last weekend in Shanghai.

ok, so this isn't actually my last weekend in Shanghai, but it was my last weekend with my friends. There are only three days left in the semester (including today) and I couldn't be happier! I have so much work to do between now and Thursday, but I've made really, really good friends this semester. I think it's a pretty good trade off. Anyway, my friends Eunice, Nick, Nick, Ray, Gian, Lauren and Jeff wanted to hit up the fabric market and one of the fake markets one last time before they all went back to the states.
We decided to go to the Science & Technology Museum market, which is conveniently located in the subway station! It was my first time going, and Eunice and I really wanted to get Toms that we saw a few other girls at school wearing. They had really cool patterns and colors that we had never seen before. And all the boys wanted to get watches.
Afterwards, we went to the fabric market so all the Sternies (aka everyone except me) could pick up their suits. Last time Eunice went, she got also got an Hermes wallet that I really wanted, but they sadly did not have the style in cerulean, only boring colors like black and tan. So I got a Celine-esque clutch instead!

my purchases!

cute baby I saw on the subway.....but I was hiding from the parents so the pic is blurry.

Migrant School Teaching

This past Monday was my last time migrant school teaching for the semester. Every Monday for the past two and a half months, I've taught English to two classes of fifth graders (roughly 100 kids total). In the beginning it was really draining. It was pretty tough to control the kids and even harder to get them to participate. As the semester went on, it got a little easier, but was still tiring. Was I that sassy when I was in 5th grade?! Anyway, seeing the little kindergarten kids during recess was always the highlight of the day. They are too cute! The last two weeks, they even called me 姐姐 (older sister)!!

Nick with our second class

kindergarten!

my favorite munchkin.

Beijing

This past weekend, my friends and I finally made it to Beijing, the political, cultural and city capital of China. Beijing is the only city in the world that been both the political and cultural capital of a country for such a long period of time. The first day, we hit up the Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden Palace. And for dinner, we went to Wangfujing st, which is an entire street full of exotic street food. I finally had the candied fruit on a stick (I don't know the Chinese name) and it was so good! I'm sad I didn't try it sooner. I also had a bite of my friend, Eunice's scorpions on a stick. It didn't take like much, but smelled like the back gate of ECNU. They also have starfish, bats, bigger scorpions and cocoon things on a stick. Saturday was solely devoted to the Great Wall. We went to the Mutianyu section, which is were the majority of the Western tourists go. There's a chairlift up to the Great Wall and you can take a toboggan down! Sunday, before we left, we quickly went to the Lama Temple and Summer Palace. I wish we could have spent more time in the Summer Palace because it is so vast! There's even a lake inside!

Temple of Heaven

天安门广场

Wangfujing St

1933

The other day, I went to the 1933 building near the Bund in Shanghai. The building is known for it's Art Deco style facade, and it is a former slaughter house, so it has some rather unique characteristics. My favorite feature is the many air bridges that connect the inner and outer buildings. It feels like a castle in the sky or something. Anyway, the building's architecture is so different from that of Shanghai, it's a nice change.

Hong Kong: Day 6

This was my last full day in Hong Kong, and I had yet to see the Tian Tan Buddha! The Buddha is the largest bronze Buddha in the world, and can supposedly be seen from as far away as Macao on a clear day. So it was my goal to make it to Lantau island. I eventually made it, but it was certainly a journey. The group of girls I was with this day didn't quite have the same agenda as I did, since they had two full days to sight see. The weather was also drizzly, foggy and generally not conducive to sight seeing yesterday. But, I went to Lantau island anyway, with three girls in tow. Because we got there so late, the round trip cable car tickets were sold out (which makes absolutely no sense to me), so we would have to take a bus from the top back down. I was determined, so I didn't care. It was so foggy as we ascended the mountain, that the cable car was completely encased in fog—I couldn't even see the car in front or behind us!! We eventually make it to the top, only to learn that the bus is departing in 5 minutes OR in one hour. Mind you, there are no other tourists walking around, they are all getting in the cable cars to go back down. I literally took one picture, and had to get on the bus to go back down, since the sun had long set and it was getting pretty dark.  I didn't get to see the Tian Tan Buddha under ideal conditions, but I'm glad I went, however brief my time was.

