1.) Getting a Chinese Seal
While Ling and I were exploring the Yu Yuan Garden area, we got name seals. Inside the tourist mart were lots of places to get chops. When we arrived, we picked out which chop we wanted and the girl then went into the back for a little bit to work on the chop. After a few minutes, she reemerged with a finished seal. After watching other people get their chops, I learned there are two main ways the sales people carve into the chops, with a chiseling tool or a knife.
2.) Eating at a Fast Food Restaurant: McDonalds
In Shanghai, Izzy and I ate at a McDonalds after one of the walking tours. The McDonalds was located in a food court area of the mall we were in. The McDonalds was very clean and there seemed to be a wide range of people eating there: middle-aged men alone, families, mothers with young kids, teenagers/young adults. When we visited Hong Kong, we ate at a McDonalds inside the Bank of America Tower. The McDonalds inside the Bank of America Tower had many more business people in suits inside, probably because many of them were coming off work. There were not as many families in the Hong Kong McDonalds either, in comparison to the one in Shanghai. Another difference I noticed was that the HK McDonalds had a McCafe counter that was separate from the main counter. Whereas, in Shanghai, all products were ordered at the main counter.
3.) Visiting a Shrine/Temple: Jade Buddha Temple vs. Po Lin Monastery
In Shanghai, we went to visit the Jade Buddha Temple. When we went, it was rainy and not many people, locals or tourists, were even there. Inside each “hall” were intricate Buddha statues and many people were praying in front of them. In HK, we went to visit the Po Lin Monastery, a Buddhist Monastery located in the hills of Lantau Island. At the Monastery, the colors were brighter, with flowers everywhere and fountains. One difference I noticed between the two were the colors, the colors of the Jade Buddha Temple were much darker. Whereas, at the Po Lin Monastery, the colors were bright and the hues more diverse. Also, the Jade Buddha Temple had people actually praying in front of the statues, whereas, at the Po Lin Monastery, it was almost all tourists.
4.) Visit a Museum: China Art Museum
While in Shanghai, we went to visit the China Art Museum, home to a digital exhibit called “Along the River During the Qingming Festival.” The painting by the same name was painted centuries ago. A few years ago, an artist used the painting as inspiration and animated the people inside it. The exhibition was a giant screen down a long hallway and simply showed off an animated version of the original painting. It was an amazing exhibit because, along with the animation, the artist had also coordinated the music/sounds to fit each section of the painting, which really made me feel like I was really strolling along the river during the festival.
5.) A photo of an animal: ECNU cat
While walking around the ECNU campus, I was so happy to see all the cats. They seemed very well taken care of. However, I feel that the students and faculty are so used to seeing them that they rarely pet them. They were all over the place, running across the walkways, through the shrubs, and sitting by the door at the International Student dorm.
6.) Man Tung Road Park
While trying to figure out how to get to Tian Tan Buddha, we walked through Man Tung Road Park. It was such a beautiful day out and the trees created the perfect canopy of coolness. Something that I noticed, that was very different from the parks I’d been in while in Shanghai was that there were lots of kids there and a playground. In China, I hadn’t seen many parks with playgrounds until coming to HK.
7.) Getting crammed into a Japanese railcar
It was quite an experience, especially as someone who is super short. I think it is amazing how so many people try to cram into those railcars, even when they already look full. Also, it is amazing to me that many of those on those railcars are commuters who experience that kind of discomfort everyday. The upside of the JR system is that all the trains are extremely clean, unlike the ones in Chicago. In Chicago, the trains smell very bad and have lots of garbage in them.
8.) Cat Cafe – Mocha, a cat cafe in Shibuya
While in Shibuya, we went to a cat cafe. Before coming to Japan, I had heard about the animal cafes, but still wasn’t really sure what to expect. At Cafe Mocha, there were lots of fluffy cats in this penthouse type room and they had beverages too. While the cats were super cute, a lot of them didn’t really interact with visitors and honestly probably didn’t care that we were there. Every time I petted a cat, I always felt bad because I felt like I was disturbing their nap. Overall though, I’m glad I went.