Keita
Keita Williams (馨太)
April 5th-6th, 2019
Official day one in China中国 starts today. Yesterday昨天, everyone’s excitement was boiling over. Lucas, Andrew, and I我 sat together in row 52, and Devin, Lucciano, and Mr. Reddington sat in front of us in row 51. I was surprised by the number of movies when I first got on, as I had predicted that they would all be Chinese films. They had recent Hollywood movies, old classics, Asian movies, and European movies.
Moments before take-off, we我们 watched a safety video which was unlike any other I had ever watched on an aircraft. This was easily the most surprising thing that happened on day one. It showed a stunning view and resort and made everything seem like it was a pleasure to do. Putting on the life vest was for a nice swim at the beach, and the luggage to put in the overhead compartment was putting a duck back into its nest. It was really crazy, and I had trouble comprehending what kind of message they were trying to send. I followed most of it, but it was very different from the ones that we were used to.
The food was delicious on the flight, and the sauces they put on the salads沙拉 and the rice米饭 were flavors I have never tasted in the past. The flight route went right over the top of the earth, and it was different from the times I had visited Japan日本. When we got to China, customs were easy enough with an automated system to scan your face and fingers.
Once I arrived, my host father爸爸 and sibling were kind enough to give me a present and welcomed me warmly. The drive back was great, and I was surprised by how amazing Helen’s English英文 was. I got to see the Bird’s Nest on the ride back, and talked with Helen about school, sports, and other things. I noticed that all the cars had very tinted windows that were only lighter around the side mirrors of the car. Also, there was a lot of honking and reckless driving that I observed as we were driving.
Once I got to my house, the mother妈妈 was waiting for me and showed me my room and gave me some slippers. They were pleased with my gifts, told me about tomorrow明天, and gave me the best welcome ever. They told me they were going to have a welcome party for me sometime, and also gave me my own private bathroom. I got a good night's sleep as I was dead tired from the 14-hour flight.
Thursday, April 11, 2019
I我 left the house家 with Zoey today今天, as I had been a bit late to school the day before leaving with Helen. As I talked with Harry, who sits in front of me, I found that he had been to Japan日本 due to his love for anime. It was cool talking to him about specific anime’s that both of us had watched in the past. Later, during mandarin class, we all went to a nearby supermarket to see what supermarkets are like in China中国. It was pretty cool酷 to see different foods that I had never seen in the past. I bought a big bag of candy, some gum, and a drink and expected the price to be about 13 dollars. What I got instead was less than 5 dollars, leaving me stunned. After our shopping session we visited KFC to see if it was any different from the KFC we have in the US美国. To be honest, we thought they tasted pretty much the same contrary to the groups that had come in the past. We went back to the school to play some basketball打篮球 with the kids where I gave one of the kids the nickname king. This stuck and now everyone calls him king. He is amazing at layups and his ball handling is amazing. We followed this up with our second trip to Wanda Plaza. I visited COCO, a bubble tea shop that was recommended to me by Harry. To accompany my drink, we ordered about 60 soup dumplings which were gone in a span of about five minutes五分. We then went back to the high school where we played some basketball. It always surprises me how much Chinese kids love basketball. They play all day every day and whenever they get the chance. Once I got home, I really had a chance to bond with Helen and Zoey. We did our homework together, where I helped Helen with her English, Zoey helped me with the drawing portion of my homework, and Helen helped me with the Chinese portion of my homework. This was a great experience because we were able to help each other in many ways. I found that the two had very different personalities where Zoey was a very good student who finished her homework in school, and Helen was a bit more relaxed, but very popular among her friends.
Wednesday-Sunday, April 17-21, 2019
The Xi’an 西安 trips. It all started with the 6-hour train ride. As we 我们cruised at 300 km/h I finished my English 英文work and watched 看some mission impossible. As soon as we arrived, we got on our Bus with Charlie, our tour guide who provided us with great information and pander 熊猫 jokes the entire trip. We go up to the Xi’an wall to bike for about an hour. Dr. U and Devin stayed close as Ms. Liu and I biked together. We finished early and took part in some photoshoots which were suggested by photographer Liu. After leaving our baggage at the hotel, we take a quick walk outside to see the bell tower, drum tower, and the Xi’an wall we just visited, all lit up outside.
