FASHION & TRAVEL: Week 2-3 Shanghai. starting classes and my Bridal internship

Tuesday 9th September
Up early to begin Chinese class for 8.30. As it’s a scholarship all my books are paid for and I’ve went back to beginners as I have no learning of characters and I’m very rusty. Still the only British student, there Is a Japanese students, several Thai students, a Russian, some German, black French speaking Africans, Indonesians, a Spaniard, but no one with English as their first language. And to make it all the harder, we are only to refer to each other by our Chinese name. Everyone seems to have their clicks, mainly their nationalities; thank goodness I made friends with some of the Danish!

The lesson plan was not what I expected. The teacher rushed straight into conversation, how to say hello, ask and give names, without explaining it particularly, and then countries without giving the countries. We were all expected to know it seems. Which seems unfair for a first day, especially since you would usually go over and over finals and initials as without them (your basic building blocks of the language sounds along with the 4 tones) you cannot properly speak the language as you can’t read and speak the pin yin correctly. We get breaks for 10 minutes every 40 minutes or so, which is a heaven send as its all quite intense and dull, the breaks perk you up, especially as there is Wi-Fi and I can go on my phone (thank goodness for VPN or I would only have the Chinese version of what’s app to survive: Wechat) thankfully the toilets are better, although squatting toilets, they seem cleaner and there is a toilet roll dispenser to use beside the sinks which for once have soap. This is on every floor along with a boiling and cold water dispenser.
For the second part of the morning we had a conversation teacher. She went over what we had learnt before finally getting us onto our initials and finals, key singing class with all the tones!

After lunch with Charlie and Rebeka we submitted the documents for the new resident visa process. I chilled briefly before heading to Yuyuan gardens.
I had only arrived when two Chinese girls from Beijing asked me to take a photo of them and we got taking they were very friendly, and asked me if I wanted to join them for a tea ceremony, I thought why not, I haven’t really hung out with many people and I can practise my Chinese. The server, in her traditional dress spoke only mandarin, explaining each type of tea, the name, such as the pink lady, the emperors tea, etc. its uses, skin, colds etc., the way to sip it, the special number 3 etc. I was all rather lovely and cute

When it was finished we were handed the bill. Although split, and with only 100rmb on me, I still owed apparently nearly 300 with a total bill of nearly 800rmb (that’s nearly £80). I didn’t have it. The girls didn’t understand and were not helpful. In the end I had to use my debit card. And looking back I seemed to pay the majority. I departed from them outside. Annoyed, severely. Clearly I had been scammed. And looking back I see they got me to pay a majority as one girl bought tea and took it off her price. Majorly ripped off. Bitches. Should have realised, I had been warned before.



Nearly £40 on sips of tea. That’s the amount of a week’s living allowance! I tried to make the most of the rest of the day, looking at the beautiful old style building of the shops round Yuyuan over the river with bridges in-between. Unfortunately, all the Chinese wanted pictures off and with me, actually blocking my photos I was trying to take and not even asking! I did however meet some students from another school who asked me to take a photo, we exchanged Wechat, and they pitied my photo situation. You can’t wear sunglasses to pretend you could be Asian when it’s not sunny, it just doesn’t work. I wandered round some more, further out I found some 10/2 rmb shops full of tat, and round again, just behind a metro entrance was a huge multi-level market full of sewing materials and laces, beads and ribbons, parcel bags, stationary, some clothes and lots of fabulous bags, what a gem! I shall be back there!!! It was all closing up round 5 though. So headed back to the dorm and chilled. Went for a jog around the track later on as it was cooler, and found it full of students doing laps. Along with a basketball court full of a mixture of games going on. The nearby skyline buildings were lit up in an array of moving fluorescent lights, quite pretty and sort of relaxing I guess.

