of Culture museum. It was very interesting and the Art work was very beautiful. First, we went to an exhibit with a walls and ceilings telling a story about the Tang dynasty. The water and fish looked real on the floor. The technology are was very impressive! I wish we had more time to explore the museum because there was so much to take in at once.
Tonight we had dinner with the Director Hua Hua at this beautiful restaurant. We were able to see the City while eating dinner, it was an honor to be there. During dinner we were all able to see the sunset over Shanghai City on the River. Below was dinner, my favorite part was the fruit drinks and desert because we have not had that much fruit or sweets since we have be in Shanghai. To be honest I have not found one thing that I did not like, so far. I think the key is I do not ask what I am eating until after I have tasted it. With all the food they have been offering I feel like its Thanksgiving during every meal. I might finally gain that freshman 15.
Once we returned to campus after a full day of events a small group of us went to walk around town with Viviane and Wang to do some window shopping while drinking a beer. I was astonish that were able to drink in public on the streets with out being against the law. Also the price of the beer was really low compare to the Untied States. Wang explain how there was not drinking laws, but their parents are who regulates it. I wonder how life would be in America if this was how the government regulated drinking. Emily I bought two pastries on for tomorrow’s breakfast and the other was for desert tonight. The pastry Emily bought had chocolate on top with a whip cream filling, it was very delicious. I purchased some break with has raspberry on top. I am excited to eat it in the morning!!!!
Today we had the same things from breakfast. We went to a couple of Museums and a huge lunch with Mandy. The Museums we went to were Shanghai Maritime Museum and Shanghai Herbs Medicine Museum. My favorite was the Shanghai Herbs Medicine Museum because learning about how the medicine has become what it is today. At the Maritime Museum we saw Wall-E and learn about the Chinese history. The lunch at Lin Gang was delicious, but I at way to much food. It contains 15 dishes maybe more, above are pictures of the dishes not all of them though. I was luck to have a dress on today because I would have had to unbutton my pants to make room for my stomach. My favorites were the fish, chicken noodle, meatballs, and the veggies, but overall there was not anything I did not like. The dinner was much smaller at Xin Wang. We were able to eat some Chinese pasta dishes, which were very delicious!!!!! After dinner Mandy took us on a River Cruise touring Shanghai. Shanghai City is so beautiful and very colorful. I was memorized by everything and tried to capture it all on camera.
 Ni Hao (Hello), today we had a great breakfast; the blue and white package was milk, which surprisingly did not bad taste. The bread has strawberry jam and peanut butter. The eggs were hard boiled and they were really good. I was shocked we had milk provided with the meal because we have had provided a drink to our own meals.
In our first class today we learned about the Chinese language. Did you know the first name is there last (family) name and their second name is their first (Given) name? The given name has meaning of what the parent’s expectations are for the child. Next we learned about pinyin, this is the Chinese phonetic alphabet. If you would like a written translation be sure to ask for this, or they will write it in characters. In the Chinese language there are four tones. The first tone is high, but flat, second tone is a rising tone, third tone is a dipping tone and the last tone is lowering tone. One thing I found really interesting about this was each tone may contain a different meaning to the words. There are pictures showing the Professor’s technique of teaching us how the pronunciation rules. Next we learned how to write some of the characters. The strokes you start with is very important, and also do not live out a stroke because that will make it a different word. I think the most interesting idea I learned in this lesson is the mistake usage. It was interesting to see how some characters have the same meaning, but sometimes if there is another character in front of characters the meaning can be different. After that part of the lesson we went back to serious mood and we learned about the everyday Chinese, which contained numbers, currency and phrases.
Lunch was interesting, the chicken had bones and I just bit right into it without realizing, it hurt (ouch). I find it really interesting how they serve soup with every lunch and dinner. After thought, the veggies seem to always be very delicious!!!
