Madeleine´s adventure in China (Shanghai)

Yesterday I had a two hours skype meeting with Nicals Irhén from Sweden. I am asked to be co-moderator togheter with him for the space day 10 October at the EXPO in the Swedish pavillion. Off course I tooked the chance. The idea of the project is impressive. In short, it´s all about how the human being can use the space technology in order to develop ideas for sustainability on earth. Interesting! My task is to take care of the guest, introduce the speakes, do interviews, raise discussions and take photos. I am looking forward to it. The only drawvack is that I will go to Beijing on Saturday for holiday. Seems like I will have a lot to do tonight. An american guy have a moving in party tonight, no party for me!

I am trying to do my best in order to create some kind of a home-feeling. I bought this cactus and candle at Ikea last week. If it works? Well, i dont know? Sceptical, but it´s worth a shoot!

This is the Chinese Walmart, Trustmart. It´s not my favorite store. Not that cheap and always very crowded. But they do have massage chair for testing=) Guess why I am going there every other second day? 

Finally after one month we arranged a dinner with two of the stuff at SHU that works with quetions related to international students. It was the Swedish students but also a swedish proffesor that have been here for two months, without our knowledge.....Jörgen=) It was a really nice dinner. The bad is that you stop to preciate the feeling of going out and eating at a restaurant....because you do it EVERY DAY! The food today was ok, not the best dinner I had this far. But believe me, I was full afterwards. The picture is only showing half of all the dishes we oredered. Here in China you never ord just one meal for yourself. Instead, we do it in the "family way". The table as a plate that can be under circulation and everyone eat from everything. Friendly, cosy and nice!

Everyday here in Shanghai we go to what we call "wester gate", just outside campus and buy these kinds of drinks/smothies/milkshakes/puddings.....whatever you wanna call them, whatever you wanna have! EVERYONE in Shanghai eta/drink them just like we drink coffe in Sweden. Don´t ask me what they are made off, I don´t even know i want to know or not. Taste good? YES!

I might give the imperssion that my stay here in Shanghai is only about having fun. Wrong, wrong. I can honestly admit that the school is kind of bullshit compared to the university in Sweden. But luckely for me, I signed up for distance courses through the university in Sweden, so I do actually study. Right now I am sitting here early morning (before my first class in magament start within two hours) and is writing my third assignment in Business english. I am suppoes to write a proposal for an expansion within the travel agency. Optional choice and format. I choosed to propose an expansion of "Cloak´s travelagancy" to Austria, today operating in Switzerland. I guess my choice was choosen by heart. In two hours I have only accomplished some kind of draft. I still do need to work on the budget and data provided for the background information. Well see if I provide a sample for my nice layout when my work is done. It has do be done on Friday since the national holiday is coming up soon. What I will do during the holiday may be released tonight for the one who is curious.

take it cool, Madde

I dont want beer. I dont want water. I dont want tea. GIVE SOME COFFE! It is not standardized to grab a coffe in this countrie. If I would have been staying closer to city, than Starbucks would have saved me...but on Campus....yeah right! I just need some coffe......coffe?!? Please!

Start a new class today btw.....marketing. Can be whatever!?! Have a nice day!

Now, You may believe that I have bought something from Thomas Sabo...NONONONONONO! Thats just a BIG NO from my side. This semester until Christmas, I am spending my money on cheap-fake-bad quality-funny-not-neccesart to have tings / clothes and off coures.....TRAVELS! I was talking to my mother last night (or during the night to be exact), and she told me that she has bought a neckless from T.S that she has wanted for over half a year (saw it for the first time in St gallen, Schweiz where I studied last semester). The problem have been the price....but I guess everythig has a price. For me, not worth it, for my mother.....she is extremly worth to have it.

 So...back to the story of the visit in the store of Thomas Sabo today. I went in, the cashier was following me and asked me if I needed help. English is NOT well known here, just so you know!  The cashiers was two girls, very nice and was laughing all the time. I signed up for some info letter and stuff to satisfy them. I also got some candy before I left and she gave me these two big catalogues to take with me back gome. They where nice....but it is always the same story in the stores here.....you are never left alone!

I live on the first floor (total six).  The kitchen is on the second floor.  It´s not a fancy building and actually, a lot of the international student from the western world (Europe and America), have been moving out the last week due to the low standard.  But, since I am only staying for another three months, I will be fine. The only thing that makes me extremely angry, frustrated and irritated,  is the constant smell of “something disgusting”, everywhere in my room! Perfume, perfume….it doesn’t help. But, I´m Ok……..(lovely Råslätt).

