My friends and I were talking about how nicely IES choose travel sites and they always make it special and different from what we will experience if we plan to go there by ourselves.
And our last trip together to Kyoto just proved it once again.
Learning how to make tortellini! [Photo: Mari Deuschle]
I recently ventured out to Moganshan Lu, a small street in Shanghai’s newly prominent art district. M50 is the most famous collection of small galleries and exhibits, and Moganshan Lu is just outside. While M50 is full of brilliant works, Moganshan Lu has emerged as the street art equivalent. We had a great time exploring the area, and it was a nice reminder that Shanghai shares the same urban trends as all other world cities.
My last traveling while in Europe (I dislike that statement immensely), was to Prague this past weekend and will be to Paris this next weekend. I can’t believe these are my last trips; the next time I will be on a plane I will be going back to Chicago. Weird.
I’m officially back in the United States after a month off since finishing exams. I’ve done quite a lot and I’m in the process of writing some of those adventures down. In the meantime, I’d like to share one of my favorite adventures so far.
If you really want Shanghai to blow you away, theres nothing quite like wandering down a crowded street full of shiny skyscrapers only to end up in the quite and green calm of Yuyuan. Seriously, its almost confusing sometimes how diverse this city is. You can sit on a bench in Yuyuan and meditate with a view of the world’s tallest building in Pudong under construction!
This past Thursday was the American tradition of Thanksgiving or, as my Parisian friend calls it, “the day when you welcome the English to your colonies.” Or, as another non-IES friend summarized “ the feast where for dessert they had pumpkin pies and smallpox blankets.” While I miss my family (and the Zimbabwean family we normally celebrate with – including my aunt’s famous performance of “The Stanky Leg” African style) I must admit that this year was the best Thanksgiving I’ve ever had.