Wednesday 10th September
I really need to stop staying up so late! Today we had a different teacher for conversation class, and more students seemed to join us, more Thai’s) and I’m not going to lie some do look like lady boys) a couple more black guys and a girl. The teacher went through and noted down our names which was good, so we have a better idea and a list. Been speaking more to the German girl, she’s only 16 and her parents have moved here!  We went over more sounds, using the red books this time. Even got homework to write some characters! This is all moving rather quickly I am going to need to study hard this time I think.  After my disappointing lunch Rebeka and Charlie we all went to the bank of china with me to set up my account, I waited for over an hour! But finally got my bank “union pay” card, TaoBao here I come! (Chinese eBay!)
Just had enough time to change (discovering Taiyung had not been to class again) and get the metro for my interview with Peony rice. I was at the stop in 15minutes (later discovering I could have got a closer one) before hailing a taxi for 20rmb and getting dropped outside according to the screenshot I’d taken of the email with directions in mandarin. Still was unsure where I was and thankfully a Chinese man led me directly to it at the back. From the front you wouldn’t know of its existence, but inside its every inch of a fashion and bridal studio and very western. I was thrilled to meet the founder Pauline who spoke perfect English having lived and worked for large fashion Company’s in NYC and England. She asked me a bit about my time with Lizzie and I showed her some of my images. She offered me to try the internship! Doing afternoons 2-6/7 after Chinese class and then some weekends and some Mondays off. THRILLED! Was practically dancing on my journey back.
Did my Chinese homework and skyped and messaged everyone back home before going for a few laps with Rebeka at the track. My roommate went out again with her cousin who was visiting for ladies night in Perry’s (50rmb and free bar for the ladies is fantastic!) she wasn’t back until after 4, and needless to say didn’t go to class again. I think I was very wrong about Koreans!

Thursday 11th – 13th September
Went over the same material of sounds, but adding the harder ones of the initials and finals (zh,ch/ai ei) seems like a good portion of the class weren’t in, Taiyung didn’t go to hers that’s for sure. Had my lunch with Rebeka, getting sizzling plate rice and a tomato, omelette and onion dish, thicker tomato sauce, not as greasy and very tasty! Found out about holidays today, just the one week off in the start of December (national holiday in remembrance of the establishment of the republic) not off for Christmas or anything, no way in hell I’m going to class on Christmas eve, day or boxing day, how depressing!
Got some things from the local shop before going for a walk, walking straight from the campus gate, I found some local shops, restaurants and some bars and even a Tesco metro, with its discount section. Of course, it was all Chinese food, but its handy to have nearby I guess. Nothing too exciting shop wise, and the 7/11 I discovered, much to my dismay, was not anywhere near as amazing as the one in Thailand!
Got changed and got the metro to Zhongshang park, I had got the address for metro town online and showed it to a guy who pointed me in the right direction. There are about 4 floors fill with unique and quirky fashion boutique, with some fabulous designs, and for around £35, it’s great quality and decent price and no one else would have it.
However, I had forgotten the name of the store as the email address was for “brownricedesigns” I thought  it may have been one I saw but I was scared of taking an embarrassing risk as the woman in the reception had no idea what I was on about downstairs. I couldn’t get the Wi-Fi, and after looking around several times and no one seeming to recognise a white girl, I walked on, going underground, I found yet more shops, these cheaper, some great quality female suit jackets for around £15-20! Further on I found some higher market brands, but I got lost and trapped, unable to find and exit I retraced my steps.
I then visited cloud 9 which is full of international shops and the Carrefour. It was huge!! Several floors and about 3 huge sections. A bit of a maze really. I browsed the Carrefour, looking at the available food and drinks and what they had from home (Cadburys fingers) they had some gross poultry, full dead plucked chickens, and very strangely some were black?!Back home I began practising and learning some Chinese characters. It’s very hard!

Stomach was killing me the next morning, not fun! Thank goodness I learnt those characters last night, I was chosen as one of the students to have a go at them on the board! I’m really going to have to study hard, especially as she says that we have a monthly test and after 2 months the tests will be mainly in Chinese characters: O
Had a nap over lunch briefly (Taiyung had gone out again and didn’t go to class) before going to the meet and greet “italk” for international students and Chinese students to meet, become friends and practise language. I got paired with the African girl in my class, Eden, she speaks French so I spoke a bit of it as mine’s quite poor, and then a Chinese student (English name Linda) joined us. I got on with her really well, she’s 21, studies fashion, like to read and studies hard and is very friendly. We exchanged Wechat and spent a lot of time chatting. We then got offered to go to an expo the next day, for free so I put my name down (and ended up in a really annoying Wechat conversation group) and agreed to meet in the morning before 9.

