Today was our last day in China, which was both a little happy and a little sad. I’m ready to come home, but I’m definitely going to miss Beijing. We had our last lecture with Claudia today about the media in China, and some of the current issues the Chinese media is covering. It was interesting to see what the Chinese government wants to cover up and what it wants to expose. I thought it was neat to learn how the government’s stance on censorship has changed over the years.
Later in the day we revisited some of the markets we had been to before. I was able to successfully navigate the subway system, which made me extremely happy. We did a lot of shopping before meeting up with the group at the Pearl Market, where I once again spent way too much money. It was a lot of fun, though, and I did some awesome bargaining. I even ran into the same lady that sold me shoes last time! The merchants were still incredibly aggressive and I ended up getting ripped off for a fake Coach clutch.
In the evening we had our farewell dinner. I really enjoyed all the food. I’m definitely going to miss the subtle flavors of Chinese food. I’ve noticed that all Chinese food is light, while most American food is very heavy. It’s definitely going to be a change when I get back. I love the people, food, and atmosphere of Beijing. For being the first time I’ve traveled overseas, my trip to Beijing was awesome in all aspects.