Saturday, October 19, 2013

Back to School, This and That

Its back to school. Work awaits and mid terms start next week. We've been cramming, project after presentation, and studying every night. 
Every once in a while we go explore a new part of the city, eat something new, or see something that just opens our eyes to the culture difference. 
Chinese is getting easier, even though I still don't know a lot of it, when I go out now, I can understand most of the simple conversations that are going on. Getting there!


Here are some pictures of the past few days. It's just about this and that, things I notice and I find interesting. Most I find interesting because its so different to what we are used to. 



Pancakes sold outside the front gate of our school. They are delicious and can be filled with egg, sausage, bacon, cheese, and sauces or bananas. Yumm


Gardens around our university. There are gardens and parks everywhere, people can hang out all over and study or just relax. 

People's laundry hanging outside stores. This is normal here, laundry is just hung everywhere and anywhere

Nop, its not a side walk here, bicycles and mopeds take up sidewalks everywhere. We get to walk on the streets.

Someone's getting married

I love this sign

Street vendors are everywhere, late night snacks or dinner? Around eleven o'clock everyone gathers here

Almost feels like home :)


At the mall, its the Avengers this time to attract consumers to look at cars

Crabs anyone? Piles and piles of them are stacked in every store, the usual way to eat them here is boiling them and then just eating them like that, usually biting off the shell to get at the meat. 

One of our school cafeterias on a slow day, usually this is filled to where one cannot even find a chair to sit at. The food isn't too great but cheap for college kids

Well its back to studying and cramming for the midterms. Wish me luck!
Ill try to get back on as soon as I can and write. 
Miss everyone back home, especially that one person in England :)
Love,
Stef




China's Golden Week and our trip to Guilin, China

Sorry it's been a while. I had been writing and blogging but for some reason my computer kicked me out of the system and I could never transfer my blogs and therefore I lost them all. 
I'll try to give you a summary of everything that has happened. 
We went to Guilin, China for the Golden Week. October first is national holiday here and then the week following everyone is on vacation. 
Everyone travels, cities loose half their population as families and people travel near and far. 
Me and a few of my friends decided to tackle traveling during the Golden Week. We went to south China, Guilin, known for its beautiful scenery. 
It was an experience. Everything from traveling to the landscapes, to the never ending amount of people. But we had a blast and won't forget this time for a while. 
Breakfast at our first hostel, American Breakfast, our first since we came here



Honey farm on the side of the road

Look!!




Shops are set up outside the Cave entrance


Reed Flute Caves

Reed Flute Caves

There were so many people at the Reed Flute Caves

After our trek up to the Caves, the scenery was beautiful here


This Old Place International Youth Hostel were we stayed our first day

Twin Tower Pagodas

Of course we had to stop at all the coffee places.
Coffee isn't consumed here a lot and most of the time cost a fortune. Most people in China drink tea, so when we can find a coffee place we always check it out. This cup of tea was delicious!



On the way to the Rice Terraces, the ride to the terraces took forever, and the hike to the top was long, but the views were amazing and they were so worth it. 

Halfway to the top of the Rice Terraces, these little villages are set in the middle of the Rice Terraces, their architecture and style complements the beautiful landscape.


Trippers Carpe Diem Hostel, our hostel in Yangshuo, China
Had a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains


Cycling the Yulong River, it was so much fun and we had a blast. We felt like the Chinese darting in and out of traffic, passing cars, bikes, and people.

Men launching the Bamboo Rafts

One can rent someone to paddle you down the river on these Bamboo Rafts.



View from the top of the Moon Hill




There were so many people in Yangshuo, we had to push and squirm through all these people just to get an inch forward. An interesting experience


Before heading back to Shanghai, loved our group and we had a great week

More photos will follow. Sorry for the delay and only getting this out now. I hope you enjoy the pictures.
Love,
Stef