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Tag: China

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By mahaliasmith

When deciding to study abroad, the most significant challenge I have come across is being racially stereotyped for what I look like on the outside, rather than who I truly am on the inside. For the first time, while living and studying in Shanghai, I am technically a part of the majority, while simultaneously remaining a part of the minority, for I do not speak Mandarin but I appear ethnically Chinese or South East Asian. It is quite an interesting feeling being surrounded by people who all look familiar, all the while constantly being reminded that I am still an "outsider" of sorts.
Nevertheless, Shanghai has already been an amazing, fascinating, concurrently exhausting journey. So far, I have been sick once, gotten lost twice on campus, attended three classes, been harassed by four Chinese "fake market" vendors, and eaten about 18 million bowls of noodles and rice.

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Aside from one time in the past five or so years, following my grandfather passing away while abroad in high school, I cannot remember the last time I was homesick. Put in other words, I don't tend to miss anyone—even the people closest to my heart, such as my family and best friends—when I am away from them. I believe this is due to two specific reasons: first, I always feel connected to the people I love no matter how far away I am from them, and no matter how long it has been since last seeing them; second, I find I tend to acclimate to new environments with relative ease and speed.

—— ...continue reading "Home is … where YOU are."

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By Maya Haziza

The bustle of millions of people running around the city and preparing for the new year is a unique time in Hong Kong. People swarm the streets buying orchids, fruits, and gifts for their friends and family and never miss taking their children out to the carnivals in the city. As I walk down my block towards my apartment I can smell the pungent scent of Chinese cooking fill the air as I step on wet streets that have been sprayed with water during the preparation of orchids to be sold.

I put my hands together and shake them as I approach a Chinese couple and say “Gong Hei Fat Choy,” which means “Congratulations and may you be prosperous.” If the couple has truly connected with you they will often times give you a little money in a red envelope as a way of reciprocating the wish for prosperity. My friends and I roam the streets in Victoria Park, where there is a carnival for the new year, trying different Chinese deserts and buying the little knick knacks for sale.

The reason I find this time of year so special in China is because it is the most exciting and joyful holiday in Chinese culture. Every family spends weeks preparing for the new year celebration or planning their travels to mainland China from Hong Kong and visiting their families and friends. The metro is packed with people pushing their way out of the exits to make it to see the new year parade in Tsim Sha Tsui. Then finally on the day of the new year, Friday - it all stops and there is silence throughout the streets. All the stores and malls are empty and everyone is with their loved ones welcoming in the new year together.

I am so grateful that I was able to be in Hong Kong during the new year and experience the excitement. For the new year my roommates and I have planned a 9 day trip to Vietnam ... can’t wait to share it next.

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By maxleo43

I am still trying to understand why someone would not want to come to China. If you love cities, Shanghai is one of the most metropolitan areas in the world. Like culture and history? Try Xiamen where historic architecture meets the modern world. Prefer the mountains? Wuyi Shan is the perfect mix of quiet town and picturesque national park. These are simply the different settings of China that I have experienced in only twelve days. I know from talking to people who live here that there are so many different landscapes to experience. The point being, China is as diverse in its offerings as the U.S., if not more.

Shanghai reminds me in many ways of New York City. While I am sure that over time I will find them to be very different, at first experience, I found some similiarities. They both have areas that are full of high rises and incredible expensive apartments (Manhattan and Pudong). This area is separated from the rest of the city by a river (The East River and the Pu River). The area immediately on the other side of the river is very trendy, but not as showy (Brooklyn and French Concession). Both cities then have a huge influence from other cultures and feature restaurants showcasing this cuisine. Finally, the pride that people have for these cities is very similar. Both cities give their residents bragging rights that you will hear people touting, even within the city. There is one big difference however; Shanghai is much more modern.

Xiamen is a large port city in Southern China. Many of its buildings are original and it feels very authentic. With the exception of two very large hotel towers, the city is relatively low. This makes the city feel smaller and more personable. It reminded me of Charleston, SC in its pleasant and welcoming atmosphere. Xiamen is heavily influenced by Taiwanese culture (They are only about 100 miles from each other) and has a number of street markets with fresh produce, handmade trinkets and tasty food. Xiamen is a warm southern escape from the cold of the north.

