Last Day

Announcements: Heading back to the states tomorrow

My apologizes for not blogging yesterday. It was a long day at the expo and I was very tired. The World Expo was honestly a bit of a disappointment. If I had to give it a rating I would say a C+. The best part about it was just the fact of being at a World Expo. Also, the buildings that each country had designed and had built was very impressive. The architecture of some of the buildings was awesome. Besides those two things the Expo was not what I had expected it to be. There was not wait to get inside the actual Expo grounds, which I had feared might happen. But once inside all the buildings of the popular countries had very long wait times. I had anticipated a showcase of new technologies, but it was more of a showcase of culture. I'm not saying that a show case of culture is a bad thing, I find that very interesting, I wanted to see what kind of technology would be in store for our future. Also, the Chinese people like to use umbrellas to block out the sun. So while standing in lines I would often get poked in the face or eye. But enough of my ranting and raving. I'm sure you're more interested in hearing about what we actually saw at the expo.
The first building that we went through was New Zealand. While waiting in line there were native New Zealanders doing the Haka and other dances. Inside the building there wasn't much to look at. There were just screens with pictures on them. Next we went to the China pavilion. It is a huge buildings and inside they show case each of their provinces, and the unique culture from them. It was interesting to see the vast array of people's and culture that make up China. We spent a good amount of time in there taking pictures and walking around. After that we went to the Korea pavilion. We didn't go inside because the line was too long, and the wait was about two hours. I was a bit upset that it had such a long line, but we went up to the second floor of the pavilion and had Korean food for lunch. It was pretty cool sharing a bit of Korean culture with the guys. After lunch we went to the Japan pavilion. The wait for the line was posted at one hour and thirty minutes. We thought the wait would be worth it because the Japanese are known for their innovative technology, and always seem to be at the cutting edge. However, we ended up waiting in line for a little over two hours. They were giving out free fans which were nice, but I was nearly trampled by a group of middle aged Chinese women trying to race towards their free fan. After that we had to wait in line even more, while standing waiting there was a Chinese man that was grunting and coughing right behind us. While doing this he kept pushing forward and it seemed like he was.....well you get the picture with the grunts and the pushing. We all had a pretty good laugh though.
The Japanese pavilion was the most impressive, once we walked inside they had a replica of a filtration system that turns sewage water into drinking water. They also had a model of a "green" city and an electric car. Next, we went to a room where two people demonstrated the use of using your hands to move objects on a screen. It's a Microsoft thing, but I forget the name. Anyways, it was really neat and the T.Vs that they used to display it were picture clear. I believe they said they had five times the resolution of any T.V. that we can buy now. After the demonstration was over they had us go to another room where they did a No/Chinese Opera infused play. It was kind of weird, the theme was some little girl asked a boat man to help her find some bird that went extinct in Japan. Yea, sorry I can't really elaborate on this.
In total the whole Japanese experience took us about three hours. We were impressed and also disappointed with the wait time, so we called it a day and went back to the hotel.