The next day, we went to visit the small Wild Goose Pagoda. Here, we were able to ring the bell three三 times to bring us good luck, and it was pretty loud, but came with consequences when Lucas hurt his whole hand 手 because of it. After this, we visited a museum that displayed the whole city of Xi’an and what it looked like with a giant exhibit. We saw different artifacts and dolls from the old capital of China中国. We also saw a movie that had 3D graphics with real artifacts which I was amazed at much more than the content of the movie itself.
After this experience we took a trip to the Jade factory. The thing I was most surprised by were the prices. 4.6 million yuan 元 for a little pendant made of Jade was absolutely mind boggling. What I did find, though, was that bargaining is a thing you can do almost anywhere in China. I decided to practice by showing interest in a bracelet that I had no intention of buying. I was able to make the guy bring the price down by 180 dollars, even though I disappointed him by not purchasing it. What I did end up buying though was a small buddha that was 100 yuan. We ate at a theater buffet place which was filled with foreigners and loaded ourselves with food.
At night, we got the chance to walk around the night markets to really take in the culture in China. The smoke ice cream balls were really cool 很酷, as they allowed you blow smoke out of your nose and mouth. The funniest award for the Xi’an trip goes to the minion 小黄人 drone. At one of the restaurants we went to, a waitress came around to sell us Chinese gifts. Among these was a minion drone. It doesn’t sound funny written down, but in the moment, it was probably one of the funniest things that happened other than the Chinese opera during week one.
Friday was boat day. After trying out some calligraphy and checking out some art work, Luc, Dev, Lucas, and I went out onto the lake湖. We blasted sing along songs which made us famous on the lake with at least 20 groups of people人 taking pictures, videos, and waving to us. After taking stupid pictures with random statues, we went out for hotpot火锅. The spice, speed, and heat throughout the whole experience was all very intense but a good time nonetheless. After the meal, I got to experience my first manicure. As Ms. Liu communicated with the staff in Chinese中文, the person doing my nails followed through with putting a clear coat of paint on my nails, making me the hottest hand model in town. Later, we had some more smoke ice cream balls and took some cool pictures around the street marketplace.
Saturday was the day for the Terracotta warriors. The rain didn’t stop us from having fun, as the 5 of us bobbed and weaved through the crowded area with loads of umbrellas. The terracotta warriors were very impressive. The detail that went into them is amazing, as all of them are different. What was sad though, was when we got to make our own clay figures. I never got to take a picture with the one I made before it got crushed and mushed by one of the staff members.
After eating some delicious dumplings饺子, we went out to the main street shops of Xi’an. It was really cool. All the lights and different displays were amazing. I also gathered up the courage to start waving and acting like I was the performer with the rest of the Wayland 5 in front of an empty stage that was setting up for a real performance. Later, we found ourselves bargaining a lot. After finding millions of minion-drones I was convinced to buy one一 myself. It was basically a dream come true. It also felt like I found a new hobby, bargaining. I bought a minion pouch and a little Pagoda keychain as well.
Sunday was our last day in Xi’an. We took a quick bus ride to a nearby Muslim market with loads and loads of fake goods. I wished I had taken more money to buy more things, but through loans and other sneaky methods I was able to pocket a Rolex, a rice hat, a LV wallet, a GUCCI sweatshirt, and a powerful laser pointer all under 50 dollars. It really was a blast and it was saddening that it was our last day in this amazing City. We had to say our goodbyes to Charlie and the markets, and a bitter hello to the six-hour train ride ahead.
Thursday, May 2, 2019
(May Day Holiday)
It is our second day in Sichuan四川 and today今天 was panda熊猫 day. We我们 took a taxi to the Giant Panda research and breeding center to see pandas. The first sight that greeted us was tons and tons of people人. It was pretty devastating, as I我 had a feeling that I wouldn’t be able to see any pandas. I thought it was bad不好 enough, until drops of water水 started hitting our heads. A light rain雨 started coming down, which made everyone open up their umbrellas. This resulted in utter chaos and forced us to wait about an hour一个小时 just to get into the center.
