Wen first visited Chinese University of Mining of Technology before the Number 7 school in Dalian hence I got the impression of Chinese culture first. From the first time stepping on campus there was a complete different feel than Penn State. first of all, most of the buildings and labs don’t even come close to the quality of Penn State however they appreciate the tools they have. Talking to the lab members as well as a few other kids, you can tell how serious schooling is. Naturally we asked if they go out and drink as well as what they do for fun. Their facial expressions said it all as they laughed and said they play basketball and go out to eat for fun. Drinking isn’t in their culture as students, its truly all about studying and doing well in school. Then we went to the school in Dalian and I got a good understanding as to why the Chinese grow up with that mentality. Even as young kids their weekends are full of doing homework. Not to mention the fact that they go to school from about 7 am to 5 pm. Their summer is only about a month as well. The Chinese schooling system is very different, it has its pros and cons but I have never seen people take school/studying more serious in my life. Not too many students come close to the dedication the Chinese students have.

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I can now admit that for the longest time I was completely wrong in stereotyping Chinese drivers as terrible drivers. Little did I know that it takes three times, if not more, skill to drive in China. Despite the fact that we were in two car crashes while on the bus, its okay because most people just keep it moving. There was only about one or two really huge crashes that I saw so I guess thats inspiring. I have never seen someone drive like our bus driver did on the hill down to the cruise. An inch or two separated us getting there safe to being about five feet deep off the road. Not only that, but our drivers in Dalian were insanely skillful. They would be casually hitting about 80-100 swerving in and out of traffic. Not only that but they would even hold conversations. One night in Shanghai our cab driver was easily hitting 100 not caring at all. I envy it because I want to drive like that. I can only imagine how stressful it is coming to America and having to wait and then barely go over 25-35 in some areas. Let alone the fact that you can’t just pull random U-turns, or drive directly across an intersection. Most drivers very rarely care for the pedestrians walking either… there has been numerous times where I’ve been inches to being run over. I’ve come to know that its just a cultural thing because when it happens to the Chinese people they just keep it moving. If it were in the US most people would throw something or yell at the driver.

Jordan Gitzen jcg5471

It took me quite a little bit to get used to the food. I have a very weak stomach so most of the first week left me in incredible stomach pain but I was happy that my system adjusted. I wish I would have taken more pictures of the meals we had along the journey. There has been some food that I never even knew existed. Before this trip my mind was very closed off to certain foods… Even in the US it is very hard to find diverse food unless you want to spend a lot of money. Overall the best meals we had were in Dalian in my opinion. The seafood was just incredible. The spinning tables are awesome as well. I believe it shows a lot of respect and sharing amongst friends/family. I learned the culture that you do not take a seat until the host does and most of the time the host will actually pick your seat for you. In addition, the seats next to the host having meaning to the VIP’s of the table. The most insane cultural shock of dinner had the drinking and toasting. First off, the host will toast three times to the table before anyone else can begin the toasting to others. Then once the toasting begins it basically doesn’t end until the booze runs dry. There is even a right way to toast by holding the glass with two hands and going below the other persons glass. Overall, I believe the dinner culture is something I learned a lot of, not only that but also the whole culture behind respect at the table. It was a very nice change of pace and I enjoyed it a lot.

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The Great Wall was an awesome experience. The night before was rough so walking around on the verge of passing out and throwing up made the day interesting. It made me stronger as a human being making it through that day… Not just through the day but also to the top of the steepest part of The Great Wall. I was thrilled that I made it to the top I really didn’t think that it was possible for me but only about 10 bottles of water and a lot of stops later I was there. Despite the journey it made me appreciate how much the soldiers walked when the wall was used for military purposes. I cannot imagine walking around with heavy equipment, in that heat while trying to manage climbing the most uneven/unequal steps. Not only that but for the enemies trying to break through and over the wall must have been damn near impossible. The advantage the wall must’ve given the soldiers is just unfair. I also learned a lot, such as the fact that the wall is just a little over 13,000 miles long. We only walked about a mile or so… it puts it into a lot of perspective. Also, many of the workers that died building the wall were just buried into the wall. Hence we probably walked over a few hundred bodies about a few feet below us. In addition, many people once stole pieces of the Great Wall not just for collection but to actually build their homes which I thought was interesting. The government shut that down however. After walking the wall my legs were jello, it was the best cardio workout I think I’ve done in years.

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Honestly, Shanghai is the most beautiful city I have ever been to. I do not travel very often however compared to the cities I have personally seen or seen pictures of, Shanghai blows them all out of the water. Every single night the skyscrapers light up the night sky. It is truly a magnificent sight to see and experience. Having the ability to go to the top of the Shanghai Tower was awesome as well. Looking down on the whole entire city gives you the true perspective of how large and diverse it is. You could look on one side and see some rural very close buildings while on the contrary one could walk ten feet over and see the massive skyscrapers. It just goes to show how unique the city is. Not only was the building amazing but going to the Bund and looking up at the skyscrapers put me in awe. It was easily the craziest sight, it was hard to walk away from. In addition, the night life within Shanghai was incredibly fun. Every single one of the clubs was packed no matter what night. Even though Shanghai is a very modern city with many travelers coming there, the people at the clubs and everywhere still treated us very kindly. There were a few nights that we received free entrance, liquor and other offers because of the Chinese people’s hospitality. I felt very at home within Shanghai as well as very safe… I felt as if the people there actually cared for us. Not once was I declined a cigarette when I asked, that’s rare, that’s kindness. If there is one city within China that I would want to return to it would have to Shanghai. I would love for my whole family to see the sights and experience the culture of the people within the city. In addition, visiting ExxonMobil was an awesome experience. Talking to Jay and seeing how he adjusted to living in China gave me some new perspective on how to go about living here for the next few months. Also, the labs were very interesting to see and finally understand what the company does and how efficient they are in completing tests. Their guarantee to be completed in under 72 hours is insane but it adds to their reputation as a company. Shanghai was a very incredible learning experience for the culture and actual knowledge.

Jordan Gitzen jcg5471