Surreal…This is the word which kept on coming to mind during our last 10 days in China.  Expect the unexpected and take in every moment in this beautiful land. 

Our adventure began in the capital city of Beijing where we were offered the amazing opportunity to climb the Great Wall of China (which is also a great bottle of wine here!!!) The emotions which went through me brought tears to my eyes.  This time 6 months ago I would have never thought I would step foot on one of the great wonder of the world.  I’m sure my classmates have touched on the Temple of Heaven, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Summer Plaza and many great restaurants, and the Summer Olympics so I will move on.

Xian and Guilin were our stops to Shanghai, and what important places to visit.  Xian was a place of great history and culture.  We visited the Terra Cota warriors and met the farmer who discovered them, climbed the Pagoda which provided a fabulous sight of the historic city. 

Guilin was absolutly breathtaking.  From the unbelievable mountains to the calm Li River, we were taken back of the beauty, culture and warmth of this city.  Our 2 days consisted of learning about the land, art, culture and meeting wonderful kind people in this city.  We attended an art presentation by a Chinese artist…many of us took home paintings which he drew just for us. 

            Shanghai was our finale destination and what a finale stop it was.  Our week residency was inspirational to say the least.  We were honored with lectures from distinguished faculty from SIFT.  Shanghai is clean, safe and exciting. For example I was able to go for a jog alone this morning and not worry about my safety.  I should have been worried about my sense of direction because I got lost =) but I was able to ask a gentlemen about SIFT location and he directed me the right direction. 

            In the past week we learned about the Chinese culture, business ethics, economics, marketing and our Chinese names!!!!  Most importently we were blessed to meet great students, faculty and tour guides which made this experience unforgettable. 

            Today was our closing ceremony at SIFT.  This is where we received our certificate of completion for the program and attended an amazing party the SIFT students held for us. 

            Personally the highlight of my trip was when I was provided the opportunity to show our gratitude and appreciation to SIFT for there kind hospitality.  We were asked to prepare a speech for the closing ceremony and I jumped on the opportunity to show our appreciations.

(The following is the speech Aline gave-cjw)

            “Ni hoa (hello)

            From Beijing, Xian, Guilin and finally Shanghai my classmates and I have been offered this amazing lifetime opportunity to visit, learn experience, adapt and respect this wonderful country.

            We were taken back from our first steps on this beautiful land. The culture, history, and most importantly the people have provided us with fond memories and pictures that will last a lifetime.

            In particular we would like to thank SIFT for their hospitality and generosity in the past week.  The lectures given were engaging, clear, and relevant to our MBA program.

            Out visit to the World Trade Organization, Shanghai Stock Exchange, Mall of Asia, and let’s not forget an extrodinary acrobat show could not have happened if it wasn’t for your kind instructors and leaders.

As we board our plane on Monday we will take with us far more then we ever expected.

From our hearts we would like to thank you so very much and extend an invitation to you and your students to come  to the United States so we may offer you the same hospitality as you have given us.

On behalf of my classmates, myself, and the Sage Graduate Program….

Xie Xie (thank you)”

On this trip I was honored to represent the United States but most impotently blessed to meet and travel  with such amazing business entrepeneurs and faculty representing a wonderful educational institution.

Thank you Thank you Thank you…

Aline

-Mike

Guilin is a living breathing postcard it is absolutely breathtaking. Mountains surround the city, but not the mountains we are accustomed to seeing in New York State. They are not exactly mountain ranges, but large mountain peaks in the shape of an upside down cone. Throughout the city there are numours lakes, public parks and two rivers, the Li River and the Peach Blossom River. On our cruise along the Li River we were able to really experience Guilin’s beauty. On the cruise we saw water buffalo, which I did not know live in China. Also, we saw gardens that were on the sides of steep mountains and small huts along the river. Being in Guilin was such a drastic change from Beijing and Xian. Parts of Guilin look like a tropical rain forest and a mythical feel with mist rising over the mountaintops. It is hard to describe Guilin in words; a picture is truly needed to understand how beautiful Guilin actually is. We were told that Guilin was a city were many Chinese come on vacation and where they have summer homes. The people of Guilin have a simple lifestyle, which results in an average life expectancy of 85 (according to our tour guide, Forest). Our entire group did not want to leave Guilin. Collectively in our group we have been all over the world and the consensus is Guilin is the most amazing place they have ever seen. I would have been fine if the trip ended at Guilin. However, this is a class not a vacation… well that what we keep telling each other. 

Day 3  Beijing

Words cannot describe what we are experiencing here so far.  Today was another very long, but most remarkable experience.  It began with a 6:30 am wakeup call and a fantastic breakfast with a choice of everything one could imagine.  All aboard our tour bus by 8:30 am, we negotiated the city traffic for our first stop at Tian An Men Square and Ming Dynasty extravagance at the Forbidden City’s Imperial Palace.  After several hours of exploration of this remarkable cultural treasure we next visited the Temple of Heaven.  Most remarkable are the activities of the retirees who visit the grounds every day to participate in Tai Chi, ballroom dancing, singing, traditional Chinese dancing and instrumental arts and games to mention just a few of the available activities that are evident on a daily basis.  The people here are very happy and warmly welcome watchers and visitors of all nationalities although mostly Chinese.  Lunch followed at a local restaurant (delicious!) and a brief introduction about how different  types of oysters and the how different types and colors of pearls come to be at a pearl emporium.  Some of the group made some very nice purchases of pearl jewelry.  A visit to the summer palace of the Ming and Quing dynasties was followed by a brief ferry ride on a manmade lake on the extensive grounds and gardens of the palace most associated with Ci Xi, the dowager empress also known as the Dragon Lady who was the grandmother of the last emperor of China (in case you have seen the movie).  A delicious dinner of Peking duck was followed by a wonderfully exciting, theatrical and surprisingly moving performance of the legend of Kung Fu.  By the afternoon, many of us found that we had totally depleted the batteries in our cameras and we will have to rely on each other to share photographic documentation of the day’s adventure.

Beijing is not what we expected.  The city is huge with a population of 17 million residents and is truly one of the most beautiful modern cities I have ever seen.  While our tour guide indicated the rush hour here is every hour during the day, the city is also one of the cleanest in spite of the population and traffic.   Even more remarkable are its people who are so welcoming and friendly.  Everywhere we went we would be greeted by people calling out  “Hello!” to which we answer “Ni hao”  followed by much laughter as that was the extent of our understanding of one another’s language and further communication was not possible.  At times our local guide would be frustrated with the extra time it would take as so many of the people wanted to have their pictures taken with members of our group.  There is so much more to tell, but it is already 1:30 am and we have another 6:30 am wakeup call.  Our bags must by packed by 7am for transfer to the airport while we visit the Great Wall and another full day of activity, delicious meals and a 7 pm flight to Xian tomorrow evening.

The group is great and everyone is loving it.

More later (maybe).