An Experiential Journey

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I just returned from China, and words cannot express how amazing this journey to the Eastern Hemisphere changed my views of the world. I learned so much about China, and I cannot wait to share what I learned with my students at Brookwood Middle School. Out of all the study tours I have had the opportunity to participate in--this one outshines them all. The National Consortium for Teaching about Asia, the East Asian Studies Center at Indiana University, and the Freeman Foundation are all incredible organizations that believe teachers can inspire others through their journeys to East Asia. I am so thankful to have been a part of such an amazing team of educators! All I can saw is WOW--what an experiential journey!

Free Study Day!

According to a Chinese proverb, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. My journey to this incredible country was life-changing. We were treated like royalty as we learned about the history and culture of China. I toured the Communism Museum during my free time. I also visited a local bookstore that was seven-stories tall. I was AMAZED to see so many parents with their children in the bookstore. I enjoyed trying to figure out the Shanghai subway system in Chinese. I bought some Chinese children's books to show my students. I had great lunch of Haagen-Daaz ice cream, and walked around the streets of Shanghai the rest of the afternoon.

Zhu-jia-jiao

We visited Zhu-jia-jiao today, which is a "water city" outside of Shanghai. It is a beautiful place to wander through the streets. I helped Noah find pearls for his future daughter, and the group enjoyed sightseeing in the city. We took a boat ride, and saw spectacular views of the town. We also toured Shanghai Museum, where we learned about Chinese history and culture. We had a lovely farewell dinner, where Melanie B gave us beautiful gifts and she told us the "one word" she thinks about when she thinks about all of us. She told me my word was "adventure." A few members of the group sang a song about the trip, and then we all went to a place to sing Karaoke. Songs such as Sweet Home Alabama, Jambalaya, Born to Run, and Just a Gigolo were sung by incredible members of our group. Who knew teachers could be such showstoppers?

On the way to Shanghai

We boarded our China Express flight from Zhongdian to Shanghai, via Kunming. We learned that Al Franken was officially elected to the U.S. Senate today, giving the Democrats a filibuster-proof majority. This made us very excited. We took a Night Cruise in Shanghai, where we saw some of the most beautiful views of Shanghai at night, including the Shanghai Tower and the world's tallest building.

Shangri-La!!!

We made it to Shangri-La! Zhongdian is home to many Tibetan minority villagers. We got the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit a Tibetan family, in the foothills of the Himalayas. We tasted Yak butter tea, buckwheat, and Yak cheese. When mixed together, it tasted a lot like cheerios. We learned about the burial traditions in this community, and wow--was that different. We also visited Bitahai Lake. It rained a lot, but we enjoyed the hike anyway.

Tiger-Leaping Gorge

As our tour bus made its way through steep mountain cliffs with hairpin turns to Tiger-Leaping Gorge, we figured out why we had to purchase the trip insurance. Once we arrived at the gorge, we saw beatiful scenery. The day was filled with a flood of emotions, as the breathtaking sights in southwestern China simply amaze us more and more each day. We also saw the first bend of the Yangtze river.

Lijiang

Today we traveled to Lijiang. It is a wonderful town in Yunnan province. We strolled along the cobblestone streets, where we saw lots of typical Chinese shops. Our group has become a family of close friends, and we are amazed at the sights and sounds of China. We were treated to an outstanding Naxi Music Performance. Some of us walked around at night to see the nightlife in the area. There wasn't much to do near our hotel, so we all went to sleep pretty early. On June 28th, we visited Jade Dragon Mountain. It was a nice hike, but it was cold. Several of us bought hot pink jackets that reminded me of the "pink ladies" from Grease. We have developed our own rating system for Chinese toilets, and as we travel to more rural areas we find the toilets get more and more primitive. We visited a Baisha village, where many of us purchased authentic foot-binding shoes to show students in our classrooms. We also visited the Donga Cultural Center, where we learned about Dongba--the last hieroglyphic language still used in the world today. I got the Dongba Shaman to write the Brookwood Middle School motto on a scroll for my classroom. This evening, some of us visited the Taco Bar and the New Amsterdam Pub. I even met a lady from Alabama who was teaching English in Lijiang. Greg and I "toasted" to a good trip, and (dragons that we are), we accidentally broke the drink glasses. The music in both places was great, especially "Wake me Up Before you Go-Go" and AC/DC's "Shook Me All Night Long." What a wonderful two days in Lijiang!