So yesterday I picked my classes for the semester. Drum roll please...
1. Korean Speaking
2. Korean Writing
3. Cultural Internship (Helping Koreans with English)
4. Traditional Korean Dance (My cultural class for the semester, like the drumming from the fall)
5. Understanding International Society (Interesting subject, I think it will be an awesome Sociology type course)
6. Korean Politics and Diplomacy (Really wanted to take this, considering all that has happened in Korea this past year)
I am super excited about this semester. Not only is everyone extremely nice and positive, but my classes sound great. What makes it even better is that I arranged my schedule so I have Thursdays off apart from exchanges, which will be really nice.
My roommate moved in this morning. Her name is Bogyeon. She is a sophomore like me and is majoring in Biology. She is really nice and speaks pretty good English. Two of my other suite-mates moved in today as well. It's nice to have them here, it was way to quiet before.
I start school on Monday, so I will let you guys know more about classes and all that later.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Beijing: Tienanmen Square, Forbidden City 1/26
We returned to Tienanmen Square after visiting the night before with Xiao Chen. We went with our tour group to see "Mao" for a second time, along with going inside the Forbidden City.
Tienanmen is quite a sight, it is so large and full of historical significance. It is home to the Chinese Government, with several government buildings. There were tons of people in the square, mostly Chinese school groups. There were also the always present in huge numbers Chinese guards patrolling the square. I really found these guards intimidating, apart from the times that we were able to make them laugh from our very Kehe Girl actions (running across the street like crazy, attempting to speak Chinese only to fail miserably, you know stuff like that).
After walking around the square, we went into the Forbidden City. This is the palace that was home to Chinese royalty for hundreds of years. It was forbidden for any common person to enter, so that's where the name came from. Like the Korean Kings, the Chinese royalty were not allowed to leave the palace, so the name could come from both sides: Common people forbidden to enter, Royalty forbidden to leave.
The Forbidden City is a city within Beijing. It is massive. There are 9,999 rooms covering about two and a half million square feet. The reason for the 9,999 rooms is because the number 10,000 represents deity, so the emperor served as the second only to deity in Chinese culture. As a result, his home should represent that number closest to the deity (9,999). We were only able to walk through about half of the palace, and we were there for a couple hours.
One thing that stood out to me right away about this palace compared to the Korean palaces were the colors. The architecture is similar, but in Korea the palaces are green and black. The Forbidden City was yellow, red and orange, the colors of Royalty. In Korea red is a bad color, never used in anything. It is interesting the contrast yet the similarities of China and Korea. They have a lot in common yet are unique.
After our afternoon downtown, we went back to our hotel and met Xiao Chen. We went to Wanfujing, a shopping area close to our hotel. We found this bookstore in the area. As we entered, we were given a slip of paper. We asked Xiao Chen what it was and she said: "Oh there's an art auction upstairs." Before checking out the auction, we walked around the four level bookstore. It is such a change to see books all in a different language, with a small section of the store labeled "English books."
We then went over to the auction, as we entered we were given a numbered paddle and some tea. There were about ten other people buying paintings in the auction. We followed Xiao Chen to a seat near the front to see the paintings up close. The auction was entirely in Chinese, so Xiao Chen translated as much as she could as the auctioneer quickly asked for bids. Picture an American style auctioneer speaking in Chinese, with buyers sipping tea lifting their number. We watched one painting get auctioned, and I asked Xiao Chen "What was the final bid for that painting?" She said "Oh, 100 Yuan ($12)." All the painting were these gorgeous hand painted on silk paintings, so we told Xiao Chen "Let's bid on the next one." So it began.
The auctioneer started the bidding, and Xiao Chen raised her paddle, giggling with excitement. Another few people bid, so she would tell us "The bid is 50 Yuan, 60 Yuan." At one point the bidding was going so fast she asked the auctioneer to slow down because she was translating. He thought the fact that these four Americans with a Chinese girl were so funny that he slowed the bidding. We got the painting for 80 Yuan ($10)! It is a beautiful hand painted picture of some winter flowers, we were so happy!
After this epic event, we went to a nearby store. It was kind of weird because there were these Chinese employees dressed in European Middle ages dress. There was this knight walking in front of the automatic doors, so we had to "sneak" around him to get in. Once inside we received a pamphlet that there was a "dress in traditional Chinese dress" area free for pictures. Of course we had to go. Once there we got all dressed up for some pictures, making the on duty security guard laugh out loud as we tried to squeeze into these outfits. It was so fun and so unexpected.
After shopping a bit, we went to a nearby restaurant for Peking Duck. We wanted to try some Peking Duck while in Beijing, so Xiao Chen took us to her favorite place to duck. It was a very nice restaurant, and the food was delicious. We got duck (which included the head), some veggies, and a soup. The duck was so tasty, and Bethany tried some of the brain (which she said wasn't too bad).
Tienanmen is quite a sight, it is so large and full of historical significance. It is home to the Chinese Government, with several government buildings. There were tons of people in the square, mostly Chinese school groups. There were also the always present in huge numbers Chinese guards patrolling the square. I really found these guards intimidating, apart from the times that we were able to make them laugh from our very Kehe Girl actions (running across the street like crazy, attempting to speak Chinese only to fail miserably, you know stuff like that).
After walking around the square, we went into the Forbidden City. This is the palace that was home to Chinese royalty for hundreds of years. It was forbidden for any common person to enter, so that's where the name came from. Like the Korean Kings, the Chinese royalty were not allowed to leave the palace, so the name could come from both sides: Common people forbidden to enter, Royalty forbidden to leave.
The Forbidden City is a city within Beijing. It is massive. There are 9,999 rooms covering about two and a half million square feet. The reason for the 9,999 rooms is because the number 10,000 represents deity, so the emperor served as the second only to deity in Chinese culture. As a result, his home should represent that number closest to the deity (9,999). We were only able to walk through about half of the palace, and we were there for a couple hours.
One thing that stood out to me right away about this palace compared to the Korean palaces were the colors. The architecture is similar, but in Korea the palaces are green and black. The Forbidden City was yellow, red and orange, the colors of Royalty. In Korea red is a bad color, never used in anything. It is interesting the contrast yet the similarities of China and Korea. They have a lot in common yet are unique.
After our afternoon downtown, we went back to our hotel and met Xiao Chen. We went to Wanfujing, a shopping area close to our hotel. We found this bookstore in the area. As we entered, we were given a slip of paper. We asked Xiao Chen what it was and she said: "Oh there's an art auction upstairs." Before checking out the auction, we walked around the four level bookstore. It is such a change to see books all in a different language, with a small section of the store labeled "English books."
We then went over to the auction, as we entered we were given a numbered paddle and some tea. There were about ten other people buying paintings in the auction. We followed Xiao Chen to a seat near the front to see the paintings up close. The auction was entirely in Chinese, so Xiao Chen translated as much as she could as the auctioneer quickly asked for bids. Picture an American style auctioneer speaking in Chinese, with buyers sipping tea lifting their number. We watched one painting get auctioned, and I asked Xiao Chen "What was the final bid for that painting?" She said "Oh, 100 Yuan ($12)." All the painting were these gorgeous hand painted on silk paintings, so we told Xiao Chen "Let's bid on the next one." So it began.
