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Whitman news since 1896

Whitman Wire

Vol. CLV, Issue 4
Whitman news since 1896

Whitman Wire

Whitman news since 1896

Whitman Wire

Top 10

Rachel Palfini May 28, 2014

This post is somewhat overdue as our Spring Break was more than three weeks ago, but as finals are fast approaching, I need a reminder of the good ole vacation days. To start the trip, Christa Lee '15...

Volunteering at Migrant School

Rachel Palfini May 22, 2014

There are a lot of migrant workers in China, over 130 million. Most migrant workers are leaving poor, rural villages and moving to cities on China's eastern coast in search of better job opportunities....

The Most Popular Game in China

Rachel Palfini May 15, 2014

I'm about to let you all in on a little secret. It's…how to play the most popular game in China! Now, there really is no name to this game, although I presume nicknames have popped up all over China....

Another section of the Marriage Corner. Also, spring has definitely arrived!

Marriage Corner at People’s Park

Rachel Palfini May 7, 2014

As many of you probably know, Chinese culture, like so many others, places great emphasis on marriage. China has been a patriarchal society since its origin over 5000 years ago, and as such, much value...

East China Normal University

Thick Skin

Rachel Palfini April 26, 2014

Mandarin is the first oral language I have studied. In high school, I took four years of Latin, but we rarely read aloud, as Latin is a dead language and impossibly difficult to converse in (Latin grammar...

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (玉龙丽山)

Ancient Tea and Horse Road

Rachel Palfini April 20, 2014

This past week was the CIEE Weeklong Excursion and I went to Yunnan Province with 30 other students and 3 teachers. We were traveling along the Ancient Tea and Horse Road (茶马古道) and...

Me, Jiejie and her baby!

Celebrating 21st Birthday in China

Rachel Palfini April 5, 2014

Last Saturday, I, along with my Chinese tutor (Alex), and CIEE classmate (Kasia), went to Tianzifang (天子方) to celebrate our birthdays (mine was on Sunday and Kasia's was Tuesday). Tianzifang...

“The Goddess”

Rachel Palfini March 20, 2014

Despite what some days may feel like, I am taking other courses in Shanghai besides my Chinese language class! Last week in Chinese Film and Cinema, we watched Wu Yonggong's "The Goddess," which was released...

We tried to order a waffle with the toppings on the side, on two separate plates....this is what we received. We're still working on our Chinese ordering skills!

Slice of Seattle in Shanghai

Rachel Palfini March 16, 2014

Today, I joined a fellow CIEE student (Margot) at a coffee shop (Magodo's 520 Coffee) across from ECNU to work on homework together. I've been to lots of coffee shops in Shanghai and they are very similar...

My first day of calligraphy class!

A Typical Day in Shanghai

Rachel Palfini March 10, 2014

7:30 am: Wake up and review for daily Chinese quiz (~30 new characters) 8:30 am: Eat breakfast with host mom or dad 9:10 am: Leave for school 9:20 am: Catch bus to school or walk to metro if bus...

This is a photo of the Bund--very famous in Shanghai. As you can see, smog is a real issue here.

Culture Shock

Rachel Palfini March 7, 2014

Many people told me I would experience culture shock when I came to Shanghai, but I did not take any of their comments seriously. Last summer, I lived on the Thailand/Burma border doing volunteer work...

ECNU has the first Mao statue ever commissioned on its campus. Now, all universities are required to have one.

Navigating City of 上海 (Shanghai)

Rachel Palfini March 1, 2014

I have now been in Shanghai for a week and cannot believe how much has changed since my first night. My first evening in Shanghai was pretty rough, mostly because my plane was delayed in Vancouver for...

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