Genesis Peralta and Lesly Jimenez

 It’s officially our last full day of activities in Shanghai. A bittersweet feeling comes over me as I’m happy to go back home, but also feel like I’ve grown to feel comfort in Shanghai. As I awaken, I know it will be a busy day that I look forward to. We first started our morning with a calligraphy class. We were shown a PowerPoint and some YouTube videos which gave us an insight on the history of calligraphy. We learned about the brushes used and the technique to hold the brush. Once it was our turn to begin practicing, we were shown an example of how to start. To be honest, it was a lot harder than it seemed. The way to hold the brush didn’t feel natural so I would find myself holding it incorrectly. I practiced a couple of times just to make sure I got the hang of drawing the lines. It wasn’t perfect, but I gave it my best shot being that it was my first time trying to do calligraphy.

After our class, we headed to the Propaganda museum. The posters here illustrated communism in China and their perspective on Americans. Their views towards Americans were seen in a negative light, so it was interesting to see how they illustrated the U.S. These variety of posters take place during the Maoist era, the Great Leap Forward in the late 50s, and the Cultural Revolution. I came across posters that depicted the years 1954-1956. These posters were mainly concerned with increasing industrial and agricultural production, as well as the promotion of education and family life. 
       We also went to the tea house in the afternoon. While being there we were able to taste a couple of teas. My favorite tea was the fruit tea. It was my favorite because compared to the other teas, this one wasn’t that strong and I was able to define its taste. Also, the smell of it was amazing too. The teas that I tried other than the fruit tea were very strong and I didn’t really like them. I learned that in China people drink tea on a daily basis. For them, tea is like coffee in the United States. For example, they drink tea when they get together with their families or when they go out with their friends to eat or to spend time together. I found that interesting because in my culture and family we usually drink tea when we are sick, therefore I thought that was really cool. Also, something very interesting that I learned was that they don’t put sugar in their tea. I found it interesting because I would always make sure that my tea tastes sweet. I think that was my first time drinking tea without sugar. Overall I had an amazing experience at the tea house. The lady who was in charge of the teas was very pleasant, therefore that made my experience a lot better.

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Samantha Benavides

Our morning was full of drawing since today we had calligraphy. During our class, we learned how to write with black ink since it requires a technique. The person who was teaching us played two videos in which we could learn about the classification of the paint brushes and their importance when it comes to Chinese calligraphy.  We followed the basic steps to write, and then we chose a phrase on the board, each of them had a different meaning. Also today, we had the opportunity to visit the Propaganda Museum. It was founded in 2012, and it represents the cultural heritage of Shanghai. This museum tells historical facts throughout a chronological time. It was nice to see all these porters with a little history of a determinate time. For example, from 1977 to 1979 the subject matter for posters was turning away from revolution and towards modernization. Lastly, today we went to the Tianshan Tea Market. Here we were able to learn and experience Chinese tea culture. We tested a lot of different types of tea (11 year-old white tea!), and we also learned what the teas are for.

Scarlett Alejo

Today we met at the university like we do almost every morning except this time it wasn’t to learn Chinese. We did a calligraphy class today, which was so fun. We got to try writing chinese characters which all have different meanings. Then after we all got practice writing different Chinese characters, we took a group picture. After the calligraphy class, we went to the Propaganda museum where we got to see different art. This was an interesting moment for me because growing up when I was learning about Chinese culture, they made it seem like Mao was such a horrible person and the worse dictator which could be right but here in China they praise him.  It was strange but also an eye opener because it shows that every story has multiple versions and peoples’ perspectives are different. After the museum we went to a tea house which was my favorite part. We got to try different teas and we even bought some. It was a wonderful experience.

Kaytlin Fernandez

Today on our last day we went to CIEE to have a calligraphy class. The class was very calm and informative being that the teacher showed us nice videos on how to write with the brushes and how they write the way they do. I enjoyed this because it made me really calm. I learned that the brush is made from goat, lion, bear and or a child’s hair, so every brush is made from a living creature. The point of calligraphy is to have a relationship with the paper. After this we went to the propaganda museum where we got to see a bunch of posters on communism. Being in Shanghai, you can not tell that you are in a communist country so it was very strange seeing it in the museum being that you don’t notice it in the street. Finally, we went to try tea at a traditional tea ceremony. This ceremony was very nice because we tried so many different types of tea, all made by natural leaves. I learned that tea is used more for socializing rather than for medicine, and that they have 2 tea washes before serving the tea

Edgar Cecilio

Our last full day in Shanghai China was a super busy day for the Global Guttman group. We first started by going to school at 10 in the morning to experience a calligraphy class. It was a wonderful experience because we learned the history of the calligraphies. It was super interesting, and the class took about an hour. However once that was done, we all were getting ready to head to a tea house. Once we arrived at the tea house, the group spilt into half and went into different mini stores to try out many different teas. We tried different types of green tea, red tea, and even fruit tea. The fruit tea was my favorite because it has a nice smell and also it has a nice taste to it as well. I ended up buying one because doing homework and drinking tea is what I like to do. The guttman group had a fun last day in Shanghai, China. I hope to soon come back to create new memories.

Jacqueline Aguilar

Today was our last full-day in Shanghai and we had a little of calligraphy class, visit to the Propaganda museum, and then we went to learn more about the tea use in Asia. When I presented about calligraphy, I learned that it is a tradition followed most often by the east side of China. I also learned that they want to keep the tradition because it was the language that great emperors used to communicate. In addition to today’s lesson, we learned more about the brushes and how to use them. I enjoyed trying out calligraphy because I like art, but it seems very difficult to be able to read it.
      Then we went to a Propaganda museum where we learned about how the development of Asia is depicted through different types of art. I saw a section on the steel factory, showing the amount of steel the company planned to achieve. Different art posters were about what Chinese call the Great Leap Forward and about the U.S imperialism. Some of the art was difficult to understand because it was written in Chinese and the description in English was short.
      My favorite part of the day was trying out and learning about different types of commonly used teas in Asia. The lady that was doing the tea was very informative and she let us try different teas. She mentioned about how some plants need to be years old in order to taste better. The teas were actually good and not what I expected. I expected them to be all bitter, but not all of them have a strong taste. I enjoyed the tea and bought a little bit for my family to taste.

Debra Williams

Today was our last day of activities and we kicked off the day with a calligraphy class at ECNU. It was fascinating because I thought it was going to be easier it was. I learned that you can’t just stroke the brush, you have to create a semi circle at the start of each line that you want to do. The instructor also showed us videos on the origins of calligraphy in China and how it was used for many things like art and communication. Actually, many of the characters that are used today in the Chinese language were symbols that date back thousands of years ago. 
    After the class, we headed to the Propaganda Museum which I thought was really cool because it was all of the Propaganda that was used during the Cultural Revolution. It gave you a sense of how things were portrayed during that time because of Communism. Most pictures had people looking in an upward direction holding a little red book, or the hammer and sickle which unified the working class with the lower class. Also we saw many pictures with Mao at meetings, alongside other communist dictators or even animated in political cartoons. Being in the museum, also gave me a sense on how the Chinese viewed Americans. There was this one piece that depicted America with a police officer beating up a black man and kids watching a playboy magazine. This piece was dated back 20-40 years ago, so it was kind of spooky to see how much that relates to now in the future as well as back then. 
    After leaving the museum, we journeyed to the Tianshan Tea House. It kind of reminded me of a market but as you went in further, you could see the little shops with people who had set up the tea accessories (cups, kettles, teas, etc.) and were seated waiting for people to enter. I think this was my favorite activity for the day because we got to try various tea strains and learn about the tea ceremony culture in China. I learned that depending on the tea and its age, before you serve the tea, you have to wash the cups with the tea so you dont mix different teas with each other. Also, when describing a new or fresh tea leave, you can describe it as “white.” Some of the teas were 11-14 years old and they told us that they were better to drink than the newer teas because of their age. The woman who led the ceremony said it’s kind of like wine, the longer they age, the better and more refined the taste is.

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Marcell Weeks

On our last day in China, the activity was a writing class, which some of it has meaning. I did pretty good with the writing. Then we went to the art exhibit where they have different posters, and some of these you can purchase. The posters looked unique, and they had a lot message behind. You can analyze what was going on in China through the posters. Then lastly, we went to the tea house where they have different types of teas since ancient years. There was one tea that was 11 years old, but it had a rare taste. It was really good. My favorite tea was the green tea because it was simple but also hot. Half of the teas were very hot, and then we had mushrooms with our tea, which was very good. I enjoyed everything we did in Shanghai. It was a great experience, and I learned about their history and culture.

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Liza Desmaret

During our last meet up at CIEE, we had a Chinese calligraphy class. We drew characters that represented what we wanted or had in life. For example, family, friendship, individual success, and romantic relationship. When class was over everyone had created 7 pieces of calligraphy. The propaganda museum was key to explaining how and why the government is very conservative. The posters that were created shine light or take away from the truth. This explains why we never saw advertisements on the highways. China government restricts human right to freedom of speech in every way. There is also censorship of social media which explains why their culture is very different from the United States.

The last day was just painful because part of me wanted to be back at home while another part of me was connected to Shanghai. The pass two weeks have been a wonderful experience, and I wish we had more time to explore more aspects of china.

Parker Giovan

Today we had the opportunity to practice calligraphy. It was a very brief lesson, however, we all learned a lot about the meaning of some Chinese characters and how to perfect our form in painting them. It was really interesting to see the way characters evolved from shapes and figures, over the course of thousands of years. Next we went to the propaganda museum. There we saw different posters promoting social and political causes. I thought of the American propaganda that was being produced during the same time periods and how the two compared. Both types of propaganda usually centered around defeating an issue or enemy. Chinese propaganda heavily featured Chairman Mao, which was interesting to see, because American propaganda usually strayed away from featuring one prominent figure. Our last activity of the day was my favorite we visited a tea house. We all sat around a table and sampled different teas, about 7 in total. It was really fun to learn about the differences in teas, and about some of the health benefits from all of them. My favorite tea was the white tea, it had a very gentle flavor and was nicely balanced. We all bought some tea to bring home as gifts for our family and friends.

Parker Giovan

Today was a very eventful day and some of us even faced our fears of heights. Our first stop was the Oriental Pearl Tower which is a famous landmark in Shanghai. We loaded onto super fast elevators and sped towards the top observatories. Once we got to the top we went to a floor with a clear glass floor. It was super scary to look down and see the 863ft drop, with only 1.5 inches of glass serving as the floor. Some of us got onto the glass with no problem and walked around, others like me who are afraid of heights had to be slowly coaxed out. The view was amazing though and definitely the best one we have seen in Shanghai. After the Pearl Tower we went to our farewell dinner hosted by CIEE. We went to a very nice restaurant that specializes in serving Peking duck. Once seated we ate different things, like spicy tofu, soy sauce marinated fish, shrimp and of course duck. The Peking duck is slowly roasted and marinated and tasted delicious in the way it was served to us. The duck was rolled in a pancake with scallion and cucumber. The dinner was really fun and a great way to thank our CIEE tour guides and hosts.

