Browsing Archive: July, 2009
Posted by Megan Roney on Thursday, July 30, 2009,
If you ever want to feel
like a rock star, I suggest making a visit to China. I’d been journaling earlier today at the edge of West Lake
in Hangzhou, China, and I had a Chinese teenager, dressed in punk clothing, a
group of young girls and their mothers, and two shy teenage girls approach me
and ask to have photographs taken with me. There was also a curious policeman who attempted to read
over my shoulder, and a small boy, wearing a homemade grass crown, who also
seemed to be very ...
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Posted by Megan Roney on Thursday, July 30, 2009,
I woke up this morning with
no idea of the adventure ahead of me.
I hadn’t planned on going sightseeing, but when I strolled down to the
lobby of the hotel, a group of my friends were planning a trip to China’s
national tea museum, and then they were heading to a teahouse for the real
experience. It sounded to me like
a great day out, so I decided to join them. We grabbed two brochures from the front desk with the tea
museum written in Chinese characters so we could show each of o...
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Posted by Megan Roney on Monday, July 27, 2009,
Often referred to as “the Venice
of the East”, Zhouzhuang offers visitors a unique shopping experience as they
zigzag through this water township’s narrow cobble-stoned closes encountering
treasures to remind them of their travels. Although it can at times be difficult to maneuver through
the crowd, avoiding the eager shouts of the shop owners advertising less
desirable wares and mustering the courage to barter with those who offer true
gems.
Despite my own reluctance to
haggle...
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Posted by Megan Roney on Monday, July 27, 2009,
In :
Culture
It’s a rainy day in Kunshan,
not exactly ideal conditions for watching the solar eclipse that supposedly
occurs today. And so I retreat,
for the third time since waking up, back to the billowy comforts of my hotel
bed. I realize how glad I am to
have this hotel room, a small haven away from the (at times) shockingly public
streets of China.
I remember seeing my first
half naked child at the local grocery store defecating into a nearby trashcan,
and wonderin...
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Posted by Megan Roney on Friday, July 17, 2009,
In :
hotels
When my roommate and I entered through the front doors of
the Four Points Sheraton in Changzhou, our mouths dropped in unison as we
absorbed the beauty of the high-ceiling, chandelier lit, marble-tiled
lobby. As we rode the elevator to
the 23rd floor, I read an advertisement describing the hotels beds
as “900 pieces springs supporting your body,” and the fact that I slept in
until 10:30 this morning attests to the coziness of the mattress. The room itself, equipped with a flat
scree...
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Pedestrians Beware: You do NOT have the right of way when
crossing the street in China. Who
does, you ask? Well, that is
certainly debatable, but when I’m crossing the street it’s definitely that
vehicle that is rapidly approaching without any intention of slowing down,
despite the clearly lit WALK sign.
In China, the traffic lights count down to the change of the light. Sadly this does not ail any impatience that drivers may have, because they usually just ignore the light all tog... Continue reading ...
Posted by Megan Roney on Wednesday, July 8, 2009,
When touring China, there is hardly need to bring along your StairMaster. A visit to just a few of the sights will give you beefier calves than Jillian Michaels. After huffing and puffing my way up the 392 steps atop Shongshan Mountain to the mausoleum of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum in Nanjing, I thought for sure I'd experienced my toughest climb.
That was until I hit the streets of Changzhou and found myself starring up 153 meters to the top of the TianNing Pagoda. The 13-story Ze...
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Posted by Megan Roney on Sunday, July 5, 2009,
It's an interesting feeling being away from the States on the Fourth of July. In some ways it almost passes without second notice, there are no parades, picnics or fireworks in the sky to act as a reminder of my country's independence. And yet, a sense of patriotism creeps into my daily life here nonetheless. I remind myself to be grateful for the freedoms I posses as an American when it comes to anything from the simple pleasure of watching tv shows on youtube.com to walking along the ...
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After a while of traveling in foreign countries, you begin to realize that it's not just your luggage that can get lost. When you don't speak the language, you loose your ability to speak. If you can't decipher the written word, you loose your ability to read. And if you can't read the signs to know where you're going, you yourself can get lost. It can be a bit overwhelming, and at times humiliating, but I'm sure even Odysseus experienced frustration on his adventurous travels. This blog is my account of my travels. Hopefully, my blunders will assure others that they are not the only ones lost in translation.