Once we were in, though, it was really nice很好. Unlike a zoo there was no glass to look through, and lots of nature. Different areas with trees and bamboo shoots were really cool很酷. The areas with pandas were organized with different fountains and structures to keep the panda entertained as well. The sheer number of giant pandas was really crazy, as we got to see around 40 giant pandas. It was really cool because they weren’t just sitting around and sleeping but actually moving, eating吃, and playing. Some were hanging out on trees, some were eating bamboo, and some were rolling around on the ground地. Others were walking on structures or sitting in a pool of water水. Although the number of people got a bit annoying, it was helpful because you could spot the pandas just by finding a crowd of people.
You get used to it, and I got better at shoving through crowds and getting to the very front. I took about 180 pictures just of pandas. Not only were there many giant pandas, but there were red红 pandas too. We saw a couple两 of them eating and running around. I was a bit disappointed due to the fact that the panda baby season was another time but was pumped up later when I found out that the cubs were in the giant panda areas. I ran right back and spotted a cub on a tree right away. It was a really great experience and was probably the favorite thing I had done in China中国 so far. Seeing pandas was on the top of my list for China, and it was wonderful being able to see so many of them.
Friday, May 10, 2019
It was decided that we我们 would go车 on a field trip with the 9th graders today今天, and it turned out to be a really fun day filled with different adventures mentally and physically. As soon as we were ready to go, I我 found Tommy, a friend朋友 that I made in the 9th grade年级 through the sport of basketball打篮球. We sat close on the bus and started the day off on a good好 note with the Bruins winning their game 5-2. After getting off the bus, we walked through the lands that Tibetan tribes used to stay at.
We walked through different paths, watched看 dance performances, and heard听 singers as well. It was really interesting很有意思 because this was different from the typical types of traditional Chinese中国 culture we see. It was more carefree, fun, and a pleasure to be a part of. The whole time I stayed with Tommy, who was super chill the whole time. I also became very close friends with some of the boys, Jerry and Shola.
During our free time we had a blast flipping water bottles 一瓶水and playing tunes at this Tibetan tribe place. We played ultimate over and over until all four四 of us landed it. Although we got an edited video of us all landing it, we never got all of us to land it. That was kind of a disappointment as we had done this for about an hour and a half. It was great afterward though, because a couple girls女孩 asked my WeChat and I made some more friends. Once we were back, Devin and I chilled with some old people人 at the park near the high school. Here we actually got to practice our Chinese中文 because these elderly knew almost no English英文. It was funny because they asked us random questions问题 making it really difficult to infer what they were saying.
Then we went to time difference coffee咖啡 where在哪里 I ran into a girl that had a crush on me. I had to hide in the bathroom卫生间 for 10 minutes分, with Devin being my look out. Finally, we met up with Tommy, and tried our first KTV which turned out to be absolutely amazing非常好. We had a blast singing different tunes and stayed for about an hour and a half. We sang Chinese songs, American美国 songs, and even songs from other countries as well. It turns out that Chinese people know some American pop songs, and it also turns out that Tommy is a really good singer.
Monday, May 13, 2019
Today今天 was a day天 at the Safari park公园 with the Seniors. What started out as an awkward bus ride their turned out to be really fun. The first一 thing we我们 did was get on a safari bus. We drove through the different habitats and saw看见 many different animals. My我的 first surprise at this park came on this bus. There were lots of goats. Lots and lots and lots and lots of goats. I我 always considered goats farm animals, not animals you go see at a zoo.
My time to shine came after we got off, when we saw the gorillas. After I saw him他 getting angry, I squatted down and pounded my fists on my chest. It was really funny, as I got him to chase me, and we ran back and forth along the glass multiple times.
We then went去 to the goat and llama feeding area. This place was really funny because King王 brought loads of carrots, making goats jump on him. They would stand on their hind legs and put their two两 front legs up on to his chest until he gave him some of the carrots he brought from home.
The next thing we did was crazy and was something I couldn’t imagine doing in the United States due to the number of lawsuits that happen. We were essentially put into a cage on wheels. We drove into the safari park and the tour guide would give the animals food. This gave us the chance to literally be inches from the animals.
As we were passing the lions, I gave给 a giant roar to a male lion laying down下 and got a roar back which was pretty cool很酷. What was scary though, was when we hissed at the female lion, it tried to attack us through the cage, giving all都 of us a little一点点 fright.
