Skip to content

Tag: China

Published on

By maxleo43

I never quite understood the idea that someone would need to “get out of the city.” I had always heard about it in regard to people in New York City being too overwhelmed by the city and having the desire to go somewhere quieter. In DC, I never felt this. I had come from a rural area and wanted to be in an urban location, that’s why I chose GW! It wasn’t until I got to Shanghai that I truly understood this notion. So, this weekend I decided to get away and travel with a group of seven friends to Guilin and Yangshuo, two towns that are a three-hour flight south of Shanghai. It was absolutely amazing.

In order to maximize our vacation, we decided to fly out early on Thursday morning. We had a flight that left Shanghai at 7:10 AM. We took Didi’s (Chinese Uber) to the airport and then caught a direct, three-hour flight to Guilin. Flying in China is a unique experience. The airport security is different than from the U.S. In China, you can keep your shoes and jacket on, and liquids do not have to be removed from your bag. However, the security guards seemed to be pretty unfamiliar with some of the liquid products and confiscated them as a result. For example, one girl had her contact solution taken, and another lost two bottles of Tabasco. Once you get on the plane, you almost guaranteed to be greeted by a completely full plane. It seems to be rare to have open seats. During the flight, regardless of its length, you will be served a meal. It is almost guaranteed that you will have the choice between noodles and rice, both with some kind of meat (sorry vegetarians). Once you land, it is a mad dash to get off the plane. Then you will all depart, grab your bags and try to find out how to get a public bus ticket to get to your destination. For our trip to Guilin, this process went well once we got through security and we ended up getting to our hostel smoothly by taking two different buses.

We only had one night in Guilin so we spent the full day exploring. We went and got Korean food for lunch and then took a bus to the reed flute cave. This cave was very large and pretty, but also very touristy. There were colored LED lights everywhere that gave the cave a very odd glow at times. Regardless, it was still a cool visit and there were several areas that were very pretty.

...continue reading "Exploring China"

Published on

By Maya Haziza

I am now almost at my last week in my internship at a Hong Kong based fashion company. I am so glad that I decided to partake in an internship experience while living in Hong Kong because I believe that it is a unique experience that I might not be able to do for a while, or at least until I look for a job (potentially abroad). No matter where you are, I have realized that the best way to learn is by doing and this is exactly the mentality that I have maintained while working in Hong Kong. I am working for a company here in Hong Kong called AMENPAPA, a fashion brand and clothing company. Their clothes are sold all over Asia in countries like China, Japan, Korea, and more. My role at the firm for the 5 weeks that I am here is to focus on digital marketing efforts and build the company’s presence on social media and other digital platforms. It has been interesting to not only observe the nature of the company and its employees, but of how they do their marketing given their brand which is extremely unique. They are a fashion brand that seeks to synthesize spirituality and catholic teaching into fashion in order to empower people. As someone who is unfamiliar with the bible teachings and verses they print on their graphic items, it was hard to understand how exactly they market their products and communicate the brand story and the stories behind each collection. I have enjoyed our weekly meeting where the entire team sits down and shares something new they learned that week or a discovery they made. The team here has been very welcoming and I am grateful that I can now have connections in Hong Kong to the fashion business and industry.

Published on

By maxleo43

When talking to other people living in Shanghai, I frequently get asked if I like the city so far. This is an easy question to answer. Shanghai is amazing. It has a few flaws, but those are significantly outweighed by its amazing amount of culture, social scene and landmarks. I want to showcase a few of the things that I have found in this city so far, which perfectly illustrates what Shanghai has to offer.

  • Langxiao Jiutian: There are a ton of great restaurants within a ten-minute walk of where we live. This place definitely takes the prize for best meal. They roast whole lamb legs outside on a charcoal grill. You simply order a leg and then pay by the weight. They then bring it to your table and carve it in front of you. This has been one of the best meals I’ve had so far, and it comes at a great value, about $12 per person.
  • Yuyuan Gardens: These gardens provide a lively refuge in the middle of a busy city. It was mostly destroyed during the first opium war but was rebuilt in the 1960’s by the Chinese government. The garden can be very busy, but it features traditional Chinese architecture and a wide variety of different plants. It is a great way to step back in time while staying in the middle of downtown Shanghai. I went with the other students in the Global Bachelors program and we were all surprised by its beauty.