Macao: Day 5

On Thursday, I went to Macao to meet up with the next group I would be traveling with in Hong Kong. The ferry to Macao was conveniently located in the basement of my hotel, and it only takes one hour. Macao was a Portuguese colony until 1999, so the official languages are both Chinese (Cantonese) and Portugese. I didn't get to see much of it because I was literally in Macao for less than 24 hours, but there's an area where you can really see the Portuguese influence. I wish I had had more time, because I really did not get a good sense of Macao, which is where my pau pau was born! However, I did get the chance to go to the casinos, where gambling is legal for visitors above the age of 18 (21 for residents). We went to the Venetian, but there are dozens of casinos in Macao. In fact, Macao is more profitable than Vegas! Anyway, I was too scared/clueless to actually gamble, but some of the other girls played roulette—and they lost. I tried a few of the slot machines, and called it a night. If you're going to go to Hong Kong, I think it's definitely worth it to take a one day/night trip to Macao, and make sure you get some egg tarts!

Hong Kong: Day 4

Today was super hot in Hong Kong, about 80 degrees. We decided to do some sight seeing today, so Lauren and I tried to go to the 10,000 Buddhas Monastery in Sha Tin. But, once we got off the MTR, we had to take a taxi there because it's not that easy to get to. We didn't know the name in Cantonese or how to write it in traditional characters, so we tried our best to get there. Our taxi ended up taking us to a different monastery, who's name I don't remember. It only had one courtyard though, compared to the ones in Shanghai and Putuoshan which have several courtyards.

After we walked around for a bit, we decided to go back to the Mong Kok market because I needed to pick up a few gifts for people at home. Since I was there, I asked how much the Tory Burch reva flats were. This guy said only $380 hkd! I bargained two pairs down to $600hkd for both. They look so real. All the stitching, and the logos on the sole, everything looks so real. Lauren thinks they might be rejects from the actual factory. They even came in a Tory Burch box, which I wish I could keep. It's so pretty! I'm totally kicking myself for not using a larger suitcase when I knew I would be shopping in Hong Kong. I really like the two pairs I got. I literally have one pair of flats, and they hurt the back of my ankles because they're pretty high cut (if that makes sense). I can't wait to wear them in Shanghai, compared to my disgusting Converse that are falling apart.

Hong Kong: Day 3

My day was pretty low key, since my other friends have been staying out until dawn every night, but David and I had only gone out once since being in HK. So while everyone else slept, we were ready to shop! We got a quick lunch at a local cafe and then headed to one of the many malls in TST. We both love Uniqlo, so we headed there first.
The Uniqlo we went to wasn't particularly big (they didn't have the +J collection), but we didn't care. From there, we split up, so I'm not sure what David purchased. I got two pairs of pants, one of which I got altered in 10 minutes!! Asian sizes are so different, because Asian people tend to be of a smaller built, especially compared to Americans. In the NY Uniqlo, we have jeans from size 24-32 (size 0-12), but in Asia, the largest size is a 29 (In between an 8 and a 10). I wasn't sure if this size would fit me, but it did surprisingly! So I decided to get a different color of a pair of pants that I already own in two colors and a pair of black cropped pants, that are actually ankle length on me.
That night, we wanted sushi, so we went to a sushi bar that has the conveyor belt and you simply choose what you want off the conveyor belt, and then they tally up your plates at the end. After dinner, we went to KTV. Karaoke is HUGE in Asia. Instead of going out to bars or clubs, high school and college kids go to KTV. The people I was with are very, very good at KTV-ing. I am not. le sigh.

so dangerous for hungry college students

Hong Kong: Day 2

Today, my friends and I wanted to explore a different area of Hong Kong besides Tsim Sha Tsui, a shopping district where we are staying. So, we decided to go to Victoria Peak, which overlooks Victoria Harbor and is the highest point on Hong Kong Island. There are two ways to access Victoria Peak for tourists: foot or the Peak Tram. Since we did not want to ascend a giant mountain, we took the tram which is the preferred mode by the majority of tourists. The top of Victoria Peak is surprisingly developed—think two malls and a Madame Tussauds! We went in the late afternoon, so the sun was just setting and the buildings were starting to light up, but we didn't get to see the incredible night view of the Hong Kong skyline.