Lesly Jimenez

Our activity today involved us visiting the Pearl tower. We walked in and saw a long line of people waiting to enter the elevator to go up. While we were on the line people were talking about their nerves or their fear of heights. Since I am someone who loves adventures and thrill, I was excited to look at the view. Once we entered, we automatically felt the cold breeze. Since there is an opening at the top, all of the air comes in and makes it very windy.

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Genesis Peralta

We had such a good time at the pearl towel. I loved the view and how everyone was taking advantage of it. Many of us were taking pictures and recording the view. I love heights so I felt great even though many people looked scared because of how high we were. According to the pearl tower history, throughout the years it has been changing. Therefore they have been making it taller as years past by.

Angelina Tallaj

Today was a fun day after intense days with students in Shanghai. Students were looking forward to visiting the Pearl Tower and taking their photos while siting on the glass floor. Their joy was so contagious that I stopped to watch them take photos of each other for about 40 minutes. They reminded me how powerful laughing and creating human conection can be. Sebastien and I experienced students’ growth in this past 10 days. They learned to navigate the university, the train, the Mandarin language, and formed new friendships with Chinese students and among themselves. They learned tolerance and cross-cultural awareness, and at that moment in the Pearl Tower, their bond was apparent, a bond that comes from growing together.

During the farewell dinner, I was proud of our students for being good, kind, and grateful human beings. They wrote a beautiful card to our tour guides thanking them for giving them this new experience. I was also proud of how daring Guttman students were with the food in China. Every day of the trip, we were served many dishes we had never tasted before. Students were not close-minded about trying them and never once did I see a student ask for a fork to eat. Their chopsticks skills are now amazing!

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Edgar Cecilio

Friday, April 26 was a busy day for the Global Guttman group. The day started with going to lunch at the Global Harbor mall near the hotel. Inside the mall there is this nice restaurant called Wagon where they serve great food like morning breakfast, sandwiches and salads. A group of us went with professor Sebastien, and all of us got different things like chicken sandwich and steak salads. Everyone seem to like the food. As we all finished we headed back to the hotel to get ready to go to the Pearl Tower. Once we arrived to the Pearl Tower everyone was speechless at how big the Pearl Tower is up close. Everyone got excited to go all the way up so we got our tickets and waited in line to get on the elevator. Once we got on the elevator, it felt as if we were on the plane because my ears and others on the elevator felt their ears pop out. However, once we got to the top everyone was astonished at how beautiful the view was. Everyone was taking pictures but then we all headed to the glass floor. In the glass floor everyone was taking pictures taking up so much memory in their phones. Once we got all our energy out from seeing the Pearl Tower we headed to our farewell dinner. The dinner was great because all of us were trying new things like duck. Duck is something I had never tried before but once I did it had a good taste. We the Guttman group also gave Emily and Mia a goodbye/ thank you letters. All of us wrote something nice so they can remember us. It was a sad but a happy moment. Our day was super busy but we all did have lots of fun. This is something not only I but all of us will carry this beautiful experience in our heads for the rest of our lives.

Kaitlyn Fernandez

Today we visited the Pearl Tower, which was one of the best experiences so far. The building is over 1,545 feet tall and the only thing that separates you from all beneath is 1.5 inches of glass. Upon first walking onto the glass floor, I felt a huge rush of adrenaline overthrow my body with excitement. I loved being able to walk and see everything underneath me. The nature from above is as beautiful as it is from ground level. After this the farewell dinner took place at a nice restaurant called Xihe-Yayuan Peking Duck. The food prepared was  fresh and very soothing for the end of the day. This was the first time I had tried duck and it was strangely nice.

Scarlett Alejo

Today we went to visit the Oriental Pearl Tower, which was really fascinating to see. We went all the way to the top and we could really see the whole Shanghai, the new and the old. It was beautiful. I bought a lot of cool souvenirs of the Pearl Tower and the Shanghai skyline. After visiting the Pearl Tower, we went to a Roast Duck restaurant for our farewell dinner. This dinner was very interesting because I’ve never ate duck before, and I was very scared to try it but it taste sort of good. They had different foods that I’ve never ate before but after I tried it I realized it that there were not bad. This is why it’s good to try things before you say you don’t like them. You never know if you turn out to really enjoy that food.

Jacqueline Aguilar

Going to the Pearl Tower was a great experience because it is a very well known tower. Later on when we I see it somewhere, I will be so glad to say that I was inside that tower. Also today, I experienced another type of food, which was duck meat. I expected it to taste totally different, but it wasn’t bad at all. It tasted good.

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Marcell Weeks

Yesterday we went to the Pearl tower. It was beautiful and it has a great view. However, it was so cold outside. Also a lot of people were scared of heights specially our professors. After the tower, we went to the museum which explained a lot of history from China. The final dinner and the food were really good specially the duck. I never had duck before so all the food I have been trying for the first time were good and from a different country.

Samantha Benavides

The weather today was a bit cloudy with rain, but it was really nice to observe from a prominent height in Shanghai. The Oriental Pearl Tower is 468 meters high and is the fourth highest in Asia and the sixth highest in the world. During our visit to this side, we were able to go up in an elevator at the rate of seven meters per second. I could feel it with my ears, and the feeling of going up was unbelievable. At first, I was afraid of the height, but after trying to walk towards the glass floor, it was fun and safe. I will never forget that beautiful view because I could see almost everything from it and when I saw the ground from a tremendous height, it was insane because it was very large in the distance. After enjoying this wonderful view, I went down the stairs to take the elevator and go down to the other sphere. I noticed that most of the vendors there speak a little bit of English. In the second sphere were a variety of activities and stores. I went to some of them, and it was really pleasant to explore and buy some things for my family.

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Liza Desmaret

The pearl tower was magnificent with the view of the whole city. We were able to walk on glass and see everything below us. Then we had a farewell dinner with the CIEE staff. It consisted of many Chinese dishes but the main course was duck. Everyone including me enjoyed our last meal in Shanghai. 

Debra Williams

  Today we visited the infamous Oriental Pearl Tower, an experience and memory I will always take with me. I’ve never been in a building so high up before especially with the glass floor feature. I was super nervous but excited at the same time. The Pearl Tower isn’t just used for its amazing observatory but also for radio and tv functions as well. In addition to that, on the first floor they have a museum of the history in Shanghai and the architecture in the city. Among those things there were a number of souvenir shops and eateries. I was truly astonished that so much stuff could fit in that one building. Our journey to the second ball (one of the observatories) felt like forever because of the long lines of awaiting people just like us. When we finally got on the elevator, there was a stewardess who explained to us just how high we were going up so it kind of distracted me from the fact that we were 259 meters from the ground!! When we got off my ears immediately popped like I was on a plane. The moment we stepped on the glass part of the observation deck, I was terrified! It was so crazy to see all the cars and people look like ants below my feet. Getting to explore The Pearl Tower was something that took me out of my comfort zone, and allowed me to view the beautiful city of Shanghai all at once.
    After leaving The Oriental Pearl Tower, we were on our way to the Farewell Dinner. We arrived to a restaurant called Xihe-Yayuan Peking Duck. I was really excited because I love duck especially the way that the restaurant prepared it because they made it crispy. Also as soon as you walked in, it was so elegant. When it came time for the entrees, the chef came out and started to carve the duck into different pieces, and there was an assembly station of different sauces and dumpling wraps that went together with the duck. It was really cool to taste the different flavors with the duck meat. The overall dinner was bittersweet because we were enjoying this wonderful food, laughing and talking but when i took a moment to pause, I realized this is our last dinner together as a group with our amazing guides Mia and Emily. At the end it got really sentimental when we gave them our cards that we had written and they were so happy. At that point it made me reflect on our overall time in Shanghai and just how much we really accomplished and experienced.

Samantha Benavides

Today we met at the CIEE institution at 9:30 am to make our daily post about our experiences yesterday. Later on at 11:00 am, we had our Chinese class for today. We learned about store discounts and how to bargain with merchants. For example, duō shǎo qián? (how much is it), Tài guì le (too expensive), and xièxiè, wǒ súi biàn kàn kàn (just looking around). Our teacher asked us what we wanted to know before leaving Shanghai, and we suggested learning about directions, conversations, and laundry so we could be ready if we got lost, could have if we wanted a better conversation with someone, or knew how to ask about washing machines in Chinese.

After finishing our daily class, we went to a Chinese cooking class where we learned how to make dumplings. I enjoyed the time preparing dumplings. First I washed my hands, I took the dough already cut in a circular way, and I began to put some vegetables inside the ball of dough, thus giving it shape. We made some dumplings as a group, and suddenly we ate them together. Today during our lunch we ate dumplings, cucumber, ribs, and scrambled eggs. Later on, we had some free time, and we went around the CIEE center (Global education building) on our own to walk. Then, everyone in the group gathered at the Mao Statue at 1:30 pm and took the bus to go to Baosteel Group. 

In our way to this factory, we had the opportunity to learn a brief resume about the Baosteel Group Corporation. The person who was teaching us about the factory has been working there for a long time. He said that the corporation has currently 15,000 workers who have middle-class salaries. Those who were working 15 years ago got a house, but the people working now have to pay their housing. The materials used to form steel are brought from Australia and Brazil to Shanghai, then here the materials are combined to made steel. Baosteel in China is the number four producer of steel in the world. The factory produces its own electricity. Most of the workers take the bus regularly, and they also work during holidays. Being there was an amazing experience. I never thought making steel requires so much water and pressure. The corporation has a manufacturing process in which they have a compact size of iron ore, coal, and limestone. They combine all these raw materials to form what is called steel; however, it is not possible without the required mechanical power to achieve this objective. We were able to see the process, which was incredible since we were far away from it, but could still feel the hot temperature from a long distance. So, the pressure, water, and support of these machines have to be incredibly well callibrated to give the best shape to the steel; they even used laser light to stretch the steel.

