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Return from Shanghai
China, up close and personal. "I knew I was going to have a great time, but (the trip) was far above my expectations. It was better than I could have ever imagined," Jonathan Shively commented as he, Kortne Walsh and Blake Mosteller viewed some of the hundreds of pictures they took while on their recent week-long trip. Shively also commented of his trip abroad, "After seeing how people in China live, it makes me want to see more of the world. It was very special." Shively, Walsh and Mosteller are all members of HHS teacher Jim Saltz' advanced technology class. Of watching his students experience China first-hand, Saltz said that it was by far the "most rewarding experience I have had since becoming an education professional."
The three students, Saltz and Principal Dr. Gail Criss all enjoyed the cultural experience thanks to the kindness of 1966 HHS graduate Ken Beal, who is now President and CEO of Orgill, Inc., a $1 billion hardware distribution company based in Memphis, TN. Beal, who's company has offices around the world including one in Shanghai, planned and funded the entire trip as a "fact-finding" educational experience for the local students.
Upon their return, Saltz, Criss and the students took some time to share their favorite pictures and experiences from China with the Sentinel. The Food Although some of it was very different from American cuisine, the students said they did find a few Chinese dishes that they liked, including the Golden Watermelon - which they ate at breakfast, lunch and dinner.Kortne Walsh said she liked the bamboo soup okay, but passed on the fish they brought to the table alive in a bag before they prepared it. And although the fish is served whole and the eyes and everything else are normally consumed, Walsh said she passed and went for the rice. Mr. Saltz said he found the Chinese version of BBQ very good and that they all got pretty good at using chopsticks.Dr. Criss said that she enjoyed most of the food, but was glad to have a Starbucks handy. With a Starbucks around the corner, you can survive.Jonathan Shively was the group's guinea pig and tried most everything served to them, the group recalled. Shively said that most of it was okay, including the eel. He said it was a lesson in taste and texture, as he tried things that were crunchy, cold, gooey and slimy and everything in between. Mosteller said he really enjoyed the pizza! Students said they ate four large pizzas when they made a visit to a Shanghai Pizza Hut.And although the food was very different, Dr. Criss said that no one ever knew they didn't like what they were served, as the students were very willing to try new foods and showed their appreciation at every meal. "They represented us very well," Criss commented. Wow! What a big city! Shively commented that it is not possible to adequately describe the number of people or how large the city of Shanghai is, no matter what words you use. "None of the pictures we took can capture it, you can't even describe it," Shively said of the magnitude of the city where they spent a week. Shively said one of the most exciting experiences for him was standing on the 40th floor balcony of one of the many buildings in Shanghai and looking out over the massive city. According to Kortne Walsh, even with 17 million people, there is still more traffic in Atlanta than in Shanghai. Walsh said she learned that it is very difficult to own a car in Shanghai because a person must pay $1,000 US dollars to simply get a driver's license and that they must be able to take the engine apart and put it back together before obtaining the privilege to own a car. Most residents ride bikes, walk or ride public buses, the students explained.One fun experience the students all enjoyed was going to the outside market place where they said they turned a lot of heads and drew attention from the street vendors. "It was very crowded," is how they described the market.Students also learned that most of the residents live in apartments as there are very few houses in Shanghai due to lack of space. Walsh said they were told that a house would cost about $2 million US dollars.And a lot of the people living in Shanghai come from small villages and work at factories in the city for several years to make enough money to return to their village and purchase a home. Walsh said that a visit to one Shanghai factory was a highlight for her. Walsh said they saw approximately 1,500 employees working in a very large, modern factory and learned that they work five days a week, eight hours a day and make about $100 US dollars each month. The Bullet Train One of Blake Mosteller's favorite moments while visiting Shanghai was traveling 260 mph on a new experimental form of transportation called the Magnetic Levitation Train. Reaching speeds between 331 and 431 kilometers or 260 mph, Mosteller said the train ride was a highlight. They traveled 18.6 miles in under eight minutes. And even though at those speeds the train actually levitates above the tracks, Mosteller said it was amazingly smooth and that they felt safe. Everyone agreed that traveling that fast on a train was a very cool experience and it was amazing to watch the buildings whiz by outside the windows.
Dr. Criss and Saltz explained that the train is still in the developmental stages and that due to the enormous expense involved the Chinese government will have to get the cost down before it becomes widely used by the general public. Tickets to ride on the train are currently too expensive for the general public to afford.
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