Today was our second lecture with Claudia on Chinese thought. We talked about the four major types: Confucianism, Legalism, Daoism and Buddhism. I found this particular lecture very interesting because Chinese beliefs really give insight into the culture, helping to explain the differences between China and the U.S. Once the lecture was finished we took a trip the grocery store to see what it was like. A lot of American food and products could be found along with some very odd items. Seaweed and shrimp Pringles were available, as were green tea ice cream flavored Oreos. There were also chicken feet and cubes of squid meat in fat blocks. What was also different was the fact that plastic bags to carry groceries cost money. This is a good idea to keep down waste and help the environment and should be thought about for use in the U.S.
Later, we attended our first company tour to CapitalBio. I was a little surprised that we only got to see the lobby and garden of the building, but I understand that their labs aren’t open to the public. The guide explained about all the devices that the company manufactures and the success that the company has had. Everything was very interesting, especially since I am pursuing a career in Bioengineering. The devices they manufacture could be ones I will actually use in research labs. What was most interesting to me was the fact that they said they recently got a new drug approved for testing for diabetes treatment. This pertains to me because I recently finished a research paper in engineering on diabetes treatment. Also on the tour, Chinese culture could really be seen in the building as well. Feng Shui was used with mountains and water in front to keep out the spirits in the lobby, and their logo incorporates a square Earth and round Heaven which follows ancient Chinese beliefs. The garden in the back was also very pretty. I had no idea that workers lived at the company in dorms, but apparently they do. After this trip, we went back to eat at the place we ate on the first night and then shopped at the night market again.