Today: We woke up a little later today and tried breakfast at some street vendor. Actually it wasn't a street vendor, it was a restaurant, but the owner was just doing a quick grab and go breakfast. It was really cool watching her make our breakfast in front of us. It was like a breakfast burrito, but the outside was crunch. She put some dough on a hot surface, and spread it around very thing. Then she cracked an egg on top, put some veggies and other ingredients in there, folded it up, and gave it to us. All in all it took her about 20 seconds to do, and it was very tasty.
After breakfast we went back to the Expo. I know that I said it was lame the first day, but we decided to go and take a look at the American pavilion then the pavilions that were dedicated to various industries and corporations. The American pavilion did not look too impressive from the outside. When we got inside they showed us a movie of people from New York trying to say, "Hello, and Welcome to the World Expo", in Chinese. It was pretty comical for the Chinese people and I thought it was funny too. After that, we went to another room and they showed us another video. This one had a greater message that as individuals we can make good choices and work together to further the greater good. Us five guys started to laugh when President Obama came on the screen to deliver his message because all the cameras started flashing. The Chinese people were taking pictures of him. But it is nice to see, and hear as some people had said earlier, that they respect Obama. Also, they congratulated us on electing him.
I won't get too political for those Republicans out there. hahahaha After that video we went and saw another one. It was a video of a little girl's vision on turning an empty lot into a city garden. There were no words too the video, but it too had a message of people coming together to build something. I thought that these were good messages for people to hear. Once we were done with the videos we went out to an area where they showed pictures of ordinary Chinese people living in America. Apparently, they were encourage to submit there photo for this display.
After we were done with the American pavilion we went to the corporation and industry area. Just like its pavilion, Japan had a very long wait. This time we did not wait in line. Instead we went to the Outer Space industry building and the Korean industries buildings. Their displays inside were very disappointing. They did not show any high tech gadgets, but rather they just had interactive videos of what could be possible.
Disappointed, we decided it was time to leave. We had our last supper together and went to a shopping mall to buy David a shirt from a store called "I'm David". While in the mall we went to an Adidas store. Right when we stepped inside we heard one of the girls that was working say "Mei Guo Ren" (that means Americans). We had grown accustom to the people swarming around us trying to get us to buy stuff, but in Adidas all the store people scattered. I don't know if they were being rude, but we just thought it was hilarious and kept repeating "Mei Guo Ren" while walking through.
After the mall we went back to the hotel to pack up our stuff. I don't want to go home yet because I have gotten used to being in China. I'm not looking forward to that 11 hour plane ride from Tokyo to Minnesota. But this trip has been a great one. The group of guys were great, and it has been fun traveling with our teacher. I feel like I have a better understanding of the Chinese people and how they live their daily lives. Not too differently from you and I. I just hope in the future America and China can work together in harmony, with understanding of one another, to achieve great things.
Thanks everyone for following my blog! We leave for the airport at 7 am tomorrow morning so it is time I got a little bit of sleep. I'll post more pictures when I return because I can only attach two per email. Check out my facebook in a day or two because I will have videos and all my pictures on there.
Take care
Steve Hanson

David enjoying some dinner hahaha
Could someone please post on my facebook wall this announcement "STEVE IS IN CHINA UNTIL THE 1ST OF JUNE. HE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO ANYONE ON FACEBOOK UNTIL HE GETS BACK TO THE U.S." I'd really appreciate it. People seem to have forgotten that I am in China because I have received many notifications of people trying to contact me via facebook.

1. Statue at the end of the Nanjing Massacre Museum. It is 30 meters high to represent the estimated 300,000 Chinese that were killed in a matter of weeks
2. View from the top of Dr. Sun Yet Sen's Mausoleum. If you look closely you can see a path that extends past the entrance gate to the stairs. That's where we started our walk

1. Dr. Sun Yet Sen Mausoleum
2. Ancient Chinese painting in the Shanghai Museum

Announcements: None haha

Today was supposed to be a laid back day. However, we still walked around pretty much all day from noon to 10 pm. We started the day by traveling to the People's Square and walking around the park. In the park there were a lot of people by the entrance. We thought that there was a big event going on. But we found out that it was parents doing matchmaking for their kids. There were ads and pictures all over the place. I found that really weird that parents still did that for their children. People's Square reminds me of Central Park in New York. It was nice to get away from the concrete jungle and for some time just get back to nature.
After People's Square we walked towards the Bund. It goes along the river and we got a better view of the Shanghai skyline. The weather today was a bit cloudy, but it was not raining and the temperature was nearly perfect with a slight breeze. Really made the walking today quite nice. After walking the Bund we went back to Nanjing road where I purchased a suitcase. The one that I brought to China had a slight tear on the top, but had been getting progressively worse the more we traveled. Eventually it ripped a third of the way down the sides and my clothes were visible. Nanjing Road was a sea of people today. It was tough to navigate down the road lugging around a big suitcase. After we made it through Nanjing Road we came back to the hotel to drop our stuff off and grab some dinner. Not knowing exactly everything on the menu I took a shot in the dark as to what I ordered. I've basically done this at every meal, but I have yet to be disappointed. The food in China is super good, and in actuality, many of the dishes are not too far from the American Chinese food that we eat. The basic premises of the dish is recognizable, but less fried. Surprisingly the food it China is kind of greasy, but I suppose that's what you get when you're trying to eat for only $3-4 a meal. haha
Once we were done with dinner we took the subway to the French District. I thought that the architecture of the buildings were nice and the roads were lined with a canopy of trees. However, the atmosphere was not my personal style. It was a classier area with high end days and restaurants. In the French District there were a lot more western tourists.
We didn't stay too long in the French District and decided to head back to the hotel to get some rest. We are going to the World Expo tomorrow fairly early. I know this isn't a terribly long blog, but like I said before it was kind of our day off before we spend long days at the Expo. I am absolutely excited to see what the world has to offer in the future. I'll be sure to take lots of pictures and I'm sure I will have a lot more to write about tomorrow.
Stay Frosty
Steve

