One butt, two seats: the widening of America.
The jetlag is really hitting me a lot harder here than it did in China. I think worsening it is the fact that it's been overcast and rainy rather than sunny (Beijing was almost constantly sunny) and that's throwing off my Circadian rhythms even further. Sigh. I keep wanting to go to bed at like, 8pm, and waking up at 5am. Not awesome. But at least I've mostly unpacked and cleaned my room to a tolerable level. Also, have caught up on watching Glee and Lie to Me, so yay.
I think I'm also feeling a little reverse culture shock and a sense of isolation now that I'm no longer sleeping in the same room as a roommate and running around with a group of people for most of the day. In a few days this should pass; I really should get in contact with some of my friends now that I'm back. I've just felt so fatigued in the past few days (and the weather is so unpleasant) but next week should be nice.
Reflections on my trip to China:
-The trip itself was fantastic. Not only seeing the sites and whatnot, but also coming to understand the Chinese culture in a way I never could before--being able to experience my cultural heritage and speak feeble Mandarin was amazing. I will have to mull over the implications of this more, because it has definitely affected the way I look at the world now.
-Beijing was interesting and jam packed with historical places to visit, but I must admit that Shanghai won my heart. It is now my favorite asian city--beating out Tokyo, Beijing, and Taipei easily. I would LOVE to go back to Shanghai someday--and at the rate it is growing and changing, I am sure that in five, ten years it will be an entirely new place as well.
-Watching the rate of expansion and change in China was impressive and amazing--and it makes me wonder if this is how visitors to the US felt decades or even a century ago when they came to America. Nowadays, there really aren't that kind of massive construction projects going on in America's cities (other than perhaps Las Vegas) and especially not now during the reccession; there is something energizing about being in a country whose cities are only beginning their ascendancy, and whose star is rising within the global community. I already knew that China was the place to watch for the future, but going there absolutely underlined the fact for me.
-Damn, but Asia is cheap. I stayed in a decent hotel room with a roommate for 2 weeks for $350. I stayed for 3 nights in Shanghai for $48. Amazing! Especially as I have been trying to book rooms in the US.
-The smog in Beijing is no joke, man. At least they planted all those trees and plants for the Olympics--I feel slightly better about the air I breathed, thought that is probably an illusion. On the other hand, Terminal 3 of the Beijing Airport is fantastic and reminds me of the Madrid Airport, oddly enough (lots of orange).
-I read some study that showed that one of people's biggest regrets is that they never got to travel as much as they wished to. Since I love traveling, this wonderful trip to China has heightened my resolve to make this summer the summer of travel. There is nothing quite like going to new places, experiencing new cultures, eating different food. I hope to visit all the major cities of the world at least once before I die, and there's no time like today to start!
-It is nice to be back in a place where you can drink the tap without boiling it, though.
Washington DC - on a slightly different, but related, tack, I am going to be in DC from July 6-10! I just booked the flight and the hotel, and am very excited to be re-visiting our nation's capital! I went once for my eighth grade field trip, which was good in that we hit a lot of major sites: the Whitehouse, Capitol Building, Vietnam Memorial (amazing! my favorite public monument in the US), Mount Vernon, the Lincoln Memorial, and a few museums I only recall in a blur. Of course, since I was in eighth grade and traveling with a whole group, there wasn't much opportunity for lengthy exploration or getting a feel of the city; this trip will be an excellent chance to go see all the things I couldn't, the last time around. If anyone is in the region at the same time and would like to meet up, give me a shout out.
Other places to travel: currently on my list are London and Chicago. Anybody on my f-list have any recommendations for good places to go this summer?
I think I'm also feeling a little reverse culture shock and a sense of isolation now that I'm no longer sleeping in the same room as a roommate and running around with a group of people for most of the day. In a few days this should pass; I really should get in contact with some of my friends now that I'm back. I've just felt so fatigued in the past few days (and the weather is so unpleasant) but next week should be nice.
Reflections on my trip to China:
-The trip itself was fantastic. Not only seeing the sites and whatnot, but also coming to understand the Chinese culture in a way I never could before--being able to experience my cultural heritage and speak feeble Mandarin was amazing. I will have to mull over the implications of this more, because it has definitely affected the way I look at the world now.
-Beijing was interesting and jam packed with historical places to visit, but I must admit that Shanghai won my heart. It is now my favorite asian city--beating out Tokyo, Beijing, and Taipei easily. I would LOVE to go back to Shanghai someday--and at the rate it is growing and changing, I am sure that in five, ten years it will be an entirely new place as well.
-Watching the rate of expansion and change in China was impressive and amazing--and it makes me wonder if this is how visitors to the US felt decades or even a century ago when they came to America. Nowadays, there really aren't that kind of massive construction projects going on in America's cities (other than perhaps Las Vegas) and especially not now during the reccession; there is something energizing about being in a country whose cities are only beginning their ascendancy, and whose star is rising within the global community. I already knew that China was the place to watch for the future, but going there absolutely underlined the fact for me.
-Damn, but Asia is cheap. I stayed in a decent hotel room with a roommate for 2 weeks for $350. I stayed for 3 nights in Shanghai for $48. Amazing! Especially as I have been trying to book rooms in the US.
-The smog in Beijing is no joke, man. At least they planted all those trees and plants for the Olympics--I feel slightly better about the air I breathed, thought that is probably an illusion. On the other hand, Terminal 3 of the Beijing Airport is fantastic and reminds me of the Madrid Airport, oddly enough (lots of orange).
-I read some study that showed that one of people's biggest regrets is that they never got to travel as much as they wished to. Since I love traveling, this wonderful trip to China has heightened my resolve to make this summer the summer of travel. There is nothing quite like going to new places, experiencing new cultures, eating different food. I hope to visit all the major cities of the world at least once before I die, and there's no time like today to start!
-It is nice to be back in a place where you can drink the tap without boiling it, though.
Washington DC - on a slightly different, but related, tack, I am going to be in DC from July 6-10! I just booked the flight and the hotel, and am very excited to be re-visiting our nation's capital! I went once for my eighth grade field trip, which was good in that we hit a lot of major sites: the Whitehouse, Capitol Building, Vietnam Memorial (amazing! my favorite public monument in the US), Mount Vernon, the Lincoln Memorial, and a few museums I only recall in a blur. Of course, since I was in eighth grade and traveling with a whole group, there wasn't much opportunity for lengthy exploration or getting a feel of the city; this trip will be an excellent chance to go see all the things I couldn't, the last time around. If anyone is in the region at the same time and would like to meet up, give me a shout out.
Other places to travel: currently on my list are London and Chicago. Anybody on my f-list have any recommendations for good places to go this summer?