After my run today, I felt hungry for the first time for a long time. Here in Shanghai I do have apetite but it is constantly warm and exhausting weather that makes you slower and you never feel hungry. I do just eat because I know I have to. I didn´t felt for going to the western gate (border to the school area with a lot of restaurant and stands to by cheap food), so I just put this "standard-chinese-meal" into the microwave....and plopp, in five minute I had a dinner. Why I took the picture is mostly because the people who knows me from Sweden knows that pasta and rice is more or less something I absolutly not eat since I believe it is to unhealthy and I most often substitute it with vegetables. But hey...everything is possible and I guess this is a hint for how I have adapted to the Chinese cultue....I do even eat rice one or two times every day. We will see if I gain or not until Christmas......can be intereseting. But the noodles actually taste pretty good. If you come and visit, it´s all on me....free noodles for every visitor. Bon apetit!

The school this far have been the biggest looser in Shanghai. No structure at all. The level of the courses have this far been of  a disaster. We take the same course as a master student from Jönköping (my school in Sweden)....says it all. But today, I actually figured it out how to buy one of the course books that I need in "Internatinal trade". The course is interesting and I like the teacher. I will try to make a photo of him next week, beacuse he is sooo cute...haha, no, he is just a very nice man that is very helpfule ad have been living in Canada for ten years. 

I also had another class today: Economics and services. No one of us understand the teachers english. I started today on a project for the course which was of optional choice.....seems like I am gonna write about "sustainable tourism and traveling in the service sector".....can be interesting. But now, actually going for a run together with Oskar. My guess of temperatur level today is around 35 C, and right now (seven o´clock) maybe 30. It´s gonna be hard, but I will make it. I just have to find a way to start exercising again, my body is becoming weaker for everyday.....but not anymore. Off to the runningifeld.

A day of shopping

Today was another day of free time. I am really wondering when school will begin to be serious….will it? This week, we have classes Tuesday and during the weekend, weird ha? Today I spent my day in the city, actually alone since I had longed for some time just walking around without thinking and looking for some other not to be lost in the crowdedness of people. I went to People Square and Shanghai railway station. My lunch was pommes and chicken burger at Mcdonken. No rice, no spices….thanks a lot Mac!  Now, I am totally exhausted. Two cute dresses richer and is thinking about trying to take a run tonight for the first time since the 90 century. The other will be leaving for dinner in on hour, no chance I can reload for a night back into the city. Nope, I will just have to stay here, maybe feeling a little bit alone, but what the hack…..I am used to manage my life on my own.

Cheers!

On Saturday, it was my second day spent at the world EXPO in Shanghai.  To explain what EXPO is, and how it is, is more or less impossible. You just have to go there yourself in order to understand the size/range of the exhibition and what it´s really is all about. I can at least say that every country has its own pavilion where they represent their country in the way they want. The buildings are huge and amazing. On the pictures, you can just see how big the Swedish pavilion is….and than image every known country is more or less represented at EXPO. So, expo is like a small city built for this purpose. Here you have some Pics from the Swedish pavilion. Most countries have lines up to 2 hours in order to get in there. If you bring your passport you are a VIP guest at the Pavilion for your own country. Today, we tried to get into Norwegian, Denmark, Finland and Iceland. The best part is that I worked out. It was only stop for us when we came to Germany. It didn’t help that I took charge of the situation and talked German. The answer was only “the Swedish people don’t let the German people in, so we don’t let you in”……ok, I buy that, just too bad for us because I believe German might be awesome to see.

Something of the most exciting, scary and best thing about leaving your home country on your own and move abroad is that you get the opportunity to create something new. After my first week here in Shanghai, I allready had a bunch of new people to hang out with. On this pic, there is a great mix of people from different cultures and countries after a dinner we had at an restaurant near our school. It was, and is great. You really feel that you are alive. My only wish is that I new more chinese than only "Ni hao"....(Hej)

To start from the beginning. This is my old blogg, from three years back in time. My other blogg (maddebokedal.blogspot.com), is not in use right now since I am in China and in China, the website blogspot dosen´t work. Therefore, I made a new blogg ...www.metrobloggen.se/maddegoeschina. BUT, I found out that blogg.se works perfectly in china, and since I prefer this site, I now choose to continue to blogg here. From now on, this is the page you schould go to in order to follow my journey here in China. ENJOY!