The First Couple Days

July 9, 2012 – 11:30 PM

After a twelve hour, relatively peaceful flight, I arrived at PVG and soon met my fellow interns, Reina Satoh and Avik Banerji, both of whom will be transferring to the UO Portland architecture program this coming fall. We were able to have our first linguistically awkward encounter with the streets of Shanghai, as we searched for some bottled water. Luckily, we met with success. As I type this first entry, I am watching a Chinese news station that I can barely understand. From what I see, it looks like they are discussing fuel prices.

The initial impressions of Shanghai, driving from the airport to our hotel through a hazy night, were very surreal. A collage of dimly lit housing towers reminded me of a 70s or 80s future dystopian movie. I am not judging the state of construction in China, I am just trying to portray what I saw. It must have been the mist that made the journey so intriguing. There were some examples of four to five stories of housing over the store, but what really amazed me was the sheer number of residential high rises.

July 10, 2012 – 8:45 PM

Day one at Xian Dai was a whirlwind. After successfully navigating our way to bus 19, we arrived at the firm half an hour early, so we decided to stop by a local supermarket. I ended up getting orange juice and some dried plumbs with the pits still inside them. We then made our way into the wrong building (as it turns out, there are two Xian Dai offices just adjacent to each other). We quickly made our way to the 6^th floor of the correct building, with elevator doors slamming together, almost crushing us. We were met by Joy, who had driven us to our hotel from the airport, and filled out the necessary paperwork to begin our internship. We were introduced to our project teams and were taken to our respective floors. I am on floor 5, the architecture department. We then received a quick tour of the building. I met with Zeng Jun, who explained the first project to me. (I was also able to meet the other 5 members of our project team who formed quite a swarm of designers trying to explain the project in broken English. I loved it!).

For this first project, I will be designing a concept for a geological museum with a height limit of 24m. The building will be one of the main nodes in the redesign of the city, BaoTou, in the Nei Meng Gu province in northern China. The building will be located in the civic core, opposite the Government Center. Along a different axis, the museum will be the termination of a pedestrian market boulevard. I am surprised that I’ve been given such a design intensive project right from the start! After having lunch in the cafeteria with my coworkers, surprising them with my control of chopsticks, we took a half hour break. Essentially a siesta. Zeng was surprised that we don’t take naps after lunch in America, but decided that, “that’s right, in America, time is money.” Next came a manufacturer’s presentation by Nora, for rubberized flooring to be used in a number of hospitals, and a brief introduction to yet another project to start thinking about for a dance theater. All three of us, Reina, Avik, and I, were present to hear about this project. After a client meeting tomorrow, where the clients will choose between three alternative site plans, we will begin coming up with iterations for facades which will be cheaper to construct than previous proposals.

I finally gained access to the internet for the first time after the meeting, which was hooked up via LAN. I was also given a SketchUp model, AutoCAD drawing, a roll of trace, and pdf presentation of the BaoTou project by Zeng so that I could begin the design of the museum. The only advice I was given was that it should reference the culture and reflect the local vernacular architecture. This I am wary of, as I feel like I have no grasp on Chinese culture yet, especially that of a specific province. Tomorrow, I need to get to work by 8:15 for a site visit at the water town of Zhujiajiao with Li Wenting, a coworker who is in my office.

We also had our first experience tonight eating Chinese hot pot with Reina and Avik. It was the best broth I think I’ve ever had. Also got to try seahorse, some snakelike fish, and greens and mushrooms I’ve never tasted before. The most exciting part about the meal was that we had no idea how to go about ordering it or eating it, but our waiter and waitress were both eager to assist. There is something more real, more human about these encounters where we cannot understand the language of the people and where they cannot understand us. We both want to communicate and somehow manage to do so using the most fundamental methods of expression and gestures. You become more aware… of your surroundings, of reality, of life, and of your fellow human beings.

