Eating Scorpions

Here's the first of many videos that I'll be uploading to YouTube.

This video is of Hannah and I eating scorpions in a food market in Beijing! The scorpions were put live on a stick, then fried in grease and oil. They tasted like greasy peanuts!

Eating Scorpions

The Wandering Man (Jason Skinner)

Hey All, I was having a latte before dinner, and as I sat outside across the street from our hotel, I wrote a brief tale about a wandering man. Inspired by Chinese folklore, and in response to the rest of the group giving me crap about my dirty feet (I've been wearing the same pair of $2 flip flops the whole time in China), I decided to write a classic short story. The story relates to my relationship with the natural world; I read to the group this story before we ate dinner and dedicated it to one of my greater friends, Jake Lau, because I wrote it on his birthday.


I have on my mind a story of man, similar to me, who sought the world beyond the trees; through the greatest woods he would travel, if it were not for the unbearable essence of the forest spirit that burned his feet. The young man needed only a thin layer of protection beneath his toes to protect his soul from being blinded by the forest spirit.
The young man asked the prairie and the young man asked the sea for something to nourish his soul and shield his toes, something so thin it wouldn’t weigh him down during his travels. The sea knew of no such item, as all of its visitors preferred the salts of the sea to bless their soles. The prairie, confused, did not understand why any creature would want to distance himself from the very soil he arose from. Still, without his answer, the young man walked to the horizon to ask the mountains.
Unfamiliar with the ways of the woods, the mountains had no advice for the man; however, to show appreciation for the man’s determination, the mountains offered the young man a pair of sandals to slip his toes into and protect his feet from the sharp and jagged cliffs – for the climb down was not an easy one.
Upon returning to the forest, the young man discovered his feet no longer burned, but were instead warmed from the floor beneath him. And so, as long as the sun and the moon continued to nourish the Earth, the warmth of the sandals brought comfort to the young man as he wandered through the woods in the world beyond the trees.

Great Wall of China

Today Hannah, Alli, and Colin went to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. What a view! The section was recommended to us by some folks who we met the night we got into Beijing on our way to the hostel we are staying at- the biggest selling point being that it was less crowded, which was great. The weather was very clear and refreshingly cool- great for taking photos. We took a ski lift up and rode an alpine slide back down for lunch at a local cafe.

After a 2 hour ride back to Beijing we went for a walk down Wangfujing Street and encountered none other than a guy selling scorpions to eat. Being the careful eaters they are, Hannah and Alli of course said heck yes. The scorpions came four to a stick and were alive before the vendor ended their squirming lives in a deep fryer. After making the vendor take the first bite, Hannah and Alli dug in as a small crowd watched on. They were crunchy.

The Art of Shopping

Throughout our stay in China we discovered that shopping for gifts and souvenirs is simply not a task, but an art. As we strolled through streets of vendors all claiming to have the best and cheapest products we quickly learned how to make the most of our money. Not only was it to our benefit to bargain, but a little fun as well. We all found it a little challenging at first, but quickly became accustom to this new way of shopping. In small markets, this behavior is expected and the price can be dropped to as much as thirty percent of the original cost. In the end we all came back with great gifts and souvenirs to remember this fantastic trip by and we will never forget this experience.

View from New Asia Hotel breakfast room

A rooftop garden on the building next to our hotel is one of many green roofs in Shanghai. The pearl tower and new Pudong area was clearly visible on the last day of Hort 4000 for 2008, Friday morning, May 30.

Culture Shock

A lot of people have asked "are you feeling culture shock?"  We've asked among ourselves too, and the general answer is "no"- for now.  Coming to China doesn't seem to be putting the stress of change on the group very hard.  We've had english-speaking guides who have explained all of our questions and have been able to translate for us.  A bus or our feet have taken us to where we needed to go.  The hotels and cities are quite western.  But also by now most people are beginning to miss home.  Five of the group are going home today, but six others are going on to Beijing.  I think that for those going home, the reverse shock will be much more noticeable as they realize afresh just how different of a place they have been.  For those going to Beijing, having to order food, obtain transportation, and ask simple questions is likely going to be a challenge.

