Hello!  This is hopefully one of many blog entries that I write while here at Wuhan University to share my China experiences with you!  In it I will write about what I do, see, hear, smell, eat and whatever else comes to mind while I’m in China!

I think this first entry comes at a good time because my parents recently visited China for the first time.  It was also the first time that they have ever left North America!  Since it would be their first time I thought it would be a good idea to tell them a lot about what they would experience in China so they wouldn’t experience too much “culture shock”.  But then a part of me didn’t want to tell them too much, because experiencing a culture for the first time is something you never forget, and I think it helps you understand better what is going on around you.  For those who have ever traveled outside of China, you probably know what I mean.

We planned to visit three cities while they were here visiting.  Since we only had about 9 days we had to see and do a lot in a little amount of time.  I decided on Beijing, the capital, Wuhan, my home, and Shanghai, the “Big City”.  These were also the three cities I traveled to the first time I went to China, so they would be able to learn the country the same way I did.

Beijing was freezing!  I went up a day before to prepare the hotel arrangements.  We weren’t staying in a traditional hotel, or at least what Americans know as a traditional hotel…we stayed in a hutong just south of Tiananmen Square in an old home with a courtyard.  It was a strange feeling waiting for them at Beijing airport – my “old” life and my “new” life would be coming together in only a couple of minutes!  They were a little tired from the trip (12 hours behind, so when it’s 8 am here and we’re eating breakfast, my mom and dad are eating dinner!), known as jet-lag, so I decided we would take our time.  Our first night we went to the famous Wangfujing night market.  That was enough for them.  The next day we went to Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven.  The weather was cold but nice and sunny.  We had Beijing Duck for dinner – an end to a great day.  The next day we went to the Great Wall at Simatai, which was far from the city but spectacular, and there weren’t a lot of people.

That night we caught the overnight train from Beijing to Wuhan.  I made sure we at least rode the train once in China, for I think it’s a real way to see the country, especially because it’s the most common way to travel across China.  But finally, it was time to see Wuhan University!  My parents were amazed by the size of the city and how different it was from Beijing.  This is why I like Wuhan so much, because it’s old and new China coming together.  For the next couple of days they were able to see where I lived, where I taught, my favorite places to eat, as well as the people in my life here, like my friends, students and bosses.  We went to the Hubei Museum, East Lake National Park, HuBu Xiang, Yellow Crane Tower, walked by the Yangtze River and went to Hankou. 

When Monday came, it was time for us to say goodbye to our friends in Wuhan and go to Shanghai.  We flew from Wuhan to Shanghai’s new Pudong airport, and wow is it big!  We took the very fast Mag Lev train to a subway stop and went into the city.  Our hotel was on the Suzhou River, just north of Nanjing Lu, the popular shopping street.  In Shanghai we had dinner on the Bund (Wai Tan) and went to the Jin Mao tower (87^th floor, a great view of the city!).  The next day we went to the Shanghai Museum in People’s Square and took a river cruise on the Huang Pu River.  That night we met a friend of my mom’s, an American who is working and living in Shanghai, for dinner.  Finally, the last day had arrived that we would be together.  We went to the gorgeous Yu Yuan Gardens in Old Shanghai, bought some souvenirs at the local shops, and then went to XinTianDi, the new shopping center and had dinner.  It was here that I could see my parents were becoming used to Chinese culture.  The restaurant we were eating dinner at didn’t give us chopsticks.  I didn’t notice, but my dad did.  “Where are the chopsticks, Eric?”  I swelled with pride…my dad wanted to use them!  When they first arrived in China they said they couldn’t use chopsticks, and day by day they kept trying.  Now they wanted to!

The next morning we packed their bags and headed to Hong Qiao Airport, where they would fly to Beijing and back to the U.S.  They had an amazing trip, and they told me so.  I even think they don’t miss me as much, because know they know how well I am treated by everybody here, and they have an idea of what life is like.  I had an amazing time as well, taking them around to all the places that show them they were truly in China.  Sure, there are hundreds, if not thousands of more places to see in China, and I wish we could have seen them.  The problem is that China, like the U.S., is a huge country that takes a lot of time to explore.  My parents often said, “When we come back…”, which means they liked it so much they want to return!

We did not have tour guides during the trip – instead it was me, practicing my Chinese and using a book called Lonely Planet – China, which is what most foreigners have with them when they travel throughout the country.  Many people call it “the bible.”  You can buy an edition for almost every country in the world.  The book talks about the culture, the food, useful phrases to communicate in the local language, hotels, restaurants and places to see.  I’ve seen a few around Wuhan bookstores, and I recommend one if you ever go outside the country.  You can be your own tour guide!  And you usually save a lot more money going your own way instead of paying for a tour group.  Anyways, it’s something to think about if you ever want to go traveling.

I have to say that I’ve been very lucky to be able to travel around China this past year and a half as much as I have.  And even though I haven’t seen a lot of China, I am still amazed by the people’s generosity and the experiences I have wherever I go.  It truly is a special place and I told my parents that many times while I’ve been living here.  Now they were able to see it with their own eyes!