It was hard to believe that today was the last of our two weeks in China. Our trip to the Yu Garden was bittersweet, it was a perfect way to wrap our packed schedule of events but also reminded me that it was one of the last times I would see many of the new friends I made on this trip.
After a short bus ride from the hotel we entered a gated park area. To get to the garden, we had to walk through a street teeming with merchants where we were tempted with tourist-y knickknacks. When we finally filed one by one into the garden we were greeted with traditional Chinese architecture and decorations. Our tour guide again commented that the garden was laid out according to the rules of feng shui which I observed made the buildings and decorations flow into one another and blend into the natural landscape. This is perhaps my favorite aspect of Chinese design; I admire the desire to blend into and become part of the environment.
The garden was very peaceful and scenic from it koi ponds to it to its greenery to the red paper lamps. I was surprised by how it felt like how I was in a totally different place away from one of the busiest cities in the world. It was like a little island of peace in a sea of bustling city life.
After the garden we were given free time to visit the surrounding market square. Out of all of the market areas we visited, this was my favorite. The smell of delicious dumplings wafted through the air as my friend Hanna and I browsed the countless menagerie of souvenirs for purchase. My favorite spot was a little tea shop. As soon as you walked in you were enveloped in a capsule of floral and herbal fragrances. I probably smelled every tea in the shop before deciding to purchase a green tea I tried in Beijing for my parents.
After we got back to the hotel from our short excursion, my group and I got together to put the finishing touches on our presentation. Our idea capitalized on the fact that most people in China use their smartphone to access the internet, but sometimes a more traditional desktop experience is favorable, such as when writing an essay. To provide this experience we developed a docking port that would project whatever was on the phone’s screen onto any flat surface. Our product would come with a portable keyboard so they would interact with the interface in a way similar to a laptop or desktop.
When it was time to give our presentations, I enjoyed hearing the other groups’ ideas. I think study abroad gave each of us the unique opportunity to immerse ourselves in a new culture, discover problems within that culture, and then use our own skills and knowledge to develop a solution.