Day 2 – China here we come

Our arrival in China was very smooth!  We were all very excited to have made it through the 15-hour plane journey!  Getting off the airplane and being cleared by customs then getting our passports back, we were very eager to see the new country that we had arrived in. During this time in the airport, we noticed that the  mixture of people in the airport was very diverse, with many languages being spoken. Beyond customs was baggage claim, luckily we had all used the NC State Natural Resources luggage tags so we were able to quickly locate our suitcases.  After we all gathered, we left the airport and met up with our tour guide Steve.  He was very enthusiastic and excited to introduce us to China.  Under his direction, we went thought the airport to the Mag-Lev train station.  Following him in the crowd was easy due to the Captain America plush…which he hoisted in the air.

Meg-Lev Train….hold on

Boarding the Mag-Lev train was a time full of anticipation.  We were well instructed of the technology before departing on the trip, but experiencing it was truly unique.  The train floated above the track at 300 kilometers per hour as we were whisked from the airport to the city.  During the 8-minute journey, we were able to take in some of the sights, including the castle at Disneyland!  As we entered the city, we began to see the endless cluster of apartment towers, hinting at the massive population that Shanghai boasts.

Upon arrival downtown, we met our bus driver and loaded up to head to dinner.  Due to our delay in Newark, we opted to head straight to dinner instead of going to the hotel.  As we drove through Shanghai to get to the restaurant, our guide Steve gave us an overview of the city.  He gave us insight on how Shanghai operates, including how the people take pride in being viewed as quick and efficient; business people visiting the city can take a train from the airport to the main business buildings in under 8 minutes, do their business, and return back to the airport. This efficient system encourages business people to travel to China.  He also noted that the Mag-Lev train that we had traveled on could travel up to 430 kilometers per hour during the rush hour.

He gave us advice about the currency we would be using, the Yuan.  All of China’s currency has General Mao on the face, and he joked and said, “as long as the money looked like him (Steve), it was most likely authentic.”

Shanghai Facts….

Some other facts about the city that Steve provided included the travel standards, construction and the fact that Shanghai has three main roads, in concentric rings. These help break up the large city into smaller segments.  He also noted that the city was split into eastern and western halves, divided by the river.  Tunnels and bridges are used to traverse these halves.

Finally dinner…something unique.  We had dinner at Shanghai’s #1 restaurant, with velvet walls and love seats at the booths.  Our group was seated in a private back room,at four large round tables.  We were able to sit next to new people, getting to bond with some of our fellow classmates.  The meal was our first exposure to Lazy Susan meals. Some of the dishes were pork with thick fat caps, pig intestines, fried rice, sour soup and beef with bamboo shoots.  The centerpiece was a completely fried fish, prepared with a sweet sauce.  Towards the end of the meal, we were served dumplings with dipping sauce.  They were unique because they were half pan-fried and half steamed.  They were coated in Sesame seeds and filled with a meat filling.  Some tables had trouble identifying the food that was presented, so some of the group ate most of the meal unsure of what was going into their mouth.  Despite his, most people tried all the foods brought to the table; the food was unique and diverse.

Shanghai Grand Central Hotel…never felt so good

After dinner, we drove to the hotel, the Shanghai Grand Central Hotel.  We were all taken back by how fancy the hotel felt, however, we were all very eager to get the keys to our room so we could put our feet up and get connected to the Wi-Fi to reach out to our family and friend at home.  Once we all had a moment to take in the luxurious accommodations and relax, several people met to exchange their cash for the Yuan and go explore the town.  Some to the group that went out reported back on what they experienced.  As the group ventured into various places, some notable observations included the prevalence of American music and other cultural normality’s.  For example, the first song heard was a slow American country song.  While out taking in the sights, the group encountered another group of Americans studying abroad, with members of the group being from Ohio, West Virginia and Virginia.

The city was very beautiful and engaging, and the people, for the most part, were receptive to the language barriers and accommodated for our difficulties in communicating.

by guest blogger: Mason Umlauf