Best food, best friends of Ball State
1Simon Pan, the founder of “Best Food in China,” and his colleague, Summer Xia, gave the Ball State crew a real treat today. Over a tasty lunch at Wagas in downtown Shanghai, they shared stories about their business venture, a website and production company that produces English-language restaurant reviews for visitors to China. These are busy guys, but yet, they took three hours to spend with us. Not only did they talk about their business, they wanted to hear about our students and what they want to do. And we all brainstormed ideas about how to help their business grow. The conversation truly created food for thought, please pardon the pun (and cliche).
Simon Pan and Summer Xia of "Best food in China" discuss their business with Ball State students.
Also today, we ventured onto the subway for the first time. Even though we took a wrong turn or two, we got where we needed to go. And at the top of the subway station, it was all worth it. We discovered one more bit of America, Dunkin Donuts. A little taste of home is always a nice treat.
No matter what continent you're on, Dunkin Donuts is a treat for BSU students and faculty.
Skip the Cedar Point Ticket and Get a Cab Ride in Shanghai
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Shanghai expressway looking out from our hotel room. The metro line can be seen on the right side of the picture.
Mom always said look both ways before crossing the street. If there ever was a time to follow her advice, this might be it! The Shanghai traffic is incredible. All types of vehicles occupy the street from petite Volkswagens to trucks three times the length of an “American” truck. The flow of traffic reflects the people of the city. Traffic rules simply do not exist. Horns are used to the fullest potential. It seems an accident should happen every 30 seconds, yet there are very few.
I’ve simplified it down to two types of people who ride in cabs in Shanghai. There are those who are scared for the their life (cough, cough, our professors) and then there are those who absolutely love the ride. Weaving in and out of traffic, it is always a high-speed chase to your destination. Being cut off is the norm. The larger your vehicle, the more road you control. The younger the driver, the faster you will reach your destination.
Our interactions with the taxi drivers have been better then anticipated so far. A Shanghai local on the plane told us that most of the drivers are very honest and fair, as it’s very competitive. For the most part I’ve been able to communicate with the drivers on where we want to go. In such a big city it still amazes us the drivers know how to get there. With the majority of the taxi drivers only speaking Chinese the World Expo has gone to the length of setting up a hotline you can call should you need help communicating with the driver. Thankfully we haven’t had to call the number yet.
As with everything else here, the cab ride was extremely cheep. A ride from our hotel to the Expo, about 30 minutes depending on traffic, cost us only $10. Put four people in a cab and you’ve got a great deal. Beat that NYC!
Westerners
0Even after just three days in China I have already found myself wanting and looking out for opportunities to talk to or have any contact with people who come from western societies. Although we have our group of eight with which we can share feelings and ideas, simple communication with new faces and personalities is still desirable without a doubt.
Today was the first day that our group spent at the World Expo, presenting us with our first good opportunity to meet people without the separation of a language barrier. After struggling to tell our taxi driver where it was we wanted to go, it was refreshing stepping out onto a street typically packed with Chinese. Almost immediately, Suzy, Jeff, Sarah and I ran into a group from Florida and Michigan who helped remind us how nice it can be just to small talk. Being able to share the exciting atmosphere of the Expo with new people felt far better than I ever would have expected. Even interviewing a woman inside the Expo who was a Hong Kong native who spoke fluent English was a treat. Being immersed in a foreign culture is definitely a fun and interesting experience, but sometimes there’s just no substitute for simple human interaction.
Hotel #3
1We have finally arrived at our “home” in Shanghai. But it wasn’t easy getting here. We learned that it’s almost impossible to get a taxi on a rainy Saturday in Shanghai. But we got one, eventually. And it was worth the wait.
The SISU Guest House is the nicest place we’ve stayed yet. Thanks to Professor Huang Yu from Hong Kong Baptist University, we got a great rate. We’re on the 10th floor, overlooking the lovely, but smoggy city of Shanghai, at the campus of Shanghai International Studies University (SISU). The professor also took us out for a fabulous art exhibit a few miles from the hotel. Then, we enjoyed one of the simple pleasures of home, coffee from Starbucks.
This hotel is a subway ride away from the World Expo and downtown, places we’ll be visiting a lot over the next two weeks. No Wal-Mart near here; but there are plenty of shops and restaurants right outside. Location, location, location! Next stop, dinner with some of our neighbors.
The utensil conundrum
1Apparently there is a right way and a wrong way to use chopsticks, and then there is my way. Last night while enjoying a wonderful meal with my Ball State University comrades, I discovered that I am not using chopsticks correctly. Now mind you, I have been in China for five days and believe me have not missed a meal, but my performance with chopsticks caused a great deal of laughter among the wait staff at the hotel restaurant. It seems that I am so bad with the chopsticks that that same wait staff, after watching me struggle for quite some time, hurried to the kitchen of the restaurant and brought forks back to our table. Xie, xie (Shi shi) I responded but determined to conquer all, I continued on with the chopsticks and my meal. While I am far from an expert, I’m doing ok, and doubt that it will deter me from finishing a meal. By the way, the food is great here!
First Impression Are Good, but Sometime Second Impressions Are Better
0After being in China for three days, I feel like I have a good first impression of it, or second impression rather. I decided to hold off on writing my first thoughts about China because I really wanted to immerse myself into the culture in order to understand what it has to offer.
From chopsticks and bizarre meals at breakfast to getting stared down by locals on the streets of Shanghai, this place seems to be very different from home. It seemed obvious at first that this new land was in stark contrast to what I have been used to. But as I thought more, I came to the conclusion that underneath all the cultural differences, we are all just human beings. So I challenged myself, to reexamine my preconceived ideas about China to prove them wrong. I was determined to find similarities between myself as an American, and the people of China.
I found that the only thing that sets me, and other Americans apart from Chinese locals is culture. Culture is a huge part of people’s lives. It is the outer most layer of a nation, and often times people do not look beyond it. While culturally we are very different, humanly we are alike. I think the best examples of this can be seen through our conversations with the Chinese. Every time I have ordered food it has been a challenge because of our language barrier. Half of the time I have no idea what the other is saying, or I end up ordering something that I did not intend. While language is cultural, there was something human that was always shared: laughter and smiles.
Field trip to Wal-Mart
2Now that we’ve settled into our new hotel (which we leave tomorrow), we needed some supplies. Luckily, down the street there’s a Wal-Mart. Yes, you have to beware of falling prices, even in China. So as good Amercans, we had to visit it. And I must give Wal-Mart some credit. The store was quite nice. There was a good variety of merchandise, very fresh produce and meat, and just like in the U.S., low prices. The place was crowded, too. My proof is just anecdotal, but it appears that Wal-Mart is just as popular here as at home.
Today, we visited the Expo for the first time. I’m sure others will comment on that. Tomorrow, we check into our final home in Shanghai, the SISU Guest House. We’re looking forward to finally unpacking.
What a day!
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Terry gives up on his U.S. cell phone and buys a Chinese phone. It's already paid for itself.
First Impressions
0It’s not hard to get excited about a place that’s so full of life. Endless mopeds, bicycle carts and interested glances from locals make for fun walks past hundreds of open-doored business on the muggy streets. Although obvious differences in culture can be seen in the street signs and markets that line the walkways from place to place, seeing a local get as upset as I did at seeing the Orlando Magic losing game two of the NBA playoffs to the Boston Celtics on a CCTV Fox Sports feed in a Chinese cafe reminded me that we are not all necessarily so different.