FASHION & TRAVEL: Week 4 fashion shoots and Hanzi

Monday 22nd – Thursday 25rd September
I think the Chinese may actually be a bit racist, you have to get your big bags scanned before entering the metro and lots of Chinese are allowed to not do it just by opening their bag, mines been open a few times and I still have to do it, does a small blonde white girl really look like a terrorist?
My alarm didn’t go off as my phone died during the night, missing first class, oops! Missing my first dictation class test; which I’d studied for. Oh well, having another one tomorrow, expected to learn 2 chapters worth of characters. It’s way too much, along with having to study and do homework’s for the other side of the class. It is very intense. I’m only just two weeks in and I’m expected to know 80-100 characters. Crazy!
Rebeka had heard of a western supermarket so we took the metro to Longxi road. And heading onto HongMei road we found the oriental pearl supermarket (not as good as the others perhaps but very quiet and peaceful) lots of reasonably priced massage places and a great bar/restaurant area with a huge old fashioned train beside it, looks great. The whole area had a lot more Westerners than usual and the supermarket had lots of western foods (thought often expensive) I did find a knock off version of Fanta grape “Miranda” for 30p. Excellent!
Spent the rest of the night studying and doing homework’s (it’s very intense and I’m sure I will know 100 characters in total by the end of the week!) The weather got pretty bad and we had a mild typhoon warning to last into tomorrow. Meaning that it was quite wet and windy.
I had my first dictation class the next morning, writing the pinyin for initials and finals before doing some Chinese characters (Hanzi) it’s very hard as a small error or part of a character written wrongly completely ruins it, even the way you write pinyin; No capitals, no joint handwriting, the letter you write, eg. (A) has to have a “tail” etc.
A wet day in work I did more hand sewing onto the back of the dress. My throat began to feel quite dry so I went to the huge supermarket nearby getting the Miranda grape for 27p along with some halls!
Although gloomy looking on Wednesday, it was dry. I spent all of last night learning characters from chapter 5, finding it easier to recall them by making up silly stories to go with them (and completely writing them the incorrect way as you have to write left to right, up to down, but as long as it reads okay, that’s all I’m concerned about, once I know them better I can focus on writing them correctly.
I continued with the dress back at Peony rice, it takes a long time to delicately hand sew and to try and only sew the pieces onto the lace and not the silk layer underneath. Later I helped take photos of the models auditioning for the upcoming shoot all very skinny small chested and not much of a bum, some were very tall and only a couple were attractive.
More character learning when I returned, up to 100 characters I’d say, If not more! Purchased some grapes from the local fruit shop beside the campus, they’re delicious and only 5rmb. According to my Laoshi, shanghai grapes are the best in china (shanghai putong) she could be right! Enjoyed a run, it was really nice last night as the light drizzle rain was quite refreshing.

My hard work has been paying off as I’m doing better in my dictation, we're doing a practise test on Monday and marking it after before doing my first unit test on Tuesday. It’s in Chinese characters…awesome. NOT! HANZI HEN NAN!
Work today was very different. I went to the materials market on Dongmen road, shiliu cloth market (the taxi driver took me to the wrong one to begin with, south bund,). It was fantastic. So many cheap and lovely materials: silks, laces, cashmeres, etc. I shall spend a lot of money in there! Even got the material Gar wanted for even less than she expected, originally 38/35 I got it for 30, I didn’t even need to haggle, Perfection! I was wondering around in a daze. And to reflect my good mood it was really sunny outside! Nor did I have character revision or tomorrow!

Friday 26th-Sunday 28th September
Our last class of the day was spent playing a guessing game of items from the day before we were each blindfolded and the other team picked and item and we had to guess then name and the owner in Chinese. I got the object but not the owner.
I was off work today so after lunch went to the Chinese fashion students fashion show (some of the international students had been asked to model) it was very weird, and the outfits were verging on completely ridiculous, but some had some interesting prints. Afterwards went to the local train ticket office which is really close to the school to book my train tickets


Headed to the South Bund area, looking at a skate shop and chilling at the skate park, passing a very raw cement art building along with the cool climbing wall area (for free and looks awesome!) the area was along the water side, it was sunny, and further on they had kept the old railway tracks, let the grass grow a bit wild round it, turning it into a very picturesque spot.

Later on that night was the fresher’s party, held on the 4th floor of canteen 2. It was woeful! I bothered to look nice and actually put makeup on, only to find myself at a party I would have went to when I was 10, with sweets and juice, karaoke and awful party games such as balance a cookie on your forehead and try to eat it. And it stunk of body odour! Rebeka and I found a pool room (there was also a ping pong room and some random Chinese sports equipment in the hallway) we rented the balls for 10RMB for an hour and played
I went back to revise after the game (girls won!!) and after a couple hours went out for a run to find everyone drinking outside; I would have loved to have joined in!! Was in such the mood too, bored with the constant revision and the need for a release? However I had work the next morning at least I didn’t have work until 10.30.
 I was sent round nearby to find a white jumper, which I wasn’t able to, but the shop they sent me to had lots of great quality one off pieces between 100-400RMB so really nice coats for example!
I then began on a belt piece before going for some lunch. I sat at the local park and was reading to be rudely harassed and sat next to by a strange Chinese man who kept talking to me in a combination of English and Chinese, he leant way to close at one point like he wanted to kiss me, felt super uncomfortable. I kept trying to read and ignore him before saying I had to go, he had the cheek to ask for my number! I then had another errand to run, meeting a woman at Century Avenue to pick up some jewelery. Back at the studio I finished the belt, it looks well and my stitches were quite miniscule! The only downfall is I have to help tomorrow at the photoshoot. I’ve to be at the studio for 7.45! Eek!
So needless to say I was very tired the next morning! But what a morning, very hot and sunny! The mode was western, skinny but quite pretty. We went to a nearby park of the French concession area. We had to try and get it down as quickly and as inconspicuously as possible as apparently it’s illegal to do shoots in public places (yet I always see bridal photos getting done there!) our model had to get dressed behind a muslin sheet, and of course we got lots of attention as 3 of us were westerners. It was really strange at one area, a drunk strange Chinese man came over and started talking to Dave a friend of Gar’s from America who was taking some video shots, he had a random turtle and flung it into the river,

 he then lay on a rock in the river and sang occasionally while he sunbathed. He then drove his hand into the water and pulled out a fish. Very very odd! I was terrified of the poor turtle to be honest, had images of hi getting smashed onto the rocks! He was lucky! Poor Gar slipped on the rocks trying to fix the models dress and fell in getting her feet soaked!
My job was pretty easy, guard the stuff and getting the outfits ready and re-bagged when finished. We were done around 10 and headed back to the studio where I steamed some of the dresses before leaving; we also got a fun group photo. Exhausted I napped for 40 minutes when I returned to campus before Rebeka and I headed to Century Park. It’s very big with a lake, and we had to pay a student rate of 5 rmb in but it wasn’t that great (with a really lame kid’s fun fair) we did however dip our feet into the water and lie in the sun for nearly 40 minutes, very relaxing; A chilled out sunny day. Plus we found out there’s to be firework display shows are it on the 9/10/11th for the national holiday! Pretty cool

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!

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