Free Day in Shanghai

At left we pose near another Olympic sign, this one made of Budwiser beer cans in the form of each of the events. Other signs have shown the countdown to the opening day.
Today we toured the French Concession,and the new area, Xintiandi, renovated stone houses now shopping and restaurants. Then to the Antique Market and the Flower, Insect, Bird and Fish Market. Crickets anyone? Complete with cages, and plenty of chirping, as shown hanging on the right.
With Chengyan, we could navigate the subway, which was clean and looked new, but also crowded, none of our group sat down.

Zhejiang University

Although I enjoyed many things during my stay in China, one of my favorites was visiting Zhejiang University. Not only did I find the differences in their school system and courses very interesting, but also their dormitory and students way of life.
Getting the opportunity to mingle with the students and having free time to roam the campus was a great opportunity. I was guided around campus by Willing, a second-year student studying landscape architecture. I was given a personal tour of the dining hall, the library, her floral arrangement collection, as well as her dormitory. Speaking with her I found it interesting how students were required to live on campus, and could not keep a car on-site. I also found the very strict rules in the living-quarters a definite contrast to ours. During our time at this campus we were treated excellent as we were given a presentation, personal tours, and a fantastic dinner and we hope to keep in touch with all these wonderful students!

Back to Shanghai!

Our day began at 8:30 when we boarded the bus at Hangzhou and began our journey back to Shanghai. We arrived back at the New Asia Hotel at around 1:00pm and then proceeded to lunch at a local restaurant. Here we were provided with entertainment of traditional dances while we ate. During our free time we traveled as a group down Nanjing Road. We meandered our way down this street filled with shops and restaurants, not to mention many vendors offering "watches, purses, DVD's, and shoes" to Shanghai's No. 1 Department Store where we spent more time shopping. Some ate dinner as a fast food Chinese place, while others found snacks at the convenience store. Evening entertainment included the Shanghai Acrobatic Show. Here we were amazed by tight rope walking, hoop jumping, knife throwing, as well as many other acts as we sat on the edge of our seats. We then proceeded back to the New Asia Hotel for the night.

As our adventures in China quickly come to an end we have done some reflecting on cultural comparisons, horticultural differences, as well as looking back on experiences and fun times. When students were asked about the main cultural differences between Chinese students and students in the United States most students responded with how friendly and welcoming Chinese students were. We also noticed that most Chinese students do not work during the school year, unlike most in the United States. As for cultural differences between adults we observed that the grandparents play a large role in raising children, as we observed this while walking around. We also noticed a difference in mannerisms while eating and in meetings. Eating noodles with chopsticks can be a little tricky, and answering a cell phone while in a meeting or leading a tour is considered normal.
There were many horticultural differences between the two countries. The diversity of plants in China is immense and with the sub-tropical climate they are able to grow many plants that we cannot in Minnesota.

I love Fast Food Chains

As I am sure you can tell by now we had some free time today and it was great! After our nice little shopping excursion we had decided we should probably get some lunch and boy is it great to see McDonald's in China. I know that traveling abroad is all about a cultural experience and trying new things, but when it comes to food I am most certainly not the first one to jump up and try something new...or even at all. So I sure was happy when my group decided to stop at McDonald's. We had been having a discussion on pervious parts of the trip trying to guess at whether or not the food would taste the same and after trying it we came to the conclusion that there really is no difference except for a few items that we found to only be available in China. The first are the dipping sauces for the Chicken Nuggets...Melissa tried the Sesame Mayo and she liked it...and we found out one other to be something with Wasabi, but the other two are yet to be determined. Hannah and I also tried something new...a coconut pie. It was very delicious, as I really like coconut, and I hope that maybe it will be offered at home! It was nice to have a meal that we were used to and according to Karine it really put a pep in our step.

