My Dorm: 我的宿舍

I realized that I haven't posted any pictures of my apartment yet on the blog. I don't want you guys to think I'm living in a box on the side of the road so below I posted some pictures of my apartment and Fudan University, the university I'm studying at. 

 View of the iconic Fudan towers from my Chinese classroom. 

 Statue of Chairman Mao at the entrance to the campus that I pass everyday on my way to class.

 The university's old gate.

 Tree-lined road through the center of campus.

Tallest building on campus and the symbol of Fudan (their version of the Duke Chapel). 

One of the older classrooms from the university's founding in 1905.

My room! (Sorry about the mess mom!)

It took a little while getting used to doing my laundry like this.

View of my kitchen and dining room. I've actually started to be a decent cook thanks to that kitchen.

My TV! I have around 70 channels two of which are in English. I was so surprised to wake up one morning and catch this Bronco's game live. Thank you globilization!

Xiamen: 厦门

Sorry to those of you who check this regularly because there has been a bit of a delay in my posts. I have found myself busy exploring all that China has to offer and have neglected my blog a bit. These pictures are a little old, I took them during my break for the Mid Autumn Festival 2 weeks ago. I traveled with two other students to Xiamen, in Fujian province, for what we dubbed Fall Break 2013 (because we saw it as our Chinese version of American spring break since we went to the city of Xiamen). Although Xiamen has many historical landmarks and temples it is also known for its beaches. We therefore referred to it the "Miami of China" to make our classmates who travelled to different cities jealous. We tried to balance our days between soaking in the Sun on the beach and visiting temples and historic sites. All in all it was a great trip and we made it out right before the typhoon struck. 

 Trains in China are phenomenal and can get pretty crowded during peak holidays. 

 Our groups obligatory arrival selfie in Xiamen after an 8hr train ride down the coast.

 The city of Xiamen is actually located on an island. We figured given the circumstances we couldn't pass up the opportunity for some sea food. 

 I felt like I was on lost as we headed to Gulangyu Island off the coast of Xiamen. Xiamen (formally known as Amoy) was one of the first treaty ports opened to foreign trade following the opium war. This island became home to all the foreign merchants and dignitaries in the city and is now an historic park.  The statue is of a famous Chinese soldier looking out to Taiwan (parts of which can be seen from Xiamen). 

 Outside of China's major cities many people have never seen westerners before. On this trip I took over 30 pictures with various groups of people who were not accustomed to seeing white people. Many also told me I was so handsome and looked like various American movie stars, which certainly didn't hurt my self-esteem. 

 #Miami?

 The coconut made for a great picture under a palm tree but unfortunately didn't taste as great as I imagined. 

 View of Xiamen from Sunlight Rock on Gulangyu Island. 

Also I rode a camel! I figured that was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. It cost me $3 but was worth every penny. 

Walmart: 沃尔玛

Although I already mentioned going to Walmart in one of my previous posts I figured it deserved its own post since Walmart in China is definitely different than Walmart in the US. This became readily apparent when I went to the store this past week to buy supplies to make some pasta with marinara sauce. This process was a lot harder than it would've been in the US. In Durham I could've strolled into Walmart and bought a jar of marinara sauce and a box of pasta and been on my way in a matter of minutes. However, Chinese Walmart had neither of these things and I therefore had to buy ingredients to make sauce from scratch. The great thing was that the produce section was expansive and I was able to buy tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers, and some other veggies all for under $3 US. I also had to make do with thin rammen-like noodles as a substitute for traditional spaghetti (but it was similar to angel hair pasta and worked just as well). At the end of the day my trip was a success and although my marinara sauce didn't taste quite as good as my Mom or Grandma's it wasn't half bad and made for a great meal. 

The fruits of my labor.

However, while I was there I noticed many other differences between this Walmart and its traditional US counterpart besides its lack of canned marinara sauce. I luckily had my camera with me and snapped a few pics while I was shopping. I'm not sure how US consumers would react if their local Walmarts had these Chinese options. 

 Just your casual whole chickens on ice. 

 Kinder Eggs!!! They're not illegal in China!

 Lots of fish to choose from. 

 Unlike a US Walmart which would have an entire cereal aisle the Chinese Walmart has this 4ft by 7ft section. These boxes also cost way more than they do in US. 

Incase that raw chicken above wasn't your style you could have some of this chicken jerky.

Chinese language: 国语

When I was flipping through Chinese TV this morning I was thrilled when I thought I stumbled upon the Chinese equivalent of Shark Week (because lets be real you don't need to understand the commentary to appreciate the utter beauty that is the ocean's greatest killer). However, it turned out it was not shark week but rather a documentary on people who were stranded at sea and protected from shark attacks by a pod of dolphins. While not as cool as a week devoted to sharks it seemed interesting enough so I kept watching.

While watching I became struck when I heard the Chinese word for shark for the first time (sha1yu2). I quickly glanced down at the Chinese subtitles (used during almost all TV shows to help those who don't speak mandarin understand the programming) to see the characters for shark (鲨鱼). I was so excited because sha1yu2, when spoken, sounds exactly the same as the characters sha1yu2 (杀鱼) which would translate literally to kill fish.

