GraceGrace 在中国 (Shanghai 2013)

NYU sophomore in Shanghai for Spring 2013 (current Junior waiting for her next adventure). 你好! 我叫婷婷。NYU学生在上海留学。 Hi, my name is Ting Ting. 婷 (ting) means "grace", therefore; 婷婷 (tingting) is "GraceGrace". The one semester adventures of a NYU student studying abroad in Shanghai, China.

[acrosstheriverspree]

School starts tomorrow here in New York City, and as posts flood the #nyu tag I can’t help thinking that at this moment, there is a whole class of people that have just arrived in Berlin, who are living in the same building we were and taking the U-Bahn to Eberswalder Strasse and only just...

[gracegraceinchina]

It really goes to show that no matter where you are, you leave a piece of yourself there. I totally understand where you're coming from Cathy. I miss walking along the Bund and feeling your face sting from the cold. I miss the bao people who hand you $0.50 pork buns right before you board the bus that takes you to campus.

I really don't think we can ever stop missing places like those. Rather, we take what we've experience there and make it part of our everyday lives and let it help us be just a little less homesick. Eventually, one day, we'll make our way back to all the places we call home.

[chakhadapanda]

Tumblr Feels

It would be like Tumblr to make me have feels when discussing possible internship options with them. Do I Communications Intern (even though I have little to now experience in PR —- but I am a Communications and Media major!) or do I Community Intern (which fits my current skill set better, but I’m not 100% sure because the JD is so vague. I am Tumblr obsessed though). WHICH SEAT TO I TAAAAAKE??? Dear Tumblr Staff/Potential future employer… if you see this… (I also broke some rule of Tumblr where I gave out all my URLs to you, dont judge) you should give me some advice… or you know… just take away all my doubt and let me be your intern.

P.S. in my circle of friends… being able to say “oh hai I intern for tumblr” is like saying “oh hai chuck norris and i shook hands and i can still feel my fingers”. P.P.S. I also think you should take this post as proof of how Tumblr-ccentric I am. I stopped writing my cover letter to write a post on Tumblr about Tumblr. Tumblrception?

[gracegraceinchina]

UPDATE: WELL I DID IT. I SUBMITTED. I applied to Tumblr. ITS GONE. I CAN'T UNDO IT NAO. ;A;

p.s. I used the phrase "tumblr-ccentric" in my cover letter. WHAT AM I DOING?

[gracegraceinchina]

再见 (zài jiàn) Until we meet again Shanghai.

In Chinese there isn't a word for "goodbye", at least not a word that instills as much finality as its western peer. In Chinese there is 再见 (zài jiàn) which literally translates to "meet again".

Today is my last full day in Shanghai. Tomorrow, I'll take my last footsteps in Shanghai in the same place that received my first eager steps. My adventure has come full circle in a way. It's been a whirlwind four months and I wouldn't change a bit of it. Looking back, I still have a hard time believing I was actual studying abroad. I've discovered that you can call a place you've never been "foreign" for years, but it only takes a couple of months to call that same "home" once you've been there. After four months, I can comfortable call Shanghai "home." I won't forget that I can haggle with the pedestrian street harkers, or that I can navigate my way through this city by bus, subway, and taxi without a problem.

Coming from a background that is both Chinese and American at the same time, I can say that these four months taught me a lot in learning how to walk the distinct, yet indistinguishable path between the two cultures. So, while I'll be back home in New York, I'll come back to my second home in China.

So... this isn't a goodbye, but rather a 再见. Until we meet again Shanghai... 

[gracegraceinchina]

时间都到那儿去了？ (Where did all the time go?)

Finals are right around the corner (NEXT WEEK!!!). Which means that I only have about a week or so left in Shanghai. Time to take advantage of little time I have left. Consider this a Shanghai "bucket" list of sorts: 

Hop on a subway, get off at a random stop, go explore that area for an afternoon.

Eat some more xiaolongbao before i leave.

More souvenir shopping? (Must fine tune my bargaining skills)

Go see a [Chinese?] movie.

Go to Mr. X again!

update this list accordingly.

I feel like this list will be never ending, but that just means more of a reason to come back right?

[gracegraceinchina]

Shikumen

Yesterday, a friend of mine let me tag along with her during one of her photo taking quests for her photography class. Where she led me was somewhere I would not have ever thought to visit under regular circumstances.

The area she took me was an area full of dilapidated houses amongst rubble with an ironic background of the modern Shanghai cityscape.

The area is (or rather was) full of the old Shikumen houses from an older era of Shanghai int eh 1930s. Shikumen (石库门) is a style of architecture appearing in the 1860s in Shanghai that combined Eastern and Western elements of building. At one point, such buildings made up 60% of Shanghai's housing stock, now they sit unnoticed amongst the grandeur of Shanghai's newer buildings.

There are renovated and well preserved Shikumen buildings in the Xintiandi and Tianzifang area of Shanghai. Unfortunately, not all such buildings can receive the same treatment. With Shanghai developing so rapidly and the need for more land a necessity to continue such development, the government has decided to tear down many of these older areas for that purpose. In a couple of months the place I went to will probably be a completely leveled field, ready to hold the foundation of new high rises.

