[LAST POST of 2018 Exchange] One Last Time

Kelby

Alright. Last one. For our last full day in Shanghai we had a wonderful time.

Our day began with a nice continental breakfast in the lobby of our hotel. From there, the Sisterhood went upstairs, got dressed, and set out for the day. I was particularly excited because my father’s employee’s (Mingjia) parents (try saying that five times fast) said they would take us to some cool new sites.

The first place they took us to was Yu Yuan, an old garden with traditional Chinese architecture, multitudes of flowers, and ponds stocked with giant carp. From there we walked around the area surrounding the garden as it was filled with shops and markets. Mingjia’s parents bought us all Dairy Queen. We then went to lunch and feasted on fish, pork, green beans, tofu, and tea.

Once we finished our lunch, we were then taken to a shopping district with small gimmicks and local snacks. Liz, Iona, and I all bought shelled coconut, which was essentially a bubble with milk in it. Extremely filling, extremely worth it.

The Bund and Pearl Tower were next on our list. The Bund is a long walking strip which runs along the river that separates the business district from the rest of the city. Mingjia’s mother took lots of pictures of us on the Bund, and we even got a picture of the famous skyline Shanghai has. After pictures were taken, we crossed the river and headed up the Pearl Tower.

The view was unlike anything I had ever seen. The day turned into night, and the entire city was truly awake. The buildings meant for companies flashed with lights and further portrayed a presence of life. A sea of apartments covered every crack and crevice of the city’s floor, as you can barely make out the cars swimming through the streets. The city was not simply awake by then, but it was alive.

We were exhausted by the time we exited the elevator taking us down, so Mingjia’s parents bout us dumplings. We got in the car, went back to the hotel, ate our dumplings, and prepared for bed.

Seeing this is my last blog, these are the types of days I will miss. Days like this are filled with adventure, friends who become family, food flavored by love (as someone we met here once said), and a feeling of action.

China has not simply been a destination, nor a vacation, but opportunity for global education. Seeing that tomorrow is our last day, I hope to obtain as much knowledge as I can before returning home. Until our return, all I can say is, “One last time.”