As many of you know, I've spent the past 5 weeks traveling around Asia. I spent 3 weeks studying (multicultural education) in Shanghai, China, followed by short visits (5-6 days each) in Bangkok, Thailand and Tokyo, Japan.
Some thoughts: China was an incredible experience. This was my first stop on my first visit outside of the Western world, and I am officially in love. The Chinese are an amazing culture, an amazing country with such a rich, vast history. Visiting a metropolitan city like Shanghai could have been disappointing, as I was hoping to get a taste of traditional Chinese culture, however, metropolitan as it is, it is dappled with the old as well. It was incredible to see the mixture of old and new, to learn about Chinese culture and its sometimes ugly history (Cultural Revolution loosely equals modern and new in today's architecture), to experience the people, the food, the societal norms. I studied some Mandarin Chinese before traveling to China, and the little bit I had under my belt came in handy, though, I was infinitely lucky to have a Mandarin speaking roommate who took great care of me while I was there. In all, the trip was AMAZING. I could go on and on....
Outside of Shanghai we also visited Xi'an, an ancient capital of China, home to the famous Terra Cotta Soldiers. I also had an opportunity to visit Beijing, but turned it down, in hopes to save something for my next visit. :)
Now comes the unfortunate news. My new point and shoot camera died two weeks after my arrival. Alas, I was stuck without a camera for most of the rest of the trip. I had a short lived affair with a camera in Bangkok, but got very little pictures before the batteries died and the memory card was used up... I will spare you the details of my camera saga but the finale is that I have next to no pictures of my own of Bangkok and Tokyo. I will be sharing the photos of my traveling buddies, though, and in time I can share them here if you all are interested. I guess this just means that I have to go back.
Thailand. I LOVE Thailand. I am officially smitten. Head over heels. The people are amazingly warm and welcoming. The country is beautiful. The temples are peaceful and gorgeous. I am fascinated by Buddhism and, particularly, buddhist monks. The food is amazing. The atmosphere (albeit polluted) is incredible. I just cannot say enough. I MUST go back, and stay much longer. Though I've got a long list of places to go next, it is imperative that I get back to Thailand in the very near future. And, though I do not have any photos, I have come across an amazing photographer whose photos are a must see: http://flickr.com/photos/stuckincustoms/sets/72157594384360311/
Japan. We visited Tokyo. I would have loved to get outside of the city for a bit of time, but unfortunately that did not happen. The city is busy, crowded, polluted, but the food is amazing, the people are lovely, and we had a local to spend the entire time with, in whom we have found a great great friend. If I return to Japan, it will definitely be outside of Tokyo. I long to visit Kyoto.
Now, onto pictures. I will only share my favorites here, but if you are interested, you can check out the rest here on flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/alieliza/
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Our lovely campus at Shanghai Normal University:
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Everyone is crazy about the Olympics. I am sure that it is this way with every country, but for China, the hosting the Olympic games is a huge deal:
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A residential street in Shanghai:
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Along the Bund River:
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Very typically Chinese:
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Gardens, remind me of home:
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I coveted each piece of traditional Chinese architecture I saw. It was a commodity (in my mind) in modern Shanghai.
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And some of the new:
Nanjing Road, a famous shopping street:
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A shopping center (of which there are many!!!
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Mmmmm.... Food.....
Becoming a pro with chopsticks:
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Enjoying Bubble Tea:
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My favorite: Malatan. All of the ingredients for a custom made soup are skewered. You pick out your favorites, hand them over to the cook, and they stir up a custom soup for ya! Delicious!!!
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Markets. I *love* shopping. Markets were my favorite stop in each country. Markets and Temples.
Interesting things for sale:
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Temples
Longhua Temple. The oldest and biggest in Shanghai
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Making new friends:
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My lesson learned: Never leave home without your favorite camera.