Parker Giovan

Today we had a cooking class! It was super exciting to learn how to make dumplings and the people teaching us were experts. First they showed us the technique of taking just the right amount of filling and then crimping the edges of the dough perfectly to seal the entire thing. They made it look very easy, but when it was our turn to try we found that some of us overstuffed the dumplings and others had a hard time closing them. Eventually we got the hang of it and we must of made about 100 dumplings between us all. One thing that was pointed out to me is how much similarity the dumplings have to empanadas. Its interesting to think about how different cultures still have commonalities between foods that they make. After we made the pork dumplings, they were cooked in boiling water and then we ate. The people we learned how to make dumplings from, laid out a huge feast of dumplings and ribs and other Chinese specialties. By the time we were on our way to the Bao steel factory we were all really full. The Bao Steel factory is about an hour away from the ECNU campus and is so large that it is bigger than the entire region of Macau. At Bao steel they take imported iron ore from Australia and Brazil, add carbon through the form of coal during smelting and create steel. This steel is then rolled out on conveyors at super high temperatures. On our first stop we walked onto a cat walk about 50 ft above these conveyors, the steel beams were so hot that we could feel the heat, even from such a high place. It could only be compared to the heat you feel on a super hot day in NYC. The next place we went was a view of the Yangtze River, which is used by the Bao Steel factory to receive imports of iron ore. This was an amazing experience and we all came to see that the Bao Steel factory was more of a small city than a factory.

Genesis Peralta

On day 8 we went to the steel factory. While being there, we were able to see how steel is made. As you can see based on the picture, the steel was so hot that cold water was being added constantly. My experience in general was great because I never thought that steel was made this way. I was a little bit scared while being there because even though we were not close to the machines, the heat was so high that I felt it. Even after I got out of the place, I felt very hot. In general I thought that this experience was really cool because as we know steel is being used to build many things like railroads, skyscrapers, bridges, stadiums, airports and many more things. Many people may think that steel is not that important but in reality it really is. It helps us in many ways on a daily basis.

Lesly Jimenez

In our Chinese class, we went over the phrases and sentences we’ve covered already. The instructor made sure that we corrected our pronunciation and made us practice phrases that we could use while going out to eat. Once we reviewed everything, we started learning phrases and words that would come in handy when shopping. We learned how to ask if we could try something on, how to tell them if the item of clothing was not the correct size, and how to tell a retail worker that no help is needed at the moment. These are probably essential for us to know since we do spend a lot of our free time at the mall. We had a cooking class scheduled for after class. We learned how to make dumplings and got to eat them. We didn’t really have to cut or prepare anything so it wasn’t difficult. After, we proceeded to visit the steel factory. The owner got on our bus and gave us information on the steel industry and about the factory. The factory was completed in 1985 and is government owned, not private property. There are also six kinds of products that are made, which include car parts, house appliances, oil industry, and construction.

Kaitlyn Fernandez

Upon beginning the day, we learned how to buy things in Chinese in our Chinese crash course.  After this we rushed over to make homemade traditional dumplings at another CIEE building with two older women working there. As we began washing our hands to make pork dumplings, one of the women pulled me over and had me individually make fish dumplings with her. She taught me how to separate the dough, fill the dumpling and close it such a way that it was creased slanted.

After doing this repetitively, we walked over to the stove and dumped them into a big pot where the dumplings were to boil for around 3 minutes on a high temperature. Once everything was done, we sat down and began eating. I noticed that every time we finished a bowl of dumplings, the women would make more for us even if we were full. I asked Emily our tour guide after that fact and she told me that food is a sign of respect and wealth in Chinese culture. When greeting someone, it is common for you to ask them if they have eaten rather than saying hello or how are you. In addition to this, when having guests over at your house, it is tradition to always have more food than normal because this shows that the family has wealth. The more food you are able to provide for your guests, the better it is. From this, I learned that food is very highly valued in Chinese culture symbolizing wealth and bonding of relations. 

After this, we went to the Steel factory where we had a private tour inside the factory itself. After putting on our hard hat helmets, we walked up a long staircase and down the whole factory where we got to see the hot steel being dragged down the assembly line and cooled down. At first the steel was shining vivid orange and red beams from how scorching hot it was and after cooling down, it began to lessen in intensity. The steel also began being quite thick in size yet became very thin after the whole process was finished. After, we went to the port where China imports its steel from. The water was so long that the horizon made it hard to distinguish where the water ended and sky began. The mist and fog gave off a bright white light that simmered upon the water creating a heavenly effect for us all to admire. Here, the air felt more crisp and clean, causing me to close my eyes and simply breathe in the moment. From this, I learned both how intense it is to manufacture steel, being that it is very dangerous and that China imports its steel from Australia. In addition to this, I learned to take a few seconds a day to stop and simply admire the natural aspect of all the manufacturing happening in order to create steel.

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Marcell Weeks

We had a cooking class and we were making dumplings. The way I was making dumplings was so bad I couldn’t do it right. Because some of the meat was falling out, and my shell was breaking, it was embarrassing but fun to give it a try for my first time cooking. Then lastly, after the cooking class we went to the bao steel factory and for the factory it was interesting to see how they were making steel, and for the steel it’s use for trade value and profit. When I went inside that factory it was so hot (like it’s around 100 degrees), and they were making the steel thinner and thinner. We went to a big river that is 40 meters deep; the view of river was beautiful

Debra Williams

Today’s activities consisted of participating in a cooking class at ECNU and visiting the Bao Steel Factory. When we arrived at the cooking class, we were greeted by some ladies who were going to teach us how to make dumplings. Beforehand, I had come to the conclusion that it wasn’t going to be difficult, I mean come on, how hard can it be? Well I was super wrong. I believe that dumpling making is an art that you have to be trained to complete (lol). Okay so maybe it wasn’t so complex but it was really challenging  getting the folding and stuffing of the filling down pact. After finally getting the hang of it, we then boiled the dumplings for about 2-5 minutes and then made our way to the table to sit and eat our creations. It was great because it felt like the greatest achievement ever and not to mention, they were DELICIOUS! 
    After having a yummy lunch, we went on to visit the Bao Steel Factory and it was definitely bigger than Volkswagen. It was adjacent to a river that ran across the perimeter that was used for imports and exports for the factory. When we got to the factory, we had to put on safety goggles and hardhats to make sure we were safe. It was quite the fashion statement, if I must say. We had to go up these stairs to get to the walkway that oversees the whole process of the creation of the steel. It felt like in the Caribbean because it was super hot and humid due to the molten liquid that spouted out onto a conveyor belt and rapidly moved from one point to the next. The last place that the liquid reached was a cooling area that dashed out water to solidify it. After that we headed back on the bus and continued the tour. It was told to us that the factory did contribute to the countries’ air pollution epidemic. However they do take initiatives to help like wastewater management and recycling.

Scarlett Alejo

Today was probably the shortest day I’ve had since I have been on this trip. We started the day with our usual Chinese Crash Course, which is actually very helpful. The teacher helped me order food, drinks, buy clothes, speak to my hotel maid, etc all in Chinese. Being in another country where you don’t understand the language can be very frustrating when you can’t communicate. So her helping me speak the basics was very helpful. After the class we had our own cooking class where we made dumplings, pork and beef. It was very interesting to see how Chinese people cook their food and what they use to cook. The only downfall was the food didn’t sit well in my stomach. It made me sick but that’s only because my body isn’t used to some of the ingredients they use to cook.

Last but not least I went to visit a steel factory. In the steel factory, there’s a production line that’s filled with liquid steal before it’s molded into the steel we know today. It was extremely hot in the factory; it felt like I was burning up. Throughout our way in the factory we had a tour guide who was giving us background information on the factory. He said they mostly get their products imported from Australia and Brazil. Australia is their first choice because the fee of transportation is cheaper than Brazil. He then showed us this river where ships come to transport products to the factory; the river is 40 meters deep.

Jacqueline Aguilar

Today was our Chinese cooking class at the campus of East China Normal University and the visit to the Bao Steel Group. Unfortunately, we did not get to learn more about the cooking cuisine. I wanted to learn more about the basic seasoning that Asian people put in their dishes. We mostly learned to close dumplings.

Then we went to the Baosteel Group. It is the place where steel is being made and is the largest company in China. There are about 15,000 employees contributing to make steel. I was surprised by how big it is. It looks like an entire neighborhood. It has an area of 25 square kilometers. Even though it is huge, China does not have all the materials needed to complete steel. China imports iron and other materials from Australia and Brazil. The company also does not produce enough steel for entire China. Having that huge company provides a lot of pollution also. While doing the tour around the company, we saw how near the body of water, there was a lot of pollution that causes the air to look cloudy. From far away we also saw some of the boats that import materials from Brazil and Australia. When we went inside to see the final processes to make steel, it was so hot. There were only like 2 people where this process was taking place. Now most of the work is done by machines. 

The tour was very informative and now I know and saw a little about making steel, which I didn’t know before. The person guiding the tour mentioned that workers do not have the day off on national holidays. That does not surprise me coming from China, where most of the factories are and the labor is cheaper than the U.S.

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Liza Desmaret

We had the pleasure of cooking alongside china’s finest chef making a few traditional dishes like dumpling. We also had chicken and pork. While sharing a meal we all came to one conclusion, that we will dearly miss Chinese food. After lunch, we all met at the Mao statue and made our way to the Bao steel factory, which is the largest in the world with 15,000 worker mass producing all of china and other countries’ steel. This company makes 45.8 billion yuan a year and cover many acres of land. The bus ride was long back to the hotel. All of us ended us going go karts on the school camps. We had a great afternoon together sharing moments that will last us a life time and more.

Kaitlyn Fernandez

Today’s adventure consisted of a trip to Shanghai Volkswagen and a boat ride through the Huangpu River. When first entering the Volkswagen factory, we stayed in a huge lobby where the tour guide greeted us. After this, we got in a small car and they drove us around the different departments of the factory in which we got to see how the cars were made and assembled. This was very interesting because I had never seen cars in such a pure form. I learned how much effort it takes in order to produce a single car and the amount of people it requires. After this, we went to the River boat ride. This ride was a lot of fun because we had such a great view and amazing company. The buildings of new Shanghai were lit up in vivid colors, while softly projecting onto the water beneath us. The breeze was greatly appreciated being that the weather in China is normally humid. As the wind flew around us, we talked about the things we have done in China and enjoyed the view. I learned from this experience that many of us feel the same way about our trip being that we have learned a variety of things regarding culture, language and society. In addition to this, I enjoyed seeing New Shanghai compared to old Shanghai.

Samantha Benavides 

In the Chinese crash course, we learned to pronounce a complete sentence in a conversation with someone and review what we have already learned in class. After our class, we had the opportunity to meet the president of the CIEE program. He introduced himself by talking about his experiences when he was younger, then he informed us about Chinese relationship and differences with the United States in terms of economy. He encouraged us to explore more opportunities in studying abroad and use our passport as a resource and advantage to get away from our comfort zone. We also went to see the assemblage and the production of the parts of the Shanghai Volkswagen in which we had a tour around its facilities. Finally, we had a Huangpu River Cruise for about an hour, during our trip we had a landscape view between “old” and “new” Shanghai. It was very nice to see the lights and eat snacks.

