TRAVEL: Shanghai - donghua university chinese language scholarship september 2014

Shanghai

1-2^nd September

My flight over from Dublin to Abu Dhabi was delayed by and hour so I was only in that airport for 2 hours. Bit of a hectic journey as I left Belfast at 4.30am! The flight over was okay as I slept having taken some Diazepam, watched the other woman which was hilarious!

Once I ‘d got through the visa queue at immigration I aimed for the taxi, told that the bus that was possible to get to the school didn’t exist, and although quoted 200RMB by one women another tried to persuade me to get one at 550 before I haggled it to 350. I did neither and opted for going downstairs and getting a metred taxi at 180RMB. I soon as I arrived I had to leave my luggage in the building, and exceedingly tired get my student card (What a picture!) and register. Had to pay 500rmb for a room deposit! 50 for a month internet and another for a canteen card. My room is small and hostel like, on the 12^th floor, and I’m also meant to get a roommate at some point. My hot water usage is tracked and if I use it all up in one semester I need to pay for more!  My air con needed sorted and the fridge reeked, the loo has a whiff of sewer about it. It’s also very hot, sunny and humid! Least I am able to get Wi-Fi downstairs in the lobby and “coffee room” (there’s no coffee but it’s a nice sort of lounge area with booths) my Vpn on the laptop won’t work and I can’t even skype as that got made illegal last summer! China now has its own silly version? Got a metro to Xujiahui as I have left my laptop charger in my boyfriend’s house in Belfast, well done there Kelly! It’s an expensive area but filled with some amazing architecture for the malls. In particular the one I went to “Metro city” haggled my charger down to 210 from 280 RMB. I wandered around a bit passing a catholic French façade school established in 1850, Xuhai school. And also walked around Xujiahui Park marvelling at some black swans. Not the happiest about everything, but at least better off than my friend Rosie who just arrived at her university in Wuhan and has been told nothing!

I got my internet password sorted the next day at the dodgy run down student resources building. Here I met a few girls, 2 Danish and 1 Hungarian who all study in Denmark, we went to Lianhua road to find farmers market and were unsuccessful however it was good to socialise and afterwards had my dinner with the Danish girls in the canteen. Not the most appetizing though, rice and veg and I unfortunately had to scrap off bits of meat.  Spent my night skyping, researching VPNS and looking for a fashion internship in shanghai.

Wednesday 3^rd September

Didn’t sleep till 4, it was way too warm. Got up and showered after 10.30 and emailed some more shanghai designers before exploring the campus. My classroom looks modern and okay, I passed the shanghai fashion and costume museum and explored around the sports areas, the gym looks impressive from afar, but looking in it seems more like a gymnasium, I later found out that many students pay for memberships for a gym elsewhere.

I asked for my fridge to be looked at, used the Wi-Fi finding it wasn’t working I went back to student services and they gave me a different password, yet my other one works for my internet, confusing! Got a vpn sorted, paying $8 a month with safervpn. Had a plain lunch of rice and pak choi from the canteen.

I then explored the surrounding area trying to find shanghai mart as it was recommended for fabrics. It’s fantastic! Full of read to wear clothes, designer products for buyer, materials and accessories to order or buy, I took some photos and got some cards, very informative!

I went back to the hotel to double check about the fridge and to use the internet before getting the metro to Naxiang station to look at Nanxiang ancient town. 

It is not easily signposted at all, and there seemed to be only Asians, so, my advice, turn right upon leaving the station, go straight, the road with begin to curve and you will cross a highway. Continue straight to Dehua road, Past a couple hotels, you will come to what seems like a barrier gate, with a small opening, continue on, for maybe 10-15mins and eventually you will find it, there’s a sign eventually saying that its nearby, once you pass a school. 

It’s a small area, of old buildings with traditional Chinese style roofs, there was a temple and some gardens but both were closed when I arrived there, closing after 4.30 pm. It was nice to look at, and there were lots of different vendors and shops, 

I went into a nearby shopping area where some small Chinese children took a shine to me, being the only white girl around, they followed me and started speaking Chinese, I didn’t understand, but said a few phrases to them, like hello and my name, they instantly took this for fluent Chinese and got very excited. I left but later on around the area I found another girl who seemed to have followed me, it was quite cute. DO NOT use the toilets though, it’s the worst kind of squatting toilets, the ones that have no doors and are just hole, sanitary towels were amongst it too, not appealing!