Welcome to the Jungle....the Concrete Jungle

Announcements: We have arrived safely in Shanghai

We were running a little bit late this morning in Nanjing and had to make our way through rush hour traffic in order to make it to our train in time. We took another bullet train down to Shanghai. The ride was comfortable and it took about two hours. We arrived here a little bit before noon and the weather was cloudy and it has been misting or slightly raining all day. Once in Shanghai we went straight to our hotel, dropped our stuff off and went out to explore the city. We made our way to the Shanghai museum and saw from beautiful Chinese jade and bronze sculptures. We didn't have much time in the museum because it closed about an hour after we got there. After that we went up a building that resembles a fountain pen. We could only go up about a third of the way, but it was still a great view. Minus the clouds and mist. We made our way back down and talked to Nanjing Road. Nanjing Road compares to Wangfuxing market because there are a lot of lights. The street is closed off to cars, and there are a lot of higher end stores. We walked through Nanjing road and went to the outskirts of the Bund and the old French District. However, because the weather wasn't too pleasant we decided it would be best to come back sometime again when we could see things a lot more clearly. Some of us did some shopping, while the others went back to the hotel. I find it really cool that we are able to use the Chinese that we have learned in class to navigate so easily around the city. The Chinese people are very friendly and are more than willing to help. Also, they are patient and do not get upset when we lose a word or two in translation. I find this very contradictive to the United States where people generally are unwilling to help a stranger, especially one that does not speak English all too well.
But enough of that, Shanghai is a really cool city and it contrasts very differently from all the other three cities that we have traveled to. I know that I had said that Nanjing reminded me of Seoul Korea, But Shanghai definitely takes the cake on that one. Shanghai differs from the other three cities in may ways.
First, Shanghai is more humid. It is closer to the ocean, further south, and it has a river running right through it. Second, Shanghai is a concrete jungle. There are a few trees here and there, but there are just sky scrappers and pavement everywhere. Third, the people in Shanghai seem to have more money. From what I have noticed people are a little more image conscious and dress up more. Fourth, the girls seem to be more attractive in Shanghai...hahahaha Fifth, there are a lot more caucasians. I have noticed that the Chinese people do not tend to stare at our group as we walk by. Must be that they are more used to seeing foreigners. Lastly, Shanghai is a very developed city. There aren't as many street vendors, the city is clean, I don't get the occasional wafts of sewage, the infrastructure is a bit more developed, and prices of things are a little more expensive.
So far out of all the cities that we have been too. Shanghai seems to be the best. I am not a fan of the concrete jungle, but I like the modern feel and more diversity of Shanghai.
Well there isn't a whole lot to write for tonight. Our morning was filled with travel and we took it pretty easy this afternoon. We probably won't hit up the World Expo until Sunday and Monday because we feel that the World Expo will be very busy with people tomorrow. Tomorrow is a free day where we will go back to the Bund and French District area, and explore the city some more.