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Lesly Jimenez

One of the activities in our itinerary involved going to the Volkswagen manufacturing shop. We were able to see the process of how they build the cars and the different jobs that the workers perform. We rode on a little car, similar to a golf cart, and had our guide explaining everything. I’m not very educated on cars in general so I learned a lot and got some new insight. Once we observed the different jobs performed to build the cars, we were able to ask questions. 
    During the night time, we went on a boat ride to The Bund. When we first got on, we stood in the middle of the boat. It was pretty crowded and everyone was trying to find a good spot to take pictures. After a couple of minutes we ended up going upstairs. There were chairs and tables where we could sit down and enjoy the view. I sat facing the front of the boat so that I could capture all of the buildings and the lights. The wind blowing felt refreshing due to the humidity that’s present in Shanghai. I made sure to take everything in and enjoy the experience.

Scarlett Alejo

My favorite part of today was definitely the cruise around Shanghai. I got to see the beautiful buildings and all the lights. It definitely reminded me of NYC. The cruise was interesting because I got to see the new Shanghai and the old Shanghai. You could see the difference in the structure of the buildings from the new and the old. I think it was a good idea for them to do that because it’s a perfect way to show how Shanghai has improved and grown over the years. Before the cruise we visited the Volkswagen factory. That was very interesting because we got to see how the cars were made and how they were put together. It was very fascinating to see how every shop built a certain part of the car and then it was moved to another shop until the car is finally built. The workers then test drive the cars regularly and on water to make sure they are safe. The cars were very fancy and nice; these models are only available in China.

Genesis Peralta

I had an amazing time at the Volkswagen not only because the tour that we had was very comfortable since we were all sitting on a car tour, but also because I was able to see how cars are made and see the crew behind all this hard work. We were able to ask some questions and the one that caught my attention the most was how in order to work at this place you need to have a bachelors degree. I was impressed because I though that in order to be able to work at these places, you only needed a high school diploma or not a diploma at all. So that was pretty interesting.

I really loved when we got on the boat. I was able to see old Shanghai and new Shanghai at the same time. You can tell that there is a huge difference between both because new Shanghai looks more modernize and better. I had the best experience because I was able to talk with two girls that were there and speak English too so that made it easier.I asked them where they were from and how did they learn English. We had a pretty interesting conversation. I also loved the view. I feel like New York City and China, Shanghai are kind of similar when it comes to the building and lights. Nevertheless, China is more appealing and it grabs more my attention.

Liza Desmaret

On april 23, 2018 we had a speech given by the director of CIEE, and his main point was that each and every one of us is a global citizen. We have an obligation to expand our understanding of the world. We are at an advantage because of the amount of languages we know and the fact that we are willing to get out of our comfort zone.  

Then we attended Shanghai Volkswagen and had a tour of their facility. We learned how cars are assemble, and they make 1000 car per day. The workers are protected with health care and housing. The price range of these car are $20,000 to $70,000 dollars. They can only be sold in china. They can only be sold in China.

Later on we went to the huangpu river cruise which consists of going down the river and seeing old & new shanghai. The lights were extraordinary, and it was just so beautiful out that I felt free from the world. This trip has helped me expand my horizon.

Edgar Cecilio

Tuesday, April 23 was a busy day for the Global Guttman students. Our day started with first going to school in the morning at 9 in the morning. It was also my turn to present to the class. My presentation was about Chinese music and dance. While doing research about Chinese music and Chinese dance, I learned that the Chinese bamboo flute is one of the most popular instruments in traditional Chinese music. It’s also played horizontally, much like a western flute. On the other hand what I  learned about Chinese dance is their popular dance is the Dragon dance. The Dragon Dance is the most well-known of all the Chinese dances and is recreated all over the world for Chinese Spring and New Year’s celebrations. It is also one of the older of the Chinese dances and can be traced back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD). After the presentation was done, we went to our other class which is the CIEE Chinese crash course. The class was learning the basics like how to pronounce foods, drinks, and how to have a conversation in Chinese. Once class was over, we had a conversation with the director of CIEE. He talked about how expending our mindset is a good thing because not only will it benefit us in our future career but it also make us view things differently. Once we got that great talk with the director, we went to Shanghai Volkswagen. Shanghai Volkswagen was a great experience. The class and I got a tour of how the cars are made from scratch from the big parts of the car to the little parts. Finally around 5:45, the class and I headed downtown because we were going to go on a boat cruise in the Huangpu River. The boat ride was about an hour long. It was a beautiful experience. We were able to see new and old Shanghai. The view was also amazing. I had a great time yesterday. It was tiring but fun.

Jacqueline Aguilar

After our chinese class we headed to the Saic Volkswagen factory. It was great to learn more about the factory where cars are put together. I don’t know much about cars, and today I learned the complexity that it takes to make a car. The plant was big and the  working environment was not healthy. Workers need to be very protected so their health is not being affected as much even if they have health insurance. The production line was done by machines and collaboration of workers that each focuses on one main part of the car. For instance, one group makes sure the wheels function well, another one works to fix the electricity, doors, paint, and so on for each part that make up a car. They must try everything first. I learned that Saic Volkswagen is the largest automotive group in China’s industry and that is very successful on the market. There are more car plants around China, such as in Urumqi, Yizheng, Changsha,  Ningho, and Nanjing. The plant in Shanghai is the most successful. It has around 5000 workers with a bachelors degree, and workers receive health insurance. Per day 1000 cars are completed. During the tour around the factory, I noticed how the lady informing us was talking like a robot. It sounded as if she had everything memorized in English. Then at the end, when the group was asking questions, she couldn’t understand english. Perhaps she was following a script provided by her employer in benefit to the company. Noticing this, it made me connect back to what we learned in Ethnographies of Work class at Guttman. 

After the Volkswagen tour, we took the bus to go to the Huangpu River Cruise. Being there at night gave us a beautiful view. When we took the boat we were able to observe the old Shanghai and the New Shanghai. The boat was in the middle of both Shanghais and the lights on both sides were beautiful to observe.

Parker Giovan

Today we visited the SAIC Volkswagen factory in Shanghai China. SAIC Volkswagen is a joint venture between the German car manufacturer Volkswagen and SAIC which is a Chinese company. Together the factory has an output of over 1000 cars a day. The tour was very interesting, as we go to see where parts were stamped out all the way to the conveyor belts where the parts were welded together. Finally we saw some of the brand new cars get rolled out off the factory floor. It was very interesting to see how the automobiles where made, and more impressively it shows the amount of competition the U.S automobile industry faces. Later on we took a river boat cruise towards the end of the night. It was a super special experience and we got to see both “sides” of Shanghai, the old and new one.

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Marcell Weeks

The day started with us going to the Volkswagen factory, and it was very interesting because I had never seen a car being made before. It was interesting how they work on every single part of the car like the engine, tires, and the material of the car. Then after the Volkswagen factory we got dress up and went on a cruise between old Shanghai and the new Shanghai at the Bun. During the cruise it looks so nice at night time with the lights flashing and projecting words on the buildings.

Debra Williams

 Today’s activities consisted of visiting the Shanghai Volkswagen Factory and going on a river boat ride along the Huangpu River in Shanghai. When we arrived at the Volkswagen factory, I was in awe at how large the plant was. There are different sections and buildings that were compiled together that make up the entire factory. We headed into the main building and it was filled with new car models and in the middle of the floor, they had a prototype of the factory in its entirety, so we could see all the different buildings and their specific function (whether it be assembling or testing the models after they have been completed). After we had a brief introductory video about the history of Volkswagen in China and its expansion over the years, we hopped for a fun and informative ride around some of the main buildings to see just how they put together the cars and some of the procedures they do even after the car is assembled. The tour was really great because it gave me perspective on a lot of things. The type of technology needed for cars and how that has revolutionized over time, the amount of work it takes people to make cars vs. the amount of time it takes newfound machines and how in the next couple of decades the roles might reverse and lastly, how much China values workers vs. America. Fun fact; The Shanghai Volkswagen Factory creates more than 1,000 car models a day. 
    After a full day of knowledge at the Volkswagen Factory, we went back to the hotel to get dressed up for the Huangpu River cruise that ventures along “Old Shanghai” and “New Shanghai.” As we got on the boat and it started to navigate towards the middle, you can start to see the stark contrasts between the two shared sides. The “Old Shanghai” was reminiscent of colosseum buildings that reminded me of Rome or even Barcelona. Even though it can be referred as “Old Shanghai”, there were some modern buildings that had a “skyscraper – esque” feel to them. Glimmering and glowing in the night, those modern buildings with the older more ancient buildings really added to the aesthetic of the river cruise. The opposite side, however, was completely populated with bright lights and skyscrapers. It reminded me so much of Times Square. It was really a beauty to see the Pearl Tower as well; it constantly changed colors and shimmered. That experience (among others in Shanghai) really made me appreciate the opportunity that was given to me. To come to China and experience this was one like no other.

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Kaitlyn Fernandez 

            On day 6 in Shanghai China, our long day began early in the morning for class in the Global Learning Building where we completed various presentations amongst us Guttman students. Following this, our CIEE professor conducted a Chinese crash course where we went over things such as greetings, how to order a meal or beverage, the different kinds of food here in China, counting numbers and a review of what we had previously learned. With their unique way of teaching, CIEE continuously makes learning Chinese quite fun and entertaining. 

Following this, we visited the elder’s home where we got to join them in their art class. While we split off into smaller groups, the elders were very open to having us sit with them. They offered us coloring supplies and paper and we tried our best to converse with them on what their task was. While this was happening, we began finding different ways to communicate such as Google translate which allowed us to have meaningful conversations regarding the elder’s environment, age, family and interests. When the time came to leave, the residents thanked us and appreciated the company we gave them in which we did the same and thanked them for their time. Back on the bus we went, making our way to the M50 Art District which is a contemporary art district in Shanghai. Here, hundreds of artists have developed art studios open to the public to enjoy and purchase art pieces. Walking through this district, it was clear how passionate many local community members were about their art. Many explained to us their inspiration for each piece and the meaning behind it which made the experience more personal and unique.

After all of today’s activities along with our previous adventures, the realization of how this experience is impacting us continues to develop. Although we have only been here for a few days, many of us have started to pick up on the language, making it a tad bit easier to communicate with others. Interestingly enough, we as a group are remembering different words and phrases in which we all contribute what we know to support the whole group. In addition to this, it is becoming more noticeable the bonds that we have made amongst each other and with our new CIEE guides. 

Jacqueline Aguilar

Today during the chinese crash course we learned how to order milk bubble tea in mandarin. In Shanghai, bubble tea is a very common drink and some of us enjoy having it. What is different from the U.S is that sugar in Shanghai is measured by percentages. Instead of using 1 or 2 spoons of sugar, in Shanghai it is ordered by 30%, 50%, and 70% of sugar. We also learned how to ask for spicy/not spicy food and for a cup with ice.  It was very helpful because in Shanghai, the  drinks are usually warm even in hot days and also because Asian people usually eat spicy food, while some of us don’t eat spicy food. Later on, we had community engagement by visiting an elderly home. Language was a barrier but that didn’t stop us from asking some simple questions using what we have learned. I enjoyed the activity we did with them, which was painting a butterfly.  We also went to M50 district, which I enjoyed a lot. The place had many artistic places and some of the walls were decorated with graffiti or other painted drawings. There were also small shops with art and coffee shops to try while visiting around.

