A Day in Shanghai - Video

hello dearest ones! I've made another video with the theme "a day in shanghai!" This will let you see what it looks like to drive around on mopeds, go to cocos, group dinners, and class at Fudan, plus some bonus footage of the shanghai art museum field trip and the pearl tower during our final banquet. I am by no means good at making these videos but I've absolutely loved looking through all of this footage while being away and I hope you all will, too! enjoy!

love,
kpk

Definitely not in China anymore

There have been some things about being back that have been easier than expected, and then there have been some things that I guess will just take time. Probably the exact amount of time I will be back... then I need to start all over again! But I thought it would be interesting to share a few of those things with you guys because hey, my kpk life has definitely affected my life in america.

Okay, so the easy things:

1. Driving. Who knew? Yes the driving culture is much crazier in China but it is an organized chaos that I have come to appreciate. And though I have only driven a moped while over there, I expected it to be much more difficult stepping into a drivers seat. But thankfully, things have been easier than I foresaw them to be. However, I am still exceptionally paranoid about American cops because I can't pretend I don't understand them if I were to get into an altercation. :)
2. Eating. I know that sounds a little silly but I honestly expected american food to wreak havoc on my digestive system. Our food is SO much saltier and full of not-so-good-for-you-stuff that I've been surprised my system hasn't taken a huge hit. Can't wait to find out if the reverse of this expectation happens when I return. :\
3. Being social. I honestly thought I would have a hard time interacting with people after nearly four months of pointing and making other wild gestures to convey what I want! I feared that when returning to the states, I would do the same gestures on accident or be unbearably awkward. While living in a house and taking classes where "normal," English interactions occured, it did not mitigate those fears. Even as I landed in the Chicago airport, the buzz of conversations that I could easily understand more than just bits and pieces frazzled me to an embarrassing degree. But after spending nearly 3 and 1/2 hours in an apple store this week, I found myself striking up conversations with an ample amount of strangers about the holidays, China, my general bad luck with Apple devices, and many other things. I guess that fear was a silly one. :(

Now for the things that haven't been so easy:

1. Sleeping. The first couple of days is expected when trying to adjust to two very different time zones, however my frustration over my sleep has been incredibly irksome. I can't take naps. I become groggy by 7 pm and cannot stay up past 10 pm. I used to wake up at 4 or 5 am but that has been progressively improving to 7 or 8. Though this isn't much to complain about, it definitely is something I didn't foresee being an issue. 
2. Being alone. So our program complains a lot because our facilities and the mass population of Shanghai combine to equal zero alone time. Besides the bathroom, you will literally always be around people, and for those who are introverted, it can kind of be a nightmare. But little did I know that after just a couple days of being home, alone time wasn't so nice anymore. I have my perfect dog to keep me company but I've also found myself starting to say something, and realizing no one was there. Not to say I'm looking forward to going back to communal living or thousands of people everywhere, however I definitely do miss the 41 other members of the Jia. Which, I admit, I didn't think I would. 
3. Accepting American's views on China. I say this one with caution because I haven't experienced anything very ethnocentric, it's just a personal realization I've had since being home. Before I came to China, I accepted that the most people knew about the country was that lots of things have a MADE IN... sticker by them. But since I've been back, I've noticed how much China plays a role in American life but how we often overlook it. On the radio yesterday, ice sculptors from Harbin, China were mentioned and I got excited because I knew where they were from and how cool it was that they were in Nashville. But then I also realized that I would have never noticed something like that, or even if I had, I wouldn't have thought of looking into it, because it was China. Something so big and foreign never held my attention before now.  I have become very proud of the perspective my semester in Shanghai has given me and I can't wait to learn more about it when I return. But in the meantime, I will try to make more people understand, at least a little bit, why I we should care and why I love it so much! 

Love,

KPK

Playing catch-up

I'm back in Nashville!! Its so wonderful being home and so far jetlag hasn't been too big of an issue.

Anyways! The reason for this post, and an explaination for the title, is that I finally made a video documenting my Xian & Chengdu trip! I know it is long overdue but it is done and I hope you enjoy it!

Much love everyone, I promise to have more updates soon :)

CLICK HERE TO WATCH

love,

kpk

That's a wrap

Semester 1 is finished!

