Monday, August 23, 2010: Silk Shop

Today we visited the Tianhou Silk Shop in Beijing. This was my second time visiting the shop but it seemed as if it was my first time gathering and digesting all of the work that the Chinese put into the shop. Inside we were able to watch workers go through step by step to create silk scarves, duvets, and blouses. After learning the steps to produce real silk products, we were allotted time to purchase items if we chose. Personally as I walked around the shop I was not impressed by the items for sale. I continued to compare their prices to those of street vendors and private stores. Simple items that appeared to be relatively cheap were overly priced just for tourists. We were surrounded by many fluent English speaking Chinese workers who were very convincing in selling their silk products. Visiting the Silk Shop made me contemplate what measures Chinese go through that we don’t see to attract tourists. Every leg of our trip was strategized from the workers in the factory setting to the hands on interactions and then the overly stocked rooms. Personally, I would be satisfied with a practical equivalent to the items in the Silk Shop.

-Alicia Montague-Keels

Sunday, August 22, 2010: Nanjin Road

Today we visited one of the busiest shopping areas in Shanghai, Nanjin Road. It took about half an hour to walk to the entire length of the road. Along the way a trolley carrying people from one end to another passed and peddlers bombarded us with knock off products. The crowds at the World Expo were expected, but the crowds here were beyond expectations. I stayed on Nanjin Road in the spring of 2010 but because of the current vacation season I have seen more people on the road then I did then. Nanjin Road consists of an abundance of department stores with an obvious Western influence. It was surprising to find many famous name brand stores in a place with such heavy traffic. I began to think about how many Chinese people come to visit and gather opinions about Western life strictly from this street. It seemed as if every other building was a KFC, Subway or McDonald’s and even in the food court there were Dairy Queen’s and Cold Stone Creamery’s.
In America our noted fashion areas contain American style restaurants. I began to imagine if they were filled with popular Chinese restaurants instead. All in all, this portion of the trip was an eye-opener for me because it allowed me to really get a grasp on what influence the Western world has on Chinese society.

-Alicia Montague-Keels

August 26th: Great Wall of China

Today was one of the best days in China because we walked the Great WAll, It was amazing because it was a site that everyone has read so much about. When we walked out of the bus, the first thing I noticed was a huge sign saying "One World One Dream." This experience felt so surreal. There were two paths tourists could walk: and easy path and a steep path. My group chose the steep path. After five minutes of the path, we encountered steep steps. By the time we got to the end of the path, everyone was sweating and tired. It took a total of about 2 hours. Everyone was in a great mood, so it was a very memorable experience. At the end of the path, we did many goofy things such as dancing and building a human pyramid. Even though my legs will be sore tomorrow, I enjoyed walking on this historical wall!"

--Saeng D....

Food in China:

I have not found the food experience to be that different in China than in the U.S. Most of the restaurants have been family stye restaurants where people shared group dishes like a traditional American dinner. Some of the restaurants were good, and some weren't so good--just like in the United STates. The main difference is the type of dishes prepared, but even that varies greatly back home. I would like to state that both Peking Duck and fried eel are very delicious!

-Tom Sannito

Pictures!

Inside the Chinese Pavilion


CAE Members Dancing in Line Before Entering the Chinese Pavilion




The Outside of the Chinese Pavilion

Saturday: Day 3 of the World Expo

After two hot, long days at the World Expo, our group decided to visit the expo in the evening. We arrived to the site just in time for dinner. Although we had many other options, Julissa, Willie, and myself decided to visit the USA pavilion to grab some food. After having had a sneak peek of Cisca Wikkeling's* delicious food the night before at the alumni dinner, we knew we had to go check out the menu she has at the expo. Cisca greeted us with a huge smile and was very pleased to see us again. Her fabulous American food was a great way to start of the night.

Some of the pavilions we visited were Colombia, Cuba, Peru, Central America and the Caribbean. While waiting in line to enter the Central American pavilion, we ran into two people wearing Badger gear. We caught their attention and introduced ourselves. The Badgers were a couple of Eau Claire, WI, who happened to be UW alumni. They were so happy to see other Badgers in China! We let them know why we were there and took a few pictures with them when we got into the pavilion. The expo turned into a whole different site after sundown. The pavilions lit up, and performances began on all the stages. Traditional dances and music were the attractions for visitors. Of course, our group gathered around the USA pavilion to support our country.

* Cisca Wikkeling is the Head Retain Chef at the World Expo 2010 US Pavilion, and the wife of Tom Gwyn.

-Cristina Barrera

Alumni Dinner

The alumni dinner was a huge part of the great day that was Friday, August 20th We arrived at the elegant apartment home of Tom Gwyn, a former member of the UW Badger basketball team, and were greeted by his wife and staff. Entering the home we were asked to take off our shoes--as is the custom in this country. After some introductions and mingling, some of the Shanghai chapter alumni showed up and talked to many of us about their experiences at the UW and also working in Asian countries and other places abroad. We enjoyed an interesting power point presentation about the economy of China and how it affected the world, particularly the USA. This opened our eyes to the face that China has a huge impact on your day to day lives even though we may not notice. The United States is not as powerful and independent as we have been believed. It is about time that people begin to understand this fact and stop operating as if we can do no wrong in the world.

-Claudia Coria-Luna