February

黄山 HuangShan Trip:

In the beginning of the month, I had the opportunity to go to HuangShan or Yellow Mountain in Anhui Province. I have been wanting to hike this mountain for many months now, and even though we were warned that it would be extremely cold, my friend and I decided to take make the most of our last opportunity to go! However, because it was also the beginning of 春运 or the travel home for city-dwellers, the only train tickets left were on a slow train overnight. My friend Lena and I braved the long 6 hour train ride with smiles and a great attitude!

Getting off at the Huangshan station, there were a lot of aunties approaching us asking if we wanted to go to Huangshan. They charge 20rmb for you to take a bus with others to the foot of the mountain (about an hour ride), so the 20rmb is very worth it. Then, at the bottom of the mountain, we had to buy another ticket to take a bus into the area (another 20rmb). At the entrance to the mountain, you have the option of buying a ticket for the cable car ride up (60rmb) or just buying the entrance ticket (150rmb). And as foreigners with a foreign passport, the 150 entrance fee is waived! Because it recently snowed at Huangshan, we were advised to take the cable car both ways because all the stairs were iced over and very dangerous.

Even if you take the cable car up, there is still a lot of hiking to do at the top! We stayed one night at the top of the mountain at a hotel called 白鹅. And we went for the cheapest option of 68rmb per night on bunkbeds. It worked out perfectly as we were able to watch sunset and sunrise at the mountain top, and then head back down the following day. See below for some pictures!

Trip to Seoul and the Olympics:

After the semester in Nanjing, you will have around a month (or at least a week or two) of break before you start your internship. Those who start early, end early! But I figured that taking the opportunity to travel around Asia before starting was worth it. A group of 5 friends and I decided to go to Seoul, Korea for about 10 days. And it just so happened that the Winter Olympics this year is also in Korea so we got to see ice skating!

Reflections on traveling in Korea...

First of all, please don't be like me and at least learn to read the Korean language before going. It will definitely help a lot with ordering food and getting around in general! Also, there are stark cultural differences in the Chinese and Korean culture. For example, people are extremely considerate of others and do not make large noises (sometimes any at all) in public areas. Going from the loud and boisterous city of Nanjing to tranquil Seoul where no one speaks on the metro was quite the shock. But very pleasant. Because I have been so focused on learning Chinese for the past 6 months, traveling to Korea made me more open and let me step back to realize that the world is very big! And that while I am learning Chinese, realizing that my love for language and culture should not stop at Chinese, but should spread over every other culture as well.

The logistics getting to the city of Gangneung was a little difficult to organize with the bus and trains to and from the city. Luckily, we had a Korean friend that was able to help us buy bus tickets to get to the Olympic stadium. Looking back, because the olympics was not in the main city of Seoul, it is a good thing we only went for one day! Overall, the whole experience was surreal. I never thought I would travel to Korea, let alone watch an Olympic event! It was amazing to say the least.

Spending Chinese New Years in Fujian 福建, China:

新年快乐！SO happy that after 22 years I'm finally able to spend Chinese New Years with my Chinese family in Fujian! My mother has been sending me back to this small city in China since I was young, but only during the 2 month summer break from school. And now that my Chinese ability has improved, I can communicate a lot more fluently with my family here.

One thing that has really stood out to me is that 回家过年 or going home for new years is a rather long process. Unlike the one night celebration in America, the new year celebration here lasts well over a few days. In fact, on New Years Eve, the fireworks were non-stop throughout the city for over 24 hours! It's safe to say that I did not sleep well that night. One thing is familiar though, everyone watches the New Years show on TV until midnight.

Some things that I have learned about the culture of New Years:

-When you are cheering cups with someone in an older generation, making sure your cup clinks lower than theirs is a sign of respect.

- 红包 Hongbaos are not only given to the children or family who haven't started work yet, but is also given to retired grandparents!

-It's customary to visit close families homes and wish them a happy new year and a healthy life.