The auctioneer started the bidding, and Xiao Chen raised her paddle, giggling with excitement. Another few people bid, so she would tell us "The bid is 50 Yuan, 60 Yuan." At one point the bidding was going so fast she asked the auctioneer to slow down because she was translating. He thought the fact that these four Americans with a Chinese girl were so funny that he slowed the bidding. We got the painting for 80 Yuan ($10)! It is a beautiful hand painted picture of some winter flowers, we were so happy!
After this epic event, we went to a nearby store. It was kind of weird because there were these Chinese employees dressed in European Middle ages dress. There was this knight walking in front of the automatic doors, so we had to "sneak" around him to get in. Once inside we received a pamphlet that there was a "dress in traditional Chinese dress" area free for pictures. Of course we had to go. Once there we got all dressed up for some pictures, making the on duty security guard laugh out loud as we tried to squeeze into these outfits. It was so fun and so unexpected.
After shopping a bit, we went to a nearby restaurant for Peking Duck. We wanted to try some Peking Duck while in Beijing, so Xiao Chen took us to her favorite place to duck. It was a very nice restaurant, and the food was delicious. We got duck (which included the head), some veggies, and a soup. The duck was so tasty, and Bethany tried some of the brain (which she said wasn't too bad).
Thursday, February 24, 2011
SCH: Second Semester
I am back at SCH for my second semester of study abroad in Korea. It's kind of weird to be back after such a long break, but at the same time it feels like I had never left. I came down yesterday afternoon and turned my bare room into my home for the next four months. I met my international suitemate after I unpacked. Her name is Perpetua. She is a new student at SCH, born and raised in Nigeria, and came to Texas in her late teens for High school/University. She is very sweet and excited to meet our Korea suitemates. The Korean girls from our suite will be moving in this weekend, I'm very excited to meet them (I will have new suitemates this semester).
Yesterday after settling in, I met up with Sarah G, one of my friends from last semester. She came a few days ago and has been helping the new students get situated here at school. We went with some of the new students to EMart (The Korean equivalent to Walmart). I was able to get some much needed stuff for the semester (laundry detergent, ramen, and a huge tin of hot chocolate!).
After the Emart stop, we all ordered some chicken and had a chance to spend some time together. The new students are all very upbeat and excited for the semester. I am really excited for the semester, I think it will be a great group of international students.
Today, the international students went to the SCH Freshmen Welcome Ceremony. It was in Seoul in the Basketball Stadium from the 1988 Olympic Games. It was about a two hour bus ride to Seoul, so I was able to meet some more of the new students. The new students outnumber the returnees by more than two to one. I sat with one of the new Japanese students, Miako, who was very shy speaking English but spoke very well.
Once at the stadium, we were surrounded by three thousand freshmen SCH Korean students. Once in the stadium the ceremony began.
I didn't really know what to expect from a Korean welcome ceremony, but I was surprised by the way the ceremony commenced. Firstly, the school officials, including the president of the university walked down to the stage of the stadium to Pirates of the Caribbean music. I thought that was a bit odd, but hey, it was intense. Next the president made his welcome speech, which included a welcome to the international students. Poor guy, I think he had the English for the international welcome written for him by someone with limited knowledge about English, so the grammar was quite dreadful. Not only that, but in his welcome he said: "Welcome to all our friends from around the world: USA, UK, Mexico, Finland, Iceland, and all the others." What was bad was that there aren't any students from UK, Finland, or Iceland this semester. Olliver, one of the Canadians, was so offended that they would mention a few countries, and not the others. I have to agree that it's pretty bad that he mentioned three countries that aren't represented by the international community this semester.
After the presidents speech, the ceremony started to get weird. First, between the other speakers, there were these weird advertisements for the school. I think that is strange considering everyone in the stadium already enrolled in the school. After these other speakers, two comedians came to the stage and started a trivia competition for a scholarship. It was so bizarre. About twenty SCH students came to the stage and answered questions about SCH to win $1000 scholarship. It looked like a Korean variety show: a comedian hosting a competition, every time a person answered a question the comedian would crack a joke, and weird gag music in the background throughout. I don't know why they did this at a welcome ceremony, but it was unique.
After this competition, 2NE1 (an extremely famous Kpop group), was scheduled to sing. But before they came on, there was a lady with a pianist who taught the incoming freshmen the university anthem. Apparently they weren't getting it or they were buying time, because they sang it about five times. After this singing lesson, a singing/dancing/kungfu/screaming group came to the stage. They reminded my of Power Rangers meets Jackie Chan. They were kicking, punching, and yelling to some workout music. It was one of the strangest musical groups I have ever seen.
After they jumped around the stage for awhile (keep in mind, this is a WELCOME CEREMONY FOR A UNIVERSITY), 2NE1 came to the stage. The security guys were in full force as the Koreans swarmed towards the stage. 2NE1 sang four songs for ten minutes, and after those ten minutes, there was a "Kamsahamnida" (thank you) from the four singers, and they left the stage, ending the ceremony. As people were leaving, there was this music that reminded me of a Star Wars soundtrack. I was looking for a Tie Fighter as we were leaving because at this point, I thought one would swoop down.
(I know my posts have been kind of like popcorn: China here, Thailand there, and a bit of Korea. I am going to try to finish the China and Thailand posts as soon as possible. Now that I'm at school and all settled in, I will have a chance to finish those posts and let you know how things in Korea have been since I got back. Bear with me folks!)
Monday, February 21, 2011
Beijing: First Day and Great Wall (Jan 24-25)
Before our flight to Beijing, we went to the Xian Muslim market. Xian was a main stop on the Silk Road, as a result many people from the Middle East came and settled there for trade. Their ancestors still call this city home, and preserve the interesting mix of Middle Eastern and Chinese culture. It was a unique experience to see Middle Eastern spices and dried fruit sold side by side with Chinese noodles and silk. I don't think there is any other place in the world where these two cultures have combined for as long as they have in Xian. We bought some dried Kiwis, which were so delicious, we also bought some silk scarves.
After the market, it was time to head to the airport. Our flight was delayed for over an hour, so we had time relax at the airport. We spent the time catching up more, along with some Ipod jamming. We were glad to board our plane after the delay, excited to see Beijing.
By the time we got to Beijing, it was pretty late, so we walked around our hotel. We tried to find Wanfujing (a market), but we couldn't find it. We did find a nearby convenience store, so we bought some snacks.
The next day was the big day: The Great Wall. This was the place we were most excited to see. We got up early and first went to the Ming Tombs. The tombs are home to many of the royalty from the Ming Dynasty. It covers a large area with multiple mounds holding the burial chambers of each of the emperors. What was interesting is that all of the emperors were buried close to each other, except for the last Ming emperor. He chose to be buried away from his ancestors because the dynasty fell during his reign. He was so ashamed by this dishonor that he requested to be buried away from his ancestors that built the kingdom that he lost.
