Author: Maia Moore

Program: Hangzhou Study Center – China

How many people can say that they’ve been to a Hello Kitty themed restaurant? Well, I don’t know the answer to that one, but I do know that I can say that I am now one of those people. I’ll admit without shame that I, a 20-year-old college junior, am a fan of Hello Kitty. Maybe even a huge fan, but that’s beside the point. The Hello Kitty Bianco Bistro in Shanghai is truly one of a kind.  Even non-fans should take the opportunity to visit this restaurant if they can simply because it’s weird and fun and they even sell steak with Hello Kitty’s face on it.

The restaurant is located on the top floor of one of the 6 trillion malls in Shanghai. It was actually a bit hard to find since they don’t seem to advertise it much. The only reason I found out about it is because I had heard of a Hello Kitty theme park located on the outskirts of Shanghai and, after I read the scathing reviews for it, decided that it was probably better to check out the restaurant instead.

Somehow, I was able to convince my entire Valpo group to come along with me (because who wouldn’t want to eat overpriced Hello Kitty pasta?). The restaurant was composed of two floors. The first floor was a gift shop that I later spent a solid 30 minutes in (and came out the proud owner of a limited edition Hello Kitty blanket). The second floor was the actually restaurant. The walls were covered in Hello Kitty, the tables and chairs were Hello Kitty, there was a Hello Kitty couch, and the waiters had Hello Kitty apparel. We were the youngest people there. Everyone else were men and women who appeared to be middle aged, with no children. Hello Kitty seems to be universal.

As for the actual food? Well, this isn’t a review of the restaurant, so I won’t go into detail about that, however, the menu was quite expansive and composed of nearly 60-70 different items. That day, they maybe had 15 available in the kitchen.

As a fan of Hello Kitty, I have to say I was 100% satisfied after a day of Hello Kitty.

Author: Tiffany Luehrs

Program: Hangzhou Study Center – China

Last week I had biology class in the middle of a wetland. In the biology course, my classmates and I had just completed a couple chapters from  When a Billion Chinese Jump by Jonathan Watts about the loss of habitats and biodiversity China has been experiencing. We wanted to see evidence of successful conservation of nature by visiting the Xixi Wetland. Throughout civilization, wetlands have served and continue to serve as a source of life as they provide water, natural resources, transportation, and regulate the climate.

The creation of the Xixi Wetland can be dated back to 5,000 years ago  when the wetland began to expand and develop. During 1912-1949 and the following periods of intense industrialization, the wetland shrunk. Today though, the conservation project led by Hangzhou’s government has improved the quality of the wetland, and currently, 70% of the wetland is water area.

The wetland was especially wet the day my Valpo cohort and I visited as rain poured from the overcast clouds above. What surprised me about the wetland  is how it is strangely situated within the bustling city of Hangzhou. Walking through the wetland, I noticed how muddled the sound was of the busy traffic and horns blaring just outside the entrance. It was hard to believe we were still in the urban heart of Hangzhou when we could barely hear the noises of the city and were surrounded by so much greenery. The rain lightened upon our arrival at a structure built especially for bird watching.

We sat, elbows propped up on the wooden tables and peered through our binoculars in the search of wild grebes diving below the water’s surface, swallows flying overhead, Chinese bulbuls in the reeds, spotted doves in the trees, and a beautiful grey heron perched on a wooden rod sticking out of the water. I never thought I would have my first bird watching experience in Hangzhou, but I would highly recommend a visit to the Xixi wetlands. And bring a pair of binoculars!

-Tiffany

Author: Tiffany Luehrs

Location: Hangzhou, China 

The dreary weather added to the wonder of the city of Chongqing. It gave the city an eerie feel as we looked out at the panoramic view from the side of a hill. After a delicious hot pot of dinner, a spicy delicacy of the Si Chuan province , we headed to the docks to board the Victoria cruise ship.

Looking around, I noticed that the city had transformed as the moon rose. At night Chongqing was beautifully lit up, and I was enamored by the reflection of the colorful city lights shimmering in the gentle waves of the Yangtze river. As I stepped on the cruise ship, I was excited and curious to see what the next three days on the Yangtze would reveal.

