Imani in Shanghai

My name is Imani Flowers and I am a rising junior at Villanova University studying English. I’m from Norristown, Pennsylvania. I chose to go to Shanghai this summer to become a worldlier person. I love to write and I know the best way to do so is to become open-minded. I really want this experience to do that for me. I am so excited to be here and to be able to take in everything that this culture has to offer.

Shanghai’s culture is ever-changing and I noticed it the moment I stepped outside and inhaled my first bit of Chinese air (which isn’t that bad!). Of course there’s an obvious difference between here and home, but to be quite frank, you get used to it. In the downtown area, The Bund, there are tall buildings that are such a sight at night. They’re bright and constantly changing their colors to give you a thrill. It’s actually truly exhilarating to watch at night because of the intensity of the lights. It is technology’s nature: one that’s just so real that you can’t do much but be in awe of it.

While there is the aspect of Shanghai that is full of technology, there’s this sense of a small town within a city. There are so many tall apartment buildings or even small local shops within the city. Altogether, that is makes it even more interesting to observe. A little further out from the Bund, there are smaller districts where people reside and have shops for clothing or even small stores and restaurants. The markets are the best because you really get to engage with the locals and since they aren’t accustomed to foreigners being in the area, they really are thrilled when we are able to communicate with them effectively or even just give a small “Ni Hao”, or Hello. They smile, and we all go about the rest of our day.

On the second day in Shanghai, a group of Villanova interns went to the River to look around and take pictures. We would take pictures as a group or individually and every so often we’d see locals snapping photos of our every move. It became awkward, but also a bit funny because it’s not something we are used to. Because I have darker skin and a different texture of hair, they really thought I was a spectacle. I even took a few photos of people, or with some, who were taking photos of me.

This past weekend, we went to Yuyuan Gardens where I was able to go to a Tea Ceremony and taste tea! It was so cool because I actually love to drink tea. I also go to learn the difference between real and fake pearls, and even buy some at a super cheap price! They’re so beautiful and I can’t wait to actually wear them at home!

The first day my head boss wasn’t there, so I was just given the task of creating Survey Monkeys for 2 hours. It wasn’t difficult, but I make the simplest tasks into the most stringent and ended up stressing myself out completely. It wasn’t until Day Two did I realize the importance of me doing this. On Day Two, my head boss came, introduced herself, gave background information on thecompany and what I’d be doing. After listening to her, I was so intrigued. I’ve never been interested in marketing and research, but after hearing her say what she did about the company, I grew interested. The company is really new, so being able to be part of a new company like this and help build its foundation is going to be cool in the long run.

While it is so difficult trying to communicate with an entire group of people who usually have no idea what you are saying, it is thrilling. When you’re trying to do something important, like figure out how to put money on your phone, it’s so hard, but then it’s cool because you realize that at the end of the day, you’re all human beings. And, as human beings, we all respond well to the same things: smiling, gesturing, eating, breathing, living, hugging, high-fiving, laughing, crying, anger, iPhones, and saying, “Hi”.

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