1 writeup
2 hospital visits
3 months
18 units
42 wonderful students
100s of kuai
Countless memories

I cannot believe that an entire semester in China has flown by. I know I've talked about it a lot but that just proves how surreal it all has been. Every trip and every new experience has been completely unexpected and wonderful.

What's weirdest of all is that in two days I will be back in Nashville, struggling to avoid jetlag. Are people going to see that I've changed? Are people going to get annoyed that China will probably be the only thing I can talk about? Am I going to like the US as much? I know this is so dramatic but they are legitimate concerns.

Either way, I am so excited. I can't wait to have face to face conversations with my family and sleep in a normal sized bed. But I am going to miss China so much. I am already looking forward to spending the break planning weekend trips and getting excited to do it all over again.

dear china, i love you
dear america, i'm coming for you

love,
kpk

Off to the Races

Travel weekend #2 is officially upon us!

As I mentioned in my previous post, this weekend Rhett and I are planning to spend two days in Xian and two days in Chengdu, China. Our itinerary is packed to say the least and this will be our first time on an overnight train and the furthest into mainland china we've ever been! All this considered, we don't really know what to expect. Before coming to China, being so in the dark would make me want to pull my hair out (and honestly the urge is still there), BUT I've had nothing but positive experiences here and I'm not going to stop now!

I guess that's the greatest thing I've learned about traveling: you can look up pictures, best places to eat, and must-see attractions, but it will never compare to experiencing it yourself. Not to mention that the expectations we have were made to be exceeded or not met at all so that we can learn from them. Right now my expectation is that Rhett and I are in for a shock. We will be traveling by train, taxi, bus, bikes, and airplanes all in four days,  and doing so in Chinese is going to be a lot more difficult, I'm sure, than it seems now. But you'll never know until you try, right?

Rhett's phycology class gets out in thirty minutes and then we are taking a taxi to Shanghai railway station to being our journey. So until next time, I hope you find something daring to do this weekend, no matter where you are or how many things on your plate! Next week is Thanksgiving so go make an experience worth being thankful for!

love,
kpk

Addictions

In case you were getting tired of my attempts at serious/deep posts, I hope this will be a nice change of pace. Rhett and I have been talking a lot about spending a couple days in Shanghai filming our daily lives to satiate our family and friend's curiosity. In these discussions we have come up with a lot of ideas of places to go/things to do.... but then we realized that filming a couple days would be a little embarrassing. Why? Because we would be frequently visiting one store over... and over... and over again! Yes, we have developed an EXTREME addiction to coco's. What is coco's you say? This glorious little storefront two blocks away from our Jia sells boba tea, hot drinks, kumquat-lemon juice, and so much more for no more than 13 kuai (aka $2). On our lowest of days we have actually gone 3 times. It is seriously getting bad. To make the situation even worse, we've come up with excuses as to why we go so much (the denial):

1. Only a limited time we can have it
2. Sweets aren't a thing here, so this is how we fulfill cravings
3. $2... Nuff said

And that, ladies and gents is why I am undeniably addicted to coco's. For those who ever visit one of their fabulous locations I highly recommend the chocolate milk tea with boba, cold, with a little ice. For the lighter fair, kumquat-lemon juice with fresh squeezed kumquats inside. Order DA (large) of both and you'll pay 10 kuai each. For those who are extremely interested: click here for their english website.

In other, more exciting, news: Next week is a long weekend! Rhett and I will be going to Xian, Leshan, and Chengdu. On the to-do list in 4 days: visit the Terra Cotta soldiers, Drum Tower, Bell Tower, Wild Goose Pagoda, Leshan Giant Buddha, and the Chengdu Panda Research Base to hold a baby panda! I'm so so excited... but it's four days away from coco's :). Will report back soon!

love,
kpk

The countdown has begun

It seems like a lifetime ago that I was telling people I was spending my sophomore year in China. All summer long I found great entertainment in gauging people's reaction to that very statement as I saw them analyzing my sanity. However, it only feels like a week or two ago that I was getting lost on my moped and spending ridiculous amounts of time obsessing over the exact conversion of my lunch bill from RMB to USD. How has time escaped me yet again? The crux of my dilemma started this week when a student only staying for the fall semester informed us that we had officially hit the five week mark before break. Five weeks?! Just barely over a month? In disbelief, we all had a great time recalling everything that we have done so far and also began tough conversations about what our expectations and goals were coming into the program and how they had been fulfilled or not. Some tears and lots of laughs later, none of us could truly comprehend the fact that in just 10 extremely short weeks, we have all grown and experienced much more than we ever could have anticipated. Though our surroundings and the people we are with have officially become familiar, we have all vowed to keep finding ways of challenging ourselves. So! Here's to 10 weeks of wonderful adventures we have shared and to the remaining 5, that they may be filled with adventure as well as challenges.

