Today is our last day in China. After breakfast, a few of us took pictures by all the cutout signs set up for Sanda University’s graduation ceremony. It was a bittersweet feeling because it finally hit us that we were actually leaving China. It felt like we were, in a way, graduating from the university.

Initially, I didn’t think much of our dorms at the university. But after spending the previous week there, it became like my second home. To get from the Sanda University dorms to the Shanghai airport, we took a bus, then hopped onto a plane to Guangzhou. We spent over 6 hours at the Guangzhou airport, which we used to eat Chinese/American fast food and Burger King, as well as do some quick shopping to use up our yuan.

I wish we could’ve spent another week or two in China to explore the city because there was so much to see. The trip flew by so quickly. China was not what I imagined it to be, with its beautiful architecture, museums and gardens. Compared to LA, the metro and other public spaces were a lot cleaner in China. All the people we met at Sanda University were all so welcoming and friendly. It was especially interesting having conversations with the Chinese students who spoke to us about their education system, Chinese food and the Dragon Boat festival. I enjoyed all the food provided to us, as we always had many options of dishes to try. We never had a dull moment as we were always learning something new about Chinese culture and comparing it to our American culture. We encountered many culture shocks throughout these 10 days. For one, we realized that the Chinese preferred their squatting pans over our western pedestals because the stalls for the pedestals were almost always open. I thought we would be able to meet more individuals who knew fundamental English, but most Chinese were not able to understand us and vice versa. It definitely helped with our communication skills because we had to get by through body language and the occasional use of translators. One of the highlights of the trip was our visit to the theme park in Hangzhou where we walked around the theme park, dressed in silk kimonos. Inside the theme park, we were also able to watch the Romantic Show of Songcheng.

This trip truly allowed us to be culturally immersed in China, and I’m excited for the next group that will be given the same opportunity as us.