Feng Shui-- It's Not Dead Yet!

No sir! Feng shui is still around and kickin’! However, the power of the feng shui has now been limited to architecture and at-home beliefs. So no, it does not have its once glorious foothold in Chinese politics, but it is far from gone. There is actually a tower in downtown Shanghai that is named the “Feng Shui Tower” because it was designed and placed according to the qi. I was unable to get a picture of it because we had already past the building when the guide pointed it out. I asked the girls from my home stay about it, and they laughed at me. They felt that it was more closely followed by the parents’ generation. That may be so, but you can still buy the “compasses” that will show you locations that have a good qi. I believe that Cecil bought one on one of his many escapades. I, for one, thought that many of the buildings around the Oriental Pearl Tower were awesomely modern and edgy, but it turns out that most of those state-of-the-art buildings were designed with feng shui, a set of beliefs that is centuries old, in mind.

Silly experiences in China

On the first real day that we were in Shanghai, I remember going to the museum in the downtown area. It was especially memorable because of a boy who really made his mark in my memories. It was during the later part of the day when every had been taking that written poll in the hallway on the second or third floor of the museum. Everyone else had left except Amy, Jillian, and I. Right after we finished the written poll and received our thank you Chinese knots Jillian mentioned that the guy sitting on the other side on the bench of her looked kind of sketch and she was curious to know if he was a pickpocket since we’d been warned to watch out for them. Being the foreigners we are, we ended up chattering away while staring the poor boy down, who eventually got so flustered he ran off and ducked into a nearby exhibit hall, but peeked around the corner after he’d been gone for all of three seconds. We sat there and chattered away, noticing that he came out of the room and pretty much ran off to the other side of the floor and was talking on his phone. Somehow we came up with the genius idea to slide over on the bench and wait until he looked in our direction and wave at him just to see what he did. Eventually he did look at us and we, of course, waved at him which served to fluster him and he ran off into yet another exhibit. At this point, we wondered if it was strange to wave at boys when you were a girl, but were determined to do it again. When he came out of the exhibit and stood on the landing of a nearby stairway, we waved again and, at last, he waved back. When he disappeared again, we gave up on the idea of him coming back and I wandered off to ask Dr. Yao if it was audacious of young women to wave at young men. When I returned to where Jillian and Amy were sitting, waiting for me, I discovered that the boy had returned and somehow had asked where I had gone. We got into a very difficult conversation as neither could speak the other’s language with any kind of proficiency. At one point he left and sought out someone who spoke Chinese and English and we saw that he was talking to Dr. Yao, which made us laugh. The whole situation ended with him giving me his phone number and we traded e-mail addresses before Jillian, Amy, and I fled the museum.

The whole ordeal with the boy was enough to fluster me for a few days as I’d really just had it put into perspective how horrible my Mandarin was. I mean, I knew it was really bad since I only knew a few words and maybe three phrases, one of which included “Wo shi mei guo ren.” But to be face to face with a person around my own age who could speak as much English as I could speak Mandarin was both frustrating and funny. It was even funnier for us because Amy realized that even after a whole year of Mandarin classes, she couldn’t speak much more Mandarin than the boy could speak English. This experience made me realize, later on, that even a year’s worth of Mandarin training wouldn’t be enough to adequately prepare myself for being thrown straight into China. I would need much more training than Amy had and then some before I would be comfortable with the idea of returning to China again.

Family For a Day

We learned so many amazing things in China but my overall favorite experience was the day  I spent with the Chinese college students. Everyone in our Rollins group split up and went off by themselves to spend the afternoon with a student who was an English major.  I think most of us were a bit hesitant at first but it ended up being the most enjoyable time of my trip. My new friends took me to Nanjing Road and then to one of their homes for a fabulous feast! Their father had cooked all the food and it was by far the best meal I had in China. I learned to make spring rolls and play Mahjong among many other things. Elaine's father did not speak a word of English but we were communicating perfectly. He was such a fabulous chef and host and I was delighted to be in his home. I have the contact information of my new friends in China. They even gave me my very own Mahjong set! Walking through the small streets of Shanghai on that rainy night with my new friends is something I will never forget. I was able to experience family life in Shanghai, China...Wow!

