Arrival

Upon landing in Beijing I immediately noticed the buzz of activity which surrounds the Metropolis. The variety of vehicles on the road was impressive and the behavior of the drivers also reflected the seeming restlessness of the city. After meeting up with Cory Niu, my host brother who had stayed with me this last winter, we dropped Ms. Zhang off at her hotel. Being the only student on the trip, I would be staying with Cory while in Beijing. Upon arriving at the Niu residence we exchanged gifts and caught up. But, being tired, I shortly retired to bed.

Beijing                                                       Tiananmen Square

The next day was my first day of school. Transportation in Beijing is more friendly to non-drivers than any other city I have been to; the buses go everywhere and the Chinese “ubers” are plentiful. School started at 8am so we usually left around seven to go eat at school. My main points of contact at Beijing 8 were the college counselors. They planned all of my activities and made sure I was comfortable at school. Since I was attending the Sino-American Branch of Beijing 8, there are college counselors who help students navigate the sometimes unorganized or confusing process of applying to American universities, just like the counselors at MBA.

At school I took many classes which American students would not have in their curriculum. These classes teach many skills which MBA students would take for granted such as critical analysis, essay writing, and English. These classes help the Chinese students prepare for the American college system. The students are at a disadvantage on the SAT because they are not native English speakers but most make up for the language barrier by being well prepared in Math throughout their careers as students. Other than the English classes I took other courses such as economics and AP Biology.

Sites

In Beijing I alternated between full days of school and half-days. On the half-days, I visited may sites in Beijing with my teacher escort. We visited Tiananmen Square, the People’s museum, and the Beijing Zoo, just to name a few places. My first weekend in China was the annual Dragon Boat Festival. While we did not race any boats, Cory and I made the pilgrimage to the Great Wall. The wall was everything I have ever read or heard about, truly a wonder of the world. On the second day of the festival, we visited the Forbidden City. The palace complex was one of the most extraordinary places I have ever been in; I was impressed how empty it felt even with all the thousands of tourists inside and in the vicinity. There, Cory, his mom, and myself experienced and entire day of relaxation and learning at the museum. Another day, we visited the Summer Palace gardens, just a few miles away. The gardens were peaceful and captured the tranquility of Chinese Gardens. The third day, Cory's mom and I visited the Old Summer Palace. The palace had some of the most unique architecture in China since parts of it were designed by Italian and French architects. The rest of the week I attended school and visited many other sites such as the People's Military Museum. On my last day of school, the headmistress gave me a Beijing 8 class ring as a memento.

The Main Campus of Beijing 8

The Great Wall

Shanghai

After two weeks in Beijing, I bid my goodbyes to Cory and his family and embarked an a high speed train to Shanghai. Hurtling through the countryside on a train was not unlike driving down an interstate here in America. I met Ms. Zhang at a stop on the way. Upon arrival in Shanghai, I was escorted by teachers from the WLSA program at the school in Shanghai to a school apartment. Once again I was alone in a new city. The time in the apartment gave me lots of opportunity for self reflection on my time in Beijing. The next day I spent with Tanya, one of the teachers from school. We went shopping at one of the biggest malls in China and visited various gardens all around the city. In the evening, we met up with Ms. Zhang and went on a sightseeing riverboat tour. Seeing the whole city lit up at night was awesome. The next day, I went to school and met lots of students who were familiar with America. I spent all of my free time inundated with questions about certain aspects of Chinese and American culture and relations. After my day at school, I was introduced to my next host brother, Peter, and his family. We took the train to his house for the weekend. That evening, I was informed that we would not be staying in Shanghai but were going to drive West for a wedding. One of my host mother's former students was getting married.

My Host Family in Shanghai

Suzhou

The next day we traveled to one of the best preserved ancient towns in China on our way to the wedding in Suzhou. There, we rode on a traditional boat and visited many examples of ancient Chinese architecture and saw many great pieces of traditional art by contemporary artists. That evening, we attended the wedding where endless courses of food tested my endurance. The wedding was not as traditional as I had imagined but was quite Western in attire and in form. The day was a contrast between the old and the new in China and perfectly captured the balance between both in China. That night we stayed in a hotel Suzhou and Peter and I had many interesting conversations, particularly about future cooperation between China and the U.S. in space. Upon returning to Shanghai, I gathered my things and said goodbye to my second host family and returned to the apartment. I left for the airport the next morning; my journey coming to an end.

Shanghai at Night

My unique situation as the only student on the trip allowed me to totally immerse myself in the trip without having the distraction of other students. The experience in China was truly once in a lifetime and I could not be more pleased to have the memories. I thank Wilson FamilyMBA, Ms. Zhang, Mr. Gioia, and the for making this entire experience possible. The experiences granted to the students are truly life-changing. They help the recipients become more aware of the world around them and make them into better gentlemen and scholars.