Hong Kong: Day 1

Today was our first full day in Hong Kong and we got off to a bit of a late started. Lauren and I had woken up earlier than the others, so we decided to walk around a bit and we eagerly went into Sasa, Hong Kong's premier beauty store—think Ricky's, but less edgy. We sampled their perfume (Lauren and I both like Burberry Summer) and ended up in the makeup section—both desperate for concealer. There were only two options (beige and natural) and we were both, somewhat surprisingly, the beige color, even though we're both fairly pale. So, we asked the sales girl (who was wearing so much makeup she looked like a geisha) if that was the right color for us, and she agreed. Then it was time to meet the group for dim sum.
 After our dim sum, we decided to go to the Mong Kok ladies market, which three of Lauren and my collective friends had told us to go. The ladies market isn't just for women, it's a giant outdoor market on this one street in Mong Kok with mostly knock offs, but also cheap clothing, luggage, jade, some shoes, lots of purses, etc. I ended up getting two little Domo pouches and a Goyard purse and coin purse. The domo pouches were 38hkd ($4.89) and the Goyard stuff was 350hkd ($45) altogether. They also sold Tory Burch shoes that looked so real! But, they were nearly the price of the real thing. Perhaps another day.

fabric market purchases! vol. 2

I went back to the fabric market on Friday with my friend Lauren because it was the first day of spring break and we had to celebrate! Lauren had to pick up her suits, and I was on a mission to get a fur vest, a short winter coat with a fur collar and a suede skirt (but only if I had the funds). I got my coat from a different place this time that was significantly cheaper, BUT the quality of the cashmere was nowhere as good as my other place. I decided to get the coat anyway. I ended up with a cerulean swing coat with a brown fur collar. At my fur place (where all the shop ladies know me by now) I wanted to try on the mink vests after seeing one of my roommate's. I went with a black one, and enthusiastically told the lady I would be back because my mum also wants a fur cape or the like. Then, Lauren and I decided to check out the cashmere scarves, after my roommate showed me her GIANT cashmere scarf/blanket that was only 100rmb. Originally the lady said 800rmb, but she eventually agreed on 100rmb, so I got two! Another day, another extremely successful fabric market outing!

Putuoshan

Over the weekend, I went to the island of Putuoshan with NYU as part of my Contemporary China class. Putuoshan is one of the four sacred islands in Chinese Buddhism. Putuoshan stands out amongst the four because it is the only one that is an island. In fact, the entire island is considered a national park, so there is an entrance fee to enter the island. Since there are so many temples on the island, the majority of the visitors are visiting for religious reasons. We seemed to be the only visitors there for the cultural aspect.

Putuoshan is only accessible by ferry, so we had to take a two hour bus ride to the harbor, and then a four hour (pretty rocky) ferry ride. Once on the island, the main mode of transportation is walking and buses. The island is 12.5 km squared, so not too big, but big enough that you might not want to walk to all the temples. The temples we visited were the Puji Temple, Fayu Temple and the Huiji Temple, which is located on the mountain and has 1,888 steps to the peak! The climb only took me and my friends about half an hour, and we were going pretty slow. In our free time, we visited the SiTian Cave, another cave, and the Guanyin statue. The Guanyin statue is 33m tall and is situated on Putuoshan's coast, so you see it looming in the distance while you're on the ferry. But there are over 80 monasteries on the island. These three are the biggest, and therefore the most crowded. 

I don't know much about Buddhism, but I do know that the Guanyin is a really important bodhisattva that was originally thought to be male, but later discovered to be female. All Buddhist temples are also built on a North-South, East-West axis, much like the city of Beijing. There are only 3,000 inhabitants of Putuoshan, 1,000 of which are Monks. Since monks are vegetarian, the majority of the food on the island is also vegetarian. There is also a lot of good seafood, but not all of my friends were willing to try the fish.

I thought it was a good weekend and it's definitely not something I see in my everyday life. I would certainly recommend going to a Buddhist temple. The architecture and iconography are always exquisite, and some of the incense smells good, but not all of them.

yummy smelling incense and pretty lotus candles

the Guanyin

fabric market purchases!

