My time in China can be described with three words: smartphone, large, and difference. These are three unrelated concepts, but I think they describe my time in China accurately. First, the smartphone: a tool with so much more utility than I previously thought. I knew that the iPhone has more power than the technology that…

This is it. The final day of our 14 day expedition of this country. It is a bittersweet feeling knowing that we are going home but I am taking home with me many souvenirs and experiences that I will never forget. We started the day by going to Yu Gardens, a beautiful ancient (1577) Chinese…

Another early start today. The days are long yet eventful so even though it’s tiring, I wake up excited! The trip is coming to a close which is sad but I am happy I made the most of my time here. In our last full day, we got on the bus bright and early and…

Today we had two company visits and they were very informative as well as eye-opening. First, we went to the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai (AmCham). This company is a group that helps out American businessmen and women in China. The presentation we received had information on the business environment in China and how…

What is with some of these days disappearing?! Just kidding. Day 8 was another bullet train travel day! As we sped through the country side to Shanghai, my excitement for the new city was growing. The day started early, a common trend while we are here in China. After staring out the window at the…

In our last full day in Xi’an, we did two more tourist visits. The first visit was to the most popular attraction of our trip to Xi’an, the Terracotta Warriors. When I say it was the most popular attraction, the frenzy of people pushing to the front rail to see the pits were intense and…

You may be wondering, where’s Day 5? Did it disappear? Well, no. Day 5 started at the crack of dawn, 5:30 AM. We took a bullet train from Beijing to Xi’an. At a speed of 305 KM/H, we sped through neighboring cities and the countryside to cover 1216 KM in about six hours. Looking out…

Day 4 in Beijing was full of tourist visits to the different historical parts of the city. Beijing has a lot of history of the country as it has served as the capital for many years. First, we went to Tiananmen Square where we were able to look at Chairman’s Mao’s memorial (from the outside)…

On day 3 in China, we did two company visits. The first visit, and the most impressive, was to Huawei. Huawei is a telecommunications and consumer electronics manufacturing company that plays a leading role in China’s technology markets. We were able to visit their research and development center located in Beijing and received a tour…

On day two in Beijing, we travelled to the Central University of Finance and Economics. This university had a very modern look. With green space and aesthetically pleasing buildings, the campus had a very homey feel. Our first event for the day was a lecture presented by a professor at the University, Kai Yao, about…

Beijing is a very interesting place, to say the least. The travel day to get here was very intense; we started at 4 AM in Pittsburgh and after two flights, a three hour layover in Newark, and fourteen combined hours in the air, we landed in Beijing. After our first dinner, we got well rested…

Welcome to my blog! My name is Krishan Patel and I am a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh. I’m from Hillsborough, New Jersey which is twenty minutes away from Princeton, for reference. I have lived in three different towns in New Jersey, a town in eastern Pennsylvania, a town in Belgium, and now, the…