After lunch we walked to our second class which was
about the Chinese Culture. In this lecture, we learned about the Spring Festival and folks arts and crafts. The cool thing about the Spring Festival is that it is equivalent to our Christmas, but without the sacrificing a pig or chicken. There is so much to say about this festival, but what I found interesting was what is served for meals and their meaning. The four types of food that are important to have during this event are fish (Abundance), chicken (auspiciousness), tofu (richness) and dumplings (wealth). Dumplings are served only on the 8th of December during the
Lunar Calendar. I think most interesting things I learned were about the decorations and New Years. They decorate with couplets (red paper) outside their doors stating the family member’s wishes, red lanterns that are hung on their porch with candle light, and the red paper cuttings are placed in their windows. For their New Years they give family members a red packet with characters that describes the person they are giving the gift. Also, this packet will contain either 600 or 800 yin. After this we learned about some Chinese Arts and Crafts. We were able to learn how to make a lucky knot and red paper cutting. The paper cutting means double happiness; this would be given to a married couple.
The next class we had was cultural influences on consumer behavior, we learned about how they pursue the American culture, as well as how they see the differences between our cultures. For example the United States are observed to act more masculine because we are aggressive and want to be number one at everything. I how it interesting when the professor was talking about the religion because China does not have a clear religion, but the United States seem sensitive about religion because on paper we ask questions about religion, our money, and other stuff. During this lecture the professor had us
view a “scandalous” commercial that we have in America. This commercial was the McDonald’s advertisement where the husband is doing laundry while watching a sports game at the same times and he puts the McDonald hamburger wrapper into the dryer without looking. In the next scene the husband smells his wife and engages in kissing. I thought this was funny because I feel like that scene would be found on any channel and is overlooked as crude. In China they do not have rating on films or television. The parents make the decision on what they children watch. It seems like in China they allow the parents to make more decisions on regulations then the government does. I guess they have to have regulation on something around here.
Dinner we had dumplings with shrimp, veggies, rice and soup. One of our team members is allergic to shellfish so a group of us went to the cafeteria to purchase something else to eat, this was not a great idea. The cook came out and thought we all couldn’t eat the food and got really confused and seem irritated. So, most of us went down stairs to the drink shop while the professor and her explained the situation to the chef. Milk Tea seems to be really popular here.
After dinner we went walking on around the outside of the University. It was an experience. Right out side the gate of Sandia University there were a lot of food and knick knack stands that had people ordering and cooking everywhere. As we walked further down the street we came across clothing, shoes, restaurants and convenient stores. There was a lot of garbage on the streets and traffic everywhere. I was shocked that the locals were not bothered by the appearance and also there was not an abundances of flies in this area. I think my favorite place was the pastry shop. I could eat pastries all day. Now I just need to find a fresh fruit store and price that.
 We arrived in Shanghai at 11:30 a.m. in China, which is 11:30 p.m. in South Carolina. I am very shocked I am not ready to fall asleep. The flight from Seoul to here, was so much smoother then the 15 hour flight landing.
I exchanged some American money into Chinese currency, which makes me feel like I cheated the system because I gave them less and they gave me in return. Then we met up with one of the International Directors from Sandia University, her American name is Mandy. She was really nice! From the airport we took a bus, which had the luggage compartment doors that unlock well. But the bus did stall out once on the way to the University, which was not a big deal since it was fix quickly. All the buildings in Shanghai are so big.
Emily and I are rooming in the same room, first thing we had to figure out after we ate a delicious lunch was how to work the air conditioner and freshen up.
Mandy and some students gave us a tour of Sandia University's campus. Dorise was my partner she loves to read books, take English classes and is currently studying construction management. Dorise is wanting to study abroad at Lander University, as well as, some of the other students that were with us for the tour. There is a body of water that runs through campus, which really adds to the peacefulness to campus as well as the nature and structure. One thing I notices was really cool is how the students hang their laundry out to dry on the balconies; apparently it is not cost efficient for them to use a dryer, as well most students do not have access to a dryer.
After the tour we met up with more students at the University and they taught us about their culture, popular food and festivals in China. Then our group presented to them about Lander University. Overall, I think the presentations went well, but I can say I was nervous before and during the presentation. Once our presentations were over they had a "party" set up for us. What we thought was a party is different from there meaning, but it was great experiences. We were able to listen to two guys musical talent and all I have to say is wonderful. I believe if Lander's music professors were able listen to these students musical talent they would be so impressed because they played with so much passion and there hands fluttered like butterflies on their instruments.
After all was over we had dinner, which was different. I really liked the meatball and the veggies. I wish I was not so full or I would have been able to eat more. We have ate so much since we started this trip I feel like I might bust.
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