Scarlett Alejo

My favorite part of this day was interacting with the elders at the elderly home. I love coloring with them. They would constantly ask me what colors I think they should use, and it was honestly the cutest thing ever. They were so excited to see us when we came in that they started clapping and smiling. It was a nice feeling. Before I attended this trip I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do as a career but this trip definitely opened my eyes to more things. I most definitely want a career where I can help and make a difference in someone’s life. This trip helped me see that.

Génesis Peralta 

On this day we had the opportunity to interact with the elders. We were able to paint with them and somehow have a conversation. Even though they didn’t speak English, I was able to use my phone to translate everything. I asked them what their name was, favorite color, their ages, and how they felt. They were answering all my questions and they were also asking me questions as well. I loved the fact that they were so nice and pleasant. Also that place was super nice meaning that they had a garden for themselves. They also had games to play and the place is also very clean. Compared to New York City, some of the places that are like this for elders are not that nice. So the fact that China has a place like this is a good thing.

Edgar Cecilio

10:30 was when class was suppose to start however, there was some time mix confusion that our Chinese instructor didn’t come on time but we got a new different instructor. She was cool, and I really enjoyed the class. Some new things I learned was how to say my name in a full sentence in Chinese which is “Ta jiaò Edgar.”  (my name is Edgar). Later that day, the class and I went to an elderly home. It was a wonderful experience because not only did it touch my heart, but it made me realize that life is too short and that the time when we are young we should enjoy it and do so many things that we are scared off. Once you start to get older when you can barely walk, all you really have is the memories you created throughout your life time. So enjoy your time that you’re young: explore, learn different things, meet new people, and appreciate the little things we take for granted like running.

Samantha Benavides

During the morning we had our Mandarin class. We learned how to order food in restaurants. After our class, we went to M50 (M50 art district) in Shanghai. It was an incredible experience going around many stores with different types of art and traditional objects. I had the satisfaction to buy some paintings that caught my attention in some stores that were open to the public. The division of the area is like a labyrinth, and the graffiti on the walls were very interesting. They all caught our attention because they were different from what we are used to seeing in New York.

Darious Serrano

Visiting the elderly home was a humbling experience. I was amazed at their excitement and energy towards us. I still find myself questioning why Chinese people are in amazement of us because I am so used to everyone looking different. Seeing the elderly smile at our presence and be excited while coloring with us felt really heartwarming.
The M50 Art District was fun as well. It gave me vibes of SoHo in New York because of its artsy aesthetic. I enjoyed the art on the walls because graffiti is one of my favorite things to view due to its rarity in New York City.

Lesly Jimenez

 Today we began our day with Chinese class. Our instructor was running a bit late, and we actually had a new instructor. She started right away and went over many different phrases. Some included how to order drinks, food, and how to introduce ourselves. 
After class, we walked to the retirement home where we greeted and met some of the elders. We were told that they were not fluent in English and that they actually spoke Shanghainese so it would be a bit difficult to have a conversation with them. They all welcomed us and said hello. We then sat in different tables and joined them with coloring. There we were able to ask them any questions, but of course with the help of our Google translate. To my surprise, they actually colored better than myself. We were told by one of the volunteers that coloring actually helps them with their memory. Having a place where elderly people can socialize with each other and have activities to do allowed us to see how well they are taken care of.

Marcell Weeks

The day started by us going to an art complex with mini stores where one can purchase art. I purchased a necklace and two art pieces for my parents. They look very nice and unique. These art pieces tell a story about what the artist did. These artists express themselves through art. We went to the retirement home, and the elders were having a lot of fun with coloring and playing games.

Debra Williams

Today’s activities consisted of the M50 Art Museum and a sweet visit to the Elderly home in Shanghai. Before we visited the Elderly home, I was really excited because I know that in China, the elders are much more valued and respected so based on that,  I wanted to see their living conditions and how they differ from the United States. Also, old people are so cute (lol). When we arrived, the elders were gearing to start coloring, and they were in a room that was filled with their own personal art on the wall. There was a main page that everyone would follow to know what colors to use on the page. I feel like it was a good icebreaker to get to know the elders because although we didn’t know how to speak the language, we got to pick out colors together and laugh if we messed up and give compliments to each other (thumbs up, smile, etc) to express how we felt. Most of the elders were in their late 80’s, early 90’s. It was a bit shocking because they looked younger than the age they told us. Getting to know them by simply coloring really made me appreciate life because it goes by so quickly and it’s about memories like this that can be created; not about the future but the living in the moment.

After we left the Elderly Home, we made our way to the M50 Art Museum. Once we arrived there, it was so cool to see factory-turned-shops that were used to display and distribute the self made art by the actual artists that created them. I bought some art from this artist comprised of small written words to depict beautiful landscapes in Shanghai, images of women and dogs, and geometric shapes that had different colors that complemented each other. Then, I moved on to a modest jewelry shop that had a range of accessories. From necklaces and earrings to tea kettles and sublime jade figurines of women in China, this shop caught my attention immediately. They also had Chinese Zodiac necklaces which is far different from America’s overall Zodiac system. In America, the Zodiac signs go by month and day whereas in China, it goes by year. I picked up a gift for my dad with his Chinese Zodiac which is a monkey. Conclusively, even though both activities were quite the contrast, they still provided me insight on some of the aspects that make up China (art and elders) and allowed me to expand my cultural capital.

Angelina Tallaj

This day I felt so proud of my Guttman students! To see the ways in which they were so kind to the elders and had the patience to navigate the language barriers really moved me. I liked the fact that our students were interested in getting to know these elders and not just complete the activity that we had planned out for them that day. The coloring with the elders went on for at least an hour. We made them so happy. It made me think a lot the joy that 90 year old people must feel when they get to experience youth energy. At one point, one elderly woman saw me looking for a bathroom. She literally took me by the hand and took me to her private bathroom, gave me paper, and stood there until I did my thing. This different sense of privacy is something I experienced through the trip. I found that so many people did not lock the bathroom door in public bathrooms, or one time I left my phone in one toilet room, and the worker burst the door open to find it even when a woman was sitting in the toilet. It made me think of how much more human that is.

The M50 complex was amazingly cool: a mini Bushwick or Dumbo. It was interesting for me to experience art galleries in a country so foreign to me like China. I enjoyed seeing how many of the artists we saw have carved out for them a particular style that is not traditionally Chinese, but it is not Western in style either. I enjoyed the fact that students really enjoyed M50, and some went back on their own later in the trip. And of course, I enjoyed the cat graffitis since I am a cat lady, something these students already know about me. Everywhere we go I buy something cat-related!

Parker Giovan

Today we went to an elderly home as a way to engage with the local community. It was really nice to see how enthusiastic they were about seeing us. We helped them pick colors for their drawings and did our own, since there was a language barrier, art was a great medium to bridge that divide. We also had the help of our CIEE guides who helped us translate a few questions, the two people I were sitting with, were both over 90 years old! They were also interested in where we were from and how old we were. After we were done we went to the M50 Art District, which showcases the work of different artists in Shanghai. One of my favorite artistic pieces I saw were the prints of photos from local photographers.

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Scarlett Alejo

The Jade Buddah Buddhist Temple was good for us to experience as a whole because it distinguishes religion customs from 2 completely different worlds. While I was walking around I saw people getting down on their knees and bowing down to the statues. There were many different statues so I’m not completely sure what each one symbolizes but it made me think about my religion (Christianity). People would tie ribbons around a post lamp-looking thing once their prayers have became true. The architectural design of the temple was beautiful and looks like it was really thought out and well put together. After visiting the temple, we went to the Watertown village which was beautiful. The only thing that wasn’t beautiful was the smell, which was coming from the tofu but it didn’t smell good. Me and a few of my classmates took a 15 minute boat ride around the Watertown village, and it was so intriguing! We got to see different people and see how beautiful the buildings looked. Once we got off the boat, we started walking around and I observed people having little businesses and selling food, clothes, art, etc. We got to interact with different people, and they all seemed to love Debra’s hair. Wherever we went somebody would stop and play with Debra’s braids. It was so funny. It sort of shows 2 different cultures because I know they aren’t used to seeing those kinds of hairstyles whereas for us we see it everyday. Last but no least we went to the acrobatic performance which was phenomenal. It was mesmerizing to see their tricks and how talented they were. Everything was well put together, and I would definitely love to watch another performance.

Debra Williams

Today we visited the Jade Buddha Temple, Zhujiajiao Preserved Watertown and sat in on an Acrobatic Performance. At the Jade Buddha Temple, there were many different temples and traditional shrines that actively being used to pray and worship the different Buddhas in each area. In addition to that, I actually seen more people that look more from southern asia (India, Bangladesh, etc.) coming to worship so it made think about my presentation in regards to the current population of Buddhists in India, and how it is in decline within the Indian population. Also what caught my attention was the ribbons on the tree that symboled that people’s wishes and blessings took place and they were giving gratitude to Buddha for that. Lasty, the different shapes in architecture also gained my attention because that was a symbol for social status and wealth within the community, dating back to ancient China (Shanghai specifically). 

    The next activity consisted of venturing to the Zhujiajiao Preserved Watertown, you really got to see the difference in the city side (urban) form the countryside (rural)  and how, geographically speaking, people altered their way of life for the environment. When we arrived we went to a restaurant that included  family style meals, and a swivel (circular moving table) to share the food items. There were seafood options (like fish and shrimp), meat options (like beef and chicken) and vegetarian options (like Chinese Broccoli, Lotus Root and Mushrooms). Simultaneously, it was someone’s birthday so they were having a celebration in another room and they offered us some delicious cake for the road. After eating a yummy lunch, we continued our journey to the Watertown and when we arrived, we were greeted by a lot of tourists and residents in the area, near the entrance. When we were free to go out on our own, me, Scarlett, Liza, Edgar, Lesly and Genesis hopped on a 15 minute boat ride. At first I was a little scared because it was really rocking when we were all entering the boat so I was afraid it would topple over. However it was quite the tranquil ride. We veered in to the center of the town and got to see just how many people were in attendance at the waterton. I also seen all of the bridges that were connecting to each portion of the Watertown and the little shops and restaurants that the area had to offer. Immediately after parting ways with the boat, we toured the town and I observed that there were alot of traditional robes and women were assembling themselves with her their hair and outfits. It reminded me of the geishas in Japan. 