Free Time and University Visit

Today, May 27, 2008, we had our last full day in Hangzhou, China. We had the opportunity to have some free time in the morning that everyone was excited for. Some students slept in, others walked to West Lake, and some did some shopping.



Lunch this time was on our own. A few of us ate at McDonald's, some ate at Pizza Hut, some had Chinese food and a few ate some new kinds of fruit. Although we all love Chinese food, for those of us who ate at McDonald's and Pizza Hut, it was a welcome break. Even one of our Chinese guides ate at McDonald's!

It was also very hot today and was the hottest day so far on our trip. The high today was around 89 degrees Fahrenheit with about 88% humidity! In Minneapolis today, the high is supposed to be around 60 degrees Fahrenheit and 58% humidity. I think that when we come back to Minnesota, we will all be very cold!

After our free morning and lunch, we boarded our bus and drove about an hour outside of Hangzhou to Zhejiang Forestry University. We were greeted by students and faculty at the University. The Assistant Dean, Mr. Bao gave us an overview of the university and the School of Landscape Architecture. The University has two campuses, one called East Lake and the other called Yijin. The campus that we visited was the East Lake campus that was built in the last six years. The cool thing about the building of the campus is that the students were involved in the design of the gardens around the university. This is a really cool idea because it integrates concepts that learned in class into a practical setting. The School of Landscape Architecture offers both the bachelors degree and the masters degree. There are four different bachelors degrees that are offered: Landscape Architecture, Landscape Architecture Art Design, Civil Engineering, and Architecture.

After the overview, one of our professors, Mary Meyer, gave a short introduction about who we were and why we were in China. Then everyone in our group introduced themselves including their name, major, any horticulture experience, and year in school. Anytime any of us would say any words in Chinese (hello, thank you, etc.), they would clap, which I thought was very cute!

Next they gave us a tour of the University classrooms and greenhouses. The classrooms were very nice and much like the classrooms that we have in the United States. Many of the classrooms had air conditioning as they still attend school when it is hot. They have a display room that has many of their designs and models. Some of the designs were traditional Chinese style gardens and others were western styles. There was also a mix of media including computer aided design, hand drawn designs, and models.

At the end of the tour, our two professors met with some of the professors at the University while we went to talk with the students from the University. We had a chance to talk with them about life in China versus the United States, what their university was like, what their classes were like, and we told them about our university and our lives. It was very cool and one of the best parts of the visit to the University.



At first some of the students were hesitant to talk to us because of their English. But this quickly evaporated when we started talking to them and told them that their English was very good. They all spoke very good English and when we didn't understand, they would explain what they meant and we did the same thing. Here is where we really were able to see the differences between China and the United States. For instance, they showed us one of the dormitories and we learned that most of the students live in the dorms as they come from other places in China. Students are separated by year and gender. Even post-graduate and graduate students live in the dorm.

After about an hour, we went to dinner. At dinner, we ate with three of the post-graduate students that we showed us around. This was a very fancy authentic Chinese meal complete with various kinds of fish, seafood, duck, and vegetables. There were many new dishes to try at this dinner. One of the dishes that we had that was new was a lotus soup. The soup was made into a yin yang symbol that was very cool. Another one of the dishes that we had that was new was bamboo. The bamboo was thin, cut into small pieces, and was cooked kind of like in a soup.

At the end of dinner, we went to listen to a presentation by one of our professors Mary Meyer. On the way there it started to rain and by time we got inside, we were all fairly wet. Professor Meyer gave a talk on the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. The talk was in English so that we could understand it. The students and professors were very interested in the arboretum and asked many questions. They seemed very intrigued by the concept of donations and what a person would get out for donating money to the arboretum! At the end of the day, the students did not want us to leave and wanted to spend more time with us.