I had a quick look at the mall beside the station but it wasn’t very interesting before getting the metro back to the university. I went online for a while before meeting up with the Danish girl. We went to a fun bar/restaurant called “Perry’s” there are 4 in Shanghai apparently, it was ladies night and it was packed. The place is like a doodle pad with writing everywhere, along with flags. There were several people up dancing around the bar area and the music was good. You can drink, have food and smoke shisha. It seems like a very popular international student place. 

Thursday 4^th September

Today I had my medical, good thing I didn’t get one at home or I would have had to pay twice! Filled out a sheet, asking everything to: was I pregnant, had I previously had the plague to have i got aids….got bloods taken, paid 470 RMB got an x-ray, and ECG and then bullied by an angry Chinese lady who made me hold a spoon to my eye and read very VERY small Chinese lettering and to tell her whether it was up or down…I passed but it was hard! Chilled in my room before heading for Shanghai Museum.

No-one seemed to give the right directions, I got out at the wrong exit to begin with, however, and found myself confused at the beautiful People's square, one lady assumed I was looking for the shopping plaza and lead me to Han city, the place I have been before that does all the excellent and cheap fakes! Good to know!

Eventually I got on the right path (the opposite way I was headed) and passed the huge Shanghai theatre, where I previously went and saw the amazing Shanghai acrobatic show. The museum itself is on beautiful grounds and holds various artifacts, the first floors holds ceramics dated from the earliest BC, some ceramics over 2,000 years still had visible paintwork. Pieces under 1000 looked so good and so skilled that they’d be purchased now. Of course the porcelain was fantastic, delicate, beautiful, colourful and artistic. On the other side of the ground floor the Buddhist/Chinese culture was shown through statues, was interesting to see having spent so long in Buddhist Thailand.

Upstairs held beautiful calligraphy pieces, from writing to paintings, a delicate skill. Seals were explained, originating in China, and there was also a currency exhibit along with jade. My favourite of course was Chinese costume, showing the different styles of the ethnic groups.  Some were heavily embroidered, others thick and long for warmth, colourful, simply designed or heavily bejewelled. There were also some interesting and sometimes scary opera masks too!

After the museum I decided to walk the famous Nanjing Rd starting at the west end. Full of high design shops, it was very fancy, I felt so poor just looking at them, from cars, and watches to designer handbags and clothes stores, names such as Ferrari, Gucci, Prada and Cartier highlighted the street in huge signage. I passed the beautiful Jin’ang temple and took a stroll round its park, finding a private resting spot among some rocks before deciding that my feet were too sore to go on (I walked over 3 stations!) I spent my night relaxing and begging forgiveness from my feet. 

Friday 5^th September

Today was the induction day. Thankfully starting at half 10 (mornings are most definitely the hardest, tiredness, the realisation that I’m so far from those I love and that I cannot talk to them for ages,(7 hours behind me) the loneliness.) It was on until 12. We were given an introduction into the school international services, the rooms etc., and the clubs we can join. Missing class is taken very serious, miss over 1/3 and you can be disqualified from your exams that year or expelled! Thinking of perhaps joining street or Latin dance, and maybe the shanghai experience club as they take you on adventures. It seems that perhaps classes will only be in the morning.

Had lunch with the Danish students. Rice and spicy tofu (chilli pieces had to be scrapped off as its just not pleasurable!) before getting my first months allowance (200rmb more than I expected) getting my insurance card and heading for Sijing.

My map app unfortunately wouldn’t find the ancient town for me, and the map I had wasn’t very good (Google maps) fortunately I had a brochure with the name in Chinese. At least that’s what I thought. I ended up directed, and in, some sort of army show, full of men (of course) and families looking at huge Chinese tanks and even a plane! So random!

So I decided after this to use the picture and Chinese symbols for Anfang Pagoda. After asking several people and checking I was going the right way for 20 minutes I arrived beside it and a bridge, only to find that although it was way before 4.30 (the closing time) that it was closed! So annoyed! Got a few pretty pictures and went for a stroll in the nearby park which was full of small ponds covered in huge lily pads. There’s so much going on in Shanghai that it’s nice to find the older parts or the parks to get away from the hustle and bustle.

I looked in a few shops on my way back, which were pretty good, particularly the shopping mall across from the station, selling very cheap clothes, in particular cheap tops for 25rmb. I may actually be back for them!

