china travels

less than 2 weeks left in shanghai for my exchange but that's ok because i spend the last couple of weeks exploring the other side of china. there were stops in chongqing, chengdu, tibet and beijing. i've posted some pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/jerilynyoung if you want to have a peek. there are also many stories that go with these pictures, but just not enough time to write them all down right now. one day i will share the culture i experienced and the views i saw. it just may not be in these next couple of weeks because they will be busy with things to do so that i can return home to see all of you.

thanks to cortilia and abi who helped gather information and contacts, matt for traveling with me, jamie - my favorite cousin on the continent who also introduced me to ma la tang, and everyone else too.

hope you all had a happy thanksgiving with some turkey et al. matt and i were busy consuming yak meak, momos, bobi and more.

Dinner with Meiwa Corporation

Thanks to contacts made through Yoshi over our China Study Tour this past March, I was fortunate enough to meet some great people at Meiwa Corporation once. More fortunate is that I got to meet them again this past Tuesday, and once again they showed us a great time in Shanghai. There is nothing comparable to these dinners where you mix Japanese, Chinese, and Americans over a wonderful meal. Throw in some booze to loosen people up, and this is what you get... Many people having a great time!

It was fascinating to take part in a conversation with these Japanese businessmen who spoke limited English while I have just a few phrases of Japanese. The common bond? A little bit of Chinese, which became our language of choice. What also helped was that because both of our Chinese language skills were limited to about the same level, so we could actually mostly understand each other. Also, thank you to the few translators in the room that helped out with the complexities.

All in all, it was a absolutely fantastic night, but one of my favorite parts was telling Annie's story to Matsui-san. With a little bit of Chinese, Japanese, and English all mixed together, I was totally able to get the point of the story across and in a very strange, but good way, that makes me proud. I may not be proficient in any language, including English at times (just ask Jacob), but I can get the point across.

Thank you Meiwa, Thank you Matsui-san, Thank you Yoshi, and Thank you to Matt, Kien, Jerri, Heidi and Annie who all came together to make this night great.

Visitors!!

We started our second class, International Business Law last Monday, but that is not my big news for the week. That goes to the visit from my cousin (Jamie) and her friend (Justin). Ahh, family...

Who knew Jamie would be studying in China during the same time as me? But as it stands, she’s been in Beijing and came down to Shanghai for her long weekend. Not only did we get to spend time with each other in Shanghai, but we also did a lot of exploration of the city since this was her friend, Justin’s first time here. We visited the business side of town, Lujiazui, which is totally on the opposite side of the city as me, since the 4th tallest building in the world (Jin Mao) and the next tallest building are located there. We also meandered down the Huang Pu and found the air-conditioned ferry to take us across the river for 2 RMB. We never actually used the air conditioner since it was cool out, but we could not find the entrance for the .5 RMB local ferry. We walked from East to West Nanjing Lu, got some really good beef jerky, and then headed back so we could meet everyone and then some for dinner and a drink at a bar on Hengshan Lu. The next few days also consisted of a lot of walking and exploring.

This visit re-enforced the difference between the way Chinese treat themselves versus foreigners. Not only do Jamie and Justin agree with Matt’s statement about the great quality of service they receive here, but they also get the numerous stares and are constantly approached to buy the fake goods. It was interesting that when I was walking around with them, I did not get a single card shoved into my face and that many thought I was their tour guide (apparently we don’t look the same – see picture). They tried to speak to me so I could translate for the 2 haole people (who happen to know more of this language than me!). And then, I got a “ting de dong!?” in our elevator from the service guy who was in awe that I could understand what they were saying. Yet it all worked out well since their language skills, in addition to all their bargaining practice in Beijing, helped us to get some good deals.

They did mention many times how much more expensive Shanghai is than Beijing, so you can really see where the money is in China. Other differences include the lack of street vendors, abundance of tall buildings and advanced metro system in Shanghai. (It’s still nowhere near the level of Hong Kong’s subway). Yet, if Shanghai goes though with their subway expansion plan as detailed in the Planning Exhibition Hall, it will get very complicated very quickly. (The plans show 18 lines by 2020! And there are currently 4 in use.) Now, I want to go to Beijing, not to see the same main tourist attractions again, but to see how they live and compare our exchange experiences.

More pictures coming your way.

China explorations

I've been slacking on the blog, I know and I'm sorry. However, I have been having a good time exploring the area since we did have break in our class schedule. There were a few days in Huangshan, Hong Kong, and Zhouzhuang... and it was a good thing too because I ended up missing the 2nd typhoon to hit Shanghai since we've been here. Jerri and I were actually traveling back from Hong Kong at the time and got delayed at the Shenzhen airport for a few hours, but it could have been much worse, so I'll take it.

