Having a break in martial arts class
Attempting Chinese Calligraphy
Tea presentation
Chinese Tea Ceremony
Tuesday, 17 September 2013
Culture Classes
ECNU kindly organised some culture classes for us. We had these once a week; we got to try martial arts and calligraphy and experience a Chinese tea ceremony. They were all intriguing and worthwhile, but I think my favourite was the tea ceremony. A tea expert (who even wore traditional dress!) gave us a really insightful presentation about types of tea and how they should be brewed. She then (very gracefully) made us three types of tea which we got to taste, I especially loved the Oolong tea. I used my new knowledge to pick out some tea to bring back for family and friends as gifts. Not only were these classes very interesting, I especially appreciated them since if I had just come to China as a tourist, I would not be able to participate in such activities.
Friday, 6 September 2013
Start of 'Study China'
The opening ceremony provided the opportunity to meet the rest of the students on the programme, listen to some speeches from some key people involved in the programme and get some information on our classes, trips and the area we were staying in.
In the afternoon, we got the chance to socialise with the Student Volunteers, Chinese students studying at ECNU, which was a lot of fun. They organised some games which included trying to pick up marbles with chopsticks in water (very difficult-- that wasn't the last time a Chinese friend would laugh at my chopstick skills.)
That night some of us went to the Bund and out for dinner.
The next morning, we had our first Chinese class. These ran from 9:00-11:50 every morning. I was in a beginners class but have come away with a pretty good amount of Chinese considering the three-week timeframe, it was very intense! The teachers were very friendly, committed and patient. I would try to go over what I learned each day in the evening and I found this made a huge difference.
In the afternoon, twice a week, we had our 'English taught course.' Mine was Marketing in a Chinese Culture, which was extremely interesting, especially when learning about the ways in which multi-national companies tailor their business strategy to suit the Chinese market.
In the afternoon, we got the chance to socialise with the Student Volunteers, Chinese students studying at ECNU, which was a lot of fun. They organised some games which included trying to pick up marbles with chopsticks in water (very difficult-- that wasn't the last time a Chinese friend would laugh at my chopstick skills.)
That night some of us went to the Bund and out for dinner.
The next morning, we had our first Chinese class. These ran from 9:00-11:50 every morning. I was in a beginners class but have come away with a pretty good amount of Chinese considering the three-week timeframe, it was very intense! The teachers were very friendly, committed and patient. I would try to go over what I learned each day in the evening and I found this made a huge difference.
In the afternoon, twice a week, we had our 'English taught course.' Mine was Marketing in a Chinese Culture, which was extremely interesting, especially when learning about the ways in which multi-national companies tailor their business strategy to suit the Chinese market.
First Impressions
After a much needed shower and sleep, I awoke to a scorching day. Shanghai had been enduring a heatwave and my first few days there were definitely the hottest of the trip! Some new friends and I had a wander around the campus (which was even prettier in daylight) and caught the Metro to People's Square.
ECNU; The 'Garden University'
Our guesthouse on campus
We had lunch and a wonder around People's Square. Unfortunately getting temporarily lost on the way home... Thankfully we had our address written in Chinese with us and found the correct station to get off at!
When we found our way back I took this picture (below) and made sure I (a) Learned that name! (b) ALWAYS carried my university address with me and (c) Remember to always photograph the station name I am staying near when in a new city! (because, especially in China, remembering that the stop name has some 'j's, 'i's and 'ng's in it just won't cut it!)
Arriving in China
Since I only have a desktop at home bringing a laptop to China wasn't an option for me, so this blog has been compiled upon my return to the UK.
After a door to door journey of over 24 hours, I arrived in Shanghai! Naturally, the mixture of nerves and excitement I had been feeling for the past few days was more intense than ever. I was lucky enough to have a friend from my course (Social Anthropology at the University of Edinburgh) participating in the Study China programme. We acquired some friends at our stop over in Dubai who were also about to embark on this adventure too. By the time we reached our university, ECNU, there were 11 of us.
I found a return Emirates flight from Glasgow (via Dubai) for around £670. This split the journey into two roughly equal parts. A taxi from the airport to our university was just under 400RMB (£40) since it was 2am we were on a night rate. Our taxi to the airport coming home was just over half of that because it was early evening (or perhaps it was because a helpful student volunteer negotiated a price with the driver for us!)
The heat hit me as soon as I stepped out of the airport (for those travelling to China in the Summer, do yourself a favour and have a short sleeved t-shirt under your comfy flying clothes!) and after a little wandering around a dark (but beautiful) campus, we found our accommodation. I was extremely relieved to find it very clean, modern and complete with a fridge containing bottled water!
After a door to door journey of over 24 hours, I arrived in Shanghai! Naturally, the mixture of nerves and excitement I had been feeling for the past few days was more intense than ever. I was lucky enough to have a friend from my course (Social Anthropology at the University of Edinburgh) participating in the Study China programme. We acquired some friends at our stop over in Dubai who were also about to embark on this adventure too. By the time we reached our university, ECNU, there were 11 of us.
I found a return Emirates flight from Glasgow (via Dubai) for around £670. This split the journey into two roughly equal parts. A taxi from the airport to our university was just under 400RMB (£40) since it was 2am we were on a night rate. Our taxi to the airport coming home was just over half of that because it was early evening (or perhaps it was because a helpful student volunteer negotiated a price with the driver for us!)
The heat hit me as soon as I stepped out of the airport (for those travelling to China in the Summer, do yourself a favour and have a short sleeved t-shirt under your comfy flying clothes!) and after a little wandering around a dark (but beautiful) campus, we found our accommodation. I was extremely relieved to find it very clean, modern and complete with a fridge containing bottled water!
Entrance and Bathroom...
Our Bedroom...
We were also lucky enough to have a little living area...
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