P.S. I would like to take a quick moment to thank whomever may be reading this. Blogging is still out of my comfort zone but I appreciate every minute taken by someone else to read this and pass it along. I'm so thankful for the motivation from each and every one of you to share my experiences and grow in this exercise. Much love & thanks for sticking with me. Happy Blog-Aversary, everyone!

P.P.S. Here are some links to any newsletters if you've missed them and another video from our media coordinator!

1. Newsletter 05 (EFT Edition)
2. Newsletter 06 (Halloween at the Jia)
3. Video <3

love,
kpk

Shanghai Survivor: Shangri-La EFT

What an amazing week. Now that we've had a few days back from our adventure in Yunnan Province, I honestly cannot believe how much we experienced. As my cultural mentor put it, living in Shanghai is "soft" China. We have every culture represented in accessible and safe food, transportation easily labeled in English, and in a city with the population of Australia: we are safe. I think the EFT came at a perfect time to remind everyone in the program that we are not immune to the struggles of being abroad. In fact, out of the 49 people that attended our Shangri-La Educational Field Trip, only 11 avoided food poisoning/vomiting/diarrhea. It was absolutely insane.

For me personally, I was not one of the 11. I actually lasted quite a long time in comparison to half of the group that earned the label "puke bus" after the second day. I even ran around Shaxi buying electrolyte-filled drinks for my boyfriend, Rhett, as he lost all of his food contents for the day. But I earned my 5 AM wake up call, completely immobilized because of food sickness.  Rapidly loosing fluids, I knew that I was facing a 3 and 1/2 hour bus ride and I was adamant on not soiling my pants/throw up on the bus. So I inadvertently dehydrated myself to the extent that when we finally arrived at a Lijiang restaurant, I was incapacitated. After attempting to go to the bathroom before our bus ride to the hotel, I collapsed. Rhett picked me up, and I passed out seconds later. He informed me later that he had to fend off random Chinese people attempting to put some sort of smelling salts on me while carry me down to the bus where our directors were. Next thing I knew, I was in Lijiang hospital, IV attached and being poked and prodded. Despite my fears, the hospital was just fine but lacking dozens of regulations like in the US. Doors were wide open on a 40-50 degree day, sheets not changed in between patients, people smoking in the lobby, and nurses needing to be tracked down rather than being attentive. But, as the title of this post reiterates: we survived.

Everything was exaggerated because of sickness but the bottom line was that the trip was the unexpected journey we knew it would be. We all needed some un-comfortableness in our lives and we got it by the bus-load. Though everyone would have been much happier avoiding sickness, nothing was serious and the sites around us were an amazing distraction from the negatives. I haven't expanded enough on all of the sites we saw, but I did create another video for everyone to see the trip first-hand. Don't worry: it doesn't document the events mentioned above besides a few pictures inside the hospital. I hope you like it! Also, other people in the program have begun to make videos as well and I wanted to share them all for your viewing pleasure. They are listed below and are incredible. Enjoy!

1. My Video: Shangri-La EFT
2. David Hong: Yunnan "Educational" Field Trip
3. My Video: Hong Kong & Macau
4. Justin Lew: ~China Begins
5. Zach Chen: Shanghai | Orientation Week

love,
kpk

Pass the Jellyfish

Life and Shanghai is surprisingly easy now. Between making solo trips to supermarkets and confidently bargaining at fake markets, there have been relatively few "culture shock" moments. Until last night. Group dinner was at a high end, family-style Chinese restaurant. As dish after dish came out, the less and less I recognized. Kung pao chicken, beef and celery root, rice were in the clear. Lotus root, bean curd, and last but most certainly not least, jellyfish were another story. Somehow all of the adventurous eaters were at my table, asking permission to take the fishes head and getting excited when pickled eggplant came to the table. Encouraged by those around me I did, in fact, try ALMOST everything on the table. Though I narrowly escaped eating the gooey bean curd, I did in fact, have to try the raw jellyfish. My verdict? Not terrible but unexpectedly crunchy. Happy Weird Food Wednesday!

love,

kpk

PS. As always, here is the link to the most recent Shanghai Newsletter: CLICK HERE

Hong Kong & Macau

Our first trip has successfully been completed! After our wonderful weekend I find it hard to believe that I was so worried about it all. I could tell you all about it but I think this video will do our trip justice. Enjoy and share the link :)

love,
kpk

ps. Check out the special travel edition of the shanghai newsletter! CLICK HERE!

