In the back of a taxicab today, Chloe, Nicole, and I snacked on some “salty crispy chicken” flavored dried mushroom snacks in a little box-package with cartoon mushroom drawn all over it. Needless to say, this was the highlight of my day.
But before I get more into that experience, I want to talk about our first class in Mandarin and our trip to the Bank of China today! In just a short two hours, we learned already how to carry out a simple conversation in Mandarin, including asking others their names, where they are from, and whether or not they have roommates. Later today, when I went shopping for some snacks at a grocery store with Nicole, Chloe, and Michelle, I got to try out a bit of what I learned in class today, telling an employee there that I am from America. I honestly can’t wait to learn more of the language in the coming week, and hopefully even for many years down the road as well!
The building was really impressive, with bamboo trees and a small pond containing rocks in the lobby. We were all certainly intrigued by the beautiful design of the bank’s interior, and continued to press our faces up against the glass in order to take photos of everything we could see when we reached the 10th floor of the building.
Our trip to China so far has been filled with nothing but wonderful experiences, from taking promenades around palace gardens to traversing a world-wonder, to sampling local snacks!