. Today we did get to go to Victoria's peak, and we also got to swim in Repulse Bay. It made up for the terrible experiences yesterday, and made me see just how amazing Hong Kong can be.All of my experiences and moments on this trip have been unforgettable, but some stand out more than others. Here are my Top 10 experiences, learning moments, funny moments, and realizations on this trip.
Top 10 Experiences:
1. Jumping in the fountain our last night in Xian
2. Visiting the school our second day in Beijing
3. Going to the Great Wall our third day in Beijing
4. Our (possibly) illegal taxi ride the last night in Xian
5. Swimming in Repulse bay today
6. Learning to haggle in the markets of Shanghai
7. Learning about family life by visiting a home our first day in Shanghai
8. The hot plate dinner we ate our second day in Xian
9. Taking pictures with all the people who approached us
10. Learning true stories about the Forbidden City while visiting there
Top 10 Learning Moments:
1. Talking to the students at the school
2. Communicating with people in limited English/Mandarin
3. Learning a bit of the Chinese language
4. Interviewing the family in Shanghai
5. Learning how to haggle well
6. Finding out that China views itself as capitalistic
7. Facts about the Great Wall
8. Learning how to use chopsticks on the plane to Beijing
9. Trying to blend in with blond hair
10. Seeing the industry in all 4 cities, but especially while riding the subways and buses in Hong Kong
Top 10 Funny Moments:
1. Jumping in the fountain in Xian
2. Our shower mishap the first night in Beijing
3. Finding out what the balloon-things on our table were in Shanghai (It was tree fungus)
4. Singing karaoke on the bus
5. Haggling in Shanghai
6. The taxi ride after the fountain in Xian
7. Taking pictures of people taking pictures of us
8. The party in Shanghai
9. Basically all the stuff we did on the bus rides
10. Being slap happy after the dance show in Shanghai
Top 10 Realizations:
1. China views itself as capitalistic
2. Many people use squatting potties because it is culture, not because they don't have the money for a western toilet.
3. Students cannot date until they are in a university
4. They don't see a lot of people with blonde hair in Beijing, Xian, and Shanghai
5. People love their daughters in the cities- no effects from the one-child policy anymore
6. Gas is $8 a gallon in Hong Kong
7. We are representative of our country, and have the power to correct stereotypes about our country or follow them
8. There aren't any arranged marriages anymore
9. When haggling in Beijing, if the price isn't 15-30% of the original, you are getting ripped off
10. Monks can be funny (Shanghai)
Natalie,
ReplyDeleteVery good job with your blogs! I really enjoyed reading each one. Your writing gives the reader great insight into not only what you did each day, but how the experiences affected you. The pictures you paired with each entry were also well chosen. It seemed like everytime I was reading something you wrote, I could look at your pictures and see something that showed me what you were writing about. I think one "realization" that you mentioned might be the thing that stood out most to me in all of your blogs. You said that you realized that some people chose to use squatting toliets not because they couldn't afford western style ones, but because they chose to because it was their culture. This is something that I hope anyone who travels realizes. People are different all over the world, and just because they do something different, doesn't mean they should be considered inferior or disadvantaged. People many times choose to do something because it is just the way they do things, or because it is cultural(like you said). Overall, great job. You really dove into this trip with and open mind, and I think you learned as much as possible...and also had a great time!
Mr. Ewen