Angela Fremont's trip to China Blog

China talk

Hong Kong. Feel like I’ve about done it all!!   Wonderful day.

20 hrs of travel tomorrow. Then NYC!

Hong Kong architecture. Tall. Finally a blue sky again after a month in mainland China full of air pollution so thick it was impossible to see the sun most days.

There is the old saying that the mountains are high and emperors are far away.  And I feel this tonight from my perch in Hong Kong.

What can anyone say about the startling beauty of the Shanghai evening?  With the HuangPu River threading between PuDong on the east and Puxi on the west, the city skyline vibrates with magentas, aqua blues, citrine yellows and brilliant white lights. Every Shanghanese we meet is proud of their city with a genuine love of it’s beauty and international feel.  We all fall in love too.

The week has flown by with visits to the Shanghai Art Museum and the contemporary China Art Museum.  Lectures in minority groups of China, gender issues, business and economics and a visit to the University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.  Again and again we are reminded of the Confucian ideal in search of Harmony. This theme appears in some form in many of our lectures.

At dinners we are treated to marvelous plates of sweet and sour pork, steamed baby bok Choy, various forms of chicken, spicy noodles, whole fish and many new dishes everyday!

I have finally experienced Karaoke!  Mr Zhai took us out last night and we did sing and dance and listened to Mr Zhai sing with his heart for us. It was wonderful. Mr. Zhai, on the mike. We leave Shanghai today saying goodbye to our dear guides Mr. Zhai and Fan. And to four of our group not going on to Hong Kong. 

Lots of traditional Chinese painting. No sculpture here to speak of.

Fulbright gave us a day of free activities and I’ve been drawing and painting all day. Heavenly. What a miraculous gift this is. I am learning and seeing and experiencing so many new things. My colleagues are brilliant and share their thoughtful responses to our lectures and activities. Another perfect day.

Arhat temple in Chongqing

There is so much here and the people are just as curious about me as I am about them!  Just enjoyed a family home visit yesterday which was joyous!   I made dumplings!  I love Fulbright for arranging all this so beautifully for us. I am very, very fortunate.