 

  • Epicure on 45: This restaurant is on the 45th floor of the Radisson Blu hotel, and has panoramic views of the whole city. While the menu is pricey, the views of the city are incredible, and it’s a much quieter atmosphere than some of the other viewing platforms in the city.

  • Starbucks Roastery: This is the largest Starbucks in the world, and they roast all of the beans in house. It is over 30,000 square feet and just opened last year. I personally don’t like the atmosphere of most Starbucks locations, but this one was very well decorated and just chill. The music was solid, and it is definitely a place I would consider going to do work. They also bake fresh bread and have a completely different menu.

  • French Concession: This is a very broad one, as the French concession is a very wide area that includes many of the top restaurants and bars in Shanghai. It is very popular among expats. The one thing that sometimes gets overlooked though, is the art. I was walking down a side street the other day and found an alley that was completely covered in murals. At the end of the street was a baby blue loveseat with a Michelangelo bust on it. It was one of the coolest things and could have been easily overlooked.

  • The Tipsy Fiddler: This is an Irish restaurant I went to for St. Patrick’s Day. They were showing the Ireland-England Rugby game and had a live band playing traditional Celtic music. It was a great environment and I met so many interesting people. Shanghai is full of people who are doing big things and so anytime I go anywhere, I like to talk to the people around me. I met a group of students from NYU Shanghai, another group from Fordham, and a woman who was in Shanghai for four days as a consultant for Deloitte. Overall, a very interesting group of people and a great way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

I hope that this can show at least some of the variety that Shanghai has to offer. It’s a great city for everyone because it truly allows for as much cultural immersion as you are comfortable with. They sell western food everywhere, and you can easily go to establishments that are full of foreigners. At the same time, it’s also very easy to immerse yourself in Chinese, Taiwanese, and Korean culture, which is what makes this city so special.

Published on

By Maya Haziza

My trip to Japan was by far my favorite country I have visited during all of abroad. The cities that I visited in Japan were so special and dynamic, but none were like Naoshima Island. As an artist and someone who appreciates art, this place was literally made for people to recognize and intersection between nature and modern architecture. Only those hungry enough for the sacred art island will make the trip of 3 different trains, a ferry, and bus just to see the museums, art projects, and sculptures lining the island in the Seto Sea of Japan. During my visit to Naoshima, it was raining which I was originally sad about because I wanted the opportunity to bike through the island

Published on

By Maya Haziza

So, Bali has a very special place in my heart. I don’t even know where I should begin in describing the beauty of Indonesia and its people. Our first stop was Ubud, most notable for its endless emerald rice fields and feisty monkeys. Ubud was the perfect place for us to begin our Bali trip because it really exposed us to the Balinese culture, food, language, and people. It is needless to say that this place is as good and beautiful and people say it is, and exceeded my expectations. We explored waterfalls, rice fields, temples, and so much more in our first day. My favorite and most memorable experience in Ubud was hiking Mount Batur. We set an alarm for 2:30 AM to begin our hike up what is an active volcano and crater. As someone who has done many hikes before, especially in Hong Kong, this was twenty times harder than that and lasted 5 hours. The climb was insane in every way. As you climb up this mountain you see lava rocks coated in red and even using a staff to guide your way it is hard to navigate through the steep and slippery of the rocks. I will never forget how bright the stars I saw during this hike were – like nothing I had ever seen before. It felt like being underneath a dome of stars that I could reach up and grab. It was spectacular and I still can’t get over it. We finally reached the top of the mountain and watched the sunrise – another experience I can’t really put into words. We explored the top of the mountain which had natural steam from the volcano crater and saw monkeys running around grabbing hiker’s chocolate bars. This was an epic experience that made my time in Ubud so special. Next, we headed to Uluwatu which is in the southern coast of Bali -- known for the most beautiful beaches in the world, especially for surfers. The Balinese people were so kind, down to earth, and curious about my friends and I as we travelled throughout the island met new people along the way. The five days I spent in Bali were the biggest tease in the world, because this is the kind of place you need to explore for a month – at least. There is so much to see and so much to do and the beauty of the island is beyond stunning. Bali, I’m coming back for you – SOON.

