(Nick)Ni hao! We are finally in Hangzhou!!!!!! We had quite the busy day but I will try to recap as best as possible.
We spent all of last night on the train from Beijing to Hangzhou. We boarded the train expecting a 19 hour train ride that would go from 7 PM to 2 PM the next day but were told by our guide right before the train left that it was a fast train and would only take 12 hours to get to Hangzhou. This totally caught us off guard, as we had gone to the supermarket that day to buy 3 meals worth of snacks to keep us occupied for the long train ride. So as to be expected, we were a little bummed that we had bought so much food that we wouldn't need, and we were also not looking forward to waking up early the next day!
The alarm clock went off at 6:30 AM so we could get ready for our arrival in Hangzhou (I guess it takes SOME people 1.5 hours to get ready....haha). We all tried hard to look nice (we wanted to make a good first impression), so we all put on our best outfits and the girls put on makeup....we didn't want to look like a bunch of tired Americans who have spent the last 3 weeks traveling and who just spent the night on a cramped train! The train got to Hangzhou at around 8 AM and the first thing we saw was a bunch of Hangzhou High School students in their uniforms holding flowers and a couple teachers and school administrators. We managed to get our enormous bags off of the train (I don't know how) and we were immediately greeted by both of our host brothers and flowers. Naichuan (the Ms. Viz of Hangzhou High School...he is the Exchange program coordinator here) clumped us together so we could get our picture taken. Definitely an overwhelming arrival but very welcoming for sure. We walked to a bus of the schools that took us (and our luggage) to the school, where we were picked up by our host families.
My host father picked up me and my host brother, Raven, in a brand new Toyota Highlander. We drove 15 minutes on the highway to their home, which is in a new apartment complex right on the Qiantang River. Their apartment is one of two on the 17th floor. It is very modern and sleek-looking. I have my own room with a comfortable bed and a computer! My host father seems to be the "mom" of the household. At least today, he did all the driving, laundry, and cooking! Right when I got to the apartment he made me delicious eggs and bacon. He then asked if I had any laundry to do (which clearly I did after 3 weeks of traveling) but I only gave him about half of it because I felt bad making him wash my lifetime supply of clothes. My host brother and I watched the Cleveland vs. Milwaukee NBA game on TV (which is when I fully realized just how popular the NBA is here). My host father gave me a glass of coke, a glass of Lonjing cha (Dragon Well Tea), and apple slices...the food just never stopped! My host father and brother told me to take a short nap, which I probably could have used but I spent the time unpacking and getting settled in my room. My host father then cooked up a delicious (and what looked like gourmet) meal of yellow fish, potatoes, and fried bean curd. Now anyone who knows me at home is well aware of my hesitation with any seafood, but I ate the fish - a lot of it! I guess it wasn't so bad ;)
We drove back to school where we went to classes with our host siblings. Raven had Chemistry, Geography, and Math. When we arrived in his classroom (in China the kids stay in one room and the teachers rotate), the whole class started clapping and I introduced myself rather awkwardly to the class as they giggled. We situated ourselves in the back of the room, where all of Raven's friends sit. The kids in the back didn't seem the most studious of young adults but I will not judge after just one day - I did see one of Raven's friends playing a portable game system throughout Chem class and another taking a nap during Geography. The class was very studious (as a whole) compared to my classes in the U.S., and it was quite evident that this school is very difficult and these kids are the cream of the crop. The 2.5 hours I spent in the classroom were rather boring because the classes were all in Chinese, and I forgot to bring anything that would occupy me. Raven offered me his mp3 player and his friend offered me his game system, but I felt that would be rude (not to mention a bad way to start my stay in Hangzhou), so I just sucked it up and tried to pay attention. Tomorrow I will definitely bring my Chinese book to class so I can start some vocabulary memorization.