...continue reading "It’s Not What You Think"

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I have only been in China for 5 days now, but it has certainly been an experience. I spent the first four days in Shanghai before flying to Xiamen, a city in southwest China. I arrived on Tuesday and Chinese New Year (CNY) took place on Friday. I could never have expected the influence that that would have on our trip.

Chinese New Year is based on the lunar calendar, and usually occurs in late January, February, or early March. It is one of the few national holidays and as a result, the largest human migration happens. It is tradition to go and visit your family during this time. It is said that if a girl brings her boyfriend home with her over CNY, then he must marry her (marriage is incredibly important here). Since everyone travels home, cities like Shanghai end up being very empty and closed down. While this is probably a welcome relief for Shanghai residents, it makes its very hard to gain an understanding of the city if it’s your first time there.

...continue reading "Chinese New Year"

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By Maya Haziza

It is amazing because I am sitting here writing this blog post after reading remarkable news about the first meeting between the leaders of North and South Korea in over 60 years. The two countries have entered a period of potential peace now and in the future and I am so lucky that I had the change to witness the unveiling of this political climate with my own eyes. For my 21st birthday, eleven of my closest friends travelled together to Seoul, South Korea for 3 days. We landed in Seoul very early in the morning and headed right away to our Airbnb where we all took a nap because beginning our day later. I woke up to friends surrounding me and singing Happy Birthday to me while holding a chocolate cake. The entire apartment was decorated with streamers, glitter, candy, and gifts – what better way to spend your 21st with friends in Korea? We got ready and headed towards Myeondong Street where we stopped at every boutique doing some damage and eating our way through the delicious street food. I tried almost everything I could that was vegetarian: kimchi fried pancake, potato chips on a stick, cotton candy, kimchi hand rolls, strawberry smoothie, and more. It was very difficult navigating our way through Seoul because none of us had any service and were thrown into a metro system ten times bigger than we are used to in Hong Kong. The locals were very nice whenever we had asked for directions but we soon realized how big of a city it actually is and would take us time to get from place to place. For my 21st birthday dinner we ate a Korean BBQ restaurant in Itaewon and it was delicious – even the vegetarian bimbimbap. The next day we headed to Gyeongbokung Palace, where we rented a Hanbok, traditional Korean dresses. We didn’t know this at the time we bought the outfits, but if you dress up while entering the palace – it is free admission and much more respectable than normal clothing. This was probably one of the highlights of my trip to Korea because it was just so fun to do something new and be fully immersed in a new culture. The palace itself was spectacular because you are inside of this ancient structure, while you are simultaneously facing a highly advanced and cosmopolitan city. The juxtaposition of the ancient and the modern is a trend I have noticed while traveling all over Asia and it is something that makes this side of the world so unique. After we finished in the palace we had planned to go visit the Samsung museum or another art museum in town, but didn’t realize we would be walking outside into one of the largest protests I have ever seen. This was during the time that North Korea and the U.S. were going through talks in regards to the North Korean nuclear weapons program. North and South Korea were also beginning the first stages of their peace talks and the South Koreans in Seoul were furious about these negotiations. Thousands of people marched on the streets of Seoul speaking out against North Korean negotiations. It is so interesting how the two countries originate from the same place however North and South are worlds apart in ideology, government, and economy. This was an incredible experience – witnessing the world change in front of my eyes and being there to read the signs and shouts of Koreans. My last day in Seoul was spent at a traditional spa, a famous activity to do while in Korea – as Koreans are known for their phenomenal skin care products and spa treatments. I went here with two of my closest friends and it was the perfect way to end the weekend in a relaxed environment. We got massages, rolled around in Himalayan salt rooms, and went into the pool there. My friends and I really took advantage of every moment in Korea – singing karaoke, wandering Hongdae, visiting Namsan tower and so, so much more. Seoul is a magnificent city and I can’t wait to come back in the future.

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By maxleo43

31.5 Hours. This is the amount of time that I will spend traveling to get from my house in small town Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania to Shanghai China. I am currently sitting on a train, two hours into my travels as I write this. I had to drive thirty minutes to the train station in Harrisburg, then take a four-and-a-half-hour train to JFK airport, then fly sixteen and a half hours to Taipei, Taiwan, and then fly another two hours to Shanghai China, where I will land two days ahead of when I left. That doesn’t even include my time spent waiting at airports or in layovers. This will not be my longest travel period (getting back from Kenya took forty-two hours), but I am sure not looking to it. Regardless, I am starting to truly get excited. For the last nine months I have been telling people that I am going to Shanghai, and now it is finally here. It still hasn’t hit me.