Stay Frosty
Steve

Here are a few pictures for you. After my pictures I posted some stuff about our last two days events

First: David just chillin before we went inside the Olympic Stadium
Second: The Great Wall (Notice how there was no one on the wall for about two guard stations. Apparently this is uncommon)

First: Picture from the Summer Palace
Second: The Pagoda in the middle of Peking University

This is the entrance gate to Tianannmen Road

Nanjing

Announcements: Leaving for Shanghai early tomorrow

Hey everyone we arrived in Nanjing early this morning. The overnight train was really quite an experience. We met an older Chinese couple that taught Tai Chi and Kung Fu. They were incredibly friendly. We also met an older Chinese man that offered us some of his home made dumplings. They were very tasty. The overnight train was pretty crowded and there wasn't a lot of places to sit. Each room had six bunks and every car had about 10 bunks. We ordered our tickets late so we had to sleep on the top bunks. It was very funny climbing our ladders to the top bunk and having hardly any leg room. Carl is about 6' '2 and his feet over extended the bed. He and I were in the same room and laughed for a good 10 minutes while trying to get comfortable in bed. The bunks were not very comfortable and I didn't get much quality sleep. There was a young kid that was crying throughout the night and I kept waking up to move around.
After we arrived in Nanjing we made our way to Nanjing University. Nanjing Univeristy is one of the top three schools in China, and I was surprised to hear that our professor is an alumni. Very impressive. Nanjing is a lot cleaner than Beijing. But apparently we weren't in a richer part of Beijing so my impression is a bit skewed. However, Nanjing reminds me of Seoul but I haven't been to Korea in four years. Today we went to Dr. Sun Yat-Sen's mausoleum. Dr. Sun Yat-Sen is considered the founder of the Republic of China. The mausoleum is built on a huge hill and it over looks the city of Nanjing and the surrounding area. Dr. Sun Yat-Sen's coffin lays in the back of mausoleum and is beautifully carved out of marble.
When we were done visiting Dr. Sun Yat-Sen's mausoleum we took a taxi to the Nanjing Massacre Museum. First off I'd like to challenge anyone to drive around the streets of major Chinese cities. The best way to describe them is the worst/best drivers. They all drive like maniacs and don't follow many of the traffic signs, but they're all really good at it. I haven't seen an accident yet and I 'm extremely surprised. Anyways, the Nanjing Massacre Museum was very eerie. I learned that the Japanese military killed over 300,000 men, women, and children. Many of these ways were extremely inhumane. I still don't understand why the Japanese went through Asian raping and pillaging as they went. The museum had many statues of people suffering with quotes said by those who survived. While inside the museum they had preserved some of the skeletons of those that were dug up in mass grave sights. It was a little sickening seeing bullet holes and nails still left in the remains of the Chinese people. Despite these harsh crimes against humanity the Nanjing Massacre Museum kept repeating the message that we must learn from our past to create a peaceful future.
Once we were done with the museum we grabbed some dinner and some of the guys bought a few shirts. We are all tired from lack of sleep so I'm heading to bed soon.
Tomorrow we leaving for Shanghai and we get to visit the World Expo. I can't wait!
Bye for now

Announcments: More gifts for people and the internet is still too slow to post pictures. My apologizes.

