Travels to China

The trip was amazing. I learned a lot and met a lot of great people. The lifestyle and culture are a bit different compared to the United States, especially in mainland China. 

The people are generally pushy, impatient, rude, spit in the streets, do not believe in lines, and are horrendous drivers. Also, the children are equipped with "split pants" which allow them to pee and poop on the street...no diapers. This is called potty training. 

I ate a lot of different foods: chicken feet, beef stomach, pork dumplings, steamed pork buns, noodles/rice, cocunut/tapioca milk, steamed veggies, baby fish, duck heart, scorpion, ostrich, and fungus...among other things. 

Gas is about $8-9 dollars/gallon in Hong Kong and $2-3 dollars/gallon in mainland China. The currency rate is 7.5 Hong Kong dollars for each $1 and 7 RMB for each $1. 

I was able to pick up a little bit of the local languages but I am not very good. 

I have so many stories and details that I couldn't include in this blog, but enjoy...

Hong Kong (Day 1 - Day 4):

- Harbour Plaza Metropolis Hotel

- Sky Palace

- Repulse Bay beach

- Tsim Sha Tsui shopping district (Nathan Road/Temple Street)

- Laser Light Show

- Jumbo Floating Restaurant

- Financial District (HSBC building)

- SOGO shopping district

- PolyTechnic University of Hong Kong

- Ngong Pong 360 tram ride to Tian Tan Buddha ("Giant Buddha")

Train Ride to Shanghai (19 hours)

Shanghai (Day 5 - Day 8):

- Holiday Inn Downtown

- Bund (riverfront to Hungpu River)

- "Pearl of the East" river cruise

- Pudong (downtown Shanghai)

- Oriental Pearl TV Tower

- Silk Factory

- Old Shanghai Road

- Yuyuan Garden

- Shanghai Museum

- Bullet Train to Suzhou

- Tour of businesses: Coca-Cola, Valmont

- Dinner at New Heights (3 on Bund)

Plane to Beijing

Beijing (Day 9 - Day 14):

- Peking Duck Dinner

- Tour of businesses: Lenovo, Z-Park software park, Khaki Creative Design, Gallup, US Chamber of Commerce

- Drinks with some ex-pat's that we met from Khaki Creative and a local Tea house at a bar in the Hutongs

- Hot Pot lunch (Chinese Fondue)

- Tour of Hutongs

- Tiananmen Square

- Forbidden City

- Temple of Heaven

- Pearl Market

- Beijing Night Market (I ate scorpion!!)

- Silk Market

- Dinner at Kro's Nest

- Great Wall of China (Purdue marching band performed)

- Summer Palace

- Antique Flea Market

- Dinner at Hooters Beijing

- Lunch at Divine Kitchen

Depart for O'Hare (left Beijing on 6/1 at 4pm and arrived in O'Hare on 6/1 at 4pm...weird time travel)

Check out a few of my PHOTOS!