After 2.5 hours of class, we left early to attend the welcoming ceremony in an administration conference room. We got into the room and were greeted by all the school administrators, English teachers, and the other host siblings of the DS kids. It was so great to see Rose, an English teacher who came to DS last spring, and she was very happy to see us again. We sat down at the conference table and were formally welcomed by the school. Terry gave a speech to Madame Miao (the Principal) that was translated by Helen, an English teacher who came to DS a couple years back, and we presented the gifts to the school administrators from our school. We (the kids) all said a couple sentences about our last 3 weeks of travel and our arrival in Hangzhou (I said that although it was great to see so much of China and learn a lot, I was looking forward to interacting with people and forming relationships in Hangzhou rather than simply seeing the sights and being typical tourists). Madame Miao gave a speech in Chinese, which was also translated so we could understand, about the importance of the relationship between Hangzhou High School and Dover-Sherborn High School. After her, the vice principal spoke, followed by all the English teachers. It was a great welcoming ceremony that definitely made us feel welcomed into the Hangzhou High School community.
After the opening ceremony, we had a tour of the school from the vice principal and the English teachers. Wow, what a school! I knew that Hangzhou High School was very prestigious and nice, but actually being here put us all in awe. First of all, there is a huge gate at the entrance of the school with security guards. The boulevard leading up to the school is gorgeous, with gardens and lots of trees. The facilities are really nice. Although the classrooms are a lot more cramped and not heated, the gym facilities put Dover-Sherborn's to shame. They've got a weight room, a ping pong room, a sports conference room, what seems to be a heart rate monitor room, and a huge gymnasium with a basketball court and badminton court. Hangzhou High School also has a museum, since it is over 100 years old! The museum is beautifully done, with models of what the school looked like during different time periods, as well as photos of famous alumni. Dover-Sherborn, why can't we have a museum? I think the idea of having a museum for a school is so fitting...it definitely gives students an idea of what the school was like before their generation and in a way probably increases school spirit.
After our tour, we walked to a restaurant near the school for dinner. Not just any dinner, however; this was our opening banquet! The restaurant was amazing...very traditional Chinese yet at the same time very modern. We had our own room with two tables, one for Terry and all the school administrators and teachers, and the other for DS kids, their host siblings, and one of the English teachers. The meal was delicious and we ate all sorts of things, including squid, shrimp, fish, duck, and frog....yes, frog (which turned out to be delicious by the way). Throughout the meal we had many toasts....Madame Miao came over to our table and toasted us, and we went over to Madame Miao to toast her (after an English teacher told us to). There was a TON of food, and just when I thought the meal was winding down and I was full, more food came out.
After the banquet, we all split our separate ways. Terry, to her own apartment which is basically on campus, and each of us to our respected host siblings homes. When my host brother's car pulled up, I was greeted by my host mother in the passenger seat, who had spent the day working and I hadn't met yet. She is very nice but like her husband, doesn't speak very much English, but it is okay since my host brother is able to translate for me. When we got home, I showed my host parents and brother a scrapbook I made before I left the states with photos from home. I showed them photos of me with my family, with friends, with my dog, on stage, and at camp. My parents are very hospitable and although it is hard for us to communicate, I've used my minimal Chinese skills and they've used their minimal English skills and its all worked out fine. My host brother, Raven, is in Grade 2, or the equivalent of a sophomore in the U.S. He is 16 years old and loves soccer and watching NBA. We share a common love of all things European, and we've both been lucky enough to go a couple times. He told me that he would be spending all of next year in Los Angeles as an exchange student at a high school there. My jaw literally dropped as I told him that I would be there the next 4 years for college. Maybe we can meet up! He told me he really wants to attend university in the states, preferably in California. I am very happy with my host family (and getting quite used to their modern style of living).
I'm sure in the next few days the others will share their stories from Hangzhou, but this is my experience from just 12 hours in Hangzhou! It has been great so far and I think I speak for everyone when I say that we are so happy to be in one place for 5 weeks, finally getting to totally connect with the people here. The travel part was amazing, but there is nothing like the feeling of having a home with familiar faces, and even with just 12 hours under our belts, its already starting to feel familiar to us! I am really looking forward to what the next 5 weeks has in store for us - it will be challenging at times, but it will be that much more rewarding in the end!