...continue reading "On My Way!"

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By Maya Haziza

4 cities. 9 days. North to South. Vietnam was not only one of the most beautiful places I have ever travelled to, but was an eye-opening educational experience. My two roommates and I began our trip to Vietnam in Hanoi, which is in the northern region of Vietnam. Hanoi was exactly what I had expected it to look like with mopeds and motorcycles swarming the busy streets. I would often times see families of three on one motorcycle with their faces covered with sanitary masks. It was a bustling and exciting city in every way. We ate our way through the street food and carnivals that were happening in honor of the lunar new year. Our second day in Hanoi we visited the Hoa Lo Prison, Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, and the Temple of Literature – all historical sites and museums in Hanoi. I have to admit that Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum felt creepy to experience at first because we were led into a small room with hundreds of tourists walking around his death bed and the guards in the room made the atmosphere rigid and cold. Later at night we explored Ta Hien street which is known for tons of “restaurants” and bars lining the streets. People flooded this street at night and sat so low to the ground to eat their pho noodles. The next day we took a bus from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay and began our overnight adventure on the bay. Ha Long Bay is probably is if not the most remarkable sites I have ever seen in my life. The entire bay is filled with more than 1,000 boulders and mini islands scattered throughout the water. It was unfortunate to see that the water was not very clean due to the amount of cruise boats and tourists that visit Ha Long Bay, but it still baffled me how such a place on earth can exist and still be in tact. We took a boat to one of the only islands on the bay that has a beach and hiked to the top of the peak only to witness the craziest view of the entire bay. We ate dinner on the boat and met people from Korea, Argentina, Israel, Holland, and more countries. The following day we woke up on the boat and headed towards one of the most beautiful caves in Ha Long Bay. The ceilings of the cave were indented by the water that had left dips in the ceilings over the years. It really is hard to describe the beauty of the cave from inside of it and the beauty of the greenery of the island. It is a UNESCO world heritage site, so that speaks for itself. We kayaked throughout the bay later that day, indulging in the serenity and quiet of the water. After we experienced Ha Long, our next stop was a city that I was recommended to visit by a close friend of mine in the middle of Vietnam. I had never heard of Da Lat before visiting it and my roommates and I truly had no idea what to expect. The two days we spent in Da Lat were the most beautiful and amazing days of my life. We rode on the back of motorcycles for two days exploring the entire city, visiting waterfalls, coffee farms, tea farms noodle factories, silk factories, black pepper farms, mushroom farms, and more. To this day, I am obsessed with this city and cannot wait to go back and visit it again, especially the couple in the hostel we stayed at who were the kindest people. Our Vietnam trip concluded in Ho Chi Minh city where we explored the huge markets and put our Chinese bargaining practice to good use. Ho Chi Minh particularly was an eye-opening experience because I learned more about the Vietnam War in two days than I ever have in a classroom setting or through a textbook. We visited the war remnants museum and learned about the tragedies that the Vietnamese people had experienced first with the French and later with the U.S. war on communism at the time. On our second day we went to the Cu Chi Tunnels which were dug by the Vietcong (communist rebels in the south) had hid and actually crawled inside of one. I was beyond amazed at how they built such a complex underground structure that helped them survive the Vietnam War. I could not stop thinking about how I, as an American, am so easily able to wander and explore a country that was invaded by Americans who had caused so much bloodshed and death. I asked my tour guide what Vietnamese people really think about Americans and he said that it is “generational.” The generation that endured the war hated the French and Americans, however my tour guide actually spoke about how much he loved Americans and looked up to former President Obama. It’s beautiful to see a country with people so strong and resilient after years of war. This is a shortened version and only small glimpse into my experiences in Vietnam, but what a special place on earth it is. If you haven’t been yet – make it the next stop, you won’t be disappointed.

 

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By maxleo43

Hello and welcome to my first Blog Post! My name is Max and I am part of the second cohort of GW’s Global Bachelor’s Program (GBP). The Global Bachelor’s Program is a comprehensive study abroad program with students from the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Elliott School of International Affairs, and School of Business. There are around 26 of us who are in GBP and we will all be going to Shanghai shortly, along with Stephen Suranovic, an economics professor at GW. As part of GBP, I am required to either spend two semesters abroad (Shanghai included) and hold an international summer internship or spend three semesters abroad. The idea is that by spending this time abroad, students will develop a truly global perspective of the world.