Here's a link to my albums because sometimes I like pictures and it's nice to share. Hope you like them too.
http://picasaweb.google.com/jerilynyoung

Here are my thoughts on Huangshan, which really was the highlight of my past week.
Pictures do not do this place justice. It’s absolutely amazing what’s possible out there. Peaks and valleys, strange rock formations, seemingly impossible architecture (including walkways and staircases), and a beautiful sunrise (which would have been even nicer if we were 50’ further down and could actually see the sun poke its head out).
And who knew that we’d all be able to climb a big giant mountain in a day... and then walk around their version of the grand canyon (da shao gu). I think we climbed many thousand stairs and ended up with very sore muscles. It could almost be enough exercise for me for a year. The only too bad part was the second day when the mountain was overloaded with Chinese tourist on their Golden Week holiday. Matt and I decided to go down the mountain early to get away from them and avoid being pushed over the edge. Safety, while not totally discounted, is not necessarily of the highest concern there.

Oh, and Cortilia, thanks for the announcement...

A few more pictures... crazy and pretty

Hope everyone is doing well now that school has started. Just wanted to share a few more pictures from Shanghai and our trip to Huangshan (about a 12 hour train ride away).

http://picasaweb.google.com/jerilynyoung/Take2MostlyHuangshan

Take care,
Jeri

Week 3: September 17-23

~~school starts~~
We had our 1st week class (week 1 of 2 of International Business), which besides us includes a mixture of Chinese, French, Belgian, German, Italian, and Korean students. It’s interesting to see how every acts and interacts in this class. Basically, many people show up late if they attend at all, they walk in and out of the classroom throughout the session, one guy who sits up front listens to music on his computer the whole time, another reads the news paper or talks on the phone with his head under the desk, there are several simultaneous conversations, people are texting each other on their phones, they play with their PSPs, and who knows what else is going on. Absolutely amazing. But at the end of each session, everyone claps for the Professor who is from Egypt and Holland and actually has a lot of international business experience. Thus far, I can only say that some sessions have been better than others because you can only listen to so many groups present on the same topic each day.

~~typhoon wipha~~
Apparently, the biggest typhoon to hit China is who knows how long was headed in our direction. It was all over the news and we were warned many times to stay indoors on Wednesday afternoon, but I think we had more rain and wind on Tuesday before we really knew what was happening. On Tuesday, the sheets of rain soaked us to the bones, but we were more disturbed because it prevented us from getting out and exploring for a couple of days. This was especially true on Wednesday since that was day 2 of no exploration and the heavy, heavy rain did not even seem to hit the area. After about 2 weeks of decent weather, we did not enjoy being forced indoors, but I guess it helped us to get caught up with other things, like emails and the blog.

~~blending in~~
Kien and Matt bought the cheapest bikes on Tuesday night. $20 for the bike and $10 for the lock and poncho. Apparently the best thing to do is to make your first bicycle ride around Shanghai in crazy traffic in the dark with rain and wet roads and using a poncho that partially limits your vision. Exciting stuff.

Nonetheless, Jerri and I have been enjoying the benefits of these bikes. We’ve been catching rides around town sitting on the back rack of the bike, which is apparently made for bags and things like that. I don’t think it’s the safest thing we could possibly do considering the quality of the bike, the traffic patterns here, and the fact that I’ve already almost fallen off a few times, but we’re just trying to fit in with the locals. At least we’re not 4 on a moped like some others. I really hope these bikes last the duration of the 3 months we are here. It’s a little questionable at the moment and it’s only been a few days.

~~3XL~~
I’m a giant here in China and therefore will not be buying any shorts. The only ones I can fit would be a size 3x. That said, I really don’t like working out for the sake of working out, but Kien, Matt and I joined the local gym this week. We’ve been enjoying the food here and would like to continue to do so, so I guess you gotta do what you gotta do. Sacrifices...

A few pictues

You can visit the album if you have a few minutes to spare... http://picasaweb.google.com/jerilynyoung/Shanghai2007Take1

Week 2: September 10-16

sorry this is long, but apparently a lot happened this week...

settling in our new home and meeting neighbors
It seems that our miles of walking and exploring continue. We’re very close to the point where we are “completely” settled into our new homes considering what we want to accomplish in the next 3 months. We’ve also started to spend a little more time exploring beyond the 2 mile radius that surrounds our home and school. This included meeting up with Kien’s friend, Rita, for some very good, but very expensive dim sum at Din Tai Feng(?) followed by a visit to her penthouse. Oh my goodness... a gorgeous view of the Huangpu River and some coal piles. A “beach” including a wave pool and sand, an indoor lap pool, a few tennis courts, a private elevator entrance (so there’s an inner door and an outer entrance, a huge living room with floor to ceiling windows, 3 big bedrooms and a den, a large kitchen, and a driver. And although their aiyi (aunty, cleaning lady, baby sitter, etc) didn’t live with them, she could in the built-in “room,” basically a 3’x4’ closet with a bathroom where the shower head is over the sink. I’m not exactly sure where you would stand to take a shower. On the other hand, they do have at least some rules to these women are treated with some respect. The aiyi room is required to include a window. Amazing.