We spent all of last night on the train from Beijing to Hangzhou. We boarded the train expecting a 19 hour train ride that would go from 7 PM to 2 PM the next day but were told by our guide right before the train left that it was a fast train and would only take 12 hours to get to Hangzhou. This totally caught us off guard, as we had gone to the supermarket that day to buy 3 meals worth of snacks to keep us occupied for the long train ride. So as to be expected, we were a little bummed that we had bought so much food that we wouldn't need, and we were also not looking forward to waking up early the next day!
The alarm clock went off at 6:30 AM so we could get ready for our arrival in Hangzhou (I guess it takes SOME people 1.5 hours to get ready....haha). We all tried hard to look nice (we wanted to make a good first impression), so we all put on our best outfits and the girls put on makeup....we didn't want to look like a bunch of tired Americans who have spent the last 3 weeks traveling and who just spent the night on a cramped train! The train got to Hangzhou at around 8 AM and the first thing we saw was a bunch of Hangzhou High School students in their uniforms holding flowers and a couple teachers and school administrators. We managed to get our enormous bags off of the train (I don't know how) and we were immediately greeted by both of our host brothers and flowers. Naichuan (the Ms. Viz of Hangzhou High School...he is the Exchange program coordinator here) clumped us together so we could get our picture taken. Definitely an overwhelming arrival but very welcoming for sure. We walked to a bus of the schools that took us (and our luggage) to the school, where we were picked up by our host families.
My host father picked up me and my host brother, Raven, in a brand new Toyota Highlander. We drove 15 minutes on the highway to their home, which is in a new apartment complex right on the Qiantang River. Their apartment is one of two on the 17th floor. It is very modern and sleek-looking. I have my own room with a comfortable bed and a computer! My host father seems to be the "mom" of the household. At least today, he did all the driving, laundry, and cooking! Right when I got to the apartment he made me delicious eggs and bacon. He then asked if I had any laundry to do (which clearly I did after 3 weeks of traveling) but I only gave him about half of it because I felt bad making him wash my lifetime supply of clothes. My host brother and I watched the Cleveland vs. Milwaukee NBA game on TV (which is when I fully realized just how popular the NBA is here). My host father gave me a glass of coke, a glass of Lonjing cha (Dragon Well Tea), and apple slices...the food just never stopped! My host father and brother told me to take a short nap, which I probably could have used but I spent the time unpacking and getting settled in my room. My host father then cooked up a delicious (and what looked like gourmet) meal of yellow fish, potatoes, and fried bean curd. Now anyone who knows me at home is well aware of my hesitation with any seafood, but I ate the fish - a lot of it! I guess it wasn't so bad ;)
We drove back to school where we went to classes with our host siblings. Raven had Chemistry, Geography, and Math. When we arrived in his classroom (in China the kids stay in one room and the teachers rotate), the whole class started clapping and I introduced myself rather awkwardly to the class as they giggled. We situated ourselves in the back of the room, where all of Raven's friends sit. The kids in the back didn't seem the most studious of young adults but I will not judge after just one day - I did see one of Raven's friends playing a portable game system throughout Chem class and another taking a nap during Geography. The class was very studious (as a whole) compared to my classes in the U.S., and it was quite evident that this school is very difficult and these kids are the cream of the crop. The 2.5 hours I spent in the classroom were rather boring because the classes were all in Chinese, and I forgot to bring anything that would occupy me. Raven offered me his mp3 player and his friend offered me his game system, but I felt that would be rude (not to mention a bad way to start my stay in Hangzhou), so I just sucked it up and tried to pay attention. Tomorrow I will definitely bring my Chinese book to class so I can start some vocabulary memorization.