The day was a busy day. We all enjoyed our free time and also enjoyed the time spent at another University. The visit to the University allowed us to see many of the differences and similarities between China and the United States. Pictures will be posted soon of the University visit as well!

Pizza Hut is Classy in China

Today in the morning the group had free time to explore the area around the hotel.  Some of us began by taking a short walk to a West Lake causeway to take in the view.  Two of us were flagged down by a small  boat as we were walking back toward the hotel and were offered a ride, which we accepted.  The man rowing the craft was very nice and offered green tea and took pictures.  The ride was not only very beautiful but also a welcome break from walking during the hot and humid morning.  After we were dropped off on shore we walked to a mall to try an American classic: Pizza Hut!  Take what you know about Pizza Hut and throw it out the window.  The Chinese Pizza Hut was a very nice establishment, nothing like the dark and aging restaurants I've encountered.  In addition to the pizza (which included some interesting Chinese toppings) they sold smoothies and Starbucks-style espresso drinks.  The pizza tasted quite familiar and was a nice little slice of home.

So it was hot today.

Today was by far the muggiest, most uncomfortable day of the trip.  In between short periods of wind, the air was thick and heavy.  Even right away in the morning before the heat of the day there was a thick wall of humidity awaiting us at the hotel front door.  For most of the day my face had beads of sweat on it.  The shower and clean clothes after we got back to the hotel were fabulous.

Greenhouses near Hangzhou by Jake

Today, we visited a couple different greenhouses that were located an hour and a half out of the city of Hanghzou. The first greenhouse was Zhejiang Development Park Co. This greenhouse was subsidized by the government and mostly produced bedding plants (Begonia, Petunias, Pansy, Salvia) for the outside plantings by a government landscaping company. The greenhouse had a few neat characteristics. Sticky traps so covered in insects they were more black than yellow seemed standard in all the houses. I think they were using them as a control measure than a management tool. They rented out six foot Money Trees to large companies and hotels. A company bus went 40 km away to pick up employees. But, the neatest thing about this operation is that it lacked a complete foundation. This meant that a few plants would grow in the soil under the benches, and maybe even flower. We were told that they didn’t install a complete foundation because they wanted to be able to remove the structure at any time and convert it back to farmland. We toured the non subsidized greenhouse next. The facilities weren’t as modern as the first greenhouse. Instead of a completely automatic seeder, they used a wand seeder. Workers here received 33 RMB (about 5 bucks) a day and college graduates received 2000 RMB/ month.

While on the tour of the hoop houses, we saw the farmers’ houses. These large houses looked very different from the houses we are used to seeing in the city and had a unique style.

The last greenhouse of the day was Senhe seed. They were a large orchid producer. They use tissue culture to start the orchids. After a month and a half, the orchids are placed in sphagnum moss to continue to grow. They used clear plastic containers for the orchids so they could manage growth better.

They also had a large outdoor nursery. They had trees planted in felt containers. These containers are more expensive than normal containers, but are easier to move. Within the rows of trees, we saw a familiar face – the Norway maple. Although the company didn’t know who would by it, they had quite a few trees.

After a hot tour of the greenhouses, the air-conditioned conference room at Hong Yue was a welcome site. Here, we talked to employees at Hongyue seed about the future of the industry, issues of sustainability, plant nutrition, and what how gas prices affect greenhouses and agriculture in the United States and China.

P.S. It is my birthday today.

Market in Hangzhou

While exploring in Hangzhou we came across a food market, but not like any other food market I have ever seen before. This market not only had a wide assortment of fruits and vegetables, but also chickens, ducks, pigeons, sparrows, crabs, shrimp, frogs, eels, water snakes, turtles, as well as many other creatures. These were not cooked and ready to consume, but still alive and crawling in the cages waiting for consumers to pick them out. It was very interesting not only to see the different types of food available but being able to see the culture up close and how unique it truly is.

On West Lake

Chengyan, Renee, Melissa and Shannon enjoy the boat ride on famous West Lake, Hangzhou.

