Thursday, January 12
Wake-up call was for 7:30, and by 8:30 everyone had come down to the breakfast room and put their luggage out for pick-up. We surprised our guide by being exactly on time, a rarity in his experiences working with groups. Goof fortune had marked our entire trip - today was the first day of rain. As a final special experience we had the opportunity to ride the MagLev high-speed bullet train to the International airport. At the front of the car an electronic speedometer indicated train speed: we took a picture when it hit its top speed of 430 kilometers (267 miles) per hour. With the help of our guide, Charlie, we short-circuited the long lines at the airport, checking in much faster and more efficiently than in Miami. Once through security we had to exchange all our Chinese currency to dollars as it is not exchangeable in the USA. A note about currency: the largest denomination we handled was a 100 yuan note valued at $12.20. You can appreciate how much physical currency you receive if you are exchanging a few hundred dollars. There have been unsuccessful attempts to introduce a 500 yuan note but for security, it has note happened. One member of our trip actually received a counterfeit note which our guide passed under a special light at the cash register of a restaurant. After a final burst of shopping by the gate, we boarded flight 858 for San Francisco at 1:45 and left China. Four movies, two meals, one snack, and 10 hours later, we touched down in San Francisco, where immigration waived us through quickly. A new procedure for customs left us waiting for our luggage while it was inspected before arriving at the baggage check area. After transiting to Denver, we eventually boarded our flight to Miami. Twenty-four body hours after departing Shanghai, we were back in Florida.

Wednesday, January 11
Aboard the bus, our guide described Chinese eye exercises and how to alleviate a headache. He described the hardships of growing up 30 years ago in Shanghai, when he had to walk one kilometer a day for water and showers came from a pail of cold water. Short anecdotes like this give us a sense of how much change has occurred in China in the last thirty years. Today we glimpsed modern China, so our first stop was at the Museum of Science and Technology located in the Pudong area on the east bank of the river. The museum provided a hands-on overview of ecosystems, the physical sciences, and genetics. Notable was a stem cell exhibit of a human ear grown on a mouse. Mrs. Recio took the bicycle challenge, riding a bicycle fifteen feet in the air along a magnetic track (there were nets to catch her if she fell). Then we went to the Shanghai Urban Planning Institute to view a scaled model of the city that occupied an entire room. We located the general area of our hotel and one or two buildings we had visited during the trip. While we were there we also noticed presentations on improving the water quality of the Suzhou River, which runs just outside of Shanghai. Pollution is a major area of concern in China, but obviously they are taking steps to address it. This museum was an impressive presentation of China's commitment to become a modern, world business partner.

After a short walk to lunch in the Yangtze Hotel, we hopped on the bus again and went to the Shanghai Museum, a beautiful new museum displaying Chinese porcelain and furniture. While none of us knew much about porcelain, we could not help being impressed by the stunning display of blue and white Ming vases, exquisite celadon pieces over a thousand years old, and carved figurines from the Tang Dynasty, including horses, camels, and one ferocious demon meant to scare away evil spirits. After a quick walk through in the rooms containing jade and furniture, we piled into the bus for our final destination of the day--the Shanghai open market. This market will be closing down on May 31 of this year and while moving across the river and indoors, it's emphasize will no longer be on knock-off merchandise, so future students may not have this experience. Watches, bags, pens, silks, jackets, suitcases, most of them knock-offs, surround you on all sides in a warren of stalls. With every step you hear "Lady, you want a bag?" "Boy, you want a watch? I have best quality, best price." "Boy, look here, look here." We had been advised to hold our purses close and pay no more than half of what was asked, and as the afternoon went on we got better and better at playing the game. You get the price, you think about it, they offer a little bit less, you think more and then say "later" or "I'll come back." Then they hand you a calculator and say "Your price, what you pay." At that point you shake your head and walk away. After about five steps they come after you with a price 1/2 to a 1/3 lower and you start all over again. Eventually, you decide on a price, or leave, and it starts all over again. At first we wondered if we'd need the full three hours allotted to shop, but after half an hour of haggling with only two to three shopkeepers and only two items at hand, we realized we would need the entire time. Finally, at six we all gathered at the huge Chinese knot hanging in front of the market to compare our loot. We had an amazing range of items: jade and pearls; silk bags; knock off gloves, scarves, and watches; Tibetan scrolls; and souvenirs. Some items had already started to fall apart within days of purchase, others seem to be holding up well, but whatever their eventual lifespan, the market itself is an experience worth the investment. Loaded with our purchases, we headed straight to the restaurant, as it was close by, and ended the day with the best meal we've had in Shanghai. The restaurant provided us our own private room, well-heated by a small corner heater. We dug into duck, crispy calimari, shrimp, beef, baby corn and mushrooms, delicate greens, a light soup with thin apple slices, and oranges and watermelon. Sated and relaxed, we took the bus back to our hotel to pack for the long trip home and get a good night's sleep.