I then made my way to Shanghai HongQuio station to pick up my ticket for tomorrow to Wuhan. (Reasonably easy, I lined up in the queue and showed my passport and the ticket number I was given beginning with E) I can get my return tomorrow from either Wuhan or shanghai and I won’t have to pay the 50rmb handling fee. Although I could get the metro tomorrow I think I will get the taxi as it’s all quite confusing and I don’t want to get lost and miss my train! On my way home I spotted someone with Durian (my favourite fruit from Thailand!) I peeked in to the nearby fruit shop and they have some, not the cheapest but I will just have to treat myself. YUM!

Back at the dorm I was shocked to discover that I now have a roommate. A Korean girl called Taiyung. She seems nice, she is staying for 2 years and seems to have brought everything with her, from mirrors to a clothes horse, and she bought a Wi-Fi router and gave me the password on my phone! Well prepared. She seems friendly and I’m hoping we will get on ok. She was going out with some other Koreans for a drink which suited me as I needed sleep, and when I was getting up to leave the next morning, she still was not in by the time I left (5am) perhaps she stayed at a friends as she knew I was leaving early or maybe she is a mad party animal. We shall see!

Got my taxi very quickly to the station (50rmb) and went through security. I bought my return ticket having written down exactly what I wanted from the site (you can only purchase 3 days in advance)  found my gate easily, got a drink from the vending machine before boarding at 6.15 finding the car and seat as written in the top right corner of my ticket.

Tired I slept in odd positions, the child or person behind me kept kicking the chair (is it horrid that I imagined slow deaths for their cruelty? haha!) and I discovered the joys of using a squatting toilet on a high speed train

Saturday 6-8^th September WUHAN

Arrived about 12.30 pm in Wuhan station Rosie met me, hadn’t seen her since November, if it wasn’t for me suggesting and egging her on about the scholarship she wouldn’t have applied. We got a bus towards her university stopping at Wuhan east lake park – Moshill and paid a student’s entrance of 30RMB.

It was a huge park! Lots of places to go, things to do and see, we climbed up to a building dedicated to a Chinese general marshal with a large statue outside it admiring the views below (and sweating profusely may I add) walking and climbing instead of taking the cable car.,(thankfully it wasn’t as smoggy in the park thanks to all the plants and trees) the bugs in the park were huge, from beautiful large butterflies, to huge mega sized scary wasps and beetles. We continued, passing a log slide that looked very fun but we had too many bags to do, and climbed the pagoda style building (so many stairs) we spent ages chatting and it felt like we hadn’t seen each other than in a week rather than several months. On down to the grass park like area we found that you could rent Segway’s which looked great fun, and got some photos with some local Chinese outside a gateway. We admired the small lakes and lily pads everywhere, and a garden of bonsai, seeing one the size of a small tree, clearly very old.

Once we were done and our legs and feet had had enough, we got another bus and got off at her university, Wuhan University of Geosciences. A very large campus, I was only in one half of it as the other half is across the road. A 6 floor building she lives at the top and has to climb the stairs as there is no elevator. The reception area was poor and the maintenance had fallen, if it wasn’t for the people sitting at the desk you could think it was abandoned. Her room is small, she shares it was a girl from Suriname (South America) called Sarida. They have queen sized beds that I later learnt felt like wooden planks. Their aircon isn’t working and they had to buy a fridge. The shower works but it is a wet room bathroom. Mine seems the better accommodation of the two.

We showered off our sweat before meeting the two other Suriname students, Darys and Afsol; two friendly, funny guys. They don’t particularly looked southern American, as Suriname has quite a mixed culture; they seemed to all speak quite a few languages. Sarida has Indian heritage and Darys has Malaysian. Afsol and Sarina are Muslim so we to dinner in a Chinese Muslim restaurant. I had some delicious garlic spinach and tried some spiced green beans. Dared Rosie and Afsol to eat the fish eye and brain, was near sick when Rosie did it right beside me (even though I egged her on) I can’t abide things being done to hurt eyeballs (I couldn’t watch the laser eye treatment scene in final destination!)  I felt quite at ease soon enough and we briefly went to the bar “prison” to chill before heading back for some sleep.

 Sleep did not come easy however. The herd bed and lack of aircon along with an oncoming cold resulted in a restless miserable night, for me and Rosie; I also awoke to mosquito bites, brilliant.

An early breakfast and a jog was not on the cards the next morning, I felt awful! I briefly sat at the bank for some Wi-Fi, to message my boyfriend and family as Rosie and Sarida still have not got theirs, though they organised it earlier in the week.

