One of the highlights of my trip has been the partnership with State Street. Sarah, Steph, Angela, and I had great times with our mentors, Meg, Lillian, Emily, Sunshine, and more of their friends and co-workers. They are so sweet I would love to take them home with me! From them, I learned that young Chinese and American professionals are very similar. After discussing our favorite TV shows, stores, and leisure activities on the first night, we just happened to walk by a coffee shop that is actually "Central Perk" from the TV show "Friends," which we grew up on! This "Central Perk" is decorated like the set of the show and it plays Friends episodes (with Chinese subtitles) all day. The picture below is my favorite from this trip. I think this is more than just a fun coincidence, though; for me it represents just how similar American culture and Chinese culture are, and that China is not something to fear or despise. Of course, there are many more examples, but I'm sure my students will enjoy this one!
However, one major difference between us is that Chinese women can walk for an hour to dinner in high heels and arrive without an ache or pain or a drop of sweat!
On our free day, our mentors took us to KTV and it was a blast. Now I understand why Asians love karaoke and I do not understand why we don't do it this way in America!
I had a great time with our Chinese "Friends".
Study Tour
