We began the morning with a similar American breakfast - boiled eggs, bread and milk. It was nice to have a little taste of home. After breakfast we headed to our first Chinese language class where we were taught pinyin, how to recognize characters, and a quick lesson on the currency. We were all wanting to know how to interpret the colorful bills and coins. Surprisingly, the currency is very similar to our currency. We then had lunch and a little break. Kiera and I went walking around campus and took a few pictures before we headed back for our next lesson. It was on symbols and we even got to partake in some arts and crafts (my favorite) by making a Chinese lucy knot and double happiness. We then had dinner and had a free evening in which we all decided to see what was near by. Since arriving we haven't left the school grounds so it was nice to get out and experience a little Chinese culture. It was definitely an experience. There were tons of street vendors selling food, jewelry, iPhone cases, and random items. The smell of the food was mouth watering as they seasoned and grilled the different kabobs right there in front of us. Many vendors had an array of fresh fruit that I could smell the ripeness.The street was different than a street back home. The small shops and street vendors slightly reminded me of Hawaii with an extreme variance in the cleanliness and sanitation. Trash was in abundance. People were everywhere; walking, riding mopeds, and crammed on bus. I was surprised how the horn on a vehicle was used so frequently. It was good to get out and experience a part of Chinese culture. I'm eager to see if the street life varies as we move to other parts of Shanghai, Beijing and Xi'an.

After a two hour flight to China, we met our tour guide, Mandy, and caught a bus to Sanda University, only thirty minutes away. We quickly checked into our guest house and headed to grab some lunch in one of the dinning halls. It was pretty good. I have came to the conclusion the Chinese do not use napkins or drink beverages with their meals. We asked Mandy where we could get a drink and she lead us to the shop on campus. Everything was fairly cheap, about 1 USD. Since we cannot drink the water in China, I bought a 1.5 L bottle of water for 3.90 Yuan ($0.63 USD). Even sodas were less than a dollar. After the shop we got a quick shower, got a tour of the campus, and headed to the presentation room where they had lots of snacks sat out for us. I ate some dragon fruit. It had a similar taste to Kiwi and was very delicious. We snacked on the goodies while the Chinese students presented about their culture, lifestyles, and festivals, and then we presented ours to them. After the presentation we got a ten minute break and I went to the restroom and come to find out the toilettes were yes, indeed, a hole in the ground. It was quite nicer than what is the general stereotype of China's "hole in the ground", but still, an experience in it's self. After the break, a few students played some terrific music pieces. I really was in ah. We then had dinner with the same students in a different dinning hall. Both meals today were in a red dish (pictured below) that I found out later is actually a Japanese style dish.. (explains why they have similar ones at Fusion in Greenwood). I am ready for our full day of Chineses language and culture classes tomorrow.

I saw this quote in the airport in China and thought it could not be more true:
"Education is the wisest investment"