In the bird exhibits I marveled at the number of parrots they他们 had有. The place地方 was deafening with hundreds百 of birds everywhere. The tour guide actually caught one一 of the little free birds for us and let us hold it which was really cool. When we put it on one of the cages before leaving, all the parrots inside tried to attack it, forcing us to change location.
We then met Lemurs which was awesome非常好. We were able to touch, connect, and communicate with some of the cutest animals on the planet. Not only were they really friendly, but they were a joy to watch as well. The babies would jump from tree书 to tree playing with each other, and the adults would chill for you to pet them and take some cool selfies.
Finally, once we were out of the Safari, we went to the Silk Street. This place was crazy. I had predicted a quiet secretive market with fake 假goods, but I was met with a four四-story mall full of fake stuff. They sold卖 everything from sweatshirts to purses钱包. This was where I met the love爱 of my life. Bargaining.
Not only was I amazing at it, I actually found pleasure in bargaining. Bringing sweatshirts from 1200 to 50 and bringing shoes鞋子 from 2000 to 200 is the best thing in the world. You go back and forth with the seller and bargain down to as low as you can. Techniques like the walk out, the low blow, and the critic are ones that I use frequently when bringing down the price.
Thursday, May 23, - Friday, May 24, 2019
(Shanghai Journal)
First two days两个天 in Shanghai上海. The four四-hour train ride wasn’t too bad不好 due to the invention of the computer. As we我们 all watched看见 movies and TV电视 shows, time时间 flew by, and we were in the famous city of Shanghai. Even during the short walk to the hostel, I我 was amazed by the ultra-modern architecture. Not only was it very interesting很有意思, it looked super futuristic.
After dropping our bags包 off at the sketchy looking hostel, we left走 straight away to the bund to see the amazing非常好 Shanghai skyline. This really hyped us up上. Seeing看 the famous skyline in real life was mind-blowing. The beautiful很漂亮 buildings gave it a metallic look, and the sun日 glistened against the sides of the shiny skyscrapers. We then went 去back to the hostel to take a little break休息. This was when we all realized that the hostel wasn’t too bad. We all had有 our own bed床 in a big room间, and all we had to do was share the shower and the bathroom卫生间. Once we got the air-conditioning working everything was pretty awesome.
We then left to get dinner晚饭. Although it was a bit chaotic we finished in a hurry to get to the Shanghai tower. Not only did this tower have the fastest最快的 elevator in the world, it was also the second二 tallest building in the world. The intimidating look that it gave only made us more excited. There was lots of chatter on the elevator as well with the speed hitting 18十八 meters米 per second, or 40四十 miles per hour. Once we got off the elevator, we were hit with one of the most stunning views I have ever witnessed.
The pearl tower stood tall along with the other skyscrapers. The night sky was completely lit up by millions of lights. Some towers had light patterns, others had pictures, some spelled words字. The sight from the second highest tower is truly amazing. After coming down下 and looking back up上, it was crazy to think that we were really way up on that那个 observation deck. We all fell asleep when we got back to the hostel, but not until Devin丁立文 finished his scary stories.
Although the Long Hua temple 龙华寺 was a pretty typical temple寺 that you would find, it is pretty crazy to think that there would be a temple in this huge city. The temple didn’t disappoint though, and the amount of intricacy in the sculptures was really cool很酷. Not only were all of the faces different, there were so many of them.
We then headed to the Yu Garden豫园. This place地方 was really beautiful很漂亮 with different bodies of water水, old structures, and rock tunnels to go through. It was pretty relaxing with a really nice view. Around the Yu garden, there were some street shops that we went through. It was a bit of a scary experience when people sold卖 us some Rolex’s劳力士 after taking us on a ten minute十分 walk to a dark Alley. Devin bought one买一个 for 100 yuan 一百块only to find that it was broken.
Later, we went to the Chinese中国 time square where they had a Lego Store and even an M&M store. This was really cool, as it felt familiar and different at the same time. We ate 吃了dinner here and had seafood in a restaurant. This was where I had a very interesting experience of using the restroom next to someone blasting Chinese TV out of their phone. After leaving and seeing a sick McLaren, we went to a mall where I turned into Harry Potter, and we found a tesla being displayed.