 

Published on

By shellytakessingapore

This past week (Feb 23rd to March 4th) was spring break at NUS. Like many exchangers, I used that time to travel to other countries. My friends and I made travel arrangements for Vietnam and Bangkok, Thailand. We had originally planned to travel through as much of Thailand and Vietnam as we could. As I have mentioned in one of my earlier posts, expectations do not match reality when it comes to traveling. We quickly realized that traveling to both countries was not feasible as we would be spreading ourselves too thin. Unfortunately, we had already booked flights for Bangkok and decided to visit the temples and night markets in the city for one day. While we were able to experience many of the main attractions Bangkok has to offer, one day simply is not enough time to truly appreciate the city. Nevertheless, my friends and I flew to the first of five cities on our itinerary: Hanoi.

Hanoi
Located in the northern half of the country, Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam. Upon exiting the airport in Hanoi, I felt like I was back in Boston. The weather is significantly colder in Hanoi than it is in Bangkok and Singapore with an average temperature of 60-65 degrees. The most memorable attraction I visited was the Hỏa Lò Prison. The Hỏa Lò Prison was used by French colonists in the early 1900s to imprison Vietnamese people and American soldiers in the Vietnam War. It was shocking and saddening to see how small and isolating the cells in the prison were. While Hanoi has numerous attractions to offer, it is more often used as a location for accommodation due to its central location in northern Vietnam. Many tourists take day trips to other regions in Vietnam including Sapa Valley, Ha Long Bay, and Ninh Binh. Due to time constraints, I was not able to visit Sapa Valley and Ha Long Bay. I know that in a future trip to Vietnam, I will make sure to explore those regions.

...continue reading "Recess Week! (Part 1)"

Published on

By maxleo43

Up until this past week, I hadn’t been to class in three months. The thought of school was not something that I was particularly excited about. Yet, after completing the first of sixteen weeks of classes at Fudan University, I am happy to say that I’m still alive.

It’s weird to be at Fudan because they have an actual campus. As normal as that should be, I am still not used to walking around and only seeing other students. There is a tower in the middle of campus that is 30 floors high. It can be seen from everywhere on campus and essentially serves as the campus’ north star. The rest of the campus consists of academic buildings that are about five stories high, several cafeterias (canteens) and some dorms. I live right off campus in an apartment building that houses international students. While there are international student dorms at Fudan, those are for degree-seeking students. My apartment is pretty nice and includes three bedrooms (there are three of us in the apartment), a living room with a TV, couch and dining table, bathroom, kitchen, and laundry alcove. It has definitely seen better days, but two weeks in, it feels like home.

Classes at Fudan are only held once a week (with the exception of languages) and most Chinese students will take around twenty-six credits (credits are calculated similar to how GW does it). I even talked to a student who is taking thirty credits this semester. School pretty much dominates students’ lives here and many that I talked to were not involved in any student organizations or off campus activities.

...continue reading "And Classes Begin"