We didn't get to see inside the tombs because most of them have been left untouched. We did get to walk the Sacred Way, the path to the tombs. You can see the hills that the tombs are housed from there, so that was pretty neat. It is an area that is filled with so much history, but then again China is overflowing with so much history in every nook and cranny.
After the Sacred Way, we drove to the Wall. Like the Terracotta Warriors, it is hard to describe such a historic and cultural place. We went to the area of the wall near Beijing that has been restored to its original state (a lot of the wall has fallen into ruin over time). It sent chills down my back to stand on a wall that has seen so many dynasties pass, yet remains unchanged. I think that descibes the Chinese people as a whole: They have seen so much change over their history with dynasties overthrowing each other, yet they remain one distinct people. Through all of the turmoil in their history they have kept their cultural identity. It is an incredible feeling to stand where Chinese guards walked this wall protecting China from Northern invaders over two thousand years ago.
We spent the afternoon walking the Wall. The size of the Wall is unbelievable. It was united during the reign of the emperor that built the Terracotta Warriors. One aspect of the Wall that really struck me is that many of the builders were born and worked at the Wall, and were buried in the Wall when they died. The Wall has been called the tomb of the Chinese people because so many people were buried in its walls.
It really hit me when our guide said "China's greatest resource has always been people." You see it through China's history: leaders who believed that people were expendable means to and end. It really breaks my heart that this remains the same today. Sure China is communist, a "People's Government" but the government continues this legacy of using people to reach a goal, regardless of the cost. If the government tells you to move so they can build something, you do it, no question. Enemies of the government can be executed without a trial. The list of goes on and on. It really angers me to see a small group of thugs controlling and manipulating a people the way the Chinese government does. I think the Chinese people have lived with this kind of control for so long, over two thousand years, that they don't question it. From the Chinese people I have met, they agree there are problems with their government, but they don't believe it is the peoples place to fix it. It is such a foreign mentality for this very independent, opinionated brain of mine.
After an amazing afternoon at the wall, we met my friend Xiao Chen for dinner. Xiao Chen went to school with me at SCH. She is such a sweetheart and has been excited to meet me and my family in Beijing since I told her we were planning to come back in October. She left SCH in December to start school again in Beijing, so it was great to see her again and hear about her new semester. She met us at our hotel, and was overjoyed to meet the girls. She took us to a nearby restaurant where we had some spicy Chinese food. It was good, but Mom and Hannah had a hard time with the temperature of the food.
After dinner, we went to see Tienanmen Square at night. It was gorgeous to see this huge square light up at night. Tienanmen is the largest square in the world, so we spent quite some time walking around. It was neat to see this place that has so much significance in modern China with a friend who could tell us so many stories about the square. It wasn't crowded at night, so we practically had the square to ourselves, apart from the guards that stand watch 24/7.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Back in Korea
Hey all, I'm back safe and sound from my trip to sunny Thailand. I had a blast touring a fascinating country. I will try to post the rest of the Thailand trip, along with the rest of the China Girl Extravaganza in the next few days. I have a lot of catch up blogging to do!
I leave for school in a couple days, which seems so strange after such a long break. I'm excited about this semester. Now that I have been in Korea for about six months, I feel like Korea is home. It was weird, a few days before leaving Thailand for Korea, I caught myself saying "I'm ready to go home to Korea." I am hoping to continue to travel around this amazing country and see as much as I can in the next six months.
I leave for school in a couple days, which seems so strange after such a long break. I'm excited about this semester. Now that I have been in Korea for about six months, I feel like Korea is home. It was weird, a few days before leaving Thailand for Korea, I caught myself saying "I'm ready to go home to Korea." I am hoping to continue to travel around this amazing country and see as much as I can in the next six months.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Grand Palace and Wat Pho
Today was a marathon day. I went to see two of Bangkok's most famous sights on the same day. They are very close to each other, and pretty far from my hostel so I decided to tackle them on the same day.
I left my hostel around 9am to walk over to take the river boat public transportation. In Bangkok, there are four modes of public transportation: Skytrain, Underground Metro, Bus and River Ferry. It was my first time taking the public transportation on the river, so it was great to see the city on the Chao Phraya. It was interesting to me that the river is quite uncongested with boats, and the roads are always at a standstill. I heard from one of the workers at the hostel that they are trying to encourage more public transportation on the river to try to open the roads. I felt very much in Thailand taking a longboat up the Chao Phraya river, seeing little houses right on the river and several Wats overlooking the city.
I first went to the Grand Palace, the home of the Thai royalty from the 1780's until a few decades ago. Within the palace grounds is also one of the most famous Buddhist temples in Thailand. It is called the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, but it has been discovered that the Buddha is actually made of Jade. The palace was exquisite and the temple was intriguing.
The palace was built in both traditional Thai and some European architecture. Most of the buildings were ornately decorated, with intricate carvings and gold details. It was unbelievable to see such a magnificent palace. It is so different from the palaces I have seen in my travels around East Asia. It was a place that couldn't be missed and really showed me the extravagance of the Thai Monarchy. They are regarded so highly in Thai society, and this palace is evidence of that.
The "Emerald" (Jade in reality) temple inside the palace grounds was also quite beautiful. Like the Goose Pagoda in Xian, the temple was built for this relic, the "Emerald" Buddha. It was found in the northern parts of Thailand. At the time it was covered in a plaster, most likely to protect it from thieves. When a part of the plaster was removed, it was discovered it was made of a bright green stone. It was instantly (and falsely) identified as Emerald, so the name stuck. It was later, when the temple was already built in the palace, that the stone was correctly identified as Jade. Another interesting thing about this temple is that the Buddha has different dress depending on the time of the year. For each season (Cool, Summer, and Rainy season), the King of Thailand changes the dress of the Buddha from different gold outer layers. I have never heard of such a thing at any of the other temples I have visited thus far.
After visiting the Grand Palace, I went to the nearby Wat Pho. Wat Pho was a place of education in Thai medicine during the third King Rama in the late 1700's. Parts of the temple are still a place of education. It is also home to the Reclining Buddha, a 140 ft long gold plated Buddha. The temple grounds also consist of over a thousand images of Buddha (Hannah, I know you want to go see all these Buddhas!) I really like the more peaceful atmosphere of this temple after the huge crowds at the palace. It was nice to walk around, listening to monks chanting, trying to count just how many Buddhas are in this Wat (I'll just say there are TOO MANY!)
I left my hostel around 9am to walk over to take the river boat public transportation. In Bangkok, there are four modes of public transportation: Skytrain, Underground Metro, Bus and River Ferry. It was my first time taking the public transportation on the river, so it was great to see the city on the Chao Phraya. It was interesting to me that the river is quite uncongested with boats, and the roads are always at a standstill. I heard from one of the workers at the hostel that they are trying to encourage more public transportation on the river to try to open the roads. I felt very much in Thailand taking a longboat up the Chao Phraya river, seeing little houses right on the river and several Wats overlooking the city.
