Photos taken by Aurora Brendtke (University of Michigan), Student Correspondent for CET Shanghai, Summer 2024
Home Far From Home
This is a little breath of Europe right next door to Donghua University, a place where I have met for interviews and meetings with my teacher. It is a popular place to hide from the sun and experience a Western vibe right in Shanghai. I’ve grown to like this place and its carefully crafted antique atmosphere.
Beauty of Shanghai Stations
Again, I must tell you that one of my favorite things about Shanghai is its subway system. Affordable, fast, and sometimes an art exhibit, such as this one! On this day, I was headed to my internship site for an in-person meeting. When you go somewhere new, especially alone, you’re challenged to make your way through the world in a small sense. This is one of many reasons I love wandering through the station. You see many new faces and things you wouldn’t have otherwise.
A Golden Opportunity: Jing’an Temple
After getting off the subway train, I landed in Jing’an Park, where you can see Jing’an Temple in the background. It is a beautiful, large golden-roof structure that I had the pleasure of seeing on my way to my student entrepreneurship project meeting. It’s located right in the neighborhood, along with a huge mall and places to get something to eat all around. It seems many people visit specifically to see it, though I only stumbled upon it here! It must be a good omen.
Hot Pot!
One thing I have learned about myself recently is that my favorite thing to eat is hot pot. As a girl on a paleo diet, I like to eat a lot of cooked meat and fresh fruits. This is the perfect option for me in Shanghai. It’s still about 80 to 100 yuan per person, and you can take your leftovers home to cook later so that it can be more like two meals. Here, I’m enjoying a night out at a restaurant near our school.
A Day Exploring Historical Shanghai
Here is a scene from one Shanghai Old Town square, where you can see natural beauty is intertwined with Buddhist influence. In my class, which is about understanding the behavior and culture of the Chinese consumer, we explored the streets of the old town, noting the architectural influences and market activity. We tasted tea, got our hair styled with stick hairpins, picked out elegant fans, and bought handmade gifts for our family back home.
River Tracing in HangZhou
I’m from Michigan, so river tracing is not new to me, but all of this safety gear was! It sort of made swimming harder than usual, but nonetheless, this day of climbing up waterfalls and stepping on and around rocks was so much fun. I grow increasingly appreciative of sports in nature when I try them. I totally understand what all the hype is about, and would go again if I could!
Milk Tea (Actually Fruit Tea)
When you only have one night to check out a new town, you have to try their local food and drink. Here, we visited a NaiCha Dian (milk tea shop) that doesn’t exist in Shanghai. In my opinion, a lot of chains of milk tea shops taste the same, but in a good way. On the way, we made conversation with locals. They were asking where we were from and what we were all doing in HangZhou. No matter the area, Chinese people are very friendly and love chatting you up!
Soaring Over Mountain Trees
The only thing I could think of when flying above a few acres of mountain area was that I must be in Jurassic Park. That is because the types of trees and greenery I saw looked totally prehistoric. In the cable car, you can see mountains any way you look, so I preferred to take in its beauty this way more than any other.
Go-Kart Racing Down DaMing Shan
At the end of the day, we not only got to go down the mountain on a slide, but we also got to race down to a finish line. On this trip, I have already learned many new likes and dislikes. Racing might be my newest! It’s unexpected, but I think I’m inspired to finally get my license.
Halfway There
It doesn’t feel like it, but I’m almost halfway through this program. By the time it’s over, I might not want to leave. It is a beautiful country with amazing people. I have made new friends, vacationed, gone dancing, ate delicious food, and experienced city life. I have grown to really love China.