Skip to content

Tag: Shanghai

Published on

By maxleo43

Any time I travel, I always take notice of what people wear. Fashion is an excellent representation and states a lot about the culture of an area. For example, Street wear is very popular in Shanghai, and despite there being hundreds of Chinese fashion designers, people prefer to wear American and European designer brands. Supreme, Off-White and Balenciaga are a few of the most common brands worn here. While these are popular in the U.S., they are nowhere near as big as in Shanghai. Regardless of income, the people here seem to be well dressed and have a pretty decent grasp on style and fashion.

This week, Shanghai hosted Shanghai Fashion Week, complete with runway shows and a trade show for industry professionals. One of my roommates and I attempted to get tickets to a runway show (we had no preference) but despite our best efforts, we weren’t able to make any progress. We even sent emails saying that we were journalists (My roommate wrote for a Journal in Buenos Aires for a few months and I have written for a food blog) who wanted to cover Fashion Week (We were actually planning on writing an article). We had almost given up hope until we found out that we had a connection who could get into an official fashion week after-party on Friday night. We thought we had finally made it.

In our minds, we were going to mingle with fashion professionals who would help us create a diverse network. As such, we needed to look our best, and so we set off to the South Bund Fabric Market. We set out with the goal of getting well-tailored, bespoke suits in slightly less common fabrics. We had done some research and knew which stall to go to to get suits made and went into the experience feeling pretty confident. We showed up at Kate&Kevin and explained our situation to Kate. She told us that despite our short timeframe (3 days), she could get two suits and two shirts tailored and even include a fitting. We were surprised, but she was incredibly nice and just seemed accommodating. Due to this, we ordered suits. I ordered a lightweight olive-green two-piece suit and my roommate got a heavier wool purplish-brown suit. Kate took around 15 different measurements and told us that we could return on Friday morning for a fitting.

...continue reading "Fashion Week"

Published on

By Shannon Fitzpatrick

Last post, I described the role that passion plays in fostering a sense of community. To build off of that, I’m going to talk a little bit about letting passion drive service. As I previously posted about, I have found an amazing yoga community here in Shanghai and am incredibly grateful to have met so many individuals with similar passions to my own . With almost three months down, and about a month and a half left of my time in China, I have been starting to think about my plans after my time in Shanghai.

In July, I will be heading to Uganda, Africa for the summer. In Uganda, I will be working with an organization called the Giving Circle, which is a non-profit organization that assists with educational and health development in poor regions of the world. In particular, I will be working with midwives in the African village called Kagoma Gate Village. In Kagoma Gate, I will be observing and assisting with health practices in an underdeveloped region of the world. The work that the Giving Circle does is incredible, and I am very excited to be a part of their efforts. The organization has been expanding and making unbelievable transformations in the Kagoma Gate community. As an entirely non-profit organization, the more money that is raised, the more aid the Giving Circle can provide.

Living in Shanghai, I have experienced life in a developed city where most of the population is relatively well off. Thinking about my near future, I will be living in a location vastly different from my current one, transitioning from a global city to an underdeveloped village. I began brainstorming how I can use my time here in Shanghai to help the individuals in Uganda who I will be working alongside for the summer.

One of my friends here named Sarah is currently a PhD student at the university where I am studying. Sarah was the yoga instructor at a yoga class I attended on campus, and we began to talk about yoga and have been friends ever since. A few days after I met Sarah, she invited me to an outdoor yoga class that she was holding at a nearby park. I had such a fun time with Sarah and her friends, and got an idea for a fundraising event to benefit the giving circle.

Now that temperatures are rising in Shanghai, I am hoping to host a fun night time yoga session outdoors. As of now, I am planning on co-teaching with Sarah, who speaks Chinese, so that she can cater to the Chinese speakers and I can cater to the English speakers. Between the two of us, we can spread the message about our event to our friends here in Shanghai, and by creating a suggested donation for the class, we will be able to raise some money for the Giving Circle. If all goes well, we can maybe even hold more than one event. It will be such an incredible feeling to be surrounding with new friends for a night of yoga for a great cause and I am looking forward to sharing more details on the event to come!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A photo recap of our previous outdoor yoga session!

 

 

 

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 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 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 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"

Published on

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.

——

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."

Published on

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"

Published on

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"

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.