I first went to the Grand Palace, the home of the Thai royalty from the 1780's until a few decades ago. Within the palace grounds is also one of the most famous Buddhist temples in Thailand. It is called the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, but it has been discovered that the Buddha is actually made of Jade. The palace was exquisite and the temple was intriguing.
The palace was built in both traditional Thai and some European architecture. Most of the buildings were ornately decorated, with intricate carvings and gold details. It was unbelievable to see such a magnificent palace. It is so different from the palaces I have seen in my travels around East Asia. It was a place that couldn't be missed and really showed me the extravagance of the Thai Monarchy. They are regarded so highly in Thai society, and this palace is evidence of that.
The "Emerald" (Jade in reality) temple inside the palace grounds was also quite beautiful. Like the Goose Pagoda in Xian, the temple was built for this relic, the "Emerald" Buddha. It was found in the northern parts of Thailand. At the time it was covered in a plaster, most likely to protect it from thieves. When a part of the plaster was removed, it was discovered it was made of a bright green stone. It was instantly (and falsely) identified as Emerald, so the name stuck. It was later, when the temple was already built in the palace, that the stone was correctly identified as Jade. Another interesting thing about this temple is that the Buddha has different dress depending on the time of the year. For each season (Cool, Summer, and Rainy season), the King of Thailand changes the dress of the Buddha from different gold outer layers. I have never heard of such a thing at any of the other temples I have visited thus far.
After visiting the Grand Palace, I went to the nearby Wat Pho. Wat Pho was a place of education in Thai medicine during the third King Rama in the late 1700's. Parts of the temple are still a place of education. It is also home to the Reclining Buddha, a 140 ft long gold plated Buddha. The temple grounds also consist of over a thousand images of Buddha (Hannah, I know you want to go see all these Buddhas!) I really like the more peaceful atmosphere of this temple after the huge crowds at the palace. It was nice to walk around, listening to monks chanting, trying to count just how many Buddhas are in this Wat (I'll just say there are TOO MANY!)
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Xian (Jan 22-23)
We left our Shanghai hotel at 5am to take the Maglev (magnetic high speed train) to the airport. We then left Xian around 10am and arrived in Xian about two hours later. Once in Xian, we toured the Wild Goose Pagoda. This Pagoda is also a Buddhist temple, built by a monk who went on a pilgramige to India. On his way home, he saw a goose flying in its echelon fall from the sky. He recovered the goose, believing it to be a reincarnation of the Buddha, and took it back to Xian to build a temple for it.
Both the Pagoda and the Temple were intriguing because of the story behind them. The monk that went to India was gone for over sixteen years. When he returned, the town built this temple to hold the relics (including the dead goose). The pagoda is one of the tallest structures in the city, and one of the oldest as well.
Xian is the ancient capital of China. The city wall dates back to the Qin Dynasty (about 200BC) along with the unification of the Great Wall, and the Teracotta Warriors. It is an incredible town because it is filled with so much history. So much of what China is today was shaped by this dynasty that made its home here in Xian.
After visiting the Pagoda, we went to the Xian museum. It was filled with a lot of teh artifacts that have been found in the area from the Qin Dynasty. There were also a few of the Teracotta Warriors, so we got a taste of what we would see the next day!
That evening, we walked from our hotel to a local restaurant. The menu was entirely in Chinese, so we pointed at a few things to try. We had some delicious noodle dishes with egg and pork.
The next day was the Teracotta Warrior day. We left early in the morning to take the half hour bus ride to the mounds. The warriors only comprise five of the over one hundred recorded mounds that were built for the first Qin emporer's tomb. So far only sixteen of these mounds have been opened. I was blown away be the enormity of this tomb. It is the largest tomb complex in the world.
I guess this kind of tomb represents the man who initiated its creation. The first Qin Emporer was the man who united most of modern day China, united the Great Wall, and brought about a lot of other large infrastructure projects. He ordered the building of the wall and his tomb at the same time, so at that time, over half of the people in his kingdom were enlisted to help build one of these two projects. It doesn't surprise me that during his son's reign, the dynasty was overthrown. The two Qin Emporers were always looking to create something bigger and better, but failed to see their people as more than a vehicle to reach that end.
The warriors were everything I think we were expecting and more. The detail of each warriors face was unbelievable. We learned that the artisans that created these warriors used live models, so each of these statues represent a persone who lived two thousand years ago and served in the emporers army. What was really interesting was that the army at that time comprised of several of the ethnic groups of China, since it was recently united. The artisans used models from most of those groups. There are taller warriors from the northern area, shorter men from the south, higher cheekbone warriors from the east, and warriors with long noses and larger eyes from the west.
After exploring the warrior chambers, we went back to the city. We climbed the city wall and walked a ways around the old part of the city. It was a great way to end the day, watching the sunset on a wall built two thousand years ago.
Both the Pagoda and the Temple were intriguing because of the story behind them. The monk that went to India was gone for over sixteen years. When he returned, the town built this temple to hold the relics (including the dead goose). The pagoda is one of the tallest structures in the city, and one of the oldest as well.
Xian is the ancient capital of China. The city wall dates back to the Qin Dynasty (about 200BC) along with the unification of the Great Wall, and the Teracotta Warriors. It is an incredible town because it is filled with so much history. So much of what China is today was shaped by this dynasty that made its home here in Xian.
After visiting the Pagoda, we went to the Xian museum. It was filled with a lot of teh artifacts that have been found in the area from the Qin Dynasty. There were also a few of the Teracotta Warriors, so we got a taste of what we would see the next day!
That evening, we walked from our hotel to a local restaurant. The menu was entirely in Chinese, so we pointed at a few things to try. We had some delicious noodle dishes with egg and pork.
The next day was the Teracotta Warrior day. We left early in the morning to take the half hour bus ride to the mounds. The warriors only comprise five of the over one hundred recorded mounds that were built for the first Qin emporer's tomb. So far only sixteen of these mounds have been opened. I was blown away be the enormity of this tomb. It is the largest tomb complex in the world.
I guess this kind of tomb represents the man who initiated its creation. The first Qin Emporer was the man who united most of modern day China, united the Great Wall, and brought about a lot of other large infrastructure projects. He ordered the building of the wall and his tomb at the same time, so at that time, over half of the people in his kingdom were enlisted to help build one of these two projects. It doesn't surprise me that during his son's reign, the dynasty was overthrown. The two Qin Emporers were always looking to create something bigger and better, but failed to see their people as more than a vehicle to reach that end.
The warriors were everything I think we were expecting and more. The detail of each warriors face was unbelievable. We learned that the artisans that created these warriors used live models, so each of these statues represent a persone who lived two thousand years ago and served in the emporers army. What was really interesting was that the army at that time comprised of several of the ethnic groups of China, since it was recently united. The artisans used models from most of those groups. There are taller warriors from the northern area, shorter men from the south, higher cheekbone warriors from the east, and warriors with long noses and larger eyes from the west.