Decided to go to Qibao old street for a while, it’s full of traditional buildings and there’s some temples and a museum, it’s also really easy to get to, going to Qibao station, I took the exit 4 gate and then from there, there was signs pointing the way.
The area is full of shops, all very cheap clothes, a cool fabric store (with some lovely variations of Chinese silks) and a great cheap shoe store (I will be back for that!)
Outside the entrance to the area, I got photos taken with some Asian kid, who’d never seen a western person before, like seriously, it’s shanghai?!
The bridges are lovely and I plan next time to look at the cotton museum and visit the pagoda, but I’m not too sure how I get to that. There were lots of shops and food stalls, lots of cheap 2rmb and 10rmb shops.  A great hustle and bustle about the place. Will definitely be returning. Seems more like a true Chinese town that way, shanghai is too much of a wanabe metropolitan city, without the true glamour unless at the bund.

Exhausted this morning and its heavily raining (I need to get an umbrella) it was mainly Chinese students today or Asians for this group outing. Linda was there, also got speaking to several others, including a very small Chinese textile student, who’s very intense and loud. The trip is paid for by the italk group. They paid for the bus and metro. Absolutely soaked! But did use a few Chinese phrases. The Shanghai expo was held in 2010, all about the different global countries and how we could work together for the future. There were several different “pavilions” all with amazing design, we only did the main shanghai pavilion that told you about the others, and had different objects relating to them, the first couple of floors were all based on china, and the last briefly showed the other pavilions across the world and some objects from them, statues and jewellery etc. the last bit was on the future, it held a huge baby, that was kind of creepy, and some retro futuristic fashions. It was interesting I guess, but not fantastic. The best bit was at the entrance which held a huge model with lights, of part of the main area if shanghai. It was very cool!
We headed back, it was still raining unfortunately. And all of us went to the hot pot place under the station. I got vegetables in mine and got a mild spice (it was not mild, more of a medium to hot) and had a delicious satay all for £3. Not the cheapest but at least I wasn’t eating more “mi fan” rice.
Back home, exhausted I went for a nap (Taiyung was still in bed) I then skyped back home wishing my mum a happy birthday! After 7 I met Rebeka and we went to ikea, getting off at exit 7 at Shanghai indoor stadium, we came across a cool market just on the other side of the road form ikea, outside is full of boutiques and the indoor market has lots of cheaper shops and retro vintage ones. It also does a massage for 58RMB! Will most definitely be back there.
Ikea was crazy busy, got a mug for my room at 30p and found Absolut vodka for £11! Back beside campus I found a shop that sold pattern making tools, such as a pattern master for £1.50, back home that would be at least £15!

Sunday 14th – Monday 15th September
Was up until late talking to people at home, with a time difference of +7GMT it’s hard to have proper conversations around time schedules. Up at 10.30/11 (woken to the sound of people in the hall singing happy birthday. Not necessary at 10.30 am, especially for those who I am sure are hung over, for example Taiyung, but she slept through it) Went for a jog at the track, it was warmer and there were not that many people, strangely a girl on her bike. They run and do things oddly at the track, many Chinese walk around it, walk with friends and hold hands (as you do…) run backwards or do weird swinging arms as they walk, run or run backwards, strange people indeed.
I met Rebeka in the afternoon and we went to the fake mall at Shanghai Science and technology museum metro. Right from when we got off we were ambushed by Chinese asking did we want bags or watches, Gucci Prada, etc. We looked around, all the shops are very similar, saw some great shoes, mainly boots, and of course bags, I will most definitely be getting another Cath Kidston or too and maybe something else. Rebeka haggled down a nice leather backpack to 150RMB. We also found a huge tailoring section and food aisle.
We then went to Metro town and agonised over the lovely clothes we want, we will definitely be buying from here! I asked my new Chinese friend “Linda” to recommend some cheap Chinese fashion areas for us to explore
I spent the rest of the night trying to learn new Chinese characters. It’s quite straining, and so, to give myself a break I did some laps in the nearby park across form the school. It was lit up in certain areas, quite, with some playing basketball in the court and at the other side the elderly, gathered for their nightly singing, dancing and exercise sessions, I really like this community thing that has begun here, gets the elderly out of the house, exercising and socialising.