Tuesday, January 10                  
As we were going to Suzhou and Tongli today, we got an earlier start and were ready to board by 8:00. The bus ride to Tongli took two hours, and along the way we witnessed the tremendous growth evident in this country as farming country was everywhere being encroached upon by new developments. A town famous for its waterways and medieval buildings, Tongli was picturesque and fun to walk through. Sycamores lined most of the streets, and the roofs of many of the buildings were decorated with animals put there to scare away the evil spirits. We visited the Garden of Meditations which was built by a 3 star general to contemplate his failures in battle after being "fired" by the emperor. After four years, he returned to the emperor with a new vision; his valor was restored with his successful conquests. We also visited several houses of merchants and government officials, all of them surrounded by small but beautiful gardens. Most of the buildings were furnished simply with mahogany tables and chairs and scrolls on the walls. At one, we discovered a small shop that rented Qing Dynasty gowns for one hour. All of us plunked down our $1.25 to do so, and then we had great fun posing in the pavilion and by the garden rocks. Alec and Nic were both dressed as emperors, an appropriate choice for the seniors in the group, while Dr. Lucero, Mrs. Recio and Mrs. Eliot dressed as three dowagers, ready to reign in our young charges if necessary. After an hour of photos and banter, we stripped off our finery and returned to our modern American selves. After visiting the houses we wandered a bit through the small streets of Tongli, then strolled to a local restaurant for lunch. As usual, we had a terrific meal, the high points being massive baked pork hocks and tiny eggplants stir-fried in a spicy sauce. Of course, that's not mentioning the soup, celery, beef and peppers, chicken, mixed vegetables, rice, shrimp, fried seafood, and egg. The one negative of the restaurant was the bathroom, and at this point I have to comment on the bathrooms as they have been the subject of much discussion on the trip. While airport bathrooms in major cities are often familiar Western bathrooms (except that people are asked to put their toilet paper in a receptacle, not in the toilet), most Chinese bathrooms follow a different model. They use squat toilets, which are porcelain holes in the ground with footprints that indicate where your feet go on the sides. When you are done, you flush them and everything moves on down. In today's bathroom, the squat toilet was the only option, and it had the added feature of no flush. You just did your business and gravity moved it along. Consequently, the odor was stronger than that in most bathrooms, and they didn't use incense....Only a few brave souls dared to use it. After lunch we drove to Suzhou to see a famous garden which took over 700 years to complete. The garden was created in sections, which each new owner adding something new. This garden is so famous, that a model resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Our last visit of the day was to the canals of Suzhou, the City of Silk, which we cruised for about an hour on a low-lying boat with a glassed interior. We were so close to the houses that we could see people knitting, cutting pineapple, and doing wash on the porches abutting the water. Climbing out of the boats onto a stone landing, we were again confronted with the constant building in China, when we had to pick our way through a rubble-strewn lane in an area that had just been cleared of 200 houses. Then on to the BEST bathroom so far this trip--that in the Suzhou No. 1 Silk Mill. It was Western, immaculate, without odor, and beautifully decorated with a brown and gold marble tile. The worst to the best toilet in less than three hours!

