Sunday, December 14, 2008

Day 8 - Last day in China and Maglev Ride

Our last day in China.....

Few went for breakfast. Why? Because there were last minute bargain shopping to do! Eventually at 1:30pm, it was time to leave the hotel for the airport...although some 6 minutes before then, Chin wanted to hop out to KFC at Nanjing Street for a bite to eat!!! But I ever so gently discouraged that as the bus was about to leave :-)

Jenny - from ChinaSense - said a few kind words to the group in the bus and bid everybody farewell. I also wished everybody well (I leave tomorrow, Monday, with Lori). Someone yelled in a funny joking voice "we love you Obi." I ditto-ed that and added "I'll see y'all on the other side of the Pacific!"

All in all, it was a warm and somewhat emotional farewell to our hosts in China and to the wonderful people of this great nation. The food was great although some of the entrees take a little gettting used to. It certainly was an "immersion" in Chinese culture, as the program promised :-) Chopsticks are foolhardy, although it seemed that I was the only one struggling with them at the dinner table. Most importantly, the learning experience at all the business visits more than met our expectations. We will surely remember the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, ZPark, Orion, Audrey's law firm in Beijing, Lenovo, US Consulate, Acrobatic Show in Shanghai, Yu Yuan Garden, Old Shanghai, among many memories.

And so now, everybody is homebound. Along the way to Shanghai airport (Pudong), most would get off the bus to take the maglev to the airport. Maglev? It's a magnetic levitation train that runs at a top speed of about 425 km per hour! That's what's up!!! An exciting way to cap an exciting Study-Abroad visit to Bejing and Shanghai by MBAE-10.

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