As an International Studies major, I am required to complete 18 hours of foreign language. When I choose to fulfill this requirement by studying Chinese, I knew I would be making a trip to China. After all, the only way to really learn a language is to be immersed in it. Thus, here I am at Shanghai University, studying Chinese language.
A typical day in Shanghai starts bright and early. By the time I wake up at 6:00 a.m., people are already out and about, grabbing breakfast, going to class or work, or completing their morning exercises. My morning walk to class is always a battle in itself, navigating through a sea of students, bicycles, and motorbikes. When I am having a lucky day, I will pass a friend with a bicycle who will give me a ride on the back. The Chinese use the bike’s space for carrying packages, books, or groceries, or as an extra seat to carry friends to class, to their dorms, or around the town.
On the days I am able to get a ride, I use my extra time to stop by the school store and buy pineapple bread for breakfast; then I am off to class. Classes start promptly at eight and are taught in Chinese. After class, my roommate and I usually purchase fresh strawberry juice at the local juice shop or head to Coco for a 勵瀧켈꿱 (zhenzhu naicha), meaning pearl milk tea. Overall, school days are typical of those at UW, that is, if I took a semester of all Chinese courses at UW!
While studying dominates my weekdays, my weekends are reserved for friends, city outings, and exploring. Shanghai is a city unlike any other with a quirky rhythm of its own. As one of the world’s largest cities, Shanghai is a cultural melting pot. The city is so diverse you can live almost any kind of lifestyle you want, or delve into any culture that sparks your interest.
Shanghai is so vibrant and full of life and there is always something new to see and experience. It is easy to try something new every day. I simply hop a train to the next town over. China is so vast it pulls you in and doesn’t ever let go. It has its own magic that captures you completely. It is sad to think about going home at the end of the school year, but I know for certain that I will return to China.
