It has always been traditional for me to be at home on New Year’s. This year, I was in two homes for two New Year’s. When I came to China, I did not know that the Lunar New Year was fast approaching (just letting you know beforehand, Chinese New Year started in early February, not January 1).
I started writing this on a United Airlines airplane, slowly realizing that I was heading to a new home with only five recognizable faces for the next six months. Things will be difficult – getting adjusted, learning the language, and figuring out Chinese culture. I did not know what to think, except to think about the faces of my loved ones back home. As I arrived in Shanghai, 14 hours later, I was immediately anxious to see China and my Chinese brothers and sisters.
During the past two weeks, I have been in Shanghai – China’s biggest city with hundreds of skyscrapers. I never imagined that I would go there, and it is very different and unique in its own way.
My program is soon coming to an end in a couple of weeks, so I’ve decided to catch up on some traveling around China before it does. During a four-day school holiday my classmate, Anna, and I decided to travel to Shanghai and Suzhou.
The global experience, as told by SDSU students 