Today I didn't do much of anything. The group left for the Temple of Heaven at 6:00 am while I stayed back and slept. They went and saw people doing their morning exercises which consisted of Tai Chi, hackey sack, some ring toss, and dancing. I really regret not going. After they returned from the Temple of Heaven we went to our usual breakfast place. We said good bye to the owners of the restaurant and took a few pictures with them. They were such nice people, and it was unfortunate to have to leave Beijing. While at breakfast I noticed a guy drinking something out of a green bottle. I assumed that it was some sort of indigestion stuff, but I later figured out that it was 112 proof liquor. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA Once we were finished we took a taxi to the Beijing train station. I note that it sucked because they didn't have AC on and they had glass panels on the roof. So basically the sun just came right through and created a greenhouse effect inside the building. Anyways, we took the bullet train down to Tian Jin. It only took us a half hour and it was a very smooth ride. We were picked up by some students from Hebei Tech and took a cab through the city to the campus.
Hebei Tech has roughly 30,000 students in total. They have three campuses and the university is huge. It's not as nice as Peking University, but Pekiing University is considered one of the top three universities in China. We had a very good dinner that consisted of many dishes. We all thought the food was really good, but was informed by one of the students from the campus that there is much better food in China. So I guess I still have to find it somewhere. We met up with one of my friends who was an exchange student at Winona this past year. It was nice to see a familiar face in an unfamiliar place. He took us down to one of the Tian Jin night markets and we just walked around and looked at the stuff the street vendors were selling.
My friend, Lei, told us many things about Hebei that are different from Winona. First, the electricity in the dorms gets turned off in the middle of the day and at 11 pm at night. I think that this is a great way to save energy, but he seemed to think otherwise. Second, Lei told us that tuition along with room and board cost roughly $900 American dollars for the year. I was very surprised by this fact. Winona State is considered a cheap university in America and tuition still runs around $8,000 a year. Third, girls and guys are not aloud in each others dorms no matter the time of day. But there are places where students can go and rent rooms by the hour off campus….hahahaha. Lastly, and probably the most interesting is that students do not get to choose their class schedule. Their advisors pick all their classes for them. Also, once a student chooses their major they are put into a group of about 30 students and those 30 students have the same schedule. (So they all take the same classes at the same time) Lei expressed that this was unfortunate because he did not get the chance to meet as many people as he would like.

Well the day is done for now. Sorry it wasn't very interesting, but it is time to go to bed. We are going to hangout in Tian Jin for the day and leave for Nanjing on the overnight train. Come back and look at my blog in a couple days.

Good night!

Third and Fourth Day

Announcments: I have purchased a few gifts for people. We leave tomorrow for Tianjin where we will be staying at HUT overnight.

Third Day-We started off our day by grabbing breakfast at the restaurant that we have been going to since we got here. The owners were very happy to see us and we had our usual of meat buns. Very tasty. After breakfast we parted ways with our professor for the morning. The group headed to the Beijing Olympic grounds, while our professor met with some friends and took care of a few other things.
As our professor put it, "This will be a test to see if you can get around using your language skills". Luckily the Olympic Grounds is located right on the subway route. It was very easy to find, and we didn't have to ask many directions. The Olympic Grounds were very nice and CLEAN. However, there were no trees to provide any shade and the weather was quite hot. We made our way towards the Olympic Stadium, better known as the Bird's Nest. It was very interesting to witness this massive structure up close and we were able to go inside and walk around. The stadium is extremely nice, and it was fun to walk up to the very highest point. However, because of the warm weather we decided to leave the Olympic Stadium afterwards.
After that, we headed to the 798 Art District. The 798 Art District is a series of various art galleries. We saw some great copper sculptures, and oil paitings. Also, we took a look at Chinese contemporary art. I still don't understand contemporary art. The gallery that I enjoyed the most was the North Korean art gallery. There was propoganda and human suffering paintings. I'm not too big into art, except for photography so I didn't take too much interest into the rest of the galleries that we visited.
Once we were done with the 798 Art District we headed back to our hostel. We met up with our professor and went back to the Wang Fu Xing Market. I was able to purchase Mao's Little Red Book, and some gifts for friends. It was fun to barter with the street venders. The weather throughout the day made us all very tired and we soon went back to the hostel and all went to sleep fairly early. That is why I didn't post anything yesterday.

