Week Three: A Piece of Heaven

I felt renewed and refreshed going into my third week of classes. My favorite class is definitely Entrepreneurship in a Global Market. Our end project is to create a business plan based on a hypothetical business idea that we come up with. I enjoy learning about how start-ups work, and his comments are very insightful.

On Thursday, I took some of my friends to the fake clothing market. I was able to navigate the subway with no problems. They were counting on me to lead them there. I had a great time, just browsing all the cute styles and talking with my friends. I only got a few things, but my roommate and I bought an adorable matching set!

After class on Friday, I actually met up with my cousin Derek to have lunch! Turned out he had a 12-hour layover on his way home from Bali. It was wonderful seeing family on a whim in a completely foreign country. We caught up on our life over beef noodle soup. It was the best surprise!

After lunch, I took a nap. One habit I’ve taken up here in China is napping. Especially after three-hour classes, I need some time to myself to lay down and rest my brain. That night around 6:30 PM I met up with some people along with some new Chinese language partners. We all took the subway to People’s Square, an iconic city boulevard with many shops. We walked all the way down Nanjing Road and finally reached 外滩 (Wàitān) also known as the famous Bund. I visited the Bund on the Shanghai city tour, but this time I was able to see its beauty at nighttime with all the city lights reflecting against the water. It was very crowded, but I was able to snap some cool shots!

Eventually, we headed back down towards the subway and stopped at a food stand because people wanted to grab some dinner. To end the night, a small group of us headed back to Yanchang Rd to grab a beer. We went to the same place I visited last week for the first time. And for those couple hours, we just talked about all sorts of things from relationship to our spiritual and religious beliefs. It was refreshing to have a deep talk with people. I definitely slept well that night.

Saturday and Sunday was the overnight field trip to Zhenjiang and Yangzhou which was 3.5 hours away. After a long bus ride, we finally reached our first destination called Jinshan Hill. The main attraction was the temple and the many flights of stairs. Again, it was a beautiful picture spot with intricately detailed architecture. There were a few sacred spots that included a religious figure, a spot to pray, and some Chinese incense. The view from the highest point of the landmark was stunning, but sadly the air that day was awful.

Our next stop that day was to Xijin Du (西津渡), an ancient historical street. We walked down a few flights of stairs, and there was a singing performance held on the stage of a temple surrounded by water and mist rising from the water. The performer was dressed in traditional Chinese clothes and makeup, and she was singing in a very distinctive high-pitch sound, almost like a loud cat. We had an hour just to roam the area. It had a similar vibe to the French Concession, but this place was much wider and more spread out. The buildings were like a fusion of European and Chinese architecture. There were a lot of trees, flowers, and small places to drink tea and grab some food.

At last, we checked into our hotel, grabbed dinner and it was off the night market! It was only a couple minute walk to the night market. The place was jam-packed with people and motorbikes. Although it was dark, the street was fully lit thanks to the numerous lanterns and neon signs. There were shops left and right of you, one after the other from food stands with cute baozi, clothes, Chinese fans, toys, and jewelry. There was one shop with different colored pendants in many different shapes. You could pick a pendant and choose any Chinese phrase or name, and the shopkeeper engraved that phrase onto the pendant and finished it off with a gold glitter dusting. I had to pick a few up for some people back home, but I won’t give too much away! Eventually, we made it to the end of the night market where we were faced with a large temple gateway decorated with lights. Just past the gateway was a beautiful walkway and a park where people were sitting down, chatting, and playing with their dogs. It was so refreshing with the cool night air and the intimate feeling of a community park. Of course, I pet a few dogs. I even sat down with a local, pet his dog and struggled to hold a conversation, but it was still a fun experience nevertheless. It was then time to rest for the next day.

Sunday was my favorite day by far. All of us checked out the hotel and hopped on the bus to our last location Slim Lake or Slender West Lake. The pictures really speak for themselves. First, we just walked around the lake and took in the view. Then we separated into two groups and road on a gondola to another part of the lake. The boat ride was so enjoyable. We took photos and waved to other boat goers. About fifteen minutes later we got off and explored the other part of the lake. We crossed over a lot of bridges that overlooked the lake and far beyond. After some time, we came across a little area where there were tons and tons of white birds. I believe they were a type of pigeon. If you made a certain cooing noise and held your hand out they would fly up and perch themselves onto your arm. One finally found his way to me! It was so cute!

The reason why I loved this place so much is that it reminds me so much the beautiful PNW but with a different twist. In China, the water isn’t clear and blue. It’s murky and almost has a greenish brown into. And although at first glance it seems nasty, it actually really blends into the color palette of China. The darker green and red leaves on the trees and the pop of yellow from the boat roofs are accented so much more against the murky water. The lake had this mystical almost eerier presence to it. 

Then, the tour came to an end, and for the last time, we boarded the bus and finally went back to Shanghai University. While this overnight trip was seemingly long and hot, it was definitely worth it! It is now Wednesday afternoon as I write this, and I am getting in the groove of things. I’m finding out the kinds of foods that I love to eat, the friends that make me feel most alive and at home, and the sort of person I want to be while I’m here. Tonight, I will celebrate my friend Frida’s birthday. We are going to dance all night! With that said, I will now rest and end this blog post here! Until next time…