After exploring the warrior chambers, we went back to the city. We climbed the city wall and walked a ways around the old part of the city. It was a great way to end the day, watching the sunset on a wall built two thousand years ago.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Reflections at Lumphini Park
It's hard for me to believe that about a year ago, I was sitting in my dorm at SEMO, completely torn about God's direction for my life. Here I am a year later, studying in Korea, with a new perception of what it means to trust God in everything.
Today, I went to Lumphini Park, the "Central Park" of Bangkok. It is a large park with beautiful lakes and greenery. I stopped by some local street food vendors and bought a picnic lunch, which included some fresh pineapple. I had my lunch by the lake, watching a very interesting swimming lizard doing laps around the lake. I also got to spend some time looking back at this past year, as this was the time one year ago that God changed the direction that He desires for my life. I don't think I have really shared this with a lot of people, but I pray that it will be an encouragement for you to trust Him in everything.
I entered SEMO last year majoring in Music Education. Music is a passion of mine, and I thought I would be happy teaching music. I wanted it to work, I wanted to be in complete control of my future. I presented myself on the outside that I was absolutely sure of my decision, yet inside, I was very conflicted. I prayed about it, and in the back of my heart, I felt this constant pull that this was not what God intended for my life. I set that aside, convincing myself that it would go away. If God has a plan, there is nothing you can do to stop it. There are hundreds of examples of this in the Bible, and my example is the same.
I always had a feeling that studying World Cultures would be God's direction for me. I have always loved studying History, World Cultures, Politics, and Sociology. While other kids may have been reading "Goosebumps" or "Babysitters Club," I would read "Differences in Major Religions" or "An Abbreviated History of China." My Mom cultivated my passion to travel, and my Dad showed me what it means to serve others in everything. I believe God placed my parents and these passions in my life to form me into the servant He needs.
So after a semester of Music Education, I was very happy studying music. I had suppressed my doubts for that semester, and I felt that this direction would work. The first week into the second semester, I experienced what I can only call a torrential downpour of uncertainty. The tug on my heart that I had experienced in the past became an all out pull. I remember when it happened: it was the first Music Education class, and I felt this unbelievable wave of doubt and uncertainty that had been accumulating up to this point. I left this class, asking God where do I go from here.
My parents were in Puerto Rico for their anniversary, so I called Josh. We talked for hours about what had happened and what was the next step. The one thing that really hit me and I'll never forget it was Josh said "You know, Rebecca, I had a feeling you wouldn't end up studying music. I knew you had this passion for people, especially those that are different from you. I think this is the right track for you." Also out of the blue, Stacy called me. She asked me how my semester was going, and I told her about this overflowing doubt. She also told me that I should look for other options, and to keep praying as I search. I first decided to talk with my Professor from my Communications class the previous semester. He was a great teacher and continues to be a good friend. We talked about some different options in the Communications department.
He also advised that I should look at some other departments that fit my interests. The one that stood out to me was the International Studies department. I met with several of the professors in the department, discussing the different programs. After talking with them about the International Studies Major with an East Asian focus, I felt the weight of uncertainty in my heart lift. I knew at this point that this was the direction God intended for me. Part of this degree requires you to study at least for a semester, a year if studying in Asia because SEMO doesn't offer the language requirements.
I met then with the Study Abroad department. I had met with them several times the past semester because regardless of my degree, I knew I wanted to study abroad at some point. I told them about my new program of study and that I would like to study in Asia the next year. My study abroad advisor said: "I have the perfect program for you." She told me about SEMO's sister school SCH. "It focuses on language and culture classes, but the one part that makes it unique is that all international students are required to tutor students in English. The school gives scholarships to the foreign students in exchange for tutoring students. Oh and the school is in Korea." At this point, I knew this was exactly where God wanted me to be. Here is a program where I will be able to study what I am passionate about, help fellow students through tutoring, and the school is in Korea, the home of my Korean brother and sisters.
God showed me what He desired for me to study: A Double Major in Communications and Global Studies with an East Asian focus. It would allow me to learn more about the part of the world that is most interesting to me while improving my ability to communicate my thoughts and ideas. By this point it is Friday, the day that I would need to change classes to fit these new majors. It is also the day that my parents arrived back in calling range. They were quite surprised! My Dad advised me to change all the classes that would not qualify for a Music minor (even after a semester studying music, I was more than halfway to a minor). I took his advice, and continued to pray constantly for God's direction to be made absolutely clear. I'm not too good with subtle hints, so I asked God to make it completely obvious. He sure did!
As the semester progressed, things began to fall apart on the Music side, but came together on the other side. There were also many times where conversations or instances made it even more clear to me that this was God's will for my life. There was a time where I was heading to a pit orchestra rehearsal with one of my fellow musicians. She is not a music major, but like me, she has a passion for music. At that time, I had not shared with her my concerns about continuing to major in music. While we were driving she said out of the blue: "I know that if I was a music major, and music was to be my profession, I would lose the love that I have for it." I don't know why she said this, but it was exactly the feelings that I have towards music. It is a passion of mine, but it could never be my profession. It was something I needed to hear at that time to confirm my decision to change majors.
Another instance that really showed me that this is exactly what God wants for me was the week before finals. I was still waiting to hear back from SCH about studying abroad the next semester. It was the Thursday before finals, and my roommate told me "You better check your financial aid." There was a bit of a misunderstanding about one of the scholarships I had been given, but we discussed the situation, and I was told that the scholarship would be awarded. I checked it anyway, to find out that it was not awarded. I was crushed! I needed to come up with the difference before the next week or the school could drop my classes. My parents lent me the money, knowing that I would be able to pay them back later that summer. I hit yet another low of the semester: "When would I hear from SCH? Was this really Your direction?" I was a mess that entire day.
The next morning, I decided to check my email to see if SCH sent me anything. I usually don't check my email before class because it takes me forever to eat in the morning (picture a Zombie eating Cornflakes), but I decided to take a look. There in my inbox was a letter from SCH, "Dear Rebecca, We are pleased to inform you..." I woke up my roommate screaming with excitement! It was one of the greatest mornings of my life, I had been accepted to study in an amazing program in Korea. God's sense of timing is unbelievable. All doubt and uncertainty about where God wanted me was gone at that moment. The day before I experienced one of the lowest lows, the next morning couldn't have been any better.
So here I am a year later. Do I have all the answers? No. Do I know where I will be one, five, ten years from now? No. But I'm okay with that because there is one Person who does have all the answers, and He has always given me the answers when I have been ready for them. I will continue to wait on God's timing.
Today, I went to Lumphini Park, the "Central Park" of Bangkok. It is a large park with beautiful lakes and greenery. I stopped by some local street food vendors and bought a picnic lunch, which included some fresh pineapple. I had my lunch by the lake, watching a very interesting swimming lizard doing laps around the lake. I also got to spend some time looking back at this past year, as this was the time one year ago that God changed the direction that He desires for my life. I don't think I have really shared this with a lot of people, but I pray that it will be an encouragement for you to trust Him in everything.