Fourth Day-Today started with us splittng from our professor. He had to do some research at the Beijing National Library while we visited the Great Wall of China. We first took the subway and then a city bus out to the great wall. It was about an hour's worth of travel. The Great Wall is absolutely stunning. I was blown away by how far the Wall stretched. It went as far as the eye could see. We were able to climb up the Wall, and was that quite the stair master. We were constantly climb up an incline or stairs. My legs felt like jello once we made it to the end where they allow visitors to go. The best part about the Wall was that we went the other direction than the majority of the tourists. There was a point in our climb that we were the only people in a 200 yard stretch. Apartently that is very rare as the Great Wall gets a lot of tourists at all times. We took some great pictures which I will be posting tomorrow.
Going to the Great Wall of China is an experience that I believe everyone should take if they are able to. Just being at one of the seven ancient wonders of the world was humbling. It really makes me appreciate the accomodations that I have in the U.S. So after we were done walking around we made our way back to Bejing. We grabbed some dinner which consisted of Donkey Meat, yep...DONKEY meat. It was actually very very good. Try it sometime. Once we had our fill of Donkey we met up with our professor and walked down to the Bai Hui Bar District. We didn't get anything to drink but just went and looked around. The District has a very cool lay out. There are bars on both sides and a small canal going down the middle. It wasn't very packed because it is a monday night. But it was still nice to go and walk around for a bit.
Well it is now close to midnight, I am extremely tired. We have to get up very early tomorrow morning to go and watch people do Tai Chi at the park. It should be interesting.
Good night for now, and check my blog tomorrow for some pictures.

First and Second Day

Hello everyone-
Sorry that I'm a day behind with my blogging. I typed a blog last night and tried to attach some photos. Once I tried to do this my internet connection timed out and I was unable to go back and salvage my email. Anyways, I'd first like to say that China is awesome. I feel like I could get used to living here. However, my lack of Chinese proficiency would prove to be frustrating. Second, I am unable to access facebook here in China. Sorry to all those that have posted something on my wall. I'm not trying to be rude by not responding. I'm just unable too. Third, I won't be able to post pictures until I get to Tianjin or Nanjing. The internet connection at the hostel is too slow.
Our first day we woke up and had some amazing meat buns. Breakfast for only 4 Yuan (roughly 70 cents American)…amazing. After breakfast we made our way to Tiananmen Square. It was truly surreal to see that this place has turned into such a tourist attraction despite the events of the 1980s. Despite this, Tiananmen Square reminded me of the lawn in Washington D.C. It is the heart of the city with Mao's Mosleum, The Forbidden City, National Museum, The People's Congress, and other government buildings.
While in Tiananmen Square we had a few Chinese people that came up and took pictures with us. I'm not sure why, but it was funny. Especially when they singled out Carl and wanted to take a picture with him. We visited Mao's mosuleum, and it was quite impressive. However, I don't understand this shrine to such a man, (I'll elaborate more on this later when I get back to the states) After we went through the mosuleum we made our way to Tiananmen Road. (I believe that's what it is called) They had a number of shops and old buildings, some of which were famous. We saw the movie theatre where they showed the first film in China. After lunch we ventured back towards Tiananmen Square and stopped at the People's Congress building. It is a massive building and I was blown away by its sheer size. We weren't allowed to enter, but took a few pictures outside of it.
Next we stopped to tour The Forbidden City. I was awe struck by this massive compound. Not only was the architecture beautiful, but the intricate detailing that they put on the buildings was impressive. While inside The Forbidden City we stopped to admire Ancient Chinese Art and calligraphy. The art pieces were absolutely stunning. The detail that the artists put into their works was unfathomable. Even the calligraphy was done so artistically.
After a long day of sight seeing we headed back to our hostel to get some rest. Some of us went out to grab a late dinner, while the rest just crashed and called it an early night. That was the end of our first day.

Today we grabbed breakfast at the same restaurant. Meat buns for 4 Yuan is just too hard to pass on. After breakfast we made our way to the summer palace. I must say that it is one of the most amazing places that I have been to. The palace is a compound that is built into the side of this very big hill. We had to climb numerous steps to get to the top, and stopped many times to go through the various buildings that make up the palace. Once we got to the top we were able to see the whole palace. Also, there is a lake behind it that really complimented the beauty of the whole area. It was pretty interesting to see, beyond the palace compound, the development and construction of sky scrappers. It was very symbolic of the situation that China is in today. A mix of old and new.
Once we were done visiting the palace we were absolutely starving. We stopped at a street vendor were I snacked on some lamb and baby sparrows. That's right baby sparrows, whole baby sparrows. While eating at the street car police officers came by and told the vendors in the area that they had to leave. Apparently this is illegal in China because they don't pay taxes. It was comical seeing the people get up and move their carts about 20 feet until the police officers went away. Then they just came back and resumed their business. After our snack we went to the Peking University. I must say that the Peking University puts Winona State to absolute shame. The have a huge pagoda and lake on Campus. Also, they have about 4 soccer fields and numerous out door basketball courts for their students. Along with this they have a climbing wall, archery range, and gymnasium. Man Winona State really sucks compared to Peking University.
After Peking University we went to the Wang Fu Jin Market. Right when we got off the subway we saw some little kid taking a dump on some grass. Naturally we asked our professor what was that, and why. He couldn't respond and just started laughing. The Wang Fu Xing Market It is an array of luxury stores, and street vendors. We dined on some noodles and watch a Peking opera. I stopped and purchased some Chinese loafers, comfortable I must add, and we procceded to go back to the hostel.