I've been dreaming of the day I finally go to one of Shanghai's many fabric markets, pick out my fabric, and get a custom garment made for me. I finally went two Saturdays ago, and was able to pick up my coats one week later. I opted to go to the South Bund Fabric Market because I had heard that they have more choices, the prices are slightly better and the people are nicer than the Science and Technology Museum's fabric market.
So, pictures/designs in hand I went with my friends and another group of people in the NYU program (aka, a bunch of boys buying suits that don't know very much about fashion). All the boys were getting suits made, as they are all in the Stern School of Business. So, when necessary, I helped them choose fabric, designs and did a touch of translating. Once we were done with the suit place, it was my turn to pick and choose! Since I knew exactly what style I wanted, it was more a matter of choosing which fabric.
I wanted to get two cashmere winter coats made and I definitely wanted one of them to have a fur collar. I exhausted about three of the fabric sample books, so I had to go back and look more carefully. I didn't really like that my place only had the little swatches of fabric. It's really hard to gauge the color from a little square. Thankfully, the samples turned out to be misleading in a good way. I opted to get a dark grey coat with a black fur collar and (what I thought was) dusty pink coat with an oversize cocoon-esque collar. And I chose a jade lining for the grey coat.
The coats turned out great! The fabric is so much softer than the samples (from who knows how many years of people touching them) and the dusty pink turned out to be incredibly vibrant!
I'm incredibly pleased with my purchases, and I would highly, highly recommend getting clothes made for you. Suits are around 620rmb ($94.82) and dress shirts are about 120rmb ($18.35). My friend Gian got a three piece suit that I talked down to 775rmb ($118.53). Since my coats are a longer length and pure cashmere (vs. a wool cashmere blend) they were more expensive, but I bargained the two of them down to 1550rmb ($237). However, a wool peacoat should only be about 500rmb ($76.48)
The fur (which I got from a specialized fur vendor) is also [and surprisingly] real! For the fur collar on my jacket, because it is a bit larger than usual, I was able to get that for 350rmb ($53.53). I also purchased a brown fur scarf which was only 155rmb ($23.07).
ps. sorry the pictures are bad, and my internet is also being bad and won't let me upload the other pics.

Moganshan

This past weekend, NYU took a group of 28 students to Moganshan (Mount Mogan), which is a mountain range with bamboo forests on it. Moganshan is about 200km away from Shanghai (4ish hours depending on traffic), and is a popular destination in the summer for city residents because of the cool temperatures compared to the Shanghai's scorchingly hot and humid summers. In 1880, Shanghai's elite decided to purchase the peak of Moganshan for 50 Mexican dollars, but the communist party took over in 1949, and now all the homes at the peak are still leased from the government. All the bamboo on Moganshan is actually harvested, and the family writes their last name on it to show whom the bamboo belongs to.

the town at the base of Moganshan

my friend Jeff

Sword Lake, named for Ganjiang—a talented swordsmen who found Moganshan

sunset from the roof of our lodge

hehe, some of the bamboo looks like Dr. Seuss tress

Guilin and Yangshuo County

This past weekend my friends and I went on our best trip thus far: Guilin. The city is pretty small—it only has a population of 1.3 million—and it is known for three specialties: chili sauce, Guilin local rice wine and pickled tofu. Guilin is also known for their rice noodles, silk and pomelos—none of which I got to try! wah. I really wanted to get a silk scarf and try a pomelo, but I didn't really have time, so it will have to wait until I go back to Guilin this June with my family.

Anyway, on the first day, we rode mountain bikes from the main road in Yangshuo County (about an hour and a half away from Guilin) to the Yulong River, where we went on a bamboo raft ride. The Yulong river is the smaller of the two rivers in Yangshuo, and does not allow motor boats, so the water is 'cleaner' and calmer. The Yulong river is also where you can see the famous view of the mountain range that is on the back of the 20rmb note. Sadly, my boat person did not point this out to us and I had no idea until later in the day. Then, we rode to Moon Hill, where we climbed to the top! It was rather tiring, but the views were breathtaking and totally worth it.

The next day, we went on a boat cruise through the Li River to Pudi, where we had lunch at a farmer's home. The food was so fresh! Everything was grown on his farm—including the rice!! Also in the village, I made a new little friend! I was asking her questions in Chinese, but she was too shy to respond and kind of just giggled. Her grandma said that she's four. Side note: I noticed that all of the babies/little kids in Guilin/Yangshuo are really, really cute. All of them. In Shanghai, most of the babies are cute....but not all of them are. Finally, we went to a water cave. The majority of the mountains have caves on the inside, but most have not been explored.

I tried to keep the mountain pictures to a minimum, but I know these pictures just can't do Guilin and Yangshuo justice.

The main road in Yangshuo

Cormorant fishing

Moon Hill

view from Moon Hill

Yangshuo at night

The village had little modern conveniences, only a few vans to share with everyone

My new friend!!