I entered SEMO last year majoring in Music Education. Music is a passion of mine, and I thought I would be happy teaching music. I wanted it to work, I wanted to be in complete control of my future. I presented myself on the outside that I was absolutely sure of my decision, yet inside, I was very conflicted. I prayed about it, and in the back of my heart, I felt this constant pull that this was not what God intended for my life. I set that aside, convincing myself that it would go away. If God has a plan, there is nothing you can do to stop it. There are hundreds of examples of this in the Bible, and my example is the same.
I always had a feeling that studying World Cultures would be God's direction for me. I have always loved studying History, World Cultures, Politics, and Sociology. While other kids may have been reading "Goosebumps" or "Babysitters Club," I would read "Differences in Major Religions" or "An Abbreviated History of China." My Mom cultivated my passion to travel, and my Dad showed me what it means to serve others in everything. I believe God placed my parents and these passions in my life to form me into the servant He needs.
So after a semester of Music Education, I was very happy studying music. I had suppressed my doubts for that semester, and I felt that this direction would work. The first week into the second semester, I experienced what I can only call a torrential downpour of uncertainty. The tug on my heart that I had experienced in the past became an all out pull. I remember when it happened: it was the first Music Education class, and I felt this unbelievable wave of doubt and uncertainty that had been accumulating up to this point. I left this class, asking God where do I go from here.
My parents were in Puerto Rico for their anniversary, so I called Josh. We talked for hours about what had happened and what was the next step. The one thing that really hit me and I'll never forget it was Josh said "You know, Rebecca, I had a feeling you wouldn't end up studying music. I knew you had this passion for people, especially those that are different from you. I think this is the right track for you." Also out of the blue, Stacy called me. She asked me how my semester was going, and I told her about this overflowing doubt. She also told me that I should look for other options, and to keep praying as I search. I first decided to talk with my Professor from my Communications class the previous semester. He was a great teacher and continues to be a good friend. We talked about some different options in the Communications department.
He also advised that I should look at some other departments that fit my interests. The one that stood out to me was the International Studies department. I met with several of the professors in the department, discussing the different programs. After talking with them about the International Studies Major with an East Asian focus, I felt the weight of uncertainty in my heart lift. I knew at this point that this was the direction God intended for me. Part of this degree requires you to study at least for a semester, a year if studying in Asia because SEMO doesn't offer the language requirements.
I met then with the Study Abroad department. I had met with them several times the past semester because regardless of my degree, I knew I wanted to study abroad at some point. I told them about my new program of study and that I would like to study in Asia the next year. My study abroad advisor said: "I have the perfect program for you." She told me about SEMO's sister school SCH. "It focuses on language and culture classes, but the one part that makes it unique is that all international students are required to tutor students in English. The school gives scholarships to the foreign students in exchange for tutoring students. Oh and the school is in Korea." At this point, I knew this was exactly where God wanted me to be. Here is a program where I will be able to study what I am passionate about, help fellow students through tutoring, and the school is in Korea, the home of my Korean brother and sisters.
God showed me what He desired for me to study: A Double Major in Communications and Global Studies with an East Asian focus. It would allow me to learn more about the part of the world that is most interesting to me while improving my ability to communicate my thoughts and ideas. By this point it is Friday, the day that I would need to change classes to fit these new majors. It is also the day that my parents arrived back in calling range. They were quite surprised! My Dad advised me to change all the classes that would not qualify for a Music minor (even after a semester studying music, I was more than halfway to a minor). I took his advice, and continued to pray constantly for God's direction to be made absolutely clear. I'm not too good with subtle hints, so I asked God to make it completely obvious. He sure did!
As the semester progressed, things began to fall apart on the Music side, but came together on the other side. There were also many times where conversations or instances made it even more clear to me that this was God's will for my life. There was a time where I was heading to a pit orchestra rehearsal with one of my fellow musicians. She is not a music major, but like me, she has a passion for music. At that time, I had not shared with her my concerns about continuing to major in music. While we were driving she said out of the blue: "I know that if I was a music major, and music was to be my profession, I would lose the love that I have for it." I don't know why she said this, but it was exactly the feelings that I have towards music. It is a passion of mine, but it could never be my profession. It was something I needed to hear at that time to confirm my decision to change majors.
Another instance that really showed me that this is exactly what God wants for me was the week before finals. I was still waiting to hear back from SCH about studying abroad the next semester. It was the Thursday before finals, and my roommate told me "You better check your financial aid." There was a bit of a misunderstanding about one of the scholarships I had been given, but we discussed the situation, and I was told that the scholarship would be awarded. I checked it anyway, to find out that it was not awarded. I was crushed! I needed to come up with the difference before the next week or the school could drop my classes. My parents lent me the money, knowing that I would be able to pay them back later that summer. I hit yet another low of the semester: "When would I hear from SCH? Was this really Your direction?" I was a mess that entire day.
The next morning, I decided to check my email to see if SCH sent me anything. I usually don't check my email before class because it takes me forever to eat in the morning (picture a Zombie eating Cornflakes), but I decided to take a look. There in my inbox was a letter from SCH, "Dear Rebecca, We are pleased to inform you..." I woke up my roommate screaming with excitement! It was one of the greatest mornings of my life, I had been accepted to study in an amazing program in Korea. God's sense of timing is unbelievable. All doubt and uncertainty about where God wanted me was gone at that moment. The day before I experienced one of the lowest lows, the next morning couldn't have been any better.
So here I am a year later. Do I have all the answers? No. Do I know where I will be one, five, ten years from now? No. But I'm okay with that because there is one Person who does have all the answers, and He has always given me the answers when I have been ready for them. I will continue to wait on God's timing.
Wat Traimit (2/7)
I thought Korea had a lot of Buddhas. Boy was I wrong! Thailand lives and breathes Buddhism. It is everywhere! And if Buddha isn't there, then there is a Hindu shrine, Muslim mosque, or a Sikh temple in its place. I have seen a few Christian churches, but they are few and far between.
Thailand is a very spiritual country. Walking down the street, I have seen little shrines built by businesses to different gods to try to bless their business. When walking past these shrines, many people will stop for a few seconds, fold their hands, and mutter a short prayer before moving on.
Not only are there these random gods in every nook and cranny on the streets, but the Thai people as a whole revere the King of Thailand as a deity. Thailand has a royal family that even today holds an important part in Thai society. At almost every official building and public place, there is a painting of the King with a small shrine surrounding it. It is so different even compared to Korean culture, so I have definetey gone through some culture shock!
I had heard from some people at my hostel about Wat Traimit. It is a Buddhist Temple downtown Bangkok with a solid gold Buddha. Downtown Bangkok, there are over fifty Wats (Buddhist temples) that are listed on my city map. I picked a few that I want to visit this week, so Traimit was the first. After taking the Skytrain (which is a fabulous public transportation because it gives you a great view of the city while travelling), I walked a few blocks to the temple.
