Shanghai Expo

Staying in

I meant to have a fun filled adventurous weekend, but I think I'm suffering from a small cold or allergies. Either way it sucks, but I got my chores done. Just finished laundry and laundry at Shaoyuan consists of

1) Laundry card
2) washing my delicates by hand
3) Hearing the small laundry machine spin like crazy until the little alarm echoes throughout the hallway.
4) hanging my clothes up to dry either in my room, our bathroom or on the 6th floor. Every time I hang my clothes on the 6th, faint paranoia lies in the back of my head thinking some idiot could steal my laundry. Then again who on earth wants to steal my clothes? They're not name brand and I'm like a giant (for a girl) here, so I can probably spot someone in my clothes. It would probably look like a 6 year old wearing adult clothes....I hate being big.

It's a cool and cloudy day in Beijing. Reminds me of afternoons at home while we anticipate an afternoon storm. It might roll in, the winds are coming in, but it feels soothing as I try to treat my little cold.

last night I had delicious Vietnamese food at one of my favorite Sanlitun spots; Muse cafe. A fusion of Parisian and Vietnamnese flavors is simply delightful to my taste buds. Jerel and Susan Ahn got large bowls of beef pho (drools). Another time. I was craving a baguette sandwich and tomato.

In Shanghai....in Shanghai

"I want to see youth!! I want to see life and energy with you kids, because you are the world!" -Park Hyatt manager.
"Now go dance! (and I'll provide you with two bottles of free champagne) We love Shanghai for a reason. Go to Sky bar at the World Financial tower in Shanghai's Pudong district. The highest bar iin the world. Perhaps you'll get free champagne with your youthful looks. In all seriousness we were the youngest people there. I guess the 21+ crowd doesn't venture into sky bar that often.

I'll always be in love with the French Concession. The French did something right in Shanghai, by making Xuhui and Luwan district one of the cleanest and most charming neighborhoods in the east.


Open split pants. A common site in China. this kid was just out in the open at the Bund. I wonder what would happen if the little kid decided to do his business on his Dad's shoulder. Poor father.


Enjoying a little soup dumpling. Straw necessary. Caution: hot soup coming in. 14 RMB. Worth it...if only it was bigger. Then again if you want to wait in line at the famous dumpling shop...knock yourself out. It's going to be a 4hr + wait. Bribe all you want.


At the Bund around 4 pm, Jess and I were about to see Avatar in a few hours time. After about a year or more of construction the bund walkway is available to the public. Believe me there were a million people out and about enjoying the breeze of the Huangpu river.


Making chocolate. Thanks to Time out: Shanghai! magazine, Jess spotted an article about making little chocolates. Chinese couples tend to seek out this little hidden class to make chocolates or cakes together. There's also a little movie theatre in the attic where you can get a little cozy and snuggle with your significant other. I'll pass. Thanks to google and a chinese form of ..google, the little chocolate place is in fact in someone's apartment, an old old old Shanghai turn of the century apartment. Up the steepest staircase that could kill you and you'll find Ding Ding's little chocolate class. He'll put on some calming chill bro music as the chocolate bars heat up. Then it's real simple. Pour the sweet liquid into the molds (which are ice cube molds that you can get at your local Ikea, etc) and freeze them for about 10 minutes. They're pretty sweet.

Oh Shanghai, how I fall in love with you every time

SHANGHAI EXPO INTERNSHIP!!!!

I apologize to the readers out there that rather than updating my blog, I have been updating my flickr photos. But as long as you look at those, then your pretty much up to date with my life in China

In recent developments, I'd like to announce some crazy news. Last November I applied for an internship through the USC US-China association. What kind of internship would this be? Matter of fact it's an internshp at the US expo pavilion. Where? At the World Expo 2010 Shanghai. Far out man.
So I applied and by December I received an e-mail that was somewhat dissapointing and hopeful. Basically it was "HEY, we like you, but.....were not really going to accept you into the internship, HOWEVER we were impressed by your resume, so were going to put on the waitlist. We'll notify you in April. See you then!"

APRIL!!???? I had to wait until APRIL?? Well at least i wasn't flat out rejected right? That kept my hopes up somewhat, but I pretty much gave up on any hopes of getting into the Expo.

Then March came, and I received this e-mail

"Dear Susan Wang:



Congratulations! You have been chosen from the World Expo 2010 Student Ambassadors Program waitlist to participate in the program’s second session, July 16 – October 31, 2010. The USC U.S. – China Institute and the USA Pavilion are pleased to provide you with this unique opportunity to live and work in Shanghai and represent the United States to Expo visitors from China and the rest of the world."

Nearly leaped out of my seat. Did a victory dance (when no one is really around :() in my dorm room of Shaoyuan #9 505. I couldn't believe it. This was really it. I've been accepted. HOly holy S&*#@%. My first instinct was 1) I'm going, I am DEFINITELY GOING, I'm going to sign the papers 2) WHERE'S MY PARENTS?? I am freaking out, i am insanely elated.

Following the next few weeks was paper work. Paperwork and even more paperwork. Scanning passport photos, Using China's EMS (Fedex) to mail all my crap to USC, e-mailing them scanned copies of everything from my passport to my documents. Then
there was more things to fill out including my visa application. Talk about nearly 200$ USD to send all my stuff in on time.