March 6 -7, 2011:
Good Morning Wuhan! It is 7:30 AM here in China, and 6:30 PM in America. We started off the day with a trip to the Hubuxiang Market. The food was amazing, especially the hot-dry noodles, a dish unfortunately specific to Wuhan. The atmosphere was not one for a germaphobe, and not really the atmosphere for a vegetarian either. Today was the day when I realized that if you have blonde hair, everyone in China will stare at you.
Tree Socks
Wuhan, China
Photo: b.wisniewski
Hubuxiang Market
Wuhan, China
Photo: b.wisniewski
Colorful Sweet buns
Wuhan, China
Photo: b.wisniewski
Famous Hot-Dry Noodle Man
Wuhan, China
Photo: b.wisniewski
Squid
Wuhan, China
Photo: b.wisniewski
View of the Street
Wuhan, China
Photo: b.wisniewski
Mikaela, Yoga, and I
Wuhan, China
Photo: b.wisniewski
After an amazing breakfast, we hopped on the bus for a tour of Wuhan. Our first stop was at the Guiyuan Temple, also known as the Temple of 500 Buddhas. The temple was really amazing. This is where I found my obsession for ceilings and chinese babies. I am also sure to have bad juju for taking pictures of Buddhas when I was not supposed to. After picking "our Buddha", mine being the one with the cat, we headed to our first chinese meal. It was an interesting meal. There was a lot of really good food, and a fish staring at me.
Lighting on incense
Wuhan, China
Photo: b.wisniewski
My Buddha
Wuhan, China
Photo: b.wisniewski
First Meal
Wuhan, China
Photo: b.wisniewski
Staring Fish
Wuhan, China
Photo: b.wisniewski
After lunch we went to a park on the banks of Yangtze River. Upon entering the park, there was a sign permitting practically all fun from being had. In the park we saw an amazing sculpted wall, and many statues. We then went to a Temple next to the park, and then the Hubei Provence Museum. While in the museum taking photos of ancient artifacts, Alex informs me that people are pretending to be taking photos of the artifacts, but really they are taking photos of me! We also were fortunate enough to see a performance of ancient bell songs. Then back to the bus for a quick stop by the HuaZhong Normal University, a high school of 6,000, to meet our host families.
Tree socks on Yangtze
Wuhan, China
Photo: b.wisniewski
Linda and the nine tailed fox
Wuhan, China
Photo: b.wisniewski
Ceiling in temple
Wuhan, China
Photo: b.wisniewski
Wuhan, China
Photo: b.wisniewski
Once at the high school, we meet our host students, Polaris. We take the twenty minute drive to her families apartment on the tenth floor in a high-rise community. We are served a traditional chinese meal of pigs feet, cow stomach, some sort of fish, a few other meat dishes, green beans, and rice. Myself not being much of an adventures eater nibbled on a little bit of the fish dish, a few bites of chicken, and lots of rice and green beans. Emily, being a vegetarian, did a lot better then I did, trying the pigs feet, cow stomach, and the fish. Polaris then showed us her families prized possessions, a dinosaur egg, a few pieces of beautiful ancient coral from the Yangtze River. That night Polaris, and her mother took us to the indoor/outdoor mall we had visited the night before. We spent our time walking around, getting coffee, playing with a very cute white fluffy puppy, and seeing the movie I am Number Four. It was a interesting experience, I started watching the movie as a "Non-American" seeing American culture, and as the movie progressed I lost the outside view and got sucked into the plot line. Once the movie ended and the lights turned on, I had forgotten that I was in China and I had this weird wave of realization come over me. We took a quick ride back to the apartment, and hopped into another solid bed, and had another "comfy" night sleep. Good Night Wuhan, Good Morning America.
Indoor/outdoor mall
Wuhan, China
Photo: b.wisniewski
Chinese version of Jonas brothers?
Wuhan, China
Photo: b.wisniewski
Emily, Polaris, and her mother
Wuhan, China
Photo:b.wisniewski
Fluffy pup
Wuhan, China
Photo: e.snyder
On Monday morning we arrived at HuaZhong Normal University to meet Steve's class of tenth graders. HuaZhong Normal University filled with the brightest 6,000 minds in China. We spent a little time getting to know the class of 30 excited students, then it was time to stand in front of 4,000 of the students during a flag raising ceremony. We were supposed to introduce ourselves saying “Ni Hao, Wuhan, Wo Jiao Blythe and I am studying Business at Champlain College." Luckily, the students were not informed of this introduction, and the students were dismissed. I do not think I will ever forget the feeling of close to 5,000 eyes burning into us.
Books on students desk
Wuhan, China
Photo: b.wisniewski
Loyalty
Wuhan, China
Photo: b.wisniewski
Half of the crowd of students
Wuhan, China
Photo: b.wisniewski
Flag raising ceremony
Wuhan, China
Photo: b.wisniewski
Ni Hao, Blythe!
ReplyDeleteYour photos are powerful vehicles for telling your China story, and I like your insights into your own evolving relationship with China.
Chinese babies, museums, ceilings, yourself as a subject for Chinese cameras - all fascinating!
Nice eye.
Good work so far...
Hen Hao, and Xie Xie,
Dr. W