The temple was a stunning pure white with gold detail, four level temple. It was so different from East Asian Buddhist temples. In Korea for example, temples are always green because green is the color of peace. They also share very similar architecture to the rest of the traditional buildings in Korea. The temples in Thailand are varied bright colors, usually with gold detail. They also appear completely different from their surrounding buildings.
After standing there for a few moments just soaking in the exterior of this temple, I climbed the stairs up to the fourth floor to see this gold Buddha. It was interesting to see so many similarities with this Buddhist temple and the temples I have seen. There was the usual bell that calls people to prayer, there were the monks wandering the temple complex, and there were a lot of people passing in and out of the temple. I can now say that they weren't kidding in my map that this Buddha is one of the most beautiful pieces of Thai art.
Thailand is a very spiritual country. Walking down the street, I have seen little shrines built by businesses to different gods to try to bless their business. When walking past these shrines, many people will stop for a few seconds, fold their hands, and mutter a short prayer before moving on.
Not only are there these random gods in every nook and cranny on the streets, but the Thai people as a whole revere the King of Thailand as a deity. Thailand has a royal family that even today holds an important part in Thai society. At almost every official building and public place, there is a painting of the King with a small shrine surrounding it. It is so different even compared to Korean culture, so I have definetey gone through some culture shock!
I had heard from some people at my hostel about Wat Traimit. It is a Buddhist Temple downtown Bangkok with a solid gold Buddha. Downtown Bangkok, there are over fifty Wats (Buddhist temples) that are listed on my city map. I picked a few that I want to visit this week, so Traimit was the first. After taking the Skytrain (which is a fabulous public transportation because it gives you a great view of the city while travelling), I walked a few blocks to the temple.
The temple was a stunning pure white with gold detail, four level temple. It was so different from East Asian Buddhist temples. In Korea for example, temples are always green because green is the color of peace. They also share very similar architecture to the rest of the traditional buildings in Korea. The temples in Thailand are varied bright colors, usually with gold detail. They also appear completely different from their surrounding buildings.
After standing there for a few moments just soaking in the exterior of this temple, I climbed the stairs up to the fourth floor to see this gold Buddha. It was interesting to see so many similarities with this Buddhist temple and the temples I have seen. There was the usual bell that calls people to prayer, there were the monks wandering the temple complex, and there were a lot of people passing in and out of the temple. I can now say that they weren't kidding in my map that this Buddha is one of the most beautiful pieces of Thai art.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
"I think we're lost" Shanghai Edition
So, we were determined to navigate our way around one of the largest cities in Asia with very little knowledge of the language. Nice thought, but a bad idea. We planned to go to Suzhou, a small town outside of the city. First we had to find the train station. We asked our concierge who gave us directions. Little did we know his directions were wrong. We wandered a neighborhood of Shanghai with his directions for over an hour, only to find out that we were in the wrong place. By the time we made it to the station, it was too late to take the long train ride and expect to be back in the city that night.
We went to the Jade Buddha temple in the city instead, which we found with ease. The temple had several shrines to Buddha, including the White Jade Buddha, which was stunning. It was the first temple for the girls, so they were very fascinated to see all of the different parts of the temple: the shrines, the bell, chanting monks, and lots of Buddhas.
We went to dinner at a local family owned Chinese restaurant. Hannah was so surprised that she liked all of the food we ate. She was so afraid that she would go hungry while in China, quite the opposite! All of the girls practiced their chopstick skills before coming to Asia, so they were prepared to see a lack of forks and spoons. I was very impressed at how easily they adjusted after only a day in China.
The next day we were determined to find this town. We took the train after visiting the Shanghai museum to Suzhou. Once again, we got very lost when we arrived. We were unable to find the old part of the city, but we did see a Confucian Temple and had some delicious Chinese food in the heart of the town. Poor Hannah: she is a car magnet. We would be crossing a street and the cars would veer directly for her. She would scream and run faster than anything I have seen to the other side. She did not find this funny at all, but she did make some government guards laugh (which is not an easy thing).
We took the high speed train back to Shanghai and walked the Bund at night. We also had to repack as we would be leaving for Xian early the next morning.
We went to the Jade Buddha temple in the city instead, which we found with ease. The temple had several shrines to Buddha, including the White Jade Buddha, which was stunning. It was the first temple for the girls, so they were very fascinated to see all of the different parts of the temple: the shrines, the bell, chanting monks, and lots of Buddhas.
We went to dinner at a local family owned Chinese restaurant. Hannah was so surprised that she liked all of the food we ate. She was so afraid that she would go hungry while in China, quite the opposite! All of the girls practiced their chopstick skills before coming to Asia, so they were prepared to see a lack of forks and spoons. I was very impressed at how easily they adjusted after only a day in China.
The next day we were determined to find this town. We took the train after visiting the Shanghai museum to Suzhou. Once again, we got very lost when we arrived. We were unable to find the old part of the city, but we did see a Confucian Temple and had some delicious Chinese food in the heart of the town. Poor Hannah: she is a car magnet. We would be crossing a street and the cars would veer directly for her. She would scream and run faster than anything I have seen to the other side. She did not find this funny at all, but she did make some government guards laugh (which is not an easy thing).
We took the high speed train back to Shanghai and walked the Bund at night. We also had to repack as we would be leaving for Xian early the next morning.
The Kehe Girl Trip Begins! 1/19
I left my hostel and took the subway back to the airport to meet the girls! I didn't have any email access (that darn China censoring!) so I went about an hour before the estimated time of their planes arrival. I was a bit nervous because if I didn't meet them and the tour group then, I would have to head back to the city and try to find them at the hotel. Thank goodness, they arrived and after a long round of hugs and kisses, we left with the tour group for the city.
I don't know if there are words to describe what it felt like to see my mom and sisters after almost five months. It was the longest time I had not seen any member of my family in my life, so it was a sweet reunion. I know my mom was very happy to see me: she bolted past the mob of people getting off the plane to be the first person to give me a hug from home.
We first went to the Yu Yuan Gardens, a beautiful garden that is right in the middle of the city. It was a peaceful place, surrounded by the bustle of the city. Even for January it was absolutely beautiful. What I thought was interesting about this garden was that it was built over several dynasties. As a result, parts of it are in a very different style from the other half. In part of the garden, there are a lot of very old trees, while in the other half, there is a lot of mixture between architecture and greenery.
After the garden, we went to our hotel (which was right on the Bund, great views from our rooms!) The girls were great troopers around the garden, but when they hit the beds in the room, they weren't getting back up. They fell asleep around five after a very long jet lagged day. Me and mom decided to go to a nearby convenience store to buy some noodles for dinner and some snacks for the next few days. We found a very cute family owned store just around the corner from our hotel. We also got to see the nighttime skyline of the city, which is one of the most incredible skylines I have ever seen. On our hotels side of the river, there are a lot of old French buildings. Across the river, there are a lot of the skyscrapers, and at night the buildings light up to create an urban masterpiece.