During the cruise, we were able to attend various lectures, one of which was on Chinese medicine. I knew the basics of Chinese medicine: herbal remedies, cupping, scraping, and acupuncture. But that was about it. The lecture was intriguing, and I learned how the methods of acupuncture, acupressure massage, cupping, and scraping relate to the theory of Yin and Yang, a Taoist concept of interdependence between passive and active forces. When your Yin and Yang is balanced, you are healthy, but when your Yin and Yang are unbalanced, there is a blockage of your 气 (qi) or the energy flow that takes place throughout the channels of your body, causing illness or discomfort.

During our journey, we also had the opportunity to go on a few excursions by foot, one of which was to see and climb the Shibao Pagoda. To get to the pagoda, we had to cross a slippery, shaky bridge with a terrifying drop beneath our feet. My usually dormant fear of heights came out of hibernation at full force as I walked along the bridge, clinging to the railing and trying not to look down. The perilous crossing was worth it. The 12-story, red pagoda was constructed out of wood without any nails. Since the 18th century when the temple was built, there have been renovations to the structure to preserve the temple and make it safe to enter and climb.

The saying goes that the higher one climbs in the temple, the more likely your dreams will come true. You know I climbed all the way up. I even ventured up the feeble, volatile ladder that led to a claustrophobic, square scenic outlook room at the very top of the temple, which only had enough room for around four people at a time. At the top of the pagoda, I was able to look out at our cruise ship along side two other ships amidst the hazy sky and grey waters.

While on the cruise, we witnessed three gorges: Qu Tang, Wu, and Xi Ling. The three gorges were magnificent and unlike anything I had ever seen. It was at Xi Ling Gorge that our journey ended, and we were greeted by the Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydropower project. The beautiful mountainous landscape is still present but interrupted by the dam. As Watts, the author of When a Billion Chinese Jump stated, the dam was a “gray scar on an otherwise stunning landscape.”

While the Chinese have been building dams ever since the first was built in around 600 BC at Anfeng Tang in eastern China, the Three Gorges Dam is the first dam built on such a large scale. It generates incredible amounts of electricity, improves navigation along the Yangtze river, and allows for flood control, but at enormous costs.

This gray scar has caused the displacement of 1.4 million people, water pollution, loss of biodiversity, the introduction of new diseases, and an increased risk of earthquakes and landslides. It was amazing and surreal to finally see the dam in person after researching the hydropower project in my Environmental Biology of China class and having watched Up the Yangtze. It was definitely an eye opening and fascinating way to end our 10-day travel excursion during G20. Now it’s time to head back to Hangzhou and truly get started on the “study” part of study abroad. 😉

-Tiffany

Author: Tiffany Luehrs

Program: Hangzhou Study Center – China

While packing my suitcase for my return to America, a song came on my Spotify: Roam by Theia. One of the lyrics in the song is “everywhere I roam is home” and while humming along and placing my belongings in the open suitcase before me, I realized how true those words were. Washington, D.C. is my home. Valparaiso University is also my home. And now Hangzhou has become my home.

This semester in Hangzhou taught me many things. I learned to go with the flow and live in the present. I found that I had a lot more to learn regarding the Chinese language, and I pursued the challenge of expanding my vocabulary and improving my listening comprehension and speaking skills. I never felt lost and learned to successfully navigate the streets of Hangzhou and any city I was traveling, in part due to my improved Chinese skills and in part because I figured out how to use the amazing Baidu app, China’s version of Googlemaps (download it right now if you are going to China anytime soon – It’s a lifesaver).

I will miss the vibrant international community, my new friends from all over the world, running by West Lake, the cheap meals and taxis, the rich culture, and so much more, but I know it will only be a matter of time before I return to China or run into one of my international friends in another part of the world. Tomorrow I hop on a 13-hour flight back to the U.S., and I already know it will take time for me to get used to everyone speaking English around me. I will probably accidentally say “xiexie” instead of thank you for at least my first month back, but I am sure I will get back into the swing of things soon enough.

Okay, now I really need to finish packing.

-Tiffany

P.S. Have a listen  ☺  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CXPepq8xHM