Of course, the morning was a dread to get up, and what I thought I had learnt was not enough as we were thrown a few more characters that were not on the sheet, CONFUSING! However Laoshi Xue went slower today and asked if she needed to slow down further. The lesson was a lot better.
However the next teacher was not. She goes very quick, does not explain and gives you an information overload. I was not able to complete my homework as I simply did not understand it all!
The German girl, Kat joined Rebeka, shuadee and I for lunch, she is also a vegetarian and hadn’t had the (dis)pleasure of the canteen yet (it was cold, I had to use the microwave to reheat it…)
We then went for the visa interview. We were given the papers, along with our passport and received our medical results. I got a perfect result really, no problems (though the other two had thing son their ECG) and I also found out my blood type is O. it was a lovely day outside, so rather than spend an hour waiting inside we sat in the sun and relaxed, it was very pleasant and seemed less smoggy today.
The interview was not an interview in the slightest, we just gave them money, signed and wrote our number and then they put the stuff in an envelope to send. On the plus side I get it back before the holiday!

Decided as it was sunny to head to the most famous shanghai landmarks; “finance city" (metro line 2 Lujiazui) to admire the amazing architecture of shanghai financial tower (to be finished this year) the oriental pearl tower and Jin Mao. It was so amazing to behold. And, finding a park I relaxed and admired the form of serenity that seemed to be in this part of shanghai, away from the usual tourists of the finance city. It was peaceful and nice to reflect upon the beauty of nature against the modernity and architecture of this metropolitan city. I lay down on a bench beside the small lake and gazed at the sky, the buildings, the birds the trees. I gazed upon a mother and her young son having a bonding moment while he showed her something on her phone, perhaps a game or a drawing. It was so peaceful and relaxing - such a strange thing to find in shanghai a glance at serenity from the constant hustle of the city and its people.

A far reach from the studying in my room when I returned! It didn’t help that my sister got Wechat and we discovered “walkie talkie” on it. Finally, a run with Rebeka made me feel much better, more energised and happier, a great release.

Tuesday 16th - Friday 19th September
I much prefer my Comprehensive Laoshi, Laoshi Xie, she explains things easier and doesn’t rush through it, she’s more helpful, friendly, makes jokes and asks if you need help, however my other Laoshi, Laoshi Pan wizzes through things and I don’t really understand, she gives you lots of homework some of which I find quite hard to do as I hadn’t really understood the lesson or because it’s just so much for the next day, I often feel like I’m studying for an A level.
Bit of a disaster for my first day of interning in Peony Rice. I got the metro (having had an exhausted brief 20minute nap) however for the first time ever I missed the stop and got off late, had to wait around for the next metro back and make the long walk with lots of steps to change lines before I finally got to the right line. Once I got off, the security bag checker wouldn’t answer me, before I finally got someone to tell me which gate to take. I got a little lost and forgetful asking a few people for directions before finally getting on the right path. So I arrived, 20 minutes late, not an excellent start.

