The Travel Study :: China

Today we went to visit the Great Wall of China. It was breathtakingly beautiful! The mountains seemed to go on forever and so did the wall. We walked down the little path and looked up at our venture and it seemed almost impossible. We had gone to an area which was about the 3rd hardest area to climb. Our tour guide decided to see if we could make it to the top or not.

I unfortunately did not make it all the way to the top of our stop, I got about a quarter of the way up. It was still gorgeous and I still enjoyed myself. The view was beautiful and it was almost indescribable. I guess it was surreal that we were actually at the Great Wall of China and I was climbing this historical marker. I loved the fact that we could walk around and just look at all the stops and whatnot. Surprisingly we ran into a Purdue Band performance by the marching band. It was very cool to see a band from a school we knew back home.

We leave tomorrow to go back home and although this trip was absoloutely amazing, I am SO excited to be home. There’s so many little things that I miss and I can’t wait to have the food I love available again. I’ve gotten many weird cravings of things I miss and I just cannot wait to be back in my own environment. I will miss all these beautiful sights, all the culture, and ecspecially the bargaining shopping. Overall this trip has taught me so much and helped me experience many new things, and I hope to travel somewhere on a travel study like this very soon.

We arrived to the Beijing airport a little later than expected, due to weather conditions setting us back about 2 hours. Walking to our bus was an experience, due to the thick brown sky and the dusty air. It was almost unbelievable to fly in the sky and be able to see the difference between the pollution luring above the blue skies. Since the dust storms have just started for the month, there’s a lot of sand and dust in the skies so although it was bad weather today it should hopefully be a little clearer.

When visiting our businesses, we came along a company called ZPark. It’s basically a man made little city of businesses. Their main function is to link the corporate and government in the form of business and also devotes to International Business promotion and it actually provides great services to different software companies. It was really interesting to see how far this business park came since it was only built in 2000 and already there were so many buildings and things.

While we were at ZPark we were able to talk to our whole trip planner, Jenny, about the park and also about our trip so far. She’s an amazing business woman and actually formed China Sense (the travel company we’re with) on her own. We asked her some questions after the tour. The most interesting question I thought was when asked the similarities and differences between business in China and business in the US. She said the similarities were pretty common, such as everybody wants to win the deal and it’s mostly relationships based on trust that get you the best business. Also, Jenny made an interesting point when stating that profit is always profit, no matter which country your in. With the differences, she said there weren’t many except that the Chinese are more modest with saying no and you must be able to read hints instead of expecting a flat out answer. Also, if it’s your first time doing business in China, Jenny told us you will often be considered fresh and not as experienced, therefore not as good.

Today, going to Temple of Heaven and other sight seeings was great. We had blue skies and great temperature. The Tian An Men Square was gorgeous to see and we also got to experience great shopping techniques when visiting the Pearl Market. It’s great to be so engulfed in a new culture. Everything looks so beautiful and the buildings are remarkable. It’s great to be able to see all the sights and meet all the people. I’m having a great time so far here in Beijing, and I feel as though I’m just getting adjusted in time to leave. Overall it has been a great experience and it has gone beyond my expectations.

May 25th, 2008

We were lucky enough to travel on an 18 hour train ride to Shanghai from Hong Kong. While it seems as though this would be miserable, in comparison to the 2 hour flight it would have been, it was actually very interesting seeing the towns and villages on the way there. To look out your window and see farmers and garbage and towns everywhere was really stimulating. The country side was beautiful and it was a great change from the business buildings and concrete in Hong Kong.

When first arriving in Shanghai, the difference was very signifigant. Unlike Hong Kong, there was almost a dirtier atmosphere. The air was much more smoggy and the littering laws were almost complete opposites. It was incredibly humid outside and walking around we could tell we were not in Hong Kong anymore. Me and a couple of girls actually tried walking to a Pizza Hut nearby and got denied service. People were looking at us differently and that made the cultural change more apparent. Seeing the difference was almost shocking, and my first day wasn’t going at all how I expected.

Although my first opinion was jaded by the denial of food and the awkward stares, once I gave Shanghai a chance things were much different. We actually went to visit the Jade Buddah temple which was amazing to see. Luckily we were on time to catch the Monks go into their prayer session. On our dinner cruise I was taken aback at the beautiful sights of the Shanghai nightlights. The Pearl Tower light up at night is almost indescribable.

To visit the Coca-Cola company in China was really interesting to me. Looking at the different target groups and ways to market in China was in some ways similar to the United States. There were obviously different marketing tools being used, due to the amounts of people who drink soda, but it was interesting to see their ideas on how to appeal more so to that target group. I enjoyed learning about how Coca-Cola first started in China and how it’s changing its future as well.

I thought it was really great to ask about how different business is run internationally. To think that there are so many differences such as target groups and even governmental barriers just makes me realize how complex businesses really are run. I thought the marketing strategies were very interesting and being able to talk to someone about something I’m thinking of attempting was very nice and almost helpful. It was great to hear about their uprising and all the steps it took to become successful in such a complex country.

Overall, Shanghai was quite an experience, and a difference. It finally set in that I am in a whole new world and it was great to be able to surround myself in new culture. I think any bad experience I had on my first day was really outweighed by the beautiful sights and temples. It really is a beautiful city and I’m glad I gave it a fighting chance, it was great!

Missing Friends and Family!
Jessica

May 21st, 2008

We arrived in Hong Kong around 4:15 p.m. The flight wasn’t so bad, surprisingly. It was sort of interesting skipping night time all together, and seeing the different areas we were flying over. Other than that, I think the excitement made the trip bearable.

Arriving in Hong Kong, I was most shocked to see all of the American signs and people. I noticed immediately all of the culture that was surprisingly similar. It was sort of assuring seeing the McDonald’s and KFC’s on every corner. A little piece of home is nice to see when you’re half way across the world!

So far I feel this experience hasn’t set in yet. While I’m getting homesick, with not being able to really contact my family, it seems as though I’m just out of town rather than around the world. I’ve talked with some of my classmates and they too have noticed that this whole experience is sort of surreal and although we’re on an island, and people drive on the other side of the cars, and there’s new foods all around us; the atmosphere isn’t as completely different as we were expecting and it doesn’t seem that we are in fact in China.

Other than that, I’m just taking it day by day, with my eyes glued outside the window looking at all the buildings and sights. This trip really is amazing and being submerged in a whole different culture is really teaching me more than any textbook could. I’m glad I embarked on this trip and if it’s amazing me already, I can’t wait to see what’s to come.To everyone at home, I miss you and I can’t wait to come back to see you all!

Thanks for Reading!
Jessica

May 17th, 2008

   Hello all! My name is Jessica Shields and I am currently just finishing my freshman year in UW-Whitewater. Tomorrow, at about 6:15 a.m. I will be starting my voyage across seas to China. I am majoring in Business, possibly with Marketing emphasis, and am very excited to embark on this trip! One aspect which makes me stand out is the fact that I will be the only freshman on this trip! Being the youngest person could help and hurt me, but I am eager to go and cannot wait to be bombarded with new things. I am very excited to not only see the sights and experience the country, but also see how businesses have become so successful from so far away. I’m hoping that this trip will help me better understand the success of international businesses and also help me to embark on a whole new culture. With a major of business, the rise of globalization is pushing towards international trade; hopefully this trip will help me decide if I’d like to study more into international studies. Since I have a long flight ahead of me (about 15 hours) I think I will leave this blog rather short. I’m excited for the opportunity to share my own experiences and I hope you all enjoy reading my adventures!

I’ll be keeping in touch!

-Sending Love To My Family and Friends!-

Jessica