Horticulture in China

Michael discussed how Senhe Seed does orchid tissue culture and propagation.



On the right, our class stands in front of a new greenhouse at Hongyue Seed Company near Hangzhou. Michael Zhou (pink shirt in front),Seed Department General Manager, was one of our hosts.

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Saturday morning we packed it up and headed for Hangzhou around 8:45. The drive out was interesting. Along the roadside we noticed that every inch of land was either planted, cultivated, or somehow in use. Nothing was left to grow wild. It is a big difference compared to the view from our highways in the U.S. outside the urban areas.

Another difference was the size of the farm plots. Unlike the mega-farms we see that are all of one type, like corn or soybeans, the Chinese plots were very small and a mix of different crops. The largest single plots were flooded rice fields, but we also saw wheat, mulberry, corn, garlic, onion, and leeks. The leaves of the mulberries were being harvested as a cash crop for silk production, and it was the larger houses that featured this plant. Farming in the area we drove through was much higher income versus the western part of China. We saw no machines! We even had a contest to see if anyone could spot any machine in the fields, but alas, there was only hand labor for the acres and acres of farm.

We arrived in Hangzhou early afternoon and met our new driver and guide for lunch. Our first site we visited was the Ling Yin Monastery. The Monastery was by far the most crowded place we had visited. The place featured many carvings in the surrounding mountains and immense statutes in the temples. Some chose to climb vine- covered paths to the top of a nearby mountain to take in the view. All of sub-tropical Hangzhou is very lush, much more so than Shanghai or Suzhou.

After Ling Yin we visited the Six Harmonies Pagoda. Most Pagodas mark the tomb of Buddhist monks, but this one served the purpose of flood control. Some Chinese believe that the nearby river contains a dragon, so the Pagoda was built to subdue him. For a small fee we climbed a set of steep, winding stairs 13 floors to the top. Hangzhou is a very humid place, maybe an average of 80 percent relative humidity since we have been here. The view, although hilly and lush, was masked by hazy fog, as I'm sure will turn out in the pictures you will see.

While at dinner in a hotel we witnessed a Chinese wedding that I am going to take the liberty of labeling bizarre. In Chinese culture, a couple is not married until they hold a big feast, which was the occasion we saw. The couple walked past fountains of sparkling fireworks (indoors!) and exchanged rings. The ceremony was markedly unspiritual. After the exchange the newly wed couple sat a a head table that was round- so members of the head table actually had their backs to the party. It was very interesting, and not like any wedding I have ever seen.

Hangzhou-Water, Tea and History

Sunday, May 25, 2008
Hangzhou-Day 2:

Today was not necessarily an early day for us, but it sure was a busy day. Leaving the hotel at about a quarter to 9 this morning our fist stop was West Lake. Hangzhou is famous for this very large body of water on the Western side of the city...thus the name: West Lake. This lake covers about 3 square miles and is half man-made and half natural. The natural portion was once part of the China Sea, but now is a reservoir. The lake itself is quite shallow with an average depth of 6ft. I found it interesting to note that every 2 weeks the entire body of the lake is pumped and replaced with clean water from which they collect about 2 metric tons of garbage daily. It is also home to the Broken Bridge which is referenced in the Tail of the White Snake Lady. It was named the Broken Bridge for 3 reasons: 1. The snow on top melts faster than that underneath so the bridge appears "broken" 2. The bridge is located at the end of the causeway 3. Broken is the family name.