Monday, January 9
Breakfast at our third hotel offers fewer western options, but student expectations have become more flexible and willingness to experiment has noticeably increased. Lying at the delta of the Yangtze River , Shanghai serves as the largest port of the East. First on the day's agenda, is a boat tour on the Huangpo River where we are its only passengers. The haze is heavy in the harbor but it is a sunny, warmer day and we delight in the leisurely trip. Modern buildings contrast with boatloads of coal; industrial development is evident everywhere but especially at the Pudong area on the east bank where the convention center spreads out at the base of the Pearl TV tower. Ashore, we embark on a walking tour of the old European commercial district along the river called the Bund. The magnificent mosaic ceiling of a bank originally built in the 1930s and covered during the revolution for being too western, was recently rediscovered. We stroll Nanjing Street under a maze of billboards. Advertising of social awareness is prevalent; buses carry messages warning of the dangers of AIDS and exhorting people to "Keep the Promise." Then we board the bus to the French Concession where we suddenly enter a world of sidewalk cafes and charming, narrow passageways. Our guide points out recently created parks and an artificial lake where older buildings have been demolished to provide open space. The grounds are meticulously and artistically groomed. Then we are back onboard for lunch in Old Shanghai. Winding through a warren of shop-filled streets, we pass the wedding store district where wedding gowns are rented for 100 yuan per day (1 yuan is worth 12.5  cents). We enjoy a light lunch at the Shanghai Teahouse, part of an extensive formerly private estate, where we eat delicious dumpllngs and spring rolls. We are instructed to poke a hole in the dumplings, suck out the juices, and then pour in a mixture of soy sauce and vinegar. The reason for this advice becomes evident when one of the students bites into the dumpling and is spattered with hot pork juice. After lunch, we walk along the path of 9 zigzags to enter the Yuyuan Garden. Winter diminishes the crowds, but not the enjoyment of the exquisite formal garden. Apparently all Chinese gardens must include five elements: water, stone, plants, pavilions, and small bridges. This one was filled with miniature vistas of all of them. Back at the hotel, we enjoyed a much needed afternoon break and wrote postcards, napped, and organized our laundry. Then it is out for a traditional Chinese dinner at the 10,000 Harmonies and Good Luck Restaurant. Seven days ago we were handing out forks; tonight we are comparing chopstick techniques. After dinner we board the bus again off to area that was once the British Concession and arrived at the theater just as the acrobat show was beginning. The varied performances include unbelievable contortionists, jugglers, highly skilled gymnasts, and an amazing couple who fly across the stage suspending themselves from large scarves that hang 40 feet from the ceiling. Shanghai is a vibrant, energetic city, and we have explored many of its facets in this long, but varied day. Being here immediately before the Chinese New Year, we have enjoyed the beautiful decorations including hundreds of red lanterns and trees "dripping" with electrical icicles.

Sunday, January 8
Today we moved from ancient to modern China: Xian to Shanghai. In the morning we went to the Shaanxi Museum, the museum for the province in which Xian is located. We were honored to meet with the curator in the briefing room for "Honorable Guests" before our tour. The museum is arranged chronologically. The skull of the Lantian man (1.1 million years old) has been found to be a woman's. A diorama of a 6000 year old Jiangshai tribal village helped visualize the strategic importance of Xian at the foot of the Quiling mountains and in the Wei river valley. The history of China came to life through the detailed description of the major holdings of the museum and their historical significance. As we progressed from the Zhou to Qing dynasties, we observed how art incorporated functionality in 3 and 4-footed cooking utensils and the design of bells. An interesting note: the Chinese hair knot fashion was religiously based as they believed that hair was a gift from the parents and to cut it off was to separate from the family. Foreign influences appeared during the times of the Silk Road with paintings of Indian and Korean dignitaries. Finally, in the frescoes from the Tang Dynasty, we saw images of three chinned women who epitomized the image of beauty during the time. The ladies on the trip decided that we might have liked to live during this time period as these ladies also were able to ride horseback and play polo--a fairly liberated time for Chinese women.

