The first days

It is somewhat difficult to put into words everything that I have seen or has happened. I wrote accounts in my paper journal, but this is the first time I have been able to write an account. Our first day of touring was in Shanghai. The shopping frenzy set in quickly and after touring Bund Street, we made our way to the shopping district. Shanghai is a city of contradictions. According to our very affable tour guide, Henry, 99% of people who live within the Ring - a street that runs in a ring around the city - are wealthy. A 2-bedroom condo within the ring of approximately 300 square feet cost about $260,000 (dollars). You can't actually own the land, you lease it for 70 years. A new buyer takes over that lease. I asked if there was much appreciation of housing based on that model and the government apparently controls appreciation. Need to do a little more economic research to figure that one out. Average yearly salary is about 3-4000 dollars. As Henry said, "that's so crazy." Yes. Shanghai is a mesh of old and new. Out of our hotel window you could see down into the older area - dilapidated buildings with roofs made of corrugated metal, terra-cota tiles and plastic tarps. It is a mix of new cars and bicycles, poverty and wealth, youthful fashion and old garbs of gray and blue, and fantastic new buildings with crumbling old ones. After a morning of shopping and sight-seeing, we went to a Jade museum, which also doubled as a wholesaler of jade jewelry. We were given a lesson as to how to recognize quality jade from the cheap stuff. I spotted a bracelet that I liked and was quoted $275 (assume dollars every time), I politely told her that was too much money and then the bargaining began. I managed to convince her $100 dollars and then decided (probably rudely on my part) that I didn't like it that much after all and was slightly skeptical of such a quick jump in price. If worth $175 less, why not another $50 less, or even $75 less. She chased me around the store and kept asking how much for the remainder of our time there and eventually I engaged in converstation with others and attempted to ignore her.

After a whirlwind tour of Shanghai we travelled by bus to Hangzhou. After another family-style meal of way too much food, we made our way to the hotel. The first day in Hangzhou included a boat tour, a tour of a tea plantation and a visit to the silk factory. The tea plantation was set in the green hills outside of Hangzhou. We had a lesson in tasting tea and tea etiquette and then we offered the opportunity to buy some. I was noticing a trend. They were very good about positioning us in places where we had lots of opportunities to buy things. Judging by my fellow travelers in the group, this was more than welcome. I, however, am cheap and have strange associations of guilt in making decisions to buy things, so my purchases were limited.

The silk factory, while interesting, was a little disappointing. We learned and watched how the process of taking the silk cocoon from the worm and turning it into thread. A Chinese woman, who looked to be 80 years old, worked at a bowed sort of loom, soaking silk cocoons and then stretching them over an arced piece of bamboo. She made seven layers, that then were stretched out by four other women into a quilt-sized shape. A hundred of these layers were streched to form a quilt. We were told that it would also include a demonstration of the dying process, but shopping for silk blankets and quilts so ensued and that never happened. Anyone who knows me, knows I am hardly a shopper, so by this time of day, I felt quite worn out. About half the group was energized by the shopping activity at this point and the other half drooled at the thought of stretching out over silk sheets, pillows and blankets piled generously, for a nap. While our expenses are being covered, it was ammusing at how many opportunities we were given to spend, spend, spend. After a dinner, family-style and of copious quantities, we headed back to the hotel.

The next day in Hangzhou we travelled to a pagoda, called the Six Harmonies Pagoda. Energized at the thought of climbing seven flights of stairs - lots of walking and hot, humid temperatures, but my body craves strenuous exercise - I purchased a ticket to go up into the pagoda. Upon reaching the fourth floor, the stairs suddenly stopped and I looped round and round for their continuation. The views were spectacular, but that was the end of the climb. Lush, green hills rose up behind it and the river and city stretched out below it. Needing a little alone time, after descending the stairs, I did a quick solo tour of the bonsai garden and miniature pagodas garden. Attempting to take my own picture in front of one of them I was immdediately surrounded by mosquitoes. Surprisely, they seemed to have little interest in me. I had decided when told about the mosquitoes that Asian mosquitoes wouldn't like me. I suffer from their voracious appetite in California and figured that I had to have a break on some continent. Seems like so far, so good. After the pagoda we visited a Temple. The temple was spectacular, but I want to save that for another post.

We left the temple and drove to Nanjing, where I will spend the next 14 days. We were told our schedule for school late last night and this morning arrived at the school for planning. I will have to save my impressions of the school for another time. But I will say one thing, some things are ever present. I arrived intending to work with first graders, but a teacher needed to move to a four/five combo from first, so I graciously (yeah, that's me - hardly) agreed to jump grades. So, we proceed from here. Keep checking in!