It's been another long day, and I am enjoying my time in Beijing. I am going to bed now. Take care everyone. If you want to get a hold of me just email me smhanson7482@winona.edu

Final Here
Hey everyone we made it safely to China. We're just hanging out in our hotel right now. It's been a long day of travel, so I'm going to keep this post short and sweet. It seems surreal that I'm half way around the world. I believe that feeling will change once it is day time and I'll be able to see the city better. Big day tomorrow. Good night

Couple More Hours

Only a couple more hours until I have to be at the airport! Excitement has really set in now, I hope I'll be able to get a good nights rest. Finishing up the remainder of my packing and double checking to make sure I don't forget anything. Tomorrow is going to be a long long day. Well everyone take care! I'll see you when I get back : ) keep checking the blog.

Well I have one more day until I leave for China. I am basically packed minus a few hygiene things. I'm leaving Door County sometime around noon. It's going to take up the majority of my day so I don't have to sit at home and go stir crazy. Oh and this is a random picture of some Si Chuan food from a restaurant in St. Paul. Little Sczechuan; I recommend it. Please keep checking out my blog!

2 days

Only two days remain until I'm on my way to China. Just hanging out in Door County WI right now visiting with my parents and trying to relax a bit before I leave. I'm really hoping my travels will give me a better understanding of contemporary China. I'm not too familiar with Chinese culture or society, and as an American the majority of information I hear is often negative.
Here are a few pictures from Door County, just trying to mess with my blog.
Enjoy!

3 More Day!!!!

So only three more days until I'm on a plane to China. Just trying to finish up a few things and say good bye to some friends. I still have to pack, which means I'm probably going to forget something important. Hrmmmm

First Post

Hey Everyone! I leave in four days. Woot Woot! I am going to try and post every day while I'm in China. However, because of The Great Fire Wall of China this might be difficult. Please check every day. I'll have vids, pics, and my days reflection.

Here is our tentative itinerary

May 19th - Depart from Minneapolis(9:30AM): Fly to Portland -> Fly to Tokyo ->

May 20th - Arrive at Beijing (10:15 PM)

May 21st - !!Tiananmen!!, Forbidden City, Great Hall of People, Mao's Mausoleum, Qianmen Street (all within sight of Tiananmen). (Night)=Beijing Wangfujing Night Market

May 22nd - Summer Palace, Peking University, Golden Resources Mall (night)=Peking Opera/Tea House?

May 23rd - Olympic Game Village, 798 Art District (Night)= Meet with laoshi's old students

May 24th - !!Great Wall of China!! Ming Tomb (Night)= Huohai Bar district

May 25th - Temple of Heaven, Beijing Hutong, Leave for Tianjin in afternoon via bullet train

May 26th - Tour Tianjin, Leave for Nanjing at night via overnight train

May 27th - Arrive in Nanjing in the Morning, visiting Nanjing Massacre Museum, Sun Yatsen Mausoleum (Night) = Confucius temple

May 28th - Leave for Shanghai in morning, Afternoon: Yuyuan People's Square, Nanjing Road, Shanghai Museum. (Night)=Xintiandi aka French quarter

May 29th Shanghai World Expo (Night) = The Bund

May 30th - 31st Shanghai World Expo

June 1st- Heading home