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| Janna Imel |
So far, my experience in Shanghai has been extraordinary! Yesterday, our group took a tour of the Jade Buddha Temple and went to Fuxing Park. We played ultimate frisbee with our Chinese student guides in the park and gathered quite the crowd of people. My favorite part of yesterday, though was what happened when Abeer and I went for a run.
We are studying at Shanghai Jiaotong University and on our way to the cafeteria, Abeer and I noticed a track. We decided to visit the track
once our planned trips ended. When we got to the track, I immediately
noticed the university team playing soccer. I wanted so badly to join in the game, but at first, I did not. About an hour went by and more foreigners began showing up and joining the game.
I finally became courageous enough to ask the coach if I could play. He split us up into two teams: Foreigners v. Chinese students. My team consisted of me, a Frenchman, a Russian, three Australians, a Ukrainian, and three Germans. I played goal keeper and despite none of us knowing the same language, we managed to have a successful game! Our soccer match gave us the opportunity to work together and become friends, despite our cultural differences. It was a wonderful experience I will
not forget anytime soon.
My second favorite experience from my first week in China was feeding Koi Fish. The fish come right up to your hand and grab the food. You can even touch them and let them nibble on your fingers. It was so cool!
Janna Imel, of Greenup County, Ky., is a junior McConnell Scholar at the University of Louisville. She is studying psychology and political science.