Sarida, Afsol, Rosie and I got on a bus (with a long journey) to the Hubei Provincial museum, free in. A huge place, it offers free water, air con and western toilets with we used happily. It has about 4 floors along with some side building exhibits. We looked round the first four, and discovering surprisingly that the first was all about Napoléon Bonaparte, with actual artefacts from that time. It was very busy and quite interesting as I never studied the Napoleonic wars in school. We learnt about the wars, the wives, the generals and his family. He tried to commit suicide at one point and failed as the medication he used was out of date! I presume that the Chinese have an exhibit about him as they admire his military and politic skills; perhaps they see communist ideals in them?

On the floor above we saw jade artefacts, pottery and ceramics and learnt all about the first men of China, with ancient skeletons and tools etc.

It was all very interesting. Afterwards we went to McDonalds as Sarida already hates Asian food and she’s only been there a week.

Chinese men seem to take to this “new style” of pulling their skirts up, exposing their stomachs like belly tops, it’s quite gross and they seem to do it everywhere  =/

Tired, we all got on the bus and mainly dozed before heading back to the university dorms and having a nap. Miraculously, the mechanic seems to have finally come when we were out and the air con is finally working. Glorious! Later, having failed to find the canteen which Rosie has a card for and passing the interesting “fossil trees” area of her university. We found a fast food sort of place where you get rice and choose what else you want. I got a delicious vegetable and tofu scoop and some spicy vegetables mainly onions (hopefully they sweat out my cold, my nose literally has not stopped running the whole day and the soothers I got, a Chinese version are disgusting and taste of aniseed, thankfully I was able to get some sweet orange ones later)

This was 6 RMB! And I got a free omelette soup, plain but tasty! And a delicious lemon ice tea. Such a great meal! We then met Afsol who wanted food (the toilet I used in his restaurant didn’t lock so I had to use the toilet “crouching tiger hidden dragon style”) we then met Darys and his friend, they’d been at a meeting and got some Moon cakes as tomorrow is the Mid-autumn festival  and there is a full moon. They went and got street food, and while we sat a random Chinese man sat at the next table (“my English name is David”) and asked all about Rosie and I and explained what he did and how he needed English white girl teachers for his school, paying 600RMB a week for 4 hours work, he said Rosie and one of the guys could do it, getting their emails. It was creepy at the start “I have car I can show you about, show you nice views on way to school” haha. But they may actually consider it. Chinese stare way too much, and it’s got to the point where I just stare back, doing so earlier on the bus an old Chinese man started talking to Afsol as he could speak some Chinese, apparently I have yellow Chinese skin. Class…

Also lots of them keep saying hi. Clearly the only white English girls about #whitegirlproblems

Had a much better sleep thanks to the aircon! Up at half 9 we went around the local area while Rosie and Afsol got bikes and we picked up the passport pictures we took last night (£1.50 for 8 such a bargain!) we met Sarida and Darys at the metro station and headed to the Hubei bund area. Full of some cool shops and a whole area on wedding dresses! We spotted an adorable pet squirrel in one of the windows!! We went to the Wuhan beach area (Bund) the waterfront. It was so smoggy you couldn’t see the other side of the Yangtze, and the sky was grey/dark blue. We had literally just dipped our feet in to the perfect temperature water for a downpour to start. Never seen people move so fast in my life, it was hilarious! To top it off, a man was halfway across the river swimming with his bags when this happened, must have been crazy for him. It was refreshing for us though. The puddles were warm and you could even see steam rising from it! Crazy!

Made our way to the station to begin going through after the others had just left for the guy to realise that the ticket date said 14^th! FUCK! Need to be back for class starting in the morning, what the frig! I panicked, couldn’t get through to anyone and kept saying I need to go to day, looking lost and sad they understood when I asked if I could change the ticket. Thankfully one took me to the upstairs ticket office and got it changed for me for 6rmb. Train is now 4.30, however with no seat. Spending 6 hours on the floor behind some allocated seats (I feel even more like a bum than ever but I was NOT standing for 6 hours!!) thankfully, after sleeping in awkward positions on the floor (there was a Chinese lady doing the exact same across from me) sneezing, coughing etc., the woman in front took pity on me and told me to take her seat when her and her on left, so for the last 1-2 hours I had an actual seat. I even made it back on time around 10.30 to get the metro back to the campus