Hi guys! Welcome back to Shanghai!
It’s been about two months since I’ve started school here and life has really settled. I have my set routine now, and so it seems like any other semester. But I’ve recently made a decision to really try and explore even amidst the chaos of projects, midterms and such. To kick off my travels I went to Seoul over fall break and it was AMAZING.
I’m a huge K-pop & K-drama fan so going to South Korea has been on my bucket list for awhile. Although I didn’t meet anyone famous or get scouted on the streets of Hongdae, everything was beyond my expectations. The food was delicious; I had patbingsu (shaved ice) every day I was there. Cafes are open 24/7, so it was nice to just sit and unwind after a day of touristy activities. While the popular attractions like Namsan Tower and Gyeongbokgung Palace were beautiful, I loved just walking around and taking everything in.
While walking in Shanghai isn’t always optimal with the smog and scary traffic, it is a great way to practice Chinese with locals you meet along the way. Since my time here, I’ve definitely felt a regression in my English abilities. Though all my classes (except for Chinese language) are still taught in English, and I speak to my friends with it, there has been many cases lately where I can only think of specific phrases in Chinese to describe what I want to say. Maybe that’s a sign I should just stay in China? ;)
‘Till Next Time
-Yiwen