    The last activity we embarked on was the acrobatic performance. It had a variety of acts from juggling, balancing glass, antigravity, martial arts and clown performances. Throughout the show, it was evident that there was a mix between western and eastern performance styles. For instance, the clown act reminded me of a circus performance in America because it had audience participation and the “goofy” behavior that the clown projected during the performance. The part that really stood out to me and that I enjoyed was the anti gravity portion. The woman was in a ring shaped lift and she was swinging back and forth while maintaining some sort of choreography. It was really graceful but complex the same time. Ultimately, this day was filled with adventure and curiosity and ended on a unique and creative note.

Génesis Peralta 

While being at the temple I was able to see how much respect the Chinese people have for their religion, not only because of how they would take their time to pray while being there, but also because at the entrance there was a lady cleaning the floor constantly which means that even the floor has to look nice and clean. I saw many people praying. They would go on their knees and then come back up and rise their hand to the statues that were there. They would do that over and over again. Many of them would wait in line to do that. My favorite part of this day was when we went on the water boat in the Watertown village, even though there was a weird smell but I was able to get through it and enjoy the ride. I was also able to see how hard many Chinese people work on a daily basics. Many of them were selling things like food, souvenirs, clothes and also the people who were giving us the ride on the boat. I loved everything about this place.

Jacqueline Aguilar

Today I learned about the Jade Buddha Temple and its other protectors. Buddha is the main deity Asian people pray to, but there are other small gods that people also pray to. For example, each of the statue located inside the temple represented something different such as for wealth, health, or happiness. It was interesting to see how in this culture people attach somewhere outside the temple what they have already achieved, instead of posting what they want in the future. Inside of the temple was beautiful, clean, and green. While we were inside the temple, I observed how Asian people were going around and pray for each god that was in the temple.

Marcell Weeks

As the day started, we went to a Buddhist temple. The temple is very ancient and from a different religion than ours. We could see how they pray, which it’s very interesting and different from other religions. After that we went to the Watertown which it is thousands years old, and there was bunch of mini stores with food and items for other people. The food was tofu, and it was raw and smelled rotten. The fact that this brings out the taste is unique to me because it is a type of food preparation that we don’t have in America. Then lastly, we attended the acrobatic show. It was a lot fun, and there was little comedy for one of the acts but the best part was the girl on the hoop as well as the balloons act.

Kaitlyn Fernandez

On day 5, we went to Jade Buddha Temple and the Zhujiajio Preserved Watertown. When we went to the temple, I noticed many large statues in which the community come to worship. Everyone was very humble and kind and although I did not understand the religion in the beginning, I got to see how calm and kind everyone was. I really enjoyed the Watertown because of how beautiful it was. It was very crowded because everyone wanted to enjoy the area, yet people made room for us and we found our way around. We took a nice little boat ride down the middle of the river and we got to see how the boats worked and the culture of the community. Afterwards, we visited the stores and a few of us met a man who was painting on the inside of small glass bottles. The art was so detailed and beautiful. He used a small curved needle on the inside of the glass and made a variety of pictures. At the end of the day we went to an acrobatic show and I gasped about 500 times due to how amazing the performance was. Although the day was long and tiring, the people who were in the show had so much talent it was worth the watch.

Lesly Jimenez

We arrived early in the morning to the Jade Buddha Temple. Both the temple and the architecture were beautiful. I did notice a lot of red ribbons tied in different areas. These ribbons get written on them after visitors pray. I came across different window frames with wood and patterns. The more complicated the pattern the more wealth. People would walk around and bow to each window frame. After, we headed to the Zhujiajiao Preserved Watertown. I got on the ride that was 15 minutes. I took the opportunity to enjoy the scenery and observe the people there as well as the businesses & stores. We were able to see the community coming together and working.

Edgar Cecilio

As our day started something I enjoyed doing was going to the water town. The reason why is because I was able to experience a boat ride. The boat ride was about 15 mins and during the ride, I was able to see so many things like the mini stores and many different beautiful views. However, once our ride was over my friends and I explored the town. We went to see what was inside the store. One store had this interesting smell where they will sell tofu that the owners let it rot for days. But Emily (our guide) told me that she once tried the tofu and it was very good. “The smell may not be attractive but the taste is,” she told me . Later on, the group and I went to see an acrobatic show. The show was really funny. My favorite part was when the clowns picked audience members and make them do embarrassing things. I really enjoyed it because it made me laugh. At the end, I had a good day.

Liza Desmaret

The acrobatic show was spectacular because there were many different parts incorporated. For example gymnastics, ballet, and various games mixed with music. My favorite act was when the women danced in midair and was so flexible. The show was absolutely breathtaking.

Angelina Tallaj

This has been my favorite day of the trip. I found the temple just mesmerizing, and the figures of Buddha and his protectors so interesting. I enjoyed seeing all the different facial expressions in them: some looked scary, some peaceful. The decoration of the temple is so simple, yet so beautiful with lots of gold and red colors. I noticed that buildings in China have dragons on top of the roof. They have the function of protecting the building, similarly to the gargoyles in Christian churches. The whole time I was wondering why I find Christian churches not beautiful at all, and I am so attracted to the aesthetics of masques and Buddhist temples. If I was an outsider to Christianity, would I find a gothic cathedral, for example, beautiful?

The day continued with the Watertown. I will have the images of this town forever in my mind. It has a history of more than 1,700, and it prospered through the rice business. Although a tourist town, it was full of Chinese tourists as well, which I was glad to see. Sebastien and I took alley streets and got to see where the workers from the town live. I enjoyed seeing the food they sell, sweets they make at several stores, and the overall feel this town so old and so beautiful.

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Parker Giovan

Today we visited the Jade Buddha temple. It was really fantastic to see the serene bonzai trees and towering sculptures of Buddha. The garden and court area were also very well kept and added to the peacefulness of the temple. It was really interesting to see what symbols, animals and colors are meaningful to Buddhism. After walking around the temple we visited the watertown. We were lucky enough to take a 10 minute ride on boats through the towns waterways, which helped us see the city through the eyes of the traders that once used the same routes to transport goods like rice. The night then capped off with an acrobatic show. It went for about 10 acts, some were incredibly difficult looking and others were comedic. One act consited of a performer balancing a pyramid of wine glasses on her face, others jumped through hoops stacked 10ft in the air.

Darious Serrano

The Jade Buddhist Temple was astonishing, seeing the architecture blew my mind. I was greeted by a Monk and even though there was a language barrier, I still understood that he wished me good luck or a blessing since he bowed down to me, shook my hand and smiled. I purchased a bracelet that signifies positive energy. We visited the Ancient Water Town, we took a boat ride through the dividing section of the town. Finally, we capped the night off with an acrobatic performance that was filled with people jumping over hoops that were 7-8 feet in the air as well as comedian clowns.

Samantha Benavides

Today we went to Jiangning Road, this temple was beautiful inside. I had a lot of fun. I tried to carry out a religious activity that the traditional people of Shanghai do, I knelt down and made a wish facing a Buddha. I realized that they have different “protectors” (some of the statues are made for health, money, life, spirituality, and prosperity) for the given occasion (past, present and future). In the center of the temple, we found a bell surrounded by people who were throwing money at it. Most of us did the same, but we did not know the meaning of it.

Liza Desmaret

The marriage market is a tradition Chinese hold every Saturday to communicate and bring the community together. It consists of umbrellas on the ground that hold a piece of paper that states the requirements a person has and should have to be married. For example, parents place age, height, weight, education level , and even the income their children earned. Then they place few qualities that they are looking for in a partner. I have concluded that this is a form of social media since the country is communist and doesn’t have much communication with the world. Parents are concern that their kids will never marry or are just getting too old so they push on the idea of getting down.  Most of the umbrellas were about females and few males. What I found to be very captivating is how parent are less welcoming to interracial marriages because they fear the lost of their child. Chinese are very family oriented and the thought of not being able to raise their grandchildren is terrifying so they keep to themselves. The garden temple was peaceful from the bus ride to sitting down near the water with the birds chirping. People go there to seek spirituality and others as tourists. The pound had fish that were abnormally big with ducks and turtles. Then we had lunch and headed back to the camps for an interaction with the ECNU students. We played ping pong and Uno while sipping on bubble tea. Lastly we had dinner at the fabulous small restaurant near the hotel. We official can say we had Chinese style noodles.

Parker Giovan

Today we visited the Marriage Market in Shanghai. It was inside a very peaceful park, with a koi pond and trees that hung like weeping willows. The Marriage “Market” is less of a market and more of a gathering of parents trying to network for their kids. On umbrellas, they have papers that list everything from height, age, and hobbies, to what they do for work. It definitely speaks to how a conservative culture can sometimes make meeting new people to date harder, and perhaps even is a product of the now defunct “one child policy.” With only one child, it would make sense that parents would want the best partner for their kid. After the Marriage Market, we moved on to visit Yu Garden and the Old City God Temple. We walked around there and took in the views of the temple and gardens. There were tons of small shops and restaurants in the area, and for lunch I tried my first Xiao long bao or soup dumplings, which are a speciality in Shanghai. After the temple visit, we went back to the ECNU campus and played ping pong with some local students. I had never played ping pong before this, so naturally I wasn’t as good. However, after learning some techniques and playing I got a lot better, and actually enjoyed the game.

Samantha Benavides

Today we went to the people’s market; this site was really enjoyable for me because so many parents were looking for a suitable partner for their child as well as they were friendly with us. This area was great to get an idea of what a traditional aspect of Chinese culture is. After reading some informative posters about their children’s lives over the umbrellas, we went into the park and discovered that it has some quiet places to connect with nature. We also went through the Chenghuang temple, where we were able to identify religious beliefs. This place has a significant history in its structure and is surrounded by a large commercial area with many shops and restaurants. 

Jacqueline Aguilar 

I really enjoyed walking around the People’s Park. It was also really interesting to see one more traditional thing that Shanghainese people do in the park, which is the Marriage Market. A lot of parents were there with umbrellas describing the characteristics and level of education of their child. Since the Marriage Market is done every Saturday, it made me wonder what was the thing that makes them stay behind the umbrellas for hours. Also the park was full of Asian and tourists, and its beautiful. It has  small bodies of water which are very attractive. 

Scarlett Alejo

The Marriage Market was very interesting to observe. It was the first time I’ve ever heard of anything like that. I learned that Chinese parents come to the marriage market to find their daughter/son either a wife or a husband. It made me think about how they would feel to have their parents advertise them in the streets. The Yu Garden was a beautiful sight to see although it was very busy and overpopulated.