We lunched at the airport and then took an hour's flight to Shanghai where the contrast of modern china was everywhere from the impressive airport architecture to the skyscrapers dominating the city proper. Within 15 years, this section of Shanghai has converted from open fields to intense urban development as it pursues its goal of becoming the major city of China and the East. Charlie Chan, our guide, described the differences between Mandarin and the Shanghaise spoken here. (For example, hello in Mandarin is "ne hao" while it is "nong hao" in Shanghaise.) While Mandarin has been the official language of the Imperial Court for hundreds of years, it is only in the past 30 years that everyone has been required to learn Mandarin. Other interesting pieces of information we picked up in the course of the day include the fact that Shanghai, now a city of 17 million, was formerly a free port requiring no passports. Before the second world war, many Jews fleeing Europe, such as the Sassoon family, came to Shanghai to settle and establish new businesses.

In the evening we dined at a restaurant where a large wedding reception was being held, so we were able to get a sense of some of their marriage traditions. The bride changes 10 times during the course of the evening, and we saw two of her gowns--the wedding dress (Western white) and a gold gown which she wore as she toured the room with her husband, greeting all the guests formally. As all this proceeded, a master of ceremonies loudly introduced various people and told jokes to warm up the crowd dining on lobster and crab. While our dinner didn't include either, we did eat octopus, shrimp, fish, and sea cucumbers, which were the texture of jellyfish and not a delicacy for Western taste buds. However, we also had "safe foods" such as chicken, pork, duck, so everyone found something good to eat. After the meal we went to the Pearl Tower, where we marveled at the shining panorama of Shanghai at night. From the huge round deck, we could see the Huang Po River, filled with lighted tour boats, the Bund, center of International banks and hotels in the 1920s, and Nanking Road, a busy shopping area. Beyond those, the lights stretched for miles into the night. We wrapped up our time at the tower by going through a wax museum which depicted scenes from the last 200 years of Shanghai's history.

Saturday, January 7
An early morning...We gathered for breakfast at 5:45 (the hotel generously opened the restaurant early to accommodate us) and then were on the road by 6:00 for the trip to the airport. At 8:00 we flew from Beijing to Xian on a Boeing 737. At the beginning of the flight all the flight attendants stood in a group in the aisle as they were introduced and then collectively bowed to the passengers. The flight was short and smooth, and we met Jackie (Bai Jei) at the baggage claim section of the airport. After piling the luggage in the van we set off to the terracotta warriors, about an hour east of Xian, while Jackie gave us background on the history of Qin Shihuang Di who unified the seven kingdoms into the first Chinese empire and ordered the tomb constructed. While his dynasty lasted only a few decades, Xian remained the capital of China for the next 1,000 years, earning it the title of the "roots" of the Chinese tree, while Beijing is part of the trunk and Shanghai, a more recent city, is only "the leaves." The terrain was flat and agricultural with an elevation of 400' compared with 4300' in Beijing. When we arrived at the Museum we immediately went to the first pit, which is estimated to hold 6,000 warriors, only 1,200 of which have been restored. The number of warriors and their diverse costumes and expressions made us realize what a monumental undertaking this was. Then as we viewed a film reenactment of the building of the mausoleum (and its partial destruction a few decades later) we understood even better why the UN has designated this a world heritage site. After the film we had lunch in the museum restaurant, and then visited two more pits, one of which contained the strategy room for the terracotta officers. Finally we moved to the museum, where we were awed by the life-size bronze horses and chariot and the ancient jade pieces (although the jade earwax remover was a little gros). The students truly appreciated the massive undertaking required to reassemble all the pieces necessary to develop the site. Leaving, we purchased miniature copies of the warriors from vendors or from the official museum store and headed to the city itself and our residence at the Bell Tower Hotel. Before dusk, we walked to the mosque a few blocks from the hotel where we passed through the casbah-like labyrinth of shops in the Muslim district. The delegation of four English teachers from Ms. Chang's school joined us for dinner at the most famous dumpling restaurant in China. Towering stacks of bamboo steamers containing many often sculpted dumplings continuously flowed in before the dramatic lighting of the firepot and ceremonial boiling of the soup which concluded our meal.

