Shanghai Nights

(Max)

So this past weekend we traveled to Shanghai by speed train. Shanghai was actually the city that I was most looking forward to seeing before the trip started and it did not disappoint. We did a series of activities that even the most veteran tourists would be proud of.

After arriving Friday afternoon, and after a quick dinner, we made our way to the Oriental Pearl Tower. The Pearl Tower is quite a spectacle. In case you are not sure what it is, well, it is quite an iconic symbol of Shanghai. It is a needle like tower with three orbs at different heights. We went to the third orb, as we wanted an exceptional view, rather than a mediocre one. Wow, was the view exceptional. We could see all of Shanghai in its glory as it was lit up in the night. Looking down on the financial district along side the Huangpu River, I was amazed at the immenseness of the city. We ended the night by going back to the Marvel Hotel and getting ready for the rest of the weekend.

The rest of our time in Shanghai was spent exploring downtown. This included going to Nanjing Road, a shop lined street packed full with people like sardines in a can, and the French Concession area, an older section of Shanghai. There, we had a lunch that will certainly be memorable. It took place in a kitten café as they call it, which is, as the title describes, a café with kittens. It wasn’t very crowded so when we sat down we had the whole wait staff bringing us cats. Three cats were on our table within two minutes of us entering the café. It was by far the cutest meal I have ever enjoyed, and one that would certainly not meet U.S. health codes!

All went well in Shanghai and we took the train back to Hangzhou on Sunday night. We came back to our new host families with the exception of Ms. Lockrow, who is continuing to stay in the faculty housing on campus. My new host brother, Sun Kai, seems to be quite the well-rounded student. He enjoys academics, specifically physics, and he also enjoys sports. He and I have enjoyed several afternoon sessions of badminton as I get better and better by the minute. Learning from his techniques has certainly proved useful to me. Each day we come home to his big family waiting for dinner.

Sun Kai has a younger brother, a strange occurrence in China due to the one child policy. His younger brother, Jerry, is a six year old living the high life in kindergarten. Jerry goes to kindergarten for a couple of hours and then comes home and plays his games and watches TV. I have had the distinct pleasure of battling him with foam swords. Both sets of Sun Kai’s grandparents stop by at some point during each day to say hello and to bring by groceries. His parents, who surprisingly speak excellent English, are incredibly nice people. Each dinner and breakfast is home cooked and the food is delicious every time I eat it. I am very excited to spend my last week in Hangzhou with these wonderful people.