Edgar Cecilio

As the day started something I really enjoy doing was going to Yu garden because it was so peaceful and beautiful seeing the flowers. However, the Yu garden also had a shop where they sell beautiful art work. Before going to the Yu garden, we went to the Marriage market, and at first I wasn’t exactly sure what it was. I knew that it was about parents going to describe the type of wife or husband the parents want for their child. However, during my time at the Marriage market I got a clear understanding what it was really about. So the parents will go to the Marriage market and have a full description of their child. The paper will say their age, name, weight, height, how many degrees they have, the school they went to, and even their income and lastly their phone number if the reader was interested. They will place the paper with information on their child in an umbrella and the parents sit there and wait to see if anyone would be interested as people pass by the umbrellas.

Marcell Weeks

The garden is a very calm and quiet place to learn things and it has that type of feeling you experience when you go to a New York garden. I’ve learned that a lot of parents put a lot of information about their sons and daughters in the marriage market, and it’s interesting that they their kids could pursue a right person.

Debra Williams

My favorite part of Day 4 was interacting with the ECNU students. Me and Lisa played ping pong and went from barely knowing how to play to becoming pretty average players. We also played Uno, and I taught Angelina and Lisa how to play. It was so fun because of how the game took a different turn once someone put their card down. What I learned from that experience was that in China (Shanghai specifically) in the games that we might know the rules to in America, are quite different in China. For instance, in UNO, instead of picking up a card from the deck and putting it down, you actually pick it up and keep it in your hand until it’s your turn again. It was also a great way to converse with the students who attend the University. I learned a lot about their major, some of their interests, and how they enjoy the Shanghai dormitory life in comparison to their lives back home. It was truly a fulfilling experience!

Kaitlyn Fernandez

Today we went to the marriage market and Yu garden. At the marriage market, it was very interesting how the parents were trying to get spouses for their children. One thing that sparked my curiosity was how they put the children’s characteristics on an umbrella. I was wondering the whole time how this tradition came to be. I learned how much this culture values family and happiness, being that they are seeking a good partner for their children. While walking through the park I noticed all the nature and how well the community maintains it. The nature in China is so green and bright which really makes the environment lively. At the Yu garden, the traditional setup of the different components encompasses all the valued things in China. The rocks are limestone and they are highly valued here. The more naturally eroded they are, the better it is for the garden. The flowers and plants were so colorful and truly made heads turn. As I walked through the garden with my group, I admired all the different  components. After this we went to the market area next to the garden and got lost a couple times due to how big and confusing the environment is. While we were eating, an older Chinese couple helped us get the necessary utensils needed for our meal. I found this very nice because they did not have to help us, yet they went out of their way to make sure we were having a proper meal.  Due to this, I learned how a proper Chinese meal is valued and taken seriously. Although this is the case, the people within China are normally happy to offer help when they see someone from another country struggling.

Darious Serrano

Day 3 was an eye opening experience to see parents selling the rights of marriage of their offspring to others who may be interested. At the Yu Garden, my favorite part was how it felt like collaboration between Times Square and ancient China architecture; I used to think New York was crowded but after these past experiences, I realized that New York would be a cake walk to the Shanghainese.

Génesis Peralta 

Being at the marriage market was an interesting experience because many parents would go there and they would write down in a piece of paper the qualities that they want someone to have in order to get married with their son or daughter. Then they would attach it to an umbrella. In Chinese culture it’s very important for the parents to get their son or daughter to get married before their 30’s. While I was there I saw many umbrellas and many parents looking for the people with the qualities that they wanted their children to get marry with. It was pretty interesting to me because in my culture and country you can get married at whatever age you want or not get married at all. In my case my parents would probably be concerned but it’s not like they would mind. It’s in my hands to decide wether or not I want to get marry. But it was pretty interesting because every culture has its own way of doing things and operating.

We then proceeded to go to the Yu Garden. It was pretty crowded and there were many foreigners. We walked around and took many pictures of the area. The scenery was beautiful and filled with many plants/flowers. I passed through Feng Wu Luan Yin which was traditionally called “The Martial Sing Stage.” Displayed we’re over hanging eaves which are the fine arts of handwork.

Lesly Jimenez

To begin the day, we went to the Marriage Market. I was intrigued to see what is was all about since it was my first time hearing of it. We saw many parents with umbrellas and a paper of qualities that their sons/daughters have.  This way parents or people can read and see if they are interested. This is not common in the States so, it was interesting to see.      

We then proceeded to go to the Yu Garden. It was pretty crowded and there were many foreigners. We walked around and took many pictures of the area. The scenery was beautiful and filled with many plants/flowers. I passed through Feng Wu Luan Yin which was traditionally called “The Martial Sing Stage.” Displayed we’re over hanging eaves which are the fine arts of handwork.

Angelina Tallaj

Today we attended the Marriage market. This is a place for parents to find a suitable partner for their child. Students were very curious in anticipation to this visit, and so was I. The truth is that the place was quieter than I expected, and it looked more like a hangout place than a business interaction. I learned that this marriage market is the Chinese version of match.com except driven by parents’ wishes to have their kids find a suitable partner. Isn’t this a wish that all parents have? And don’t parents in the US also sometimes try to find dates for their kids? I wished I could understand their signs so the anthropologist in me could dig in into this deeper. When reading the booklet that CIEE prepared for us I was surprised to see how this market has only existed since 2004 and that it costs approximately $3.20 for an advertisement displayed for 5 months, and the market has very low success rate. My favorite thing at the market was though the Chinese ladies dancing in the park, something that seems to not be that uncommon among older women here in China. I loved the village and market outside the Yu Garden, probably so far my favorite landscape I have seen here in China so far.

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Marcell Weeks

On the second day of Shanghai, we had our first Mandarin class in the Eastern Normal China University (ENCU) and we were learning about how to greet people, food and drinks, and so much more. Then after we learned about Mandarin, we headed to the Bell kindergarten to interact with the kids. What I first noticed is that their school bus was very small almost like a mini van small. There are 3 floors for the different age groups, The Kindergarteners on are on the second floor, there are a lot of toys that kept the kids occupied like a ball pit, playhouse, and seesaw. So the kids can’t stop having fun. In addition, there are private and public kindergartens, but for the public, the parents can’t let their kids attend because of the zone where they live. There are some fun things that we did with the kids: Lisa was doing musical chairs, Kaitlyn was dancing with them, Debra got the kids dressed and also Leslie & Genesis were drawing and singing songs. Then after the kindergarten, we went to the fake market and for the fake market, the workers will try their hardest to make the foreigners purchase items like belts, shoes, handbags, glasses, and so much more. And for us, foreigners will try to bargain the price down of the items that they have originally. For example, I was buying a belt and she was offering 630 in Yuan ($93.00), but I brought the price down to 200 Yuan ($30.00). Parker is the best for bargaining with the workers. Since he knows what price is too high or too low he kept looking for the right price in the middle. Lastly, we went to a Mulan concert. It was unique and different. It was difficult to understand what they were saying but I definitely enjoyed the choreography and the drumming. It was fun to see how they were acting.

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Kaitlyn Fernandez

Today we went to the kindergarten here in Shanghai, and we were split off into separate classrooms. Within the rooms we had different tasks in which mine consisted of dressing 1-2-year-olds, combing and fixing their hair and dancing/ playing games with them. The children didn’t speak much English so it was interesting how they reacted to me trying to teach them colors. They were all so sweet and adorable and appreciated my help. I learned how to communicate with children without language. By showing positive attitudes and having happy faces, they knew they could trust that I can help them, even at the age of 1-2. I also learned how Chinese kindergartens take care of the children and how they manage so many of them at one time. By doing this I believe I learned how to be patient and have a more positive attitude when it comes to younger children. Later on, we went to a traditional performance of Mulan, and it was amazing. The people performing in the show were so talented and knew exactly what to do when to do it and I could tell they really dedicate themselves to their performances. In addition to this, the music within the show was so relaxing that I became very calm while watching them play. I learned how the story traditional story of Mulan is not the same as the movie and I’m more happy that surprised over this. My favorite part was when Mulan was singing very high, yet her voice was so smooth and perfect.

Angelina Tallaj

I loved seeing little kids in China learning English from such a young age! Our students helped the teachers teach songs in English. I was impressed by the quality of the kindergarten. I have never seen a place with so many games for kids and so many teachers. Some kids were excited to show us how much they knew in English. The fake market was interesting. I bought lots of cat things since I can be called a cat lady! I loved the Mulan performance because I love Chinese opera and Taiko drumming. This performance had both. I just wished I could follow the words 😦

Lesly Jimenez

Today one of our activities included going to a kindergarten and interacting with them. We were all split up into groups or pairs and were placed in different classrooms. Genesis and I were placed with the kindergarteners who were drawing. We drew alongside them and described what we drew to them in English. The majority of them understood English and knew how to communicate with us. They introduced themselves and asked us for our names. After we visited the kindergarten, we made our way to the fake market. The fake market is where we were able to walk around and purchase a variety of items: From souvenirs to clothing, and sneakers. One thing we were told was to make sure that they didn’t overprice the items being sold to us. Instead, we would try to bargain with them to bring down the price. We would ask for the price, and if we disagreed or walked away, they would agree to lower the price. To end the day, we went to see a show which was a play about Mulan. I wasn’t sure what to expect since I was familiar with the Disney movie version of “Mulan”, but wasn’t sure of how it would be portrayed here. We sat close to the stage and enjoyed the beautiful visuals.

Scarlett Alejo

I woke up at 5 in the morning today and took my time fully waking up and getting ready. I usually don’t wake up this early but the time difference from here to New York is a 12-hour difference so it completely messes with my sleeping schedule. After I got dressed, me and Debra went to this amazing bakery next to the hotel. I honestly don’t know what I would do without it because I’m obsessed with ice coffee and my mornings don’t go so good without it. After we all had breakfast, we made our way to the campus which is actually a beautiful walk. The view is beautiful and the structure of the buildings is a sight to see. We went to class and learned the basics of mandarin. This wasn’t so hard due to the fact that we already took a mandarin class in New York. We then had lunch and made our way to this kindergarten school to interact with the kids. This was honestly my favorite part of the day. It was therapy to my mind and soul, I love kids and being able to interact with them and play with them was amazing. Everybody was given a different task to partake with the kids. I was in charge of dressing the little kids and doing their hair. All of the kids were fascinated with my long colorful nails; they kept on playing with them and touching them. It was so funny. After we finished interacting with the kids we headed to watch this Mulan performance. The performance was in the Oriental Art Center. In the same perimeter as the Art Center, there was a “Fake Market”. In the fake market, they sell designer bags, shoes, clothes anything you can think of but it’s all fake. It’s a good place to go and buy souvenirs so that’s what I did. At the fake market, you can bargain with the sellers, so if you feel like the price is too high you can lower it and they will compromise with you. After we finished shopping at the market we went to watch the Mulan play which was beautiful. The percussion was amazing and the actors did a very good job, I loved their wardrobe so it was so interesting to see. Today was a very productive day, and it has me excited to see what these next days have in store. Tomorrow we will be visiting the Marriage Market so I’m eager to see what that’s about.