Discover Yourself in China

Our lovely little journey to China has come and gone. People continue to ask me, "how was China?" My answer has been, "I love China!" The thing is, it is not that simple. You cannot begin to explain a country and its people to someone verbally, and pictures or videos just don't do the experience justice. My feelings about traveling continue to grow stronger after each trip I take. Travel 

should be mandatory, a prerequisite to living over the age of 25. How can anyone be expected to be empathetic or understanding of our world if they never explore it? I guess not everyone loves to travel but I feel this trip to the People's Republic  of China has once again broadened my outlook on life and the people I share this planet with. I want everyone to have the opportunity to feel this way! I realized the vitality and immensity of where I was while standing in a dim classroom in Shanghai. It was 2:28 p.m., one week after an earthquake had caused catastrophic damage to parts of the country. Most of us stood by the windows of the classroom, watching the cars on the highway in preparation for the upcoming moment of silence. We all faced the West and for 3 minutes straight everyone stopped. For exactly 3 minutes, people all over China just stopped. It was during this time that the realization of where I was hit me. I had never experienced so much strength and hope. This is what the people of China exuded day after day. I felt what they felt in those 3 minutes. They wanted to pull through, to be great. They were great. I loved the Great Wall and the countless temples we visited on our journey, but I loved the people I encountered more. Next time someone asks me, "how was China?" My response will simply be, "you have to go."

Longjing Tea

 Longjing tea, translated as Dragon Well tea,  is considered the national tea of China.  It is grown almost exclusively in the Longjing area of Hangzhou, near the Western Lake.  

Cultivation of this tea dates back thousands of years.  Mention of Longjing Tea dates back to the first ever tea book, written by Lu Yu in the Tang Dynasty.  Tea on the mountains is grown year round, however, harvest, is only taken from mature plants at least 5 years old.  Also, the tea is only able to be harvested when the new buds arrive in the Spring, creating a very short window to provide the leaves.

The leaves are then dried my master craftsmen, using a low even heat to prevent the leaves from decaying after they are picked.  The tea drier must by skilled, as too much drying will burn the tea, leaving it bitter, while too little will not preserve the harvest.

Longjing has become a symbol of China and its teas.  It is usually served to state guests, and is said to have been Chairman Mao's favorite.  Other notable recipients of Longjing Tea include Richard Nixon, Henry Kissenger, and Queen Elizabeth.

Longjing is one of many types of green tea that is noted for its health benefits.  Green teas contain much higher amounts of antioxidants and have been found to lower LDL cholesterol.  Also, many observational studies have noted that people who consume green teas have a noticeably longer life span compared to those who don't.  More studies are being done on the health benefits of the tea.

Sources: http://www.teaspring.com/Tribute-Xi-Hu-Long-Jing.asp

and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_tea#Potential_effects_of_green_tea_on_health

Shanghai Museum

The Shanghai Museum is located in the People's Square, not far from City Hall.  Its present location dates back to 1996, however, the museum itself has operated since 1952.  The collections contain of 120,000 pieces of Chinese art and artifacts.  The museum is free to enter for all citizens, noting the government mantra that the collection is history and belongs to everyone.  It is a popular tourist destination, and after visiting it, I must say, it should not be missed. 

Some of the more interesting collections include fine Chinese porcelain, bronze sculptures, and coins.  One unique exhibit is dedicated exclusively to minority group art from within China, and this contains some unique ceremonial pieces.  

Another unique floor houses nothing but furniture from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, offering a glimpse of how wealthy Chinese citizens lived in those time periods.

This museum, while large to the casual observer, apparently does not have the same caliber of collections housed in Beijing and in Taiwan.  This once again illustrates the painful divide of the Chinese people, as, the Taiwan museum contains many of the priceless relics taken by Chiang Kai Shek when he fled in 1949.  All in all, however, it is a great museum for exposure to Chinese Art and Culture.

Shanghai Urban Planning and Exhibition Hall

The Shanghai Urban Planning Hall, despite its incredibly unexciting name, is a major achievement in urban planning and formidable tourist attraction in Shanghai.  It is located in the heart of the city; right off of the People's Square, next to the Shanghai Municipal Government Building.  It is also a hallmark of "the New China" taking shape; illustrating the progressive steps that the Chinese government is implementing to modernize their country.

I can say from experience that by far the most impressive attribute of this building is the fourth floor model room.  Continually being updated, it displays what the Shanghai skyline will look like in 2020.  The sheer scale of the model is enough to overwhelm someone.  Visitors can peer from the Oriental Pearl to all the way to the new 2010 Expo site and beyond.  All in all, this model takes up almost 600 square meters, allowing visitors to walk all around the city, and even see it form a bird's eye view on the floor above.  The building also highlights some of the new developments being green-lighted by the city, including environmental cleanup, and updated port and airport terminals (though to be honest, the ones now seemed pretty good to me).  

This is definitely a good way for any visitor to get a sense of the scale of the city as well as its major initiatives.

Source:      http://61.129.65.84/live/travel/destdetail.asp?id=29