July 11, 2012 – 7:20 PM

Today was the visit to Zhujiajiao. First thing, however, I decided to walk to work via a route along Suzhou Creek that Zeng had recommended yesterday. The walk only took 35 minutes, but it provided yet another new take on Shanghai. It seemed like there was a pattern of alleys breaking through the streetwall, alternating between resort-like housing complexes and slum-like alleys. Along the way, I stopped by a small store and grabbed a sweet rice tea. I think that’s what it was anyways. Regardless, it was pretty tasty. I made it to Xian Dai a bit early, so I unrolled my trace and started sketching ideas for the geological museum, waiting for the van to arrive.

Soon, Li Wenting fetched me and we got on board the van for a harrowing hour long ride to Zhujiajiao. I think Shanghai has topped Mexico City in terms of having the craziest drivers I’ve seen. Somehow, we managed to avoid every near collision. During the ride, I met Shon Ja We, who is a landscape intern at Xian Dai.

Most of the day was spent exploring the water town. There is far too much to describe, so I’ll narrow this down to quick images of the highlights with a few anecdotes.

Li and Shon used their “Chinglish” (their term, not mine) to explain many of the symbols used throughout the town and throughout China. For example, red is the national color and symbolizes happiness, and keeping a large bowl with fish in it in your home or market stall is a way of bringing in good fortune and wealth. I was able to see a traditional “marriage carriage” where the bride would sit and four people would carry her. If the bride was bigger, as Li and Shon explained, there are also carriages that would be carried by eight people.

Beyond a boat ride through the canals, getting caught in a downpour, and visiting a number of galleries and museums, I think my favorite place was the Temple. Photos were not allowed, but the interior was beautiful and filled with symbolism. There were a number of trees covered in red ribbons called wishing trees. People can write characters about what they are wishing for and praying for on a ribbon and tie it to one of the trees. The innermost space was incredibly dark, and lit with red candles. There was a haze of incense.

Lunch was a new experience entirely. I have done the whole Chinese “communal eating” meal with the large Lazy Susan in the center, but this time it was intense. This is possibly because I was the only foreigner at the table and everybody was eager that I taste everything. The developer of the project we were there to see bought dinner for everyone and the meal seemed to be endless. (The project itself is a subdivision development and so far it is just the foundations that have been constructed.) A few of us, myself included, poured some beer as the trays of food began to arrive, and the developer stood up to give everyone a toast. There were about five times throughout the course of the hour long meal that I thought, “There is no possible way they can be bringing any more dishes of food.” I was wrong every time. Most of what I ate was unidentifiable to me, but when everyone realized that I was ready to try any type of food they could bring, I kept getting offered food long after I was full. I know for certain that I ate snail, 3 different types of fish, shrimp, pig's feet (which are what Zhujiajiao is known for and they were amazing!), a huge variety of vegetables, and tofu with fish heads. I was literally told, “This vegetable is strange,” and was offered a bowl of bean-like vegetables that were both furry and dripping slime. They weren’t actually that bad! One tray, brought out near the middle of the meal, looked like purple slugs, but turned out to be sticky rolls made from rice. Throughout the meal, people would hold up their glass to someone, or multiple people, and everybody would make their toast and drink. The head MEP guy kept holding up his glass to me and offered to fill up everyone’s glass throughout the course of the meal.

Everyone but the van driver napped during the hour long ride back to work.

We got back to Xian Dai with two hours left for work, and after I got one hour into my project, one of my coworkers came over to my cubicle and let me know that they brought some food in for everyone. Feeling obliged, I walked over to the table and shared dumplings and a rice broth with everyone, chatting about the U.S., and China, and other such things. After today’s sheer amount of food, I may not need to eat for another week!

After work, I got to see Reina and Avik for the first time today, and we took the bus back to our hotel and talked about our days. It’s difficult to believe that I’m only two and a half days in! I’ve barely scratched the surface. Right now, I’m both exhausted and ready for more.