Liza Desmaret

Yesterday was great because we visited Bell Kindergarten and had the opportunity to play various activities alongside them. I learned that they could communicate with us since they are being taught English at a young age. Bell kindergarten also gave us a souvenir to remember them and the small special time we shared. After that, we headed to the Shanghai Oriental Art Center for a fascinating show. It was a mixture of opera and percussion. I loved every second of it and wish people in America could experience it.

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Debra Williams

My favorite thing about the kindergarten was asking the kids their name in Chinese and singing nursery rhymes. What I learned that Chinese kids in the kindergarten are bilingual, and they use hand gestures to understand English.

Edgar Cecilio

My favorite part about today was going to the elementary school to meet the kids because their reaction was priceless when they saw us. Some of them were waving at us. They were also smiling and some even tried to make conversation. However, there was one kid who wanted to hold my hand and didn’t want to let go and that I felt, made my day.

Génesis Peralta 

Being with the kindergarten and seeing how much effort the put into learning was basically my favorite part of the day. I was able to talk to most of them in English and hold a conversation as well. I was impressed by how good their English was and how talkative they were as well. My job was to paint with them. So I helped most of them, and I was also asking them questions. They were all answering my questions and even asking me some questions as well. I was surprised because most of the kindergarten kids that I know are not that active when it comes to asking questions and wanting to know about someone unless it’s their friend but not a stranger like I was to them.

Jacqueline Aguilar

Today at the concert I liked the way the story of Mulan was represented. It was difficult to understand clearly what the modified version was about at the beginning. From what I know, the Disney movie of Mulan is based on her trying to take the role of her father as he needs to be part military. Due to the different language we weren’t able to understand what they were saying. I was only able to connect the part when Mulan cut her hair and took out the horns she had in her head. Overall, the show was interesting noticing the different instruments used to make the sounds; we were able to see where each sound was coming from.

Samantha Benavides

Today we went to a community engagement activity at the Bell Kindergarten where we were able to learn about the process of education at an early age of children between 1 to 6 years old. Each of these floors was constituted of several plans such as painting, dancing, writing, and videos. During our visit to this site, we were assigned to different floors in which we observed and carried out a variety of projects. I was on the second floor (children between 2-3 years old), and I could see how they handle these children among the teachers because those children have to sleep, they have to be dressed and brushed. The children and I sang songs about numbers in English and went out to do exercises and take some pictures. They were so cute, organized, and intelligent that I had the opportunity to enjoy all their frequent activities with them during the afternoon.

Darious Serrano

The Underground market was an awesome experience, I was amazed how interested they were in us Americans and how we were able to buy items for a low cost. Although they were mostly fake, some items seemed to have decent quality. I purchased 4 items for a total of $56.

Parker Giovan

Today was a very fun day, first we had the opportunity to meet kindergartners from a local private school. It was amazing to see how they organized the school and to be able to interact with the students. We broke into groups and all helped the staff either organize some sport events, paint, or do their hair. For my group I helped do a relay race and then sang some songs to the kids, I was surprised that they all seemed to know their ABC’s and they happily sang along. Comparatively I didn’t see many differences from Bell Kindergarten in Shanghai to schools in America, however I don’t think I have ever seen a kindergarten and preschool that was consolidated. After we left we headed to an underground market. The market is inside of a subway terminal and is really expansive, throughout the market there are tons of “fake” or “replica” items being sold. I soon found out that with a stern demeanor and being firm with offers, we could buy things for about 1/3 to even 1/2 of the prices they listed. It was fun going around and seeing all the items for sale. Finally we capped off the day by going to a performance about the story of Mulan. The costume and set design was really beautiful and the performance of Mulan and the other characters was powerful even though I couldn’t understand the Mandarin. My prior knowledge of Mulan came from the Disney movie which now seems very low brow after seeing this interpretation of the story.

Thursday April 18th 2019

Darious Serrano
Officially, the first day in Shanghai! A day full of activities, culture shock and first time experiences. Our day started off with a tour of the Eastern Normal China University (ENCU) led by tour guides Mia and Emily. Followed by a lunch with current graduate students who attend the Eastern Normal China University. Some of the food options we ate included: spicy beef & chicken noodles, rice, veggies, tofu, pork, fish with a side of xīguā zhī [watermelon juice] and zhēnzhū nǎichá [bubble tea]. Lunch discussions were full of diversity with conversations about currency exchange rates,  the Chinese education system, WeChat’s growth, and American culture. After our lunch, we took a trip to the Urban Planning Museum of Shanghai. This Museum had five floors and each floor highlighted the chronological advancements in Shanghai’s Urban Planning designs; the top floor included proposed plans for the year 2035! Next up was a visit to the Bund, a location eerily similar to Times Square in New York due to its aBUNDance of shopping centers and food options! We roamed the neighborhood in smaller groups in search of whatever caught our eyes, we walked around Old and New Shanghai and took pictures across of the New Shanghai skyline.
With all the traveling we were bound to feel hungry so we drove across Shanghai to have a welcome dinner at a traditional Szechuan restaurant. We sat in a family style dinner table with a spinning wheel on the middle of the table which allowed us to have a rotating selection of food. Dinner included: Pork dumplings, rice, spicy beef and chicken, flounder fish, ice lettuce with raspberry vinaigrette with a side of water and soda. Mid-meal, a loud song came on and then appeared a man in a full Chinese style costume and a black mask. He danced to his song and switched his mask to green with his sleight of hand skills; he walked into the crowd shaking everyone’s hand, he then arrived to our table and asked Kaitlyn to touch his mask, once she did his mask turned blue. Amazed at his performance, he received a round of applause from the crowd. We joined him on the stage and posed for a picture as our first beautiful night in Shanghai came to a close.

Marcell Weeks

“One thing I found most interested was the the Landscape because of how there are a lot of popular buildings and the way they structure it is great. Also at night the light of downtown Shanghai is breathtaking” 

Edgar Cecilio

“Meeting the students from East Normal University was a wonderful experience because not only did they give us a campus tour they also showed us what is daily life is like on campus”

Jacqueline Aguilar 

While in Shanghai Urban Museum I found it interesting the progress that Shanghai is doing in order to make a “better city, better life.” Shanghai is a big city full of skyscrapers but they also care for nature and have beautiful green spaces. Their future goal is to have more gardens given a new look to a “City” environment. Another way they care for the environment is by riding bicycles, from what I have observed, there are many bicycles available for pedestrians to rent and use. We actually saw how beautiful nature is treated when we were in the East China Normal University.

Liza Desmaret 

After attending class at CIEE and having lunch with students on campus. We took a 1:40 minutes bus ride to the Urban Planning Museum that was very eye opening to the development of Shanghai city landscape  What I mostly enjoyed was the four floor that had a map of the future of Shanghai city.

Samantha Benavides

Old Shanghai has traditional and classic buildings all over, each one of them has a historical meaning, we went through this harmonize place to explore and gain new knowledge. New Shanghai is characterized by its beautiful and modern design, during our tour to this wonderful city, we were able to learn about its famous heritage, cultural city, and national historic. The urban planning is amazing, I enjoyed the time here.

Parker Giovan

Today was a packed day. First we had a brief tour of the East China Normal University. Then we had lunch with local students from the university, our group tried Schezuan cuisine, which is known for its spiciness. Then we took a trip to the Urban Development Museum, which first showcased some of the earliest buildings and city planning. Then as we went up the floors we started traveling forwards in time and seeing what plans Shanghai has to become a truly modern metropolis and economic powerhouse. Along the way we saw amazing views and walked along the Bund which could only be compared to Times Square but way more expansive. It was really interesting to see the intersection of popular American brands and Chinese brands and what was attractive to the consumers here. 

Lesly Jimenez

Today, we had our first full day in Shanghai. We started off with orientation, learning what we will be doing in our classes, and a campus tour. We then met some of the students and got lunch with them. We were able to get insight on the college student life here and were able to ask them questions about the culture. We tried a variety of food and got to experience dishes that we probably would have never tried back home. Another activity planned, was going to the Shanghai Urban Planning Museum. We took pictures, wrote down notes, and observed our surroundings. One thing we learned about was how places in Shanghai changed in 30 years. The picture I included shows pictures taken by a photographer names Mr. Xu Xixian. He recorded Shanghai’s landscape in the 1970s and 1980s. During the 21st century, his son then went to the same place where his father took the photographs to show the changes of Shanghai. The picture on the right shows the Nanjing Road West by Shimen No.2 Road during 1986 and the left picture shows the road in 2004.

Kaitlyn Fernandez

On day one, I had a great time at the Bund. Seeing the new and old Shanghai was very interesting being that the environment was so different. We had instances where people would walk up to us and start taking pictures out of nowhere! It was nice to have  a group of people who found u interesting and stepped out of their way to let us know.  Afterwards, I really enjoyed the food and mask show that we got to watch.The presentation was immaculate and the way that the man performed with so many different masks proved that he had put a lot of time and dedication into the show. Regardless the language barrier, it was clear that the man was portraying many different characters with the use of a variety of masks. He showed anger and rage when he had the red mask on, and more mellow emotions with the yellow. The way he moved and danced across the stage showed that he was indeed playing different roles much like a “one man show”. I got to see different cultural aspects with the costume worn.

Angelina Tallaj

When I visit a new country, one of the things that fascinate me is the food. Sometimes I feel that I have the heart of a food anthropologist. In my day 1 in Shanghai, I focused on taking photos of the food, some of it which I liked very much. Some, I have to confess, was a bit beyond my comfort zone. I carried a sign everywhere that said “No Soy Sauce” in Chinese (thanks to Grace Pai and Jinzhong Niu). To my surprise, very few dishes had soy sauce. The sauces were amazingly flavorful and the meat very tender. I love the Chinese way of serving where they bring you food to the table and you eat it without asking what it is. Students learned to use chopsticks right away. I am so impressed! On our first day, Sebastien ordered angus steak from Australia, and he said it was nothing like he ever ate before. He wondered whether he ate some meat that we don’t eat in the US. With our communication skills, which were no more than pointing finger at a menu, we will never know what he ate! 🙂 

Genesis Peralta

Being at the Shanghai planning museum was such an amazing experience due to the fact that we were able to to explored and understand China culture a little bit more. I was amazed by how creative and realistic they are when it comes to every peace in the museum. I loved the fact that we were able to understand the history behind each piece just by pressing a number and calling with the phones that they gave us. My favorite part of the museum was when we went to the second floor and we were able to see the whole city of Shanghai. As you can see based of the picture everything seems so realistic. I was impress by how nice and colorful every part of each area looked when it came to the city of Shanghai. I love the sky scrapers the most because it calls my attention the most.

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