We also met with Dorette, the daughter of Popo Young’s friend that just passed away. Very smart lady with lots of international experience ranging from international business to technology to real estate to finance. She was based in New York for 15 years while focusing on Latin and South America; lived in Singapore, Beijing, and now Shanghai. She now does consulting and was very nice to meet with us and share some tips and information on getting settled in Shanghai. She is definitely a wealth of information and a wonderful resource.

Matt, Jerri and I confirmed the awareness of our new home as we wandered down Nanjing Lu, which is filled with neon lights, tourists, hawkers, beggars, and just a whole lot of people and noise. Compared to our neighborhood, it was overwhelming to walk down the pedestrian street and be bombarded by everything and everyone each step of the way. After finding a local shop off the main road for a really good dinner, we were happy to go home.

veggies galore
Mmmm... so ono! Long beans, various choys, yam leaves, cucumbers, bamboo shoots... Steamed, stir fried, boiled in soup, pickled... Hot, cold, spicy, and more... They all beat the same salad I was having every day at Pi Phi.

Suzhou
A quick 30 minute express train ride West of Shanghai is the little suburb of Suzhou, home to about 6 million people. Once a favorite of stomping ground of emperors, it is filled with many gardens and history. The grand canal also runs through the city so it is often referred to as the Venice of China. And although they try to follow the old architecture when constructing new buildings in the area, there is a clear distinction between new Suzhou and old Suzhou. With one glance, you know which dwellings are for the expats and which ones are for the country people.

Also, thanks to Jerri’s friend of a friend, we stayed at a nice hotel for less than a third of the listed price... China at work. Xiao Qi was also kind enough to take half a day off from his government tax job to treat us to a very tasty, very large lunch and show us around the city in his new Toyota Camry. It was weird though because he hardly ate even though he ordered about 12 dishes and there were only five of us. To say the least, we ate a lot and left the restaurant stuffed. He then continued to show us around new Suzhou, the Lion’s garden and a boat ride. On our own the next day, we went on another boat ride and climbed up a pagoda for a wonderful view.

Our visit to Suzhou commenced with our hired car dropping us off across the bridge from the train station. With about 45 minutes to kill before we really had to be at the train station, we decided to wander down a side street in search of food. And that is what we found in an old building with just a little sign. We followed the guy in through a maze of construction to their restaurant, which they had just bought, so the menu that was visible did not apply. It was a small restaurant, so we just go into their kitchen and start pointing to different foods they currently have available not knowing exactly what we would be getting in a few minutes. Of course, there was a lot of picture taking and coughing caused by some mysterious spice. In the end, we had some ice cold beer (the coldest we’ve found in China thus far), soy beans something, tofu something, shrimp, and some other veggie with meat. All delicious and scarfed down in the few minutes we had before our return to Shanghai.

Ellie’s Visit
Ellie from Korea, Kien’s first of many visitors, arrived on Wednesday and will be here through the weekend... very nice, very cute, very cheery. She made a couple of the masseurs very happy as well since two of them commented on how pretty Korean girls are.

Her Uncle was also very kind to us and invited us to join him at the Shanghai Circus, basically an acrobat show in a circus arena. Yet, these acrobats never cease to amaze me with what they can do. Their pure athleticism mixed in with grace, humor and style is a sight to behold. In this show, there were balancing acts, vases being juggled, contortion, seesaws, trapezes and motorcycles in a cage.

We did learn, however, that the metro does not run every 2-3 minutes to all areas of the city and that it shuts down at 11 pm, even on a Friday night. After that, good luck trying to find a taxi, especially one that does not completely rip you off.

In our neighborhood, we have been finding more and more perks. This includes cheap, 24-hour massage places as we tried a couple of different places with Ellie. While not to be done every day, there will be many more visits so we can get a hour foot massage for less than $5. Our other discovery was the noodle shop right around the corner from Kien’s house. We’ve eyed this place several times as we’ve walked passed it, but it was finally time to give it a try. Absolutely delicious hand-made or shaven noodles in soup and some really good other dishes as well. We’ll definitely be returning there.

bad news
(1) We had our first bad meal. I guess it wasn’t totally horrible, but it just did not come near the quality of so many of our other meals. So many times, we’ve said the food is so good it makes our expanding list of our top ten... but not this one. So sad.
(2) School starts tomorrow. Can we say - not ready?

My First Thoughts

returning to china
Two years ago, I came with the 2005 Narcissus Goodwill Tour thinking that I was participating since I don’t know when I’ll have the opportunity to return to China again. Then earlier this year, I came with the 2007 China Study Tour led by Yanni, Lian and Joe because it was a good chance to see the business side of China. Who knew that this would be my third time to China in as many years... This time it’s part of a smaller group and it’s living and studying here for three months. Expectations are high. Let the adventure begin.

many hours of travel
After my 4:00 am alarm on Wednesday, September 5, there were many, many hours of travel (probably around 20 hours or so) interspersed with breakfast with Aunty Char and Keenan and a quick stop at Taryn’s new school, San Francisco State University. Nonetheless, we (Jerri, Matt, Kien and I have all arrived ready to begin our new adventure.