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One Small Step for Students, One Giant Leap for Parents!
The eagle has landed! Our JE 2008 gang arrived in Shanghai at 1:58 am (our time).
Welcome to China! It is now evening over there and I am sure everyone is anxious to crawl into a comfortable bed and get some sleep.
However, according to Andi Anderson (Chaperone JE2007), the group may find the beds not so comfortable. She describes the ones they slept on as rock hard, thin-like futons. But maybe, after spending 24 hours in and out of airplanes and airports, being able to lie flat may be the thing that does the trick!
So now the journey begins in earnest. As our day gets underway in southern Vermont (with rain), the group will now settle in for a couple of days of touring Shanghai, China. On Friday, the group will head west for a week-long visit of the Chongqing area.
A small group of kids and chaperones took a short walk around the area this morning. Tom said the area they walked felt a little like Broadway and Times Square in New York City. A “different vibe” than Beijing, he said. Can’t wait to hear more about this amazing city.
While the JE gang sleeps, let’s get to know a little about Shanghai. Shanghai is often referred to as “Hu” in Chinese with “Shen” as its nickname. It is the largest city in China (population) and is ranked somewhere between the fourth and tenth largest city in the world (the ranking and numbers vary depending on the source -- here is a 2006 ranking). City population is approximately 13 million (municipality is about 17 million), or more than 20 times that of Vermont!
SHANGHAI
Shanghai began more than 1,000 years ago as a fishing village. It became a market city in 1159. Read more of its history here. Shanghai’s education opportunities are plentiful with about 850 middle schools, 1,200 primary schools, and 930 are kindergartens
The Shanghai Education Association for International Exchange has arranged the activities for the group while in Shanghai. One of the places I am sure the group will go is the Bund (Zhongshan Road). This Bund is one of the most popular sights in Shanghai. The is the waterfront and is regarded as the symbol of Shanghai. are the 52 various buildings of different architectural styles including Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque, Classicism and the Renaissance.
Okay, so we’ll wait to see what’s on tap with the group as they get organized and prepare for their first full day in China. We should be getting our first photos and reports from the gang in a few hours.
Enjoy your day!
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