Friday, January 6
Today we were encouraged to eat a large breakfast, as we were heading out for the Great Wall of China an hour northwest of Beijing. (A short note about breakfast. The restaurant offers both Western and Chinese breakfast, so some mornings students eat Belgian waffles, eggs, and bacon and other mornings they eat pork dumplings, stir-fried greens, tomatoes, and noodles.) Our first stop was at the Temple of Heaven, a large compound where the Ming and Qing emperors prayed for bountiful harvests and made sacrifices. Entering through the South Entrance found the courtyard occupied by townspeople: some were practicing Tai Chi with swords, others dancing, and further along, older men were writing calligraphy on the frozen stone courtyard with water. When asked if we could offer them money, our guide said not to, as these men wrote Tang poetry for the love of their culture, not for pay. After looking at several different blue-roofed buildings (as opposed to the yellow roofs of the Imperial residences), we tested the Echo Wall by clapping our hands on three specific locations and listening for the reply. Kat and Alejandro got the best echo. As we left the temple we were surrounded by vendors, including a persistent woman selling "Gucci" bags. "Bu Yao" (not interested) didn't deter her, but she kept coming back, asking where we were from and joking with some of the students. Finally, laughing at both her persistence and our resistance, we took a photo of her with two students and she moved on. Beijing only became the capital during the Ming dynasty which, coupled with the fact that Chinese architecture was based on wood which decomposes, explains why most of what we are viewing is from the Ming and Ching dynasties. The Great Wall is located more than an hour out in the countryside. Along the way we visited jade and cloisonne factories. Everyone was impressed with the grandeur of the wall which, from its origin during the Qin dynasty had eventually extended to over 4000 kilometers. It spands the southern ridge of a mountain range to prevent invasions from the north. There are numerous gates to enter along its length. Ours consisted of hundreds of irregularly sized steps leading to the first watchtower. Models of warriors are stationed along the way. Returning to Beijing we toured a silk factory and watched traditional spinning techniques. Our final evening in Beijing culminated with a super dinner of Peking duck at the Quanjude Restaurant. Arthur joined us and shared insights into the complexities of learning Chinese.

Thursday, January 5
On our way to meet the students at Yan Hua Senior High School Attached to Beijing Normal University, we stopped to pick up necessities at a nearby local supermarket. This quick stop became a twenty-minute odyssey as we pored over gum in plastic bottles, twenty different types of tea, rice cookers for $20.00, and wet handwipes (a valuable asset in a country where bathrooms, while omnipresent, include only cold water). When we arrived at the school we reconnected with the students and moved to the conference room, where Mr. Mitchell and their Head of School exchanged gifts. Both then expressed a desire for continued contact, and the Head of School at Yan Hua invited Saint Edward's to join them again in 2008 during the Olympic Games. Two students, one from each school, also expressed their enjoyment of their time together. In particular, our students were impressed by the kindness and hospitality of the students at the school. Danny and Alec said that the students carried bags to the dorm, picked food off the lazy susan for them (our ability with chopsticks varies from student to student), and ran to get water when Alec was thirsty after sports. Steve Recio also mentioned that some students were studying at 5:30 in the morning and at midnight--clearly academics are enormously important to them. The morning closed with a delicious lunch with our students, and faculty and administrators of both schools. The luncheon was spectacular, including two soups, beef, pork, shrimp, fish, dumplings, six or seven vegetable dishes, and fruit, all washed down by heated Coca-Cola steeped with ginger. By the end of the meal entrees were stacked three stories deep on the lazy susan. After a warm farewell and a final group photo, we departed for the Beijing Lhamasery, located on the grounds of a former Ching dynasty palace complex. Both the buildings and grounds were stunningly beautiful, with incense rising through the air towards red-pillared temples decorated with Chinese dragons and Tibetan sacred symbols. In the final building a giant 26 meter Buddha carved from a single sandalwood tree towered above the hall in golden splendor. We were awed. We would have thought anything after the Lllamasery anti-climactic--until we went via Rickshaw to one of Beijings hutongs (populous neighborhoods). Dodging bicycles, people, and car traffic, we zipped through a warren of narrow streets surrounded by low one-story houses. There we were invited into one of the houses by a host, who offered us tea and delicious snacks of candied rose leaves, peanuts, and crapapple wafers. He spoke about his life during the cultural revolution, his family, and his hobby of raising champion crickets, whom he caged in gourds which were stored around the room. Students were fascinated by his knowledge of cricket training and the fascinating tiny tools he used to pursue his passion. After a final tour of the house we departed again on rickshaw and returned to the bus for a pizza and spaghetti dinner. While much of the food was familiar, we knew we were a far cry from the USA when we saw fish pizza and calamari on the side. To wrap up the evening, we made a short visit to the famous Laoshe Teahouse, whose entrance is dominated by a life-size reenactment of George Bush's 1994 visit. Over several cups of green tea we heard several different singing and dancing acts. At 9:00 we placed the tops back on our tea cups, picked up our coats, and returned to the hotel for showers, a little Chinese MTV, and sleep.