What I really found amazing amongst it all is the feeling of life in an area that is known and accepted to be obsolete in a few months. In a couple of the more stable an better kept structures, there are families that still live and go on with their daily lives despite everything. I remember passing by a house and catching a whiff of dinner from open of the cracked windows. A peek inside the aged doorway showed an elderly man and a woman standing near a stove. In the background was a nice sized television flashing commercials.

It's sad to think that soon this area will be replaced with shiny new skyscrapers and high rises. I doubt there is anything to replace the eery air of history mingled with the tenacious Chinese determination to thrive and live in all circumstances. The area as a whole is hard to describe in just a few words. It's not a common attraction, if it even attracts people at all. In retrospect, I really appreciate the chance to walk through the quiet streets of the neighborhood. It may not be the prettiest place or the most fun, but it's a place of reflection and of understanding how progress comes with an equivalent exchange.

[gracegraceinchina]

Hey there :) looks like you've been having a great time in Shanghai, I really like your blog! I wanted to ask a bit of a practical question. For classes and such, how much travelling did you have to do? What buildings did you have classes in? It all just looks so big to me, I'm a little worried about living off campus

Thanks for reading my blog! I'm glad you enjoy it. ^^As for your questions... All the NYU classes are situated on the second floor of the ECNU Science building. So, when you're on campus you don't really need to travel any farther than a couple of steps for your classes. Of course, that shouldn't keep you from exploring the ECNU campus during your free time.

I live off campus and the off campus apartments are about a 30 minute commute from the ECNU campus (this includes walking to and from the bus stop and abot 5-10 minutes waiting for the bus. the actual bus ride takes about 15 minutes). In the mornings, NYU provides two free shuttle buses to the ECNU campus for morning classes, one at 8:30AM and the other at 10AM. However, you are responsible for providing your own transportation back. There are three public trans buses that all go to stops near the off campus apts. All the bus stops are right outside the gates of ECNU. It's only 2 stops from ECNU to off campus. Commuting between off campus and on campus isn't really that bad at all. Plus the off campus dorms are near the Line 2 subways which makes it really easy to explore the city. From my knowledge, a lot of us studying abroad prefer staying off campus because it gives a little more of the "in the city" feel (not to mention maid service). Personally, I really enjoy living off campus. There are a lot of restaurants and malls surrounding the area making it really easy to access everything. Not to mention, when else are you going to get a chance to live an in apartment in Shanghai? 

I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions! Congratulations on coming to Shanghai and have fun!!

[gracegraceinchina]

thejerseydevile replied to your photo: A Little Spontaneity The weeks are quickly...

You’re looking gorgeous my dear <3

Thank you Senpai! Can't wait to see you soon! ^^

[gracegraceinchina]

A Little Spontaneity

The weeks are quickly winding down. It's hard to believe that in about three weeks from now, this long adventure is actually coming to an end. As such, we grabbed a little of the carpe diem (or #yolo/ #yosao) in the world and decided to make some changes to ourselves. A couple hours later at Salon ABC (near the off campus dorms) we were sporting some new cuts, colors, and styles. If anything, we can say we're going to back to New York City looking good.

[gracegraceinchina]

Variety Show After spending several months together, its not hard to realize that a lot of us in Shanghai have some hidden talents tucked away. Luckily, the NYU Shanghai Variety Show let us show off a few of those skills. We had everything from fourth month erhu and guzheng veterans to poetry recitations, and some really amazing dancers.

Good job to all the performers! You guys did wonderful and it was a lot of fun to watch.

(P.S. sorry for the bad pictures. the combo of awkward stage lighting and iPhone pictures doesn't exactly make for a good combo).

[gracegraceinchina]

Chinglish: 打包ing

Source

After spending several months in China, it's hard not to flavor our English with some Chinese phrases. It's not that there is no English equivalent to the phrase we use, but rather it's just more fun to use the Chinese instead.

打包 (dǎbāo): to package or ask for a doggie bag at a restaurant.

-usually used while ordering when you want the food to go -used in "Chinglish" to let your friends know you're getting food to go EX: Are you 打包ing? or Wait! Let me 打包 (dǎbāo) this.

[gracegraceinchina]

Yangzhou

This weekend we left the chaos of Shanghai for an overnight trip to the city of Yangzhou four hours away. Voted by UNESCO as one of the best places to live, Yangzhou boasted many well known classical Chinese gardens and Buddhist temples.

We crossed over the Yangtze River and took a stroll through Slender West Lake, admiring the Ming architecture and marveling at the elegant bonsai trees. Afterwards, we visited one of the four best gardens in China and took some time for ourselves at a Buddhist temple.

Other than the weather being rather cold, we had a lot of fun exploring and getting a taste of a more traditional China.

[gracegraceinchina]

The Mysterious Mr. X

Translation: Changning Branch Team No. 016 @Yuuki Congratulations! [to] the NYU为国人（NYU Foreigners) team!

