Nia how! After spending five days in Japan we took a two day break on the boat as we sailed down to China! Six days whipped us into shape as we ran from city to city, hitting the spots we wanted to see. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from China, but I was blown away by how much history and culture there is and how breathtaking the sites were. What I saw in China I was expecting to see more of in Japan. More looks were 
turned our way, more pictures asked to be taken with us and of us, more shoving, more lights, and less friendly faces. The extreme cold put a damper on a few days in China. I mean you can take the girl out of Texas but you can’t take the Texas out of the girl. Put me in 100° weather and it’s no problem, but when I’m immersed in 20° weather with a wind chill of 15°s, we have a problem. I have officially decided I need to live somewhere warm. The Chinese really like pork. If it’s named chicken, it’s probably pork. My sausage biscuit at McDonald’s? Pork biscuit. Not a fan. Speaking of McDonald’s, many people go on nice dates there as it shows they have money. Pizza Hut is also considered fine dining. Also would like to give a big shout out to my friend Ben who is fluent in Chinese (once again no one speaks English), we would not have been able to get around with you! We hit four cities in six days: Shanghai, Beijing, Xi’an, and Hong Kong.
Shanghai
The lights at night are brighter than the day. The luminous skyline wakes up the city and brings it to life. You can’t see much during the day though. When we arrived in Shanghai the pollution had consumed the sky at a whopping 120 points creating a smog affect around the city tucking away the skyline. The weather app on my phone had stated that the air quality was very unhealthy. Just like Japan, medical masks were the trend. We had one day here so we 
spent our time exploring the gardens, eating authentic Chinese food, riding up the second tallest building in the world, shopping at the markets, and gazing upon local decorations as they prepare for Chinese New Year! Chinese New Year, their biggest holiday like our Christmas except they get ten days off from work to celebrate. Still confused why those who work don’t get ten days off for the holidays in America. This year is the year of the dog. If you were born the year of the dog, it’s your unlucky year! Sorry. The celebration lasts for a week and everyone is filled with joy and love. One of the traditions with the Chinese New Year is that all the kids receive a red envelope full of cash which is their allowance for the year. This teaches them how to budget their money. If I were handed a wad of cash I’d be celebrating for ten days too! We ended our night at a bar with the best view (still not over that sky line) and a club that had sharks swimming on the walls. Casual.
Beijing
Surprise! With a 3:30 a.m. wake up call, I was rushed out of my room and cabbed to the train station to take the bullet train to Beijing! I wasn’t expecting to wake up until 4:45 a.m. but as we had not bought tickets yet, the bartender told Ben we were crazy for 
not leaving earlier to get them, hence the earlier wake up. Glad we did leave early though because we got the last 10-15 tickets for the 4-1/2 hour train. As the day goes on, the trains get longer. We arrived in Beijing tired and pleasantly surprised by the less polluted, blue skies smiling at us! Two days we spent here, so we took our time exploring. Tiananmen Square lit up at night was breathtaking. Maos face was smacked right in the middle and as we pondered over the masoleum, Ben gave us a quick history lesson over the great leaders of China, like Mao Zedong (founder of the Chinese communist party) and Xi Jingping (Chinas current leader), and how they have affected their country. It’s crazy how much has happened in 100 years and what has not been in our textbooks.
Beijing Part 2
One of my favorite days on the trip!!! A beautiful day with insane sites, amazing food, and great people, this was a day for the books. The sun was shining down upon us as we arrived at the forbidden city though, keep in mind it was still 20°s and Jack Frost had nibbled at our toes. This was probably the coldest my toes have ever been. Tip: wear thick or fuzzy socks in this weather, regular socks will not cut it. As we stood in awe of the city, local Chinese children stood in awe of us. It’s amazing how we can be 
surrounded by beauty but spend our time staring at something or someone so foreign. This happened in multiple places, but it was so much fun getting to talk to these kids. After our stroll through the forbidden city, we drove an hour and a half to see the Great Wall! Y’all, this wall is SO GREAT! Its greater than great really, I was and still am blown away at the walls allurement. Standing on that wall felt like I was standing on top of the world fully embracing Gods creation that surrounds that wall. Mountains on end, blue skies, and sunshine can only call for a perfect day. It’s tradition on semester at sea to shot gun a beer on the Great Wall, so of course we did. Our tour guide thought it was so weird but said to go right ahead. We tobogganed our way down the wall straight into the best fried rice and dumplings. Really a great day.
Xi’an
Smaller than Shanghai and Beijing, Xi’an is another bustling city surrounded by the famous Xi’an wall where the Terracotta Army is located. The only reason we came to this city was because of the Warriors and it was for sure worth it. No 
solider is alike, but resembles a real army of men, protecting the emperor. The clay warriors were created to protect the late emperor in the after life, which was a huge honor for the soldiers they were modeled after. The statues were recently discovered in the 70s. It was also said that the craftmens who made them were buried alive so no one would tell what and why they were making them. After the warriors, we went to a temple where multiple copper deities were located. The beautiful statues are very sacred and the locals are very protective over them, aka don’t take pictures of them, you might get yelled at. Though we had little time, our experience was big.
Hong Kong
I regret not spending more time here. I had so many friends tell me this has been their favorite city yet, and I only spent one day here! But it was a great day to say 
the least. I had another field class with my Nutrition class where we tasted different teas, authentic foods, explored local food markets, and took a tai chi class. We brewed our own tea from plants and leaves that tea comes from and frankly it tastes much better, and it’s more fun. Trying different sweets like chocolate with your tea creates a sensation in your mouth. Colors overwhelmed the markets with fresh fruits and veggies causing my mouth to salivate. We’re not suppose to eat the fruits and veggies that are washed in water because our bodies are not immuned to the water here. Our last day in China was my first time to try dim sum and once again regrets on not trying it earlier. Dim sum is like a thicker dumpling, but mine was filled with sweet sweet sweet potatoes. Hong Kong, I will be back for you.
China you were a whirlwind. A big country with grand features, I learned more in six days about China than I did in any history class. Traveling, my friends, is the best way to learn.
Enjoy the video!
XX,
Cat
Cat Across the Map 