Author: Maia Moore

Program: Hangzhou Study Center – China

Four months ago, I was sitting on an airplane wondering what the next few months would be like. This was the first time I had ever traveled alone. Well, technically, I wasn’t alone. I was traveling with a fellow classmate. However, it was a coincidence that we happened to be on the same flight. Before I left, I wrote a letter to myself about what I expected and what I hoped for the semester. I can’t recall what I actually put in the letter, but I’ll probably laugh when I read it.

There are many things I feel right now. Excitement, sadness, a sense of loss, happiness, gratefulness, a feeling of “what now”. The end is finally here but it’s so bittersweet. I’ll never forget the day I got here (how can I? It was my 20th birthday!). I was so nervous, so unsure of myself. I was scared. I didn’t know what to expect.

I’ve changed in many ways. I probably won’t know the extent of the change for years to come, but I do recognize a few changes within myself. The most drastic change that I have noticed within myself is my newfound independence. Now, I have always been an independent person, I like to rely on myself before I rely on anyone else. I am used to living far from home and having to figure things out for myself. However, I am not afraid to ask for help if I need to.

Living in Indiana with my family being in Alabama is very different from living in China while my family is in Alabama. When you are living in a different country, it’s not so easy to ask your family and friends for help because they are so far away. While in China, it was even more challenging because of the language and cultural barriers. The biggest challenge for me was going to Shanghai by myself. Like I said before, I am largely an independent person, but going to the one of the world’s largest city by yourself when you only speak half of the language is scary for most people.

Last year, I went to Chicago on my own to meet with a friend and I thought that was a big deal. I didn’t realize months later I would be undertaking the challenge of going to Shanghai on my own. I think that trip was a large testimony to how much I had adapted to challenges while abroad and how much more confident I had become in my own language skills.

The memories I have here, I’ll cherish forever. Some were good, some were bad, but there will never be another time like this. Of course I’ll travel again and meet new people and have new adventures. But this adventure will always hold a special place in my heart. I feel sad, because while I had my highs and lows on this trip, I can honestly say this is one of the greatest experiences of my life. But I also am very happy because while this trip may be over, this is not the end. It’s a beginning of many more good times to come.

Author: Maia Moore

Program: Hangzhou Study Center – China

I had the privilege of visiting a Buddhist nunnery/university. We did many different activities at the nunnery. First, we took a tour of the compound. We saw many different temples. While at the temples, we saw people coming to pray to the different Buddhas. This was my first time visiting a Buddhist nunnery. Actually, it was my first time visiting a nunnery at all.

For our second activity, we walked to the male part of the university. There, we participated in a 30 minute long chanting session. I wasn’t really sure what we were saying or what exactly what we were doing but it was interesting.

One of the final things that we did was eat with the nuns and the monks. This experience was extremely interesting to me because we ate completely in silence while others came around and passed out the food (rice, a variety of vegetables, and soup). If you wanted a dish, you left your bowl to the edge of the table. If you didn’t want any, you moved the bowl closer to you.

This way of eating is entirely different from the typical way I have witnessed Chinese people dine. Typically, there are a great variety of dishes, that have lots of spices and there’s a lot of noise and everyone shares. At the nunnery, we were all silent, with small individual bowls and the food was very bland. It was very different. I’m glad that I was able to experience another side of Chinese culture while I was here.

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