Last night a group of my friends and I took a ten minute walk down Dingxi Road and found ourselves at the doorstep of an interesting establishment simply called Mr. X. The interior is an interesting mix of almost seedy bar and the haunt of leftover Halloween decorations that have yet to be taken down. But, don't let the decoration distract you. The services of Mr. X are much more fun.

Essentially like a theme cafe, except instead of food and drinks (which they also have), Mr. X offers a real life role play situation. For ¥120 per person, you and your friends can pick one of four "rooms" to play. Each room has a different story and a different set of challenges. Afterwards, you are placed into the room of your choice and "locked" in. You have one hour to figure out a way to escape. Remember the board games like "Clue" and those thrilling detective stories? Mr. X is more or less one detective story come to life with you as the main character.

My friends and I picked one of the rooms and found ourselves locked inside a story that was based off of a jail escape. During the hour, we found a secret door, crawled through a hidden passageway, and unlocked strange codes written onto walls. In a close race against time, we managed to solve all the clues and released ourselves from our jail cell.

Mr. X was definitely a fun experience and one that I would love to go back and try again. Luckily for us, there are still 4 more rooms I've yet to try and the establishment is within walking distance. So, for all your Weibo users make sure to look our for more pictures of NYU为国人!

[gracegraceinchina]

Food Porn:Vacation Edition

Favorite phrase of the week: "ugh... I have a food baby again."

[gracegraceinchina]

Scenes from the Li River

One of the most famous scenes of the Li River is pictured on the 20RMB note. Another one is called "Nine Horses Mountain" in which the white spots on the mountain look like nine horses prancing. When going down the Li River, an imagination is a MUST!

[gracegraceinchina]

Final Destination: Guilin

Where Guangzhou was a hub of China's urban development, Guilin offered something more natural and simplistic. The city and the surrounding area is known as a symbol for the natural beauty of China's landscape with limestone mountains, mysterious caves, and clear blue waters. 

With Guilin being the most different out of all our spring break destinations, we made the most of it. Our first taste of Guilin began with a tour down Li River. Even though the waters are better in the autumn months, the scenery around the river was absolutely gorgeous. The city seemed so far away when were were tucked in between mountains and hills on both sides. Instead of the hum of taxis and people we heard the lap of the waves in the river and the rush of wind past our ears.

Our boat cruise dropped us off at Yangshuo, a small town in the countryside of Guilin. The main street was a mixture of special local products from guilin gao (cakes made from the local osmanthus tree leaves) to small hand stitched wall hangings. Our tour guide helped us rent bicycles and took us on a bike tour of the countryside.

Our second day took us up on a cable car to Guilin's highest peak, Yao Mountain. The mountain is the area's only earth mountain as most of the large peaks and mountains are made from limestone.

Afterwards, we went to the famous Reed Flute Cave. The scenery inside the caved easily rivaled the sites outside. Our imagination was tested as we tried to see the pictures from the formations inside the cave. My favorite spot is pictured above. I don't remember the exact name, but according to the tour guide, it is also the most famous spot inside Reed Flute Cave. The formation made by the stalactites and stalagmites make what looks like a city skyline. I was really enchanted by the reflection of the water. Even though the water was barely half a meter deep, the clear reflections made the water seem like it was an endless cavern instead.

Our last tour stop was the city's symbol, Elephant Trunk Hill. If you use your imagination, the hill looks like a large elephant drinking from the water. You'll find that in Guilin the ability to use your imagination to see beyond what is in front of you is a must.

[gracegraceinchina]

Wandering in Guangzhou

[gracegraceinchina]

Hi ^^ I'm studying abroad in Shanghai for the Fall 2013 and Spring 2014 semesters and I'm so excited but super nervous! Do you have any tips? What are your favorite/least favorite things about Shanghai? Thank you!!

First off, congratulations!! Shanghai is a lot of fun and China is definitely full of things to see and do. Just like anything new (if it is completely new to you) keep an open mind and just take things as they come. There are some strange things in Shanghai and in China in general, sometimes not all good, but always interesting.

Tips... hmm... since you're staying for an entire year make sure to bring some heavy jackets. Shanghai is about as cold as New York is in the winter, the only difference is is that not all buildings in Shanghai/China are continuously heated because its so expensive. You'll be counting on your coats a lot during winter. Also, always bring around tissues or napkins with you. They're really useful in all kinds of situations. Most restaurants in China don't offer napkins during meals. This goes for public restrooms too.

While you're here definitely take time to explore the city and the areas around. NYU arranges some day trips to cities outside Shanghai. During the weekends my friends and I usually go on our own excursions to various places in Shanghai. The subways are cheap and really convenient. Make sure to visit the Bund at night. Also, test out your bargaining abilities at the pedestrian streets and Qipu Road. I really just enjoy wandering around Shanghai the most, you find the best things that way. I always carry around a camera with me when I go out just in case. :D

Anyway, I wish you all the luck in Shanghai! :D Have fun!!!!