However I got speaking to the other main worker, who specializes in accessories, “Gar” she’s from Manchester, and although Pauline was out the rest of the week we chatted a lot and she had on Radio one, was nice to hear the local news and current tracks.
Spent the majority of it sticking colour samples back into the book they came in, looking them up b their codes one by one which was very dull and took the whole day really. But once finished I started cutting out some lace flowers and leaves in patches to cut round for my next shift.
The lace flowers are to be beaded as they’re for the back of a dress (Gar showed me a beautiful example). It’s more of a small company Business than Lizzie Agnew's, similar I guess to Winnie Magee’s Business, the coat designer in my home town who I once interned with; there’s a cutter, a sewer, a pattern maker, and of course the designer. Had to use had snips, difficult as mainly blunt from use, but I got through it quickly once I got the hang of it, however nearly gave myself a blister from doing so. Stayed until after 6 (and happily used the western toilets with toilet roll!) before heading back to the school.  It was dark by the time I was leaving, so strange!
Got stuck into my homework but having a run, managed 7 laps and felt good for it!
No matter how much I learn for class it just does not seem to be enough, Laoshi Pan always gives you some extra characters that weren’t in the list she set you, even though it was a list of 19!!! For one night! From next week we will be having classes with Laoshi Xie on writing and listening to pin yin and characters. Fun, not. Lots of character learning this weekend, along with initials and finals (which I still find hard but at least we get the odd game to play, such as Bingo)
Got stuck into the beading at work and was quickly whizzing through it after I spent the day cutting out the flowers carefully. It’s relaxing and easy to d but it does give you a sore neck, Gar suggested acupuncture since massages don’t particularly work.
She told me that the models that have been coming in are auditioning for their upcoming shoot next Thursday and that I can help out at it which will be cool. Along with some rain and finally purchasing an umbrella, the classes and what I was doing seemed to roll in together and it was Friday. Linda, the Chinese student met Rebeka and I for lunch (she fell last night and was hobbling, knees are cut to pieces, I would not want to fall in China that's for sure, sooo dirty!) she was talkative and I practised a bit of Chinese, Her English is very good, she’s very quick.
We headed to Qi Pu road as recommended by Linda, it’s full of cheap Chinese fashion, floor upon floor, after you leave the metro station at gate 2 and go left, at Tiantong road station, there’s even a big shopping area at the station. I have a feeling I shall be back several times! Though all I purchased today was some nice thick red tweed shorts for 20RMB. Soaking wet from the constant rain today, I wasn’t paying full attention to where I was walking and my whole foot dipped into a huge disgusting puddle, gross! (Needless to say I had to wash my shoes on return home)
It was so strange on our journey earlier, we most definitely saw 3 lesbians, as they were the most boyish looking girls I’ve ever seen, it was nearly impossible to tell, and I rudely stared, because they stare at me all the time (it’s very annoying)
Dinner was terrible in the canteen. I tried some weird black bun, which was tasteless bread like sponge, tasteless beansprouts also, but at least the tofu strips had some flavour, though in a pool of brine. I just eat to survive here really; the canteen food is not tasty at all. I need a nice meal.  Preferably Pizza and lots of it!

Saturday and Sunday 20th-21st September
Even the clouds move fast in china, everything seems to always be in a rush, and my weekend has also followed suit. Tired I got up around 8.45 arriving for work at 10.10 and having to wait for the others to arrive.
I spent my day finishing the beading or changing it back to singles, pinning onto the dress and fixing it. I spent the day doing this and was very tired. During my lunch I decided to go for a dander and of course got lost on my return but I did find lots of shops, the other metro station, and a university before finally, near the studio when I got on the right route back, I found a road full of western food and funky hip bars and cafes! Gar but the dress on so we could position better before I finally left at 6,  exhausted I napped briefly when I got home before getting stuck into Chinese homework and skyping the family.
Slept in till 10.30 on Sunday as I couldn’t get back over to sleep when I awoke,  went for a jog in the nearby park, I did so briefly last night and witnessed several men urinating, not pleasant, however what is even more unpleasant is mothers with babies who have bum flap bottoms - the mothers open the flap and let the child urinate where it is by holding it in the air, or even better, over a bin to poo, I witnessed that recently in Qi Pu!!! Disgusting. I also don’t get the whole men having belly tops when too warm, or why women seem to wear shoes that are too big for them.
My jog today was nicer, lots of groups of men playing mah-jong in the park. Met Kat (one of the German girls from my class) at one and we headed to Qibao, chatting away and missing a stop!
Once there we decided to do the tourist thing and spent 20rmb on a student ticket to see the bell tower, the cotton mill, the shadow play museum, a Chinese sculptors memorial (very talented!) a miniature museum (full of amazing little décor, lots of stones with Chinese writing so small you could barely see it with a magnifying class!) the pawn shop (very poor) and finally the cricket museum.

It was however not the sport, and having just walked past lots of smelly food and full roasted chickens and heads we near threw up when we saw lots of little cricket specimens in bottles, I had to leave when I saw a huge one with giant wings!! (Apparently these were very popular in china, ewwww!!!)
After this we walked to Qibao temple, paying 5RMB in we climbed to the very top of the 7 floor pagoda, seeing a huge Buddha statues in each and the walls covered in miniatures. We then visited the temple which held lots more statues, with incense in the air and monks chanting; it was very peaceful, especially with only a few tourists about! On our way back we were a little confused before finding our way but found lots of different interesting shops.
We then had some Chinese street food from Qibao I got a pepper and chilli tofu and we shared some crispy cabbage and egg omelette pancake, very greasy but tasty and not canteen food! I even used my Chinese to order it and check there was no meat!