Our next stop was at the Tea Garden. This is located in a small city that is home to more than 1000 teahouses, most of which are privately owned. Hangzhou's specialty is Green Tea and the specific type grown here is Dragon Well Tea (Longjing). I did not know much about tea before the visit as I myself am not an avid tea drinker but I was stunned to learn that it took 80,000 sprouts to make 1 kilo of tea. (And if that is any indication this Garden was HUGE!) After the sprouts are picked from the plant they are then air dried for about 4 hours and then are dried in a chinese cooking pot at about 110 degrees Celsius. The average drying time for 200g is 45 minutes so the procedure is very labor intensive. We also learned about a few types of tea available here in China. The first is Emperor's Tea. This has a very light color and is picked very early in the season, about February or March. Next comes the Daughter's Tea in March to April, followed by the Daughter-in-laws tea in April-May and finally the Mother-in-Laws Tea at the end of the season. It was also very surprising to know that the only tea that is exported is the mother-in-laws tea (the darkest and last picked) and it is usually ground and put into tea bags. The other three types are only available here in China.

After the Tea Garden we decided that it was time for lunch so we traveled over to The Hangzhou Botanical Garden and stopped at a restaurant by the entrance. After filling our stomaches we made our way out to view the garden. The garden is divided into several sections including, but not limited to, a medicinal garden, a landscape garden and a systematic section. The garden is located on the western outskirts and is quite peaceful as there is not much foot traffic compared to other places we have visited. (Well with the exception of wedding season as we saw many couples dressed up to take their wedding photos.)


After the Garden we were off to the China National Tea Museum. The museum was opened in April 1991, and covers 4.7 Ha with floor space totaling 8000 square meters. The museum is famous because it is the only museum to be specialized in tea and tea culture in China. The museum is not only home to the history and description of tea, but it also provides a location for training and research and is used as a basis to maintain culture. "In 2003, China Tea Culture Exhibition won the fifth session of National Top Ten Exhibition Awards, which was the most valuable award in terms of museum exhibitions in China." This museum has been visited by many in the government including leaders, members of the Communist Party, and friends from all over the world.

After the Garden we stopped back at the hotel to cool off and freshen up for a bit and then made our way to Old Street. Old Street, also known as Hefang Street, is a representation of "old Hangzhou." This street is designed for pedestrians and along both sides there are a numerous amount of shops offering various things such as, tea, silk, food, and many miscellaneous items. It is definitely a place for tourists to shop. Although this is not the real street ( it has been redesigned) the shops look like those dating back into the 1800s as well as the 1700s and possibly even earlier.

New vegetables on our table

We all have been enjoying Chinese food in Shanghai and Suzhou. Some vegetables in the dishes were completely new to us. The first one is the Jiaobai, which looks like eggplants or certain roots. I looked it up and find the name of the plant is Zizania aquatica. Here is the website about it:

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ZIAQ

The other one looks like cucumber but taste differently and is very crunchy. It is Celtuce or Asparagus lettuce (picture on right). What we ate was the stem of the plant. Here is more information about the plant:

http://www.rain.org/greennet/docs/exoticveggies/html/celtuce.htm

Lingyin Temple

Renee, Karine, Hannah and Melissa enjoy a waterfall at Lingyin Temple, site of numerous Buddha statues. Although our guide, Leo (an English teacher and tour guide) says less than 5% of Chinese practice Buddism, there can be 150,000 visitors per day to this temple. Here you can see a few of them in the background.

Departure and Arrival (Jason Skinner)