After 2.5 hours of class, we left early to attend the welcoming ceremony in an administration conference room. We got into the room and were greeted by all the school administrators, English teachers, and the other host siblings of the DS kids. It was so great to see Rose, an English teacher who came to DS last spring, and she was very happy to see us again. We sat down at the conference table and were formally welcomed by the school. Terry gave a speech to Madame Miao (the Principal) that was translated by Helen, an English teacher who came to DS a couple years back, and we presented the gifts to the school administrators from our school. We (the kids) all said a couple sentences about our last 3 weeks of travel and our arrival in Hangzhou (I said that although it was great to see so much of China and learn a lot, I was looking forward to interacting with people and forming relationships in Hangzhou rather than simply seeing the sights and being typical tourists). Madame Miao gave a speech in Chinese, which was also translated so we could understand, about the importance of the relationship between Hangzhou High School and Dover-Sherborn High School. After her, the vice principal spoke, followed by all the English teachers. It was a great welcoming ceremony that definitely made us feel welcomed into the Hangzhou High School community.
After the opening ceremony, we had a tour of the school from the vice principal and the English teachers. Wow, what a school! I knew that Hangzhou High School was very prestigious and nice, but actually being here put us all in awe. First of all, there is a huge gate at the entrance of the school with security guards. The boulevard leading up to the school is gorgeous, with gardens and lots of trees. The facilities are really nice. Although the classrooms are a lot more cramped and not heated, the gym facilities put Dover-Sherborn's to shame. They've got a weight room, a ping pong room, a sports conference room, what seems to be a heart rate monitor room, and a huge gymnasium with a basketball court and badminton court. Hangzhou High School also has a museum, since it is over 100 years old! The museum is beautifully done, with models of what the school looked like during different time periods, as well as photos of famous alumni. Dover-Sherborn, why can't we have a museum? I think the idea of having a museum for a school is so fitting...it definitely gives students an idea of what the school was like before their generation and in a way probably increases school spirit.
After our tour, we walked to a restaurant near the school for dinner. Not just any dinner, however; this was our opening banquet! The restaurant was amazing...very traditional Chinese yet at the same time very modern. We had our own room with two tables, one for Terry and all the school administrators and teachers, and the other for DS kids, their host siblings, and one of the English teachers. The meal was delicious and we ate all sorts of things, including squid, shrimp, fish, duck, and frog....yes, frog (which turned out to be delicious by the way). Throughout the meal we had many toasts....Madame Miao came over to our table and toasted us, and we went over to Madame Miao to toast her (after an English teacher told us to). There was a TON of food, and just when I thought the meal was winding down and I was full, more food came out.
After the banquet, we all split our separate ways. Terry, to her own apartment which is basically on campus, and each of us to our respected host siblings homes. When my host brother's car pulled up, I was greeted by my host mother in the passenger seat, who had spent the day working and I hadn't met yet. She is very nice but like her husband, doesn't speak very much English, but it is okay since my host brother is able to translate for me. When we got home, I showed my host parents and brother a scrapbook I made before I left the states with photos from home. I showed them photos of me with my family, with friends, with my dog, on stage, and at camp. My parents are very hospitable and although it is hard for us to communicate, I've used my minimal Chinese skills and they've used their minimal English skills and its all worked out fine. My host brother, Raven, is in Grade 2, or the equivalent of a sophomore in the U.S. He is 16 years old and loves soccer and watching NBA. We share a common love of all things European, and we've both been lucky enough to go a couple times. He told me that he would be spending all of next year in Los Angeles as an exchange student at a high school there. My jaw literally dropped as I told him that I would be there the next 4 years for college. Maybe we can meet up! He told me he really wants to attend university in the states, preferably in California. I am very happy with my host family (and getting quite used to their modern style of living).
I'm sure in the next few days the others will share their stories from Hangzhou, but this is my experience from just 12 hours in Hangzhou! It has been great so far and I think I speak for everyone when I say that we are so happy to be in one place for 5 weeks, finally getting to totally connect with the people here. The travel part was amazing, but there is nothing like the feeling of having a home with familiar faces, and even with just 12 hours under our belts, its already starting to feel familiar to us! I am really looking forward to what the next 5 weeks has in store for us - it will be challenging at times, but it will be that much more rewarding in the end!
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