A couple of the girls in our group and I really wanted to attend a District Conference in Shanghai, but did not want to pay a lot for tickets. We ended up finding pretty cheap tickets for the slow train and decided to do it. We didn’t even know for sure how long it would take us to get to Shanghai, but just knew everything was better than a 24hr train :P The train ride there actually really was not bad! You sit straight across from people with 5 people surrounding each table. Becca and I were at our own table with three other Chinese people. The train became more and more crowded as people stood in the aisles, but there were two college students who spoke a little English. We tried to speak Chinese when we could and then they helped us if we didn’t understand what someone was asking us. We were attempting to do our homework on the train and it was so great because the people around us helped us do it! They were so fascinated by these two white girls studying Chinese and they were very willing to help us. As I was sitting there writing Chinese, surrounded by Chinese people on a train in China…..it felt like the complete epitome of all of my Chinese studying!! I just couldn’t believe the scenario I was experiencing! There was this really cute guy sitting across from us and we taught him how to play the “Dot Game.” He asked us if that was like the real name and we kind of chuckled as we realized it really didn’t have a better name. The guy next to him kept helping him and people were getting into it. The train ride ended up being just over 4 hours and we arrived in Shanghai just after 6 p.m. I rode my first Chinese subway, which reminded me of the D.C. Metro. Some of the stops were completely stuffed full and luckily my chubby back-pack took up a little space. Shanghai is an amazing city!! We were going crazy as we were driving through the downtown area with lit-up skyscraper buildings! It is kind of a cross between NY, D.C., and Vegas…but times three!! It was also not nearly as humid and the air was more clear and fresh as it was near the coast.
So the people we stayed with, the Parkinsons, are the most wonderful people! Bro. Parkinson is the 1st Counselor in the District Presidency so he had been to our branch a couple weeks before to set up some callings. They are going on their fourth year living in Shanghai. They are originally from the Detroit area I believe and Bro. Parkinson is the GM designer, as in he designs and draws all of the cars, for GM’s Asian department. Sis. Parkinson is one of those people who just lights up a room with her smile, is very friendly to everyone, and is just a very welcoming person. I could honestly live in Shanghai for years if I lived where they live! It is this beautiful apartment/condo community outside the busy area of Shanghai. It feels like you are in Europe as you walk down the streets lined with trees and street lamps. They live in a two-story apartment and if felt just like a home!....a beautiful grand piano, white couches, wood floors and doors, a completely modern kitchen, and a beautiful dining table. They have guests a lot so they had these bunk-beds made that are double sized mattresses on both the top and the bottom. They were so comfy to sleep in and I totally want to make them for my house one day! It was so homey with family pictures everywhere and the Proclamation to the Family on the wall. We all about passed out as her daughter pulled out sour cream, tomatoes, lettuce, tortillas, and cheese!! for us to make tacos with! We had not seen that much American food the whole time we have been here! I guess because there are so many foreigners living in that area, there is a large imported foods store so you can find tons of American foods! It was the most delicious meal and we all could not get over it! Some of the boys in our group, had called us and asked if we wanted to meet them at “The Bun.” This place is across the bay from the skyscrapers and the needle so it gives you a perfect view of that part of the city! It is also an old-fashioned, classy district with European architecture. It was soooo much fun though! We started a jumping picture phenomenon with the group so we totally had to take some there too! There were tons of people around and some Asians even tried to take some jumping pictures of their own after watching us. We just walked up and down taking pictures all night with the city back-drop. I love the historic China, but I also love the big city, modern China as well J
We woke up the next day to find muffins with butter, cereal, milk, and yogurt!! I thought I was in heaven again! Sis. Parkinson just made us feel so at home and took such good care of us! She dropped us off at an underground market in the early afternoon on sat. and all of my bargaining memories came back to me! I had to warm up to it again, but then we got into the rhythm and I bought a huge pink purse( so me, I know :D) for about 16 U.S. dollars, red sunglasses, and an I love Shanghai t-shirts that Becca and I bargained hard together for. Later, we attended a session of the conference in a beautiful meeting hall and I guess they have only had that building for a year or so. We went around a more traditional decorated part of the city that night and then came home to freshly baked cookies :D…mmmmmmmm We had conference the next morning and it was great. The conference was mainly about families, and also living the gospel in China. I couldn’t believe how much I felt at home sitting in that room. As they would talk about Utah or Salt Lake, it just brought everything together for me. It was so wonderful to realize that the gospel is the same wherever you go, even in China. They talked about families, a forgiving heart, always remembering the Lord, and many other wonderful things. We had a young adult luncheon and fireside with Bro. and Sis. Pratt after as well. The District Conference was great and it was worth going to Shanghai just for that.
I’m trying to keep myself on a positive note as the train ride home was unlike anything I have experienced and probably will ever experience! We got to the train station about an hour and a half early, but the train was a little late so it was just about a push and shove to get on the train. There were actually people sitting in our seats so we had to kind of be a little pushy to get our seats :P The train began super crowded with people squishing on seats and already had tons of people standing in the aisle. I was sitting across the aisle from two other girls and another girl was sitting behind me. The train ride there had been just over 4 hours so we guessed it would be the same again and would probably get less and less crowded as we got closer. We hit 4 hours which was now almost 10 and it didn’t appear we were getting close. I was now squished on my seat with Chinese people on all sides of me and had been straddling a lady who put a little chair in-between my legs for a good long while. Some people just have standing tickets, so they try to take someone’s or make a seat whenever they can! It is crazy! I had talked a little with the people around me, but my language ability had stumped me a few times and I was beginning to get a little tired. Luckily there was a girl who spoke a little English and we talked for a little. I was trying to write some characters and people were literally watching me from the left, right, up, down, and across (closest I ever felt to being a celebrity signing some important document) and they couldn’t believe how I held my pencil! People were grabbing my fingers and trying to fix how I held the pencil. It was just so funny and I thought about my younger days when my Mom used to work with me over and over on that, so maybe now I will actually write correctly! Lol There was a cute little girl with her mom who drew on my paper for a little while, which kept me a little entertained. We hit 5 hours………and my “bubble” was completely popped. It is really quite wonderful actually….I can be smashed up against Asians now and have them all over me and it doesn’t even phase me. That’s what 6 ½ hours on a Chinese double-packed train will do for you! We heard Nanjing was the next stop so we stood up and the people in the aisles were extremely willing to help us get our heavy backpacks down and we thought, O how nice of them! They immediately sat in our seats, but we figured we were just about there so we didn’t mind. Ha…….turns out we still had another HOUR til the next stop……..so here we are at 11:00 at night, with huge heavy backpacks on our backs, standing in a crowded aisle as our seats are taken. Come to find out later, foreigners are very rarely found on this train….which explains the hundreds of stares and pretty much the whole situation. After 6 ½ hours, we finally made it, but we literally had to walk on and push with all our might to get off the train! It was about the craziest experience I have ever had in my life and as much fun as it was, I think I will be paying a little more to take the faster train next time ;) I do have to say I am grateful I had it though, because it will be something to remember forever! China is wonderful!