Published on

By Maya Haziza

I am back in Hong Kong after spending a week in Japan with my mom and am still not over my experiences in Japan. This country and its people have exceeded my expectations beyond measure – in every way. We flew from Hong Kong to Tokyo for about 3 days and immediately felt the kind nature of the Japanese people and the beauty of the city. If I could describe Tokyo in any way, it would be organized chaos. After having travelled through China which is disorganized chaos, Tokyo was so drastically different. Even while walking in Shibuya crossing, the most heaving populated intersection in the world – there was a quiet harmony amongst the people. People in Japan are very formal and polite and do not waste any time on nonsense – they simply go about their days with order and peace and it is for this reason that the city feels so calm yet extremely dynamic. We began our first day by visiting the Mori Art Museum in the Tokyo Tower which had an incredible exhibit of Japanese architecture and also explored the helicopter pad view of the city. After that we went to the Tsujiki Fish Market and saw the fish auctioning and busy streets selling sushi and other street foods. I knew I was in a place with top quality sushi because even the fish market itself did not smell like fish. The sushi was as soft as butter and tasted so clean and fresh. Later that day we explored Ginza Area, Harajuku, and even went into a hedgehog café to play with them! The following day we explored Daikanyama, which is so peaceful and artistic with pop up vintage boutiques all over the area. One of my favorite moments was going to the Park Hyatt and seeing the bar where the movie Lost in Translation was filmed. The next city we ventured to was Kyoto, one of the older and more traditional cities of Japan. Kyoto was charming beyond words – from the golden temples, bamboo groves, picturesque nature, tiny little streets, and kind people, it was the perfect place to explore a place outside Tokyo. One of the most memorable experiences about Kyoto was sleeping in a Ryokan, on a tatami mat floor and futon bed. This is considered to be traditional Japanese hospitality and it was very unique that I got to experience this. This type of bed is surprisingly so comfortable. After spending two days in Kyoto, we took way 3 trains, a ferry, and a bus to arrive at Naoshima Island. This island is hard to describe in words because it is so special in every way. This island is a secluded island on the coast of Japan that is solely dedicated to art projects and museums beyond belief. This was my favorite day in all of Japan. I saw 5 museums that are purposed at being integrated with the nature of the island and this is what makes the island so special. There are pumpkins made by Yayoi Kusama sitting on the boardwalk in front of the ocean and museums overlooking the entire island. I saw a room filled with 4 paintings made by Claude Monet and I was shaking from how lucky I felt witnessing it on an island in Japan. My last day I spent wandering Osaka and shopping in Dotonbori. I am simply in love with Japan and can’t wait to travel back to this incredible country.

Published on

By Shannon Fitzpatrick

There is a certain level of comfort in the unknown. After a while of planning prior to leaving the country for a few months, the expectations and predictions about my new life began to fade away, and I allowed myself t be carried by the current. I have known for over a year now that I would be packing up and moving to China for almost five months, but until arriving here, I had no idea what to expect. Of course, I had tidbits of information that I had collected from others, from online, and from books, but only getting off the plane and into Shanghai allowed me to truly comprehend what my next few months would be like.

It’s now been almost two weeks since I’ve arrived, and I am confident in saying that coming to China has been one of my best decisions. Life here is much different from anywhere else in the world. The city’s friendly culture, bustling environment, and lively atmosphere contribute to Shanghai’s existence as a very modern hub that still maintains its traditional influence. I am learning to become an expert at navigating rush hour on a bike amongst cars, trucks, motor bikes, and people… lots of people.

In a city of 24.2 million people, I wondered if I would ever come across feeling overwhelmed and stranded in a sea of humans. However, I found this to be just the opposite. It is almost indescribable, but something about being surrounded by so many people who don’t even speak the same language as I do (I am taking Chinese this semester, so stay tuned) is surprisingly comforting. While each individual navigates the city streets with his or her own end destination in mind, we all share the commonality of being humans contributing to the functionality of one city. With this, while I may not know everyone around me, I know that we live amongst one another, each bringing our own individual flame to the fire.This idea is what has brought me to commit myself to exploring and serving a particular community within my neighborhood of Shanghai.

In the US, I have been practicing yoga for a few years now and it has become a significant aspect of my life. I have found my practice to be incredibly beneficial for my physical and mental wellbeing, as well as a great way to connect with others. I am very grateful to have discovered yoga as a means to share a common space and practice with individuals from all backgrounds. The universality of yoga allows for individuals of all walks of life to overcome any existing cultural, language, or other barriers, and share in a common experience. For someone like myself, many miles away from home and in a country whose language I do not speak, this is a definite up side.

