Megan Bennett

Hi everyone, my name is Megan and I’m taking over the blog for Wednesday and Thursday! Wednesday marked the end of our time in LA as we spent about 13 hours flying to Beijing. Thankfully, everyone made it to the airport on time, though we had some close calls. The flight itself was pretty uneventful, we got two meals and a few snacks, and there were a bunch of movies to choose from.

Departing from LAX!

Once we landed in Beijing, we were able to get through customs pretty quickly and meet up with our tour guide, Alex. It was hot outside, about 95 degrees, but thankfully our bus had air conditioning. As we drove through Beijing, Alex talked a bit about China and its history. I was surprised by how open he was talking about controversial things like Tiananmen Square, which I thought most people generally didn’t talk about.

View landing from the plane

We had some extra time before dinner and went into a nearby supermarket to explore. We had some fun looking at both Chinese products and American brands that were changed for Chinese consumers. For example, we found Lays chips that were cucumber flavored and others that were butter and garlic flavored. My group project is on feminine hygiene products, so we also looked around for a bit in that section.

Our dinner was served lazy susan style, and Professor Sheehan made sure we knew the proper etiquette for eating this way before we started. We also do a toast every meal, leading up to the final banquet where we will all give toasts. At our table, Matt started a tradition of doing a round of rose, thorn, bud at dinner, where everyone goes around and gives highlights and lowlights from their day.

First dinner in China

Finally, we went to the hotel and got settled in. Some of us then went out to explore a bit but only Clarence, Connor, and Eric had the energy to stay out longer than 30 minutes. Overall, it was a pretty exciting day, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the trip will bring!