On May 18, 2008, our plane left the Twin Cities at 6:00 am. Within the hour we were waiting in the concourse at O’Hare International Airport. I had a cinnamon roll, a turkey sandwich, and an iced latte from Starbucks (with an extra shot of espresso). The exchange rate at the airport was 5.9 Yuan to the Dollar (this is low); the current exchange rate is seven Yuan to the US Dollar. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 10:30 am; at about 11:10 am we were on our way to Shanghai, which is 13 hours ahead of Central Time.
United Airlines (we were on a Boeing 747) served two lunches and a snack. The plane ride wasn’t that bad; I only slept for a few hours on and off. The flight was about 13 hours and we arrived at 1:30 pm (Shanghai time), May 19, at Shanghai International Airport. We easily passed through customs (which was very quick, I gave it a very happy rating – there was a digital rating survey at each customs teller). Also, we observed a three-minute silence, along with the rest of the country, for the many lives lost in the recent earthquake (70,000 and counting); we were soon out the doors and on a bus.
The highways and vegetation were very impressive; trees were propped up and supported with bamboo supports. Workers, sporting flashy, hunter orange uniforms, tend the trees, shrubs and flowers along the highway. Soon enough our driver managed to take us downtown, and before checking in at our hotel we went to the Oriental Pearl Tower to view Shanghai from 263 meters in the sky – a spectacular view! Skyscrapers and high-rise buildings dominated the view; like asparagus emerging in the spring, the architecture sprouted from the land for as far as we could see (horticulture students are allowed to make tacky vegetable metaphors). A haze, not quite fog and quite a settling dust, blanketed the city and hid the sky and the horizon from our view; 18 million residents live their lives here.
After a speedy descent in the elevator, our tour guide, Lili, lead us through the Shanghai History Museum. Our tour guide, Lili, is from Suzhou and also studied horticulture; she explained the displays at the museum. I did not know that Shanghai also had streetcars before buses – the entire world has succumbed to the ventures of the petrol industrialists.
Later that evening we arrived at the hotel – the New Asia Hotel. I drank a little tap water. Jake and I went for a walk after the sun went down. We passed a McDonalds and went inside to check out the menu. A Big Mac meal (with fries and a Coke) costs 17 Yuan – about $2.50; the sandwich alone was 12.50 Yuan. Instead of a dollar menu there is a 6-Yuan menu. Our night-walk lead us through a few streets and a few alleys. Eventually, yes, Jake and I became frustrated, but we were never lost. Jake bought a melon and bananas from a man selling fruit – 10 Yuan (about a dollar and a half, cheaper than Cub). Our exposure, however brief and limited, gave Jake and I the impression that the Chinese, especially our generation, are basically just like us – which I find to be pretty cool. Younger crowds and couples take to the streets at night. Most of the stores closed at 9:30 pm.
We stopped at an ATM (International Bank of China) so I could acquire some cash; I notic the Visa sign and took advantage. Later, I looked at my checking account and saw that I received the very best exchange rate – just over 7 Yuan per dollar. The ATM was easy to use because I could use the Englished commands. TCF Bank, in Minneapolis, charged me just over four bucks to make the withdrawal; the International Bank of China charged about six dollars – perfectly fine by my standards, having withdrawn 1000 Yuan (roughly $140).
The number of bikes, motor-bikes, and mopeds is unbelievable. Minneapolis is known as a bike-friendly city, but the numbers don’t even come close to what we see in Shanghai. Bike “shoulders”, as we have in the States, don’t exist here. The bikes fit right in with the rest of traffic – usually hugging one side of the road or the other, the large numbers of two-wheeled commuters make it easier to fend off the cars, amongst other two-wheelers. There are, however, some roads with separate bike lanes that are completely separated from the car lanes by a curbed median, usually planted with street trees – Sycamores are very popular street trees here; this is a great idea and this is what needs to happen in the US.
Like crosswalks with walk signals, there are bike signals here – a green bike lights up when it is appropriate to cross (keep in mind you are still not guaranteed a right of way). The traffic laws are liberal, especially at night when traffic police aren’t out. You are pretty much on your own – look both ways and hurry your ass across the street or into the adjacent lane. There are also counters, on many of the traffic lights, for cars and busses, to let you know how much time you have to get through the green and how long you have to wait for the red.
mentioned a Target might do well here; I responded by noting the laziness of Americans – we really only need to know one or two stores (destinations) to get whatever we need (we The shops are very specific in what they sell. Many street-front businesses have roll up steel doors to close at night. There are many clothing stores too; local brands are cheaper than western brands like Nike, which cost the same. A pair of Crocs costs about $40. Jake are simple people and have not the time to be traveling all over to run errands, or maybe we are too stupid to know where to find everything, it seems like local self sufficiency is lacking in the US – after all, where would we find soaps and toilet paper if it weren’t for Target, I don’t know of any producers). In China, similar to European markets, there is a store for every department we would have in a Target. However, as far as shopping goes, there are still department, stores that act as malls, comprised of different stores. One of my favorite shops was a ribbon store – great selection.
At the very end of the day we were all very tired, dirty, and starting to smell, shower at night here. Some of us hadn’t had more than a few hours of sleep for three days, with finals, an early 13 hour flight, and then about 20 hours of China. The hotel beds were very firm.