Pre-Travel Gitters

I cannot believe it. A month has passed since we arrived in Shanghai. There have been some low's but an overwhelming amount of high's. As my parents have said a few times over facetime: China has been treating me well. But as September comes to a close that means it's time for October (Duh I know, but hold on -  I promise I have a point). In America, October is pretty much synonymous with Halloween. In China, it's all about The National Holiday. Like Fourth of July for an entire week, China spends every October 1-7 celebrating the founding of The People's Republic of China on September 21st, 1949. During this holiday, I will be traveling to Hong Kong and Macau. I am so beyond excited, however, there are always a few butterflies when it comes to traveling. Expect the unexpected has always been my motto for travel, however, in Asia I feel it is best to have as much planned out as humanly possible. But even then, you still can't account for all things going on around you. For instance, yesterday 38 people were injured in Hong Kong during a protest and the situation is still shaky (read more here). Not exactly what I had in mind for the long weekend. I have been assured by many locals that I would have to literally join the protest to be in any danger, but the fact that it is still going on is worrisome. Needless to say, pre-travel gitters are abundant. I am trying to shake off the general worries about traveling and focus instead on the wonderful things we have planned. From firework watching in Victoria Harbor, Hong Kong Disney, and a daytrip to Macau, there is no doubt in my mind that we are going to have a fantastic time. But to all those who are still concerned (Mommy), I promise to keep updates frequent and to be extremely careful!

PS - Newsletter 2 is out! CLICK HERE to read it! <3

love,
kpk

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

I am the Communications Specialist for the Shanghai International Program and while the day-in-day-out work includes updating white boards, Facebook posts, and emails to reflect current news of the house, I am also responsible for publishing a newsletter. In my job description it really leaves the newsletter open-ended in terms of its contents and style.  This has been so daunting to try and incorporate all of the amazing things that have been going on in the Jia into a few simple pages to reflect our entire program. But the first issue is officially out! With the burden of first impressions over with, I am fairly confident that the newsletter accurately represents our program. So, without further adieu, here is the first issue of the "Jia Newsletter!" If you're interested in subscribing to its weekly publication, please send an email to shanghainewsletter@gmail.com with the subject line "Subscribe." Share it with everyone! Thank you all!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE "JIA NEWSLETTER"

// the newsletter \\

love,
kpk

Missed Trains and Lost on Mopeds

Last I left you, I was anxiously awaiting my first weekend trip to Hangzhou and MY oh my have things happened since then. So first, Hangzhou was beautiful. The picturesque West Lake (pictured on the back of the 1 kuai bill) was everything I was hoping it would be, even in the overcast weather. But getting there was not so picturesque. While waiting in the train station for our 8:47 AM to Hangzhou, we stopped to get food. We finished in plenty of time, but right before we returned to our terminal someone in our party was MIA. Minutes ticked by and sooner or later it was 8:36 when we were all back and sprinting to our gate. We arrived only to be stared down by the ticket agent. Obviously, communication was a little issue so he just stood there and let me attempt to scan my ticket. A large, red, and clearly english sign read: SEE TICKET AGENT. Joy. So two hours and 18 kuai later, we boarded our train to Hangzhou with a sigh of relief. Five straight hours of walking around the lake were wonderful but I definitely learned a lot more that day than I was expecting to. But the lessons did not end there! Monday night a group of students decided to drive their mopeds for the first time to dinner. To assure we wouldn't get lost we quick looked up directions beforehand. A mere 1 mile and 4 turns total awaited us - how could things possibly go wrong? Well somehow in the sea of mopeds I got separated from the group and it took me over an hour to get back. I wish there was a better excuse but truthfully I just refused to go on the sidewalk like the locals when the streets were "no moped" zones. On the upside of my two misadventures, I learned a lot about how China functions in the transportation sector. I confidently can navigate train stations and drive my moped safely. To whatever adventures await until next time!

love,

kpk

We Survived Week 1!