Wednesday, January 4
After an informative morning briefing on the history, culture, and customs of the Chinese, we arrived at Tiananmen Square and experienced cold that few will ever forget. The expanse of the square, impressive in any weather, becomes indescribable at 20 degrees with a wind from the Gobi Desert whipping across the stone and producing a chill below zero. To combat the cold, the students tried on military hats and eventually purchased scarves. Luckily, the Forbidden City offered some protection from the open winds as we explored the labyrinth of temples and admired interior gardens with a stark manicured beauty. Then we went on to the Pearl Factory where we learned to distinguish real from fake pearls (rub them and look for pearl dust). We topped off the morning with another superb meal at a modern restaurant, reaching for our lunches from a lazy susan. After lunch we returned to the hotel to change into our uniforms and go to the school, Yan Hua Senior High School Attached to Beijing Normal University about an hour from the center of the city. There we were warmly received by the head, faculty, and students, who led us to a meeting in the conference room where the school head and Mr. Mitchell exchanged greetings. We then were given a tour of one of their classrooms and dropped the students off for the night. Returning to central Beijing, Mr. Mitchell, Ms. Eliot, Dr. Lucero and Arthur Liu, the Chinese program coordinator, went to the Mongolian Barbeque where a reenactment of a Mongolian wedding ceremony was performed by a talented group of dancers, wearing a series of memorable costumes and headdresses. Finally, we headed home to the hotel to figure out how to download our first two pages of trip journal onto the internet. Through the dogged efforts of our techie sleuth, Dr. Lucero, we identified the problem, and managed to download what you are now reading. Zia Jian!

Monday and Tuesday, January 2/3, 2005
A day of hurry up and wait. In Miami United Airlines processing was memorably slow and inefficient. Most of us slept the hop to Chicago. With a three hour layover to fill, some of us began our immersion into local culture partaking of the local Chicago beef sandwiches. Others contended over the sole electrical outlet to charge up their electrical devices and duke it out on PSPs, while Mr. Mitchell passed out World History reading materials. Then it was time to board Gate 16 to Beijing. Once on the plane we were happy to find our seats concentrated in a center bank of five across seating in the rear of the giant 777. The trip took nearly 14 1/2 hours for a total of 6744 miles as we alternately slept (or tried to), read, and took photographs of the immense Siberian landscape unfolding beneath us. At 4:15 p.m. local time we touched down time on Tuesday in Beijing. Our local guides, Arthur and Gloria, gave us a short briefing on the 45 minute ride to the Holiday Inn. For many of us, the ever-present neon signs were the distinguishing mark of this city. Then we had 15 minutes to check out our beautiful accommodations and it was back on the bus to the Noodle Restaurant. Listening to the wailing song of Chinese opera and working through more than fifteen dishes of meat, vegetables, and noodles, we finished our day with full stomachs.

Sunday, January 1, 2005
Nine students, three faculty and two parents depart for a twelve day trip to China. We arrived at the Miami Airport Hotel without incident and called it a night early in anticipation of our 3:30 wake-up calls.