What Goes Around, Hopefully Comes Around

While we have been in China we ate at many different restaurants and had many different types of food but they all have one main thing in common. In the middle of the table sits a lazy susan and this is where the food is served. When the food is brought, it is not brought all at once but throughout the meal. When new dishes are added, everyone wants to try them but it may take awhile for the lazy susan to finally get all the way around to you! Even though we have had a lot of practice, the art of spinning the lazy susan still needs to be perfected!

Unviewable Website

Hey everyone, just to let you all know the only thing we are able to do with this blog is publish posts. The actual website has been blocked everywhere we have been in China thus far. We are unable to view the website and have been unable to read your comments, but please keep making them because they are what truely make this a blog and will be fun to read when we get home. If any of you have questions about one of the posts or direct comments you would like us to read please send an e-mail to umnhort4000@gmail.com we will try our best to get back to you.

Suzhou - Sleeping in Silk

Nihao, it is the end of day si (4) and we are slowly beginning to pick up a word here and there of the beautiful Chinese language. Today was a hot and humid day which began with a tour of Choyers, Suzhous number one silk mill, an afternoon at Zhouzhuang a large watertown, lunch in Zhouzhuang, then to Jinji lake garden and finally to complete our day with dinner back in Suzhou.

Choyers is Suzhous numer one silk factory and is known all over the world and was even worn by Princess Diana. This factory is the oldest in all of China dating back to the Shang dynasty (1600-1050BC). At the factory we were able to observe the process of silk making from silk worm egg hatching to cocoon unwinding. Silk worms eat mulberry leaves from Morus alba. After the silk worm has molted four to five times it is ready to spin its cocoon. These cocoons are then collected, sorted by size and color then placed in steamed water for the thread unwinding. The secret of silk dying is only learned from four years of study at a university. The length of the silk strand determines the quality of the silk a poorer quality is about 600 M long while very high quality silk strands can measure 1300 to 1600 M in length. One silk strand is 1/5 the size of a strand of human hair. It takes around 600 cocoons to produce one mans tie and about 3000 to make one blouse. Silk contains eighteen amino acids and to some it is believed wearing silk or sleep in silk sheets to help cure skin ailments.

On the way to Zhouzhuang we traveled by many rice fields and crop production in small hoop houses. Zhouzhuang is called Watertown because of its location on the Jinhang Canal. This is a charming old town that used to be known for its silk, pottery, and grain. Today the town is known for fishing and pork. On the way to lunch we passed by many street stands specializing in pork. After lunch we had some free time to walk around some of us took a boat ride while other shopped. This town has by far been my favortite!

The next stop was Jinji Lake Garden. This is a newer garden located on the eastern outskirts of Shuzhou. This area was lakeside and featured zigzag paths and included local and non local cuisine. This garden was featured in the Sept. 16^th, 2007 edition of the New York Times. This garden was a decade long project totaling $47.7 million to complete. We had great views of the City but due to clouds and haze it was barely visible.

Finally we finished the day with dinner feature a multitude of dishes. The eggplant dish and cucumber with eggs was my favorite. After returning to the hotel we all had a fruit party featuring dragon fruit, mangos, and other unknown fruit to us.

We are having a wonderful time in China and have learned so much already in just the short time we have been here. Well tomorrow it is off to Hanghou.