by Karene Daniel, China Council Scholarship Recipient
After living in Shanghai for a few months, I've finally settled in and made the city my new home. I spend my time going to class, teaching English, and roaming around the city. The city itself is quite big and has plenty to see, not to mention the variety of day trips you can take around the city. On a normal day, I'll wake up, grab a baozi and head to class. Class ends around midday, after which I will grab a quick lunch with a few friends. The campus has a few great restaurants nearby and I usually settle for Ciao Coffee and grab a pizza with my dorm-mates. During lunch I get to practice some of the Chinese I learned – "qing gei wo yi bei kafei!" After lunch I go to teach English at a local elementary school. The class is fun and full of games. The children are always a pleasure to teach, but it can still be exhausting. After class I usually grab dinner and meet a fellow dorm-mate at dance class. On the weekends, a few friends and I will usually plan events around the city. Shanghai has quite a few leisure activities to offer its residents. Sometimes that means a leisurely walk in tianzifang or maybe something more active like indoor skiing. I've also been able to take a few day trips around the city. There are many places close by where you can see the more traditional and natural landscapes of china. Staying in Shanghai, I've been able to see quite a bit of Chinese history, but also learn about the social and cultural aspects that makes Shanghai a unique piece of the larger Chinese puzzle. I hope to do some more travelling in the next few months to get a taste of life outside of the big city.