While it turned out to not be as cool as I thought, it  nevertheless underscored the complexity of the Chinese language. Each word can generally be said in one of four tones, each with a different meaning and character. (The most common example being ma1, ma2, ma3, and ma4. Which translate to mom, hemp, scold, and horse respectively.) Each sound can be expressed by a number of different characters each with different meanings. (Lu4 for example can be written 路，录，露，and 鹿. Which translate to road, record, dew, and deer respectively.) The only way to know which one is correct is through the context of the sentence. To further complicate things certain characters can be pronounced and mean multiple things. (得 for example can read as dei and mean "to have to" but can also be read as de and function as a particle.)

To make a long story short the Chinese language is filled with these subtle complexities and I was reminded of that yet again this morning. That's one of the reasons I love to study Chinese and figured I would provide a quick lesson on Chinese via this post. However, despite the frustration that these aspects of the Chinese language cause it can also lead to some humorous moments and I couldn't help but chuckle every time my television program mentioned great white sharks and all I heard was great white kill.

Yum: 好吃了

Discussions of Chinese food with friends in the US inevitably lead to Panda Express or one's favorite local delivery; however, our Americanized form of Chinese food is a horribly inaccurate representation of authentic Chinese cuisine. Don't get me wrong I love General Tsao's chicken with a side of lomain as much as the next guy but coming to China and expecting to find that on your plate would be like going to Italy and expecting to find a slice of buffalo chicken pizza. There are certainly similarities between the two types of food but one is markedly more Americanized. While in Shanghai I have gone to some great local restaurants and found a new favorite Chinese food, xiaolongbao (小龙包). Xiaolongbao are a form of dumpling that are steamed in a bamboo basket and usually filled with pork, crab, and some broth. They've won over my heart not only because they're delicious but at a kuai a piece I can have a solid meal for under $2. I've also found some great Szechuan (spicy) restaurants in the area as well. 

Some of the first xiaolongbao I ate in China. The rest is history.

A great fish meal in a local village. 

We also have a kitchen in our apartment and decided to embrace local culture by cooking a little. After buying a big bag of rice, some veggies, and eggs we were able to make some fried rice which tasted...well it was edible and I've learned that a little salt and soy sauce can mask even the worst cooking mistakes. 

My first foray into Chinese cooking. 

Through the food in Shanghai we have also been able to experience and appreciate globalization first hand. In the first week I had pasta, tacos, sushi, and of course KFC. I also have to admit that I can't take all the credit for my beautiful fried rice dish above. Without ingredients from my local Walmart (沃尔玛) that dish never would've come to be. 

A little reminder of home on the other side of the world.

Its seriously better than KFC in the US. 

Zhujiajiao: 朱家角

Who needs Venice when you've got Zhujiajiao?! Zhujiajiao is one of the regions water towns. These villages are very similar to venice with a series of canals and bridges serving as the towns main thoroughfares. Zhujiajiao was about an hour and a half outside of Shanghai by bus and now relies mainly on tourism rather than trade or fishing as its main form of industry. However, during its peak this was a major location in China. When Shanghai was still a meager fishing village Zhujiajiao held a seat of prominence and is the location of one of the first Qing post offices in China. While in the village we took a canal boat ride, toured a Buddhist temple and explored the winding streets and shops. 

 Typical scene in Zhujiajiao.

 Buddhist temple in the back left. 

 Canal boat that we had ferry us from one part of the city to another. 

  Got to practice my skills as a servant in a wealthy officials house turned museum. (I'm glistening with sweat because for those that didn't know the Shanghai region enjoys sub-tropical weather. Yesterday was in the mid 90s with around 90% humidity.)

Arrived: 到了

I made it! The flight was a bit of a pain, I mean I like 15 hours of flying as much as the next guy but definitely happy to get off the plane. Jet lag has messed up my sense of time but I think I've been here for about three days and have already done a lot. Fudan (my university) is sick. I'm living in the international students dorm which is great because I have a suite style apartment with my own bedroom and bathroom. Also AC and a sitting toilette are both much appreciated luxuries. The campus itself is also great. Despite being in the center of the worlds largest city (by population) it still has a great campus feel. Surrounded by an enclosed wall its tree lined walks and large open spaces give it a park like feel. Its a little different than the harry-potter-esque Duke campus I'm accustomed to but certainly not a bad place to be for the semester. 

 Main street headed down the campus.

 The old gate to Fudan's campus built in 1905.

 One of the original structures of Fudan's old campus.

Newer building that has become iconic to Fudan's campus. It is the tallest educational building in China. It's like Fudan's version of the Duke Chapel and can be seen from blocks outside the campus.

On my second day in China we went on a group tour of some of the city's most known sites. It was great because we got to experience both the old and the new of the city by visiting the Yuyuan gardens (an example of Ming era gardens) as well as the World Financial Center in Pudong. 

 Juxtaposition of old and new with an old tea house near the Yuyuan gardens and the construction of the Shanghai Tower (soon to be the tallest building in China and the 2nd tallest in the world) in the background. 

 Quiet scene in the Yuyuan garden.

 Me and my twin in the garden. 

 View from the top of the World Financial Center Building (currently the tallest building in Shangai).

 On the East bank of the Huangpu river (which runs through the center of Shanghai) with the Bund lit up in the background.

 The Bund at night. 

View of Pudong from the East bank of the Hungpu river. With the Oriental Pearl Tower to the left and the newly built Shanghai tower hidden behind clouds to the left.