A few nights ago, I was walking back to my apartment when a bright sign at the top of a building caught my eye. A few blocks from my apartment, I spotted a neon sign that read “V-Yoga”. In that moment, I was as happy as a seagull with a french fry- or should I say, a panda with bamboo. Anyways, I had been searching online unsuccessfully for local studios, and finally stumbled upon something. Since it was ten o'clock at night, I knew I couldn’t check it out in that moment, but was excited to stop by the next day.

So, following my discovery, I woke up the next morning to check out the building and see if I could find some more information. After asking someone to translate a sign for me, I headed up an elevator to the eighth floor of a building, where I met three incredibly friendly Chinese women. They all spoke very little English, and I speak close to no Chinese, but that didn’t stop us from having a great interaction. They patiently sat with me as I discussed with them an idea I had.

I offered to come in to the yoga studio during the week to help out around the studio, and teach them anything that I have picked up on from my yoga practice in the US. They were very interested in this, and their faces lit up when I told them I could help teach them English as well.  After we discussed, they told me that in return for my help, they would teach me what they have learned in China, as well as offer me the opportunity to practice in their studio. After some slow but delightful communication, they were thrilled at this idea, and welcomed me with open arms into their studio’s community. While we have all known each other for only a little while now, it has been incredibly comforting to have found the comfort of a small and welcoming yoga community in my own new back yard.

I am excited to share my knowledge and perspective with others in my community here, and hope to use my previous experiences to help others explore and expand their practices. I am so happy to witness how others can experience and benefit from the power of a practice that has helped me in so many ways. With gratitude, I am eager to continue this unique opportunity here in Shanghai.

Until next time, namaste.

Published on

By maxleo43

My last week has truly been a whirlwind. I arrived in Shanghai on Saturday by high speed train and met up with the other students in the Global Bachelors students. Besides the seven classes that we had together last semester, and a handful of meetings, we were all mostly strangers to each other. At the same time, we all became fast friends and ended up spending a lot of time together. Together, we explored the city, going to museums, visiting landmarks, and eating an excessive number of dumplings. Through all of these, we made several observations about Shanghainese culture. Here they are:

  1. Health is treated much differently here. You rarely see people running and when there is the option of taking the stairs or the escalator, everyone will choose the escalator. Gyms are too expensive for most people to afford ($150+ per month). Despite a culture that doesn’t seem to specifically exercise, nearly everyone is thin and eats well. Most meals consist heavily of rice and vegetables and will often include meat. The people value health, but have a different approach than the U.S.
  2. The contrast between the rich and poor is truly stark. I was walking to dinner the other night and was in an area that did not appear to be particularly nice. While most of the buildings appeared to be rather rundown, one of them looked brand new. In front, there was easily $5 million worth of ultra-luxury sports cars. There is an incredible amount of wealth here, but there are also people who are homeless.
  3. The city is so clean. In my last blog post, I compared it to New York City. Shanghai is unbelievably clean for how big it is. There are constantly street sweepers driving down the street. The Chinese government also pays people to sweep the streets. As a result, you rarely see trash or even dirt, despite the age of the streets.
  4. It’s hard to find people who speak English. I kept hearing how everyone hear will speak English and I won’t have any problem not knowing Chinese. While I have been able to get by, very few people speak any English, let alone good English. Most people working in retail or at nice restaurants will speak English, but other than this it is pretty hard to find anyone. As a result, picture menus have saved my life another time. I’ve also been relying on my roommate pretty hard since he speaks fluent Chinese.
  5. Things don’t always make sense, but it works out. For example, classes start at Fudan tomorrow at 8 AM, yet we don’t register for classes until tomorrow at 1 PM. I’m not sure why we can’t register yet, but I know that it will be okay. Things may seem stressful, but in the end, I will have a schedule full of classes and everything will be okay, because it always is.

...continue reading "The First Week"

Unless otherwise indicated, the content and opinions expressed on this web site are those of the author(s). They are not endorsed by and do not necessarily reflect the views of the George Washington University.
Privacy Notice
Viewing Message: 1 of 1.
 Notice

This site uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. Visit GW’s Website Privacy Notice to learn more about how GW uses cookies.