I don't know if there are words to describe what it felt like to see my mom and sisters after almost five months. It was the longest time I had not seen any member of my family in my life, so it was a sweet reunion. I know my mom was very happy to see me: she bolted past the mob of people getting off the plane to be the first person to give me a hug from home.
We first went to the Yu Yuan Gardens, a beautiful garden that is right in the middle of the city. It was a peaceful place, surrounded by the bustle of the city. Even for January it was absolutely beautiful. What I thought was interesting about this garden was that it was built over several dynasties. As a result, parts of it are in a very different style from the other half. In part of the garden, there are a lot of very old trees, while in the other half, there is a lot of mixture between architecture and greenery.
After the garden, we went to our hotel (which was right on the Bund, great views from our rooms!) The girls were great troopers around the garden, but when they hit the beds in the room, they weren't getting back up. They fell asleep around five after a very long jet lagged day. Me and mom decided to go to a nearby convenience store to buy some noodles for dinner and some snacks for the next few days. We found a very cute family owned store just around the corner from our hotel. We also got to see the nighttime skyline of the city, which is one of the most incredible skylines I have ever seen. On our hotels side of the river, there are a lot of old French buildings. Across the river, there are a lot of the skyscrapers, and at night the buildings light up to create an urban masterpiece.
Shanghai: The first few days
I left from Seoul to Shanghai a few days before I was scheduled to meet with the girls and the tour group. I stayed at a hostel right downtown near People's Square, about ten minutes from the Bund (Shanghai riverfront). The hostel was nice, but just like a lot of China, there was a lack of heating. It was at about freezing outside and the hostel was about five degrees warmer.
At the hostel I met Patty and John, two fellow travelers. Patty is from Ireland and came to Asia to meet her brother, who is working in Hong Kong. She is on her way from Hong Kong to Beijing where she will fly back to Dublin. John is a retired firefighter from France. He loves to travel, but his wife doesn't. Their solution is that John travels every winter for about a month on his own. He also doesn't speak English so I'm not sure how he can venture on his own, but he does just fine. We decided one day to go downtown across the river to see the JinMao tower. The JinMao tower is the second tallest tower in Shanghai and one of the tallest in Asia. We went to the top and saw the city view (of course the view wasn't too great because of the heavy smog that hangs over the city). It was incredible to see so many skyscrapers, Shanghai is very modern.
I also had a day to wander the Bund and to see the large shopping street, Nanjing St. Shanghai wasn't what I expected. I didn't expect it to be so similar to the larger US cities like New York or Chicago. I suppose it appeared that way because it has a lot of French/Western influence. A lot of foreign companies also work here in Shanghai, so that could also be a reason for its Western appearance. It was hard for me to find Chinese brands in Shanghai, there were so many American brands I thought I was back in West county or something. Shanghai is definitely the China of tomorrow. As China grows economically, I think we will see many of the other cities transition to appear more like Shanghai.
At the hostel I met Patty and John, two fellow travelers. Patty is from Ireland and came to Asia to meet her brother, who is working in Hong Kong. She is on her way from Hong Kong to Beijing where she will fly back to Dublin. John is a retired firefighter from France. He loves to travel, but his wife doesn't. Their solution is that John travels every winter for about a month on his own. He also doesn't speak English so I'm not sure how he can venture on his own, but he does just fine. We decided one day to go downtown across the river to see the JinMao tower. The JinMao tower is the second tallest tower in Shanghai and one of the tallest in Asia. We went to the top and saw the city view (of course the view wasn't too great because of the heavy smog that hangs over the city). It was incredible to see so many skyscrapers, Shanghai is very modern.
I also had a day to wander the Bund and to see the large shopping street, Nanjing St. Shanghai wasn't what I expected. I didn't expect it to be so similar to the larger US cities like New York or Chicago. I suppose it appeared that way because it has a lot of French/Western influence. A lot of foreign companies also work here in Shanghai, so that could also be a reason for its Western appearance. It was hard for me to find Chinese brands in Shanghai, there were so many American brands I thought I was back in West county or something. Shanghai is definitely the China of tomorrow. As China grows economically, I think we will see many of the other cities transition to appear more like Shanghai.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Hello from Thailand!
I am blogging from my hostel in Bangkok Thailand! I left this morning from Seoul in below freezing weather to upper eighties here in Bangkok, quite a change! I arrived at 4:30 and took the Skytrain (Bangkok's public metro) to my hostel. The hostel is very modern with free internet (I can blog!). It is also right downtown, which makes it a great homebase as I tour the city.
After putting my stuff on my bunk I went with Natalia, one of my roomates, to an Indian restaurant a few minutes from our hostel. Natalia is from Russia and has been traveling all over Southeast Asia for the last four months. She was a travel agent in Moscow, but is on leave for a while as she travels. She is taking this trip alone, but as she says "I am taking this trip with everyone I meet." We walked around our hostel and came across the Indian neighborhood, we saw one of the Hindu temples as they were conducting evening prayer. We decided to eat at one of the Indian restaurants, little did we know what we were getting into. The place was not only an Indian restaurant, it was an Indian vegetarian restaurant with a giant Egyptian mural, and really annoying American soft rock music playing. I can definately say that I have never seen this combination in a restaurant nor will I likely see it again. It was nice though to hear about Natalia's travels and get some tips about visiting Thailand (she has been here for about three weeks).
Tomorrow, I am hoping to visit the weekend market, which is a giant open air market filled with all things Thai. I will have to see how tired I am considering the crazy week I had. I am also hoping to continue to blog about China and the week in Korea with the girls.
After putting my stuff on my bunk I went with Natalia, one of my roomates, to an Indian restaurant a few minutes from our hostel. Natalia is from Russia and has been traveling all over Southeast Asia for the last four months. She was a travel agent in Moscow, but is on leave for a while as she travels. She is taking this trip alone, but as she says "I am taking this trip with everyone I meet." We walked around our hostel and came across the Indian neighborhood, we saw one of the Hindu temples as they were conducting evening prayer. We decided to eat at one of the Indian restaurants, little did we know what we were getting into. The place was not only an Indian restaurant, it was an Indian vegetarian restaurant with a giant Egyptian mural, and really annoying American soft rock music playing. I can definately say that I have never seen this combination in a restaurant nor will I likely see it again. It was nice though to hear about Natalia's travels and get some tips about visiting Thailand (she has been here for about three weeks).
Tomorrow, I am hoping to visit the weekend market, which is a giant open air market filled with all things Thai. I will have to see how tired I am considering the crazy week I had. I am also hoping to continue to blog about China and the week in Korea with the girls.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Back from China
Hello all! We are back from China. We had a great time touring an amazing country filled with so much history, culture, and personality. We also got to visit my friend Xiao Chen for a time in Beijing. I will try to post our China adventures in the next few days while we are in Seoul. We just got back a few hours ago from our adventure to the southern part of Korea (Gyeonju) with the Byeon family. I will post about that later as well. Oh, I also have some news: I am going to take one more trip to Thailand before school starts. I am leaving on Saturday and will spend two weeks in the warm weather before coming back to start school.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)