Simply put: being in China is awesome. There are a lot of alienating factors, but overall the atmosphere is intense and exciting. We spent the week in an orientation daze running all over the city for various activities. The highlights would definitely have to be Tianzifang, Shanghai circus (which will ruin all future circus experiences it was so cool), and our Shanghai scavenger hunt that brought out the competitive sides of the group while making us all realize how much of the city we had already mastered and how much more we have to go. The pictures of the scavenger hunt are currently being judged/scored but they will be shared soon because they are absolutely hilarious. It is pretty incredible how, as a group, our program has matured from barely being able to find our way across the street to driving mopeds across Shanghai and back for groceries.

Today is the second day of classes and it seems as if a rhythm has set in. Between classes we talk about cities, restaurants, and bars we want to visit and it is great. Time is a hot commodity here but I feel confident in saying that we are all making the most of it. On the docket for this weekend is a day trip to Huangzhou with a good portion of program and then our first full week of classes. I can't wait to share all highs and inevitable lows of our first weekend trip! Until then...

// the bund - downtown shanghai \\

love,
kpk

Hai there

My first post from Shanghai! Thrilled to honestly say the 24 hour journey to China was only plagued by fatigue instead of travel faux pas. And even though the time difference is difficult, a sense of euphoria of exploring this wonderful city has made it well worth it to stay up. The city, though still greatly unexplored, seems absolutely wonderful and the 41 classmates who joined me seem just as eager to make this place a home as me.
The jia (house/home in Chinese) is surprisingly very homey and we have all have settled in pretty well. More pictures of the facility to come but for now I've uploaded our orientation schedule through next Thursday when classes begin. Also, check out my facebook album "god give me subtitles" to see more pictures of the day-to-day in China. The link above is available to use even if you don't have a facebook!
Happy Friday America and Happy Saturday China!

love,
kpk

And the Journey Begins

It's about time, right? Hard to believe my first blog post contained a countdown to this very day. No matter how many times I have mentally, physically, emotionally prepared myself for this moment, it still came so quickly and is drastically different than I imagined. Nothing new in terms of predicting what new experiences feel like, but nevertheless entirely shocking. China has been all but a very distant concept until today. Today, Shanghai is my home. My fifteen hour travel begins right now and I'm sure the flight, customs, and initial culture shock will be plenty to report back on for my next entry. Until then, stick tight and know that I can't wait to tell you all about it.

Love,
kpk

ps. prayers for safe and seamless travel are selfish are always greatly appreciated

Two Bags, One Me

A new wave of nostalgia hit me today as I observed Pepperdine's first day of school. Was it remembering trying to fit my ungodly mass of luggage into my three person dorm or canvasing hundreds of faces in the caf only to find I recognized no one? Whichever it was, I have been experiencing a million and one emotions upon being back at school and even though it isn't the first time it is certainly another kind of first. Last year I reveled at six suitcases being the mere extent of my life being shipped 1,200 miles from home. This year two bags and 6,500 miles are my future and whether the significant downsizing was from maturity or airline limitations I hope to learn even more about myself this year.

So until I am the strange face no one recognizes from being abroad, I will enjoy being on this amazing campus once again and brace myself for the diaspora of my closest friends across the globe. We are all packed. And whether one, two, or eight suitcases - it is less important to focus on what we are taking, but instead, focus on what we're going to bring back.

Love,
kpk

Mulan Status

I am still 18 days away from being in China and I am already feeling overly adventurous. Yes, just like Disney's Mulan, I have chopped off my hair. Before anyone who knows me completely freaks out I want to reasssure everyone that I do, in fact, still look like a girl. In effort to be low-maintenance and to avoid poor translations during overseas haircuts I decided to eliminate the problem all together. Though my hair is still by definition "long," I have enjoyed feeling like a new person these last few days. To some, that idea may seem ridiculous - or maybe it's just the idea of me trying to be  low-maintenance. Either way, this new me is officially packed and ready to go. I fly to California in two days and from there two flights until Shanghai on September 3rd. Who knew that a haircut would make me confident, prepared enough to venture 7,500 miles without fear. Maybe Mulan really did have something there.

Love,
kpk

Hello Blog World

Well, here it goes!

Hello friends and family who have stumbled upon my amateur blog. I hope that this can serve as a great way to keep up with my adventures half a world away! My countdown to china is officially 23 days! To be continued on September 3rd with many pictures and stories to come :)

Love,
kpk