ERA- Intersection of Time

Era is a modern arena for acrobatic and circus performances. It is a seat circus theater with a revolving stage, computer- controlled lighting and state- of- the- art acoustics. ERA- Intersection of Time is a complete source of entertainment for it presents amazing acrobats. One is enchanted by the world that is created through the use of multimedia, technology, lighting and sound effects, elaborate costumes, original live music and a lot more.

The show from ERA was one of the most exciting and breathtaking shows that I have ever seen. I have seen acrobatic shows before, but nothing compared to what we saw in Shanghai. What I thought was different about this show, was the fact that it combined the performances, a light show, and live music. Some of the most interesting performances on the show were the jumping acrobats, the motorcycle show and the couple flying around the stage. Some of the performances were so dangerous that they had us with our mouth open. I remember walking out and the only thing I could say was “WOW that was amazing!”

http://www.cityguideshanghai.com/entertainment/era.html

Driving

I thought that the way the Chinese drive in their crowded cities was one of the most entertaining things to observe while traveling on the bus.  They drive so aggressively and quick with almost no errors.  They merge much better there than they do here in America.  Most traffic jams are caused because of merging from people getting on the highway.  Modern capitalistic China has allowed for millions to own cars, and therefore they will have congested streets, but because of their system of letting people in, aggressive merging, and talented urban driving skills the traffic is not nearly has bad as it should be.  Cities like D.C. and New York are wretched driving cities and it is often faster to walk, but if all American drivers were taught to drive the way they do in Shanghai and Beijing then we would be a lot better off.    In Chengdu, a Chinese driving licence is issued if you can achieve a pass rate of 90% in the computerized theory test of one hundred (mostly) multiple choice questions. Tests are available in Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, Spanish and so on. If you do not pass at 90%, you can do a second test without paying any further fee.  This is a relatively high score for a drivers exam, but it shows they know what they are doing when they pass.  It was always exciting to weave in and out of traffic, I really wanted to get on a scooter there, but I think i would have been killed.  Their were times when i could reach out my window and touch the drivers face across from us because we had gotten so close in our lanes. It mad every trip go by a lot faster, and I would rather watch the Chinese drive than a movie any day. 

2008 Olympics and national pride

I am pretty sure that at this point, we are all familiar with the fact that Beijing is hosting the Olympics.  But what really surprised me about the trip was how excited the country, not only the residents of Beijing, are about the upcoming games.  

I was struck with the differences between this and the most recent American Olympiad, which I think was Atlanta 1996.  Granted I was young, but I do not recall the entire country preparing for the event anywhere near like the Chinese are doing.  I was most surprised at how the Olympiad was being advertised within Shanghai, several hundred miles away.  The road from the airport was dotted with many billboards advertising and supporting the Olympiad. 

Likewise, when it came time for my host family, the Olympics were part of our discussion.  My host's family was curious what I thought about the preparations and buildings.  Conversation drifted to what they thought of the games, which of course consisted of the stock answer of it being a way for China to show off to the world.

While this is no doubt true, I do not think that this hits at the heart of the matter.  Many Americans still have misconceptions of Chinese products as being shotty or cheap.  While this may have been true in the past, China is today able to produce some extremely high quality products such as Lenovo computers and Haier appliances.  I think that the Chinese are dealing with this stereotype as best they can, and seek to showcase their strengths to the world.  This showcase though, is not just a showcase, it is also a pursuit to shatter common misconceptions about the quality of life and the advancement of this Asian nation.

The Bund

Some of my favorite pictures of Shanghai were either taken of, or from, the Bund.  The Bund was  the downtown of the old International Settlement, and the first point of entry to Western visitors of old Shanghai.  It is located on the Waterfront, across from the new Pudong Downtown district.  Other notable landmarks near it include Nanjing Road, which dead ends directly into the district.  

Perhaps the most noticeable landmark of this area is the The Customs House, the only building besides the hotels, whose function has not changed since its inception.  This is the building with the familiar clock-tower at its perch.  The notes ring to the song "The East is Red," one of Chairman Mao's favorite songs and also a hallmark of the Cultural Revolution.  The Customs House, while at one time under British Authority, has been under the command of the Central Government since the 1950's.  

The Bund is still the center of Shanghai.  In fact, the old HSBC Building, was used until the 1990's as the City Hall, which only recently moved to its location on the People's Square.  Even with its central location, due to the age of many of its buildings, many fell into disrepair.  Today, however, the government is pursuing revitalization of this historic area, including moving all automobile traffic to a tunnel in order to facilitate a pedestrian friendly river-front.  Other activities include renovation of many of the old buildings, including facade repair, and a total renovation of the Peace Hotel. 

Mandarin Please

你好！The last two years I have been studying Mandarin with professor Wei. I’m not sure why I chose Mandarin but I’m glad I did. When you tell most people that you have been studying Mandarin for two years they seem so impressed and think you should be fluent, not so much. For Mandarin not only do you have to learn the language but you have to be able to read the characters. There are endless combinations of characters that mean several different things and can become quite confusing. Even after two years of Mandarin I can’t carry on a conversation for very long. Since I’m not immersed in the language at school and we learn from a textbook, I can read Mandarin better than I can speak it. The tones always get me. I hope the trip will allow me to better my Chinese speaking skills and hopefully pick up new vocab as well. I’m sometimes afraid to speak to someone that is Chinese because I’m afraid I will miss pronounce and they won’t have a clue what I’m talking about. I would probably be better off writing the characters and communicating that way but I need to practice my speaking. We’ll see how it goes. 再见！I promise I know more than hello and goodbye!

Food?

Before we left for China I was always the one among friends and family that would try any type of food. My family would always say, “Eww, Megan I can’t believe you’re eating that.” However, after going to China I realized that there are a lot of foods I will not even consider trying. For once in China I was the one saying, “Eww, I can’t believe you’re eating that.” I seemed to survive fine on poptarts, gummies, granola bars, white rice, and room temperature soda. Yes, during the trip I would crave a nice juicy burger with everything on it, within reason. However, I wouldn’t go back and change a thing. The food is a part of the experience and trying new things. One day I thought I would be adventurous and eat a cooked mushroom but come to find out it was eel. My saving grace was McDonalds! Their chicken nuggets and fries were the best I have ever had, but that’s partly because I was starving. In all the times I only ate white rice and broth there was a bright side, you lose weight. That didn’t last long because I devoured everything in sight once I was back in the States. I won’t be eating Americanized or Authentic Chinese food any time soon but I miss the big group meals with a big lazy susan and everyone trying to guess what they were about to eat. It was an amazing trip and I can’t wait to go back.

Thoughts on Peking Opera

Before our trip to China I was excited about seeing a Peking Opera performance for the first time. I have never been interested in seeing opera performances before but was anticipating the Peking Opera. However, I was very disappointed within the first 5 minutes of the performance. The same scene lasts a lifetime! It would be impossible to understand what they were singing about and it was nice having the translations on the large screens, but that’s all I liked about the Peking Opera. The acrobatic was nice but I was ready for them to spice it up a bit and give us a little more entertainment. I think watching a Peking Opera performance would be hard for Westerners. We are so use to being entertained constantly at a show that there can’t be any dull periods or the show’s a dud. The two grown men in front of me didn’t help either because they kept excessively laughing for no reason, but it was the only highlight of the whole show. In all, maybe not everyone disliked it but I can easily say it wasn’t the best part of the trip and I won’t be seeing any more Peking Opera performances.