I will be studying at Fudan University, which is about 20 minutes from downtown Shanghai. The semesters at Fudan do not match up perfectly with GW’s, and so I do not leave for China until February 11th and don’t start classes until March 5th. The last day of finals is July 6th. Unlike universities in the U.S., spring break isn’t a thing at Fudan, and I only get about three days off for holidays during the whole semester.

I am in a rather peculiar situation in that instead of returning to the U.S. after my semester at Fudan, I will be heading straight to Mumbai, India, to intern for VIVA Group, a real estate development company. I am studying Finance and Real Estate and am considering a career in real estate development. As such, I am hoping that this internship will provide me with some clarity. As a result of this internship, I will be gone from the middle of February through the beginning of September, almost 8 months total.

I keep getting asked how I feel about leaving, and I am still struggling to find a good answer. I am excited for the change of scenery and way of life. Unsurprisingly, I am also nervous. I do not speak the language, I have never been to China, and I am still not even sure what a typical Chinese meal looks like. While I could describe my feelings as nervous or excited, I think that I could best be summed up as optimistic. I do not know what I will encounter. I just simply have no idea what the next eight months of my life will look like, and I am completely okay with that.

 

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My name is Mahalia Xiaoqi Smith. Born in Maoming, China in 1998, I was very likely my parent’s second born, meaning I was destined to be part of China’s “missing generation” — one of the millions of girls who went “missing” during this time due to the PRC’s one-child policy. However, I was lucky. I was rescued from the streets at six weeks old and taken to an orphanage. My mom adopted me when I was 7 months old and I have been immensely grateful for all of the opportunities I have been offered since.
Although the way my life began was a decision I cannot change, I will never let it define me. Nonetheless, my identity at birth has continued to drive my curiosities to the edge — to find myself and my place in our world.
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Despite the confidence I find within myself and exploring this world today, I was quite the exact opposite growing up as a child. I was always shy, always anxious, always nervous. Eventually, my mom made me personally answer all of her phone calls in order to improve my communication and people skills.
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...continue reading ""In spite of everything, I still believe people are really good at heart." —Anne Frank"

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By Maya Haziza

When I first decided to travel abroad and live in Hong Kong for the next 5 months, the question that I got from my friends and family time and time again was “why?” Why did I decide to travel to China over any other destination in the world? My response was simple, “I decided to travel to the place that scared me the most.” As funny as that may seem to some people, it is completely true. I realized that I had never had the chance to study the most populated, developing, and bustling economy and country in the world – China. 1.4 billion people. 663 cities. 200 individual dialects.

Most people will tell you about the culture shock that sets in when travelling to a new country, but you never truly understand it until you feel it for yourself. The most difficult aspect of my transition to Hong Kong was the diet. As a vegetarian I found it difficult to transition into a culture that incorporates meat into almost every meal of the day. Slowly, but surely – I learned that the culture and city changes for no one. I learned to embrace the uniqueness of the tastes and preferences in Hong Kong and in China at large.

One of the reasons I chose to study with SU Hong Kong is because of the amazing opportunity to travel to mainland China for the first two weeks. This was truly one of the best ways to dive into the Chinese culture and learn about its past, present, and future. The lectures were in hotel conference rooms, but the real learning happened in the cities we wandered. The first city we visited was Xian, the ancient capital of China. As someone who appreciates art history, I was in awe of the Terracotta Warrior Army museum. Through learning about the first emperor of China, I understood the grandeur of the Terracotta Warriors protecting their ruler’s mausoleum. The next city we visited was the current capital of China, Beijing. Our group travelled through Tiannamen Square, The Forbidden City, and most importantly The Great Wall of China. My visit to the Great Wall of China was by far my favorite day in all of mainland China because of the beauty of this ancient and massive structure. This was also the only day where I saw a clear blue sky in China. The first few weeks in China, I wore a face mask to guard myself against the PM 2.5 air quality – an experience that led to my learning of Chinese environmental challenges. Lastly, my visit to Shanghai was filled with exposure to the mixture of western European influence on an Asian society.

...continue reading "Ni Hao, China"

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