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| Meeting Wang Bin |
Day 4: The group watches a movie called Fearless starring Bruce Lee. Afterwards we ask question to the movie's screenwriter, Wang Bin.
We quickly complete our Q/A session, grab some McDonalds and board the train to Shanghai. Of the bat, Shanghai is beautiful and modem. There's this amazing pulsating energy that rests over the city and I love it. I know I will like it here.
Day 5:
Today we go to the oldest city in Shanghai and Nanjing Road. The oldest city is very interesting and primarily focused on the life of one man. That man later became to founder of the republic of China.
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| Nanjing Road |
Nanjing Road is interesting just because there are so many people and shops and everything is very close together and hustle bustle type of vibe. I really want a ring so I walk into a nice looking store and spoke the the saleswoman only in Chinese. I tell her what I wanted and ask her if bargaining is allowed. It turns out that bargaining is not allowed and this store has a ring that I really want. I realize that I don't have enough money for it and apologize to the woman. She asks her boss if I can still purchase the ring even though I'm short about ¥20. Her boss looks at me and says let her have it. I am so pleased with my ring and my shopping experience.
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| Some of my adoring fans lol |
China is beautiful and anything but homogeneous. Even in the nicest places, the ugly effects of poverty seeps through the cracks. For instance, my friends stop walking for 3 minutes and a mutilated man walks up to them-bumping then each with his limb-asking for money. A few seconds later, another man asks us whether my friend am I would like to purchase "a massage or sex". I'm not even insulted by this offer, I more putty the man. This man is so desperate to make money that he is trying to sell his body to strangers. 怎么办？
As always, people stopped to take pictures with me and would practice their English by saying "hello" and calling out to me saying "you are very beautiful". Even more reason for me to come back to live in Shanghai.
Shanghai: Pearl Tower (Day 6)
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| On top of the world |
Today we go to the pearl tower. There are several long lines and elevator rides to reach this amazing view. One can see a 360 degree view of the Shanghai skyline. It is so amazing and so surreal that I could be standing inside of an iconic building that I see on Google. It's so surreal that I can converse with locals who want to take pictures
with me.
At around 7pm, we go to the Shanghai Acrobatic Show. It's amazing. The people are so talented and beautiful and fearless. They are everything I strive to be and I enjoyed watching them.
It's unbelievable that this NSLIY experience is almost over. A week like this goes by so quickly; the movement becomes a memory.
Today is the day everyone goes back home. Today is the day all 36 participants, teachers, and supporting faculty go back to the United States. The ride starts off with a light layer of sadness. I know that when I wake up tomorrow I won't see signs in Chinese or the amazing people that I've grown to love. With every second, another drop of sadness falls onto the heart. Within minutes, hearts are heavy; some people begin to cry. I refuse to cry because (just as I said when I left my host family) this is just a transition period. Its hard because we will all miss this unbelievable experience and all the relationships we've made along the way, however, we should accept the experience for what it is: unforgettable.
I have done things that I never would have dreamed of like jumping in front of the Olympics Birds Nest (or on the Great Wall ) or dancing in a show with my friends. These individuals and I have experienced so much together and that's a bond that will never be broken. 
