Our first week in HangZhou was great week full of discovery and cultural immersion. The hostel in ZheJiang University was a familiar home away from home where it was similar to the hostel we were used to in SUTD. A simple room of our own to come back to everyday was very comforting. After looking at the amenities nearby, we found out that that was a food street right outside the campus and several malls nearby.
The next day, we attended a ZheJiang University museum tour where we learnt of the history of ZheJiang University and how the university had to overcome many trials and difficulties in order to persevere. For example, when HangZhou was invaded in 1937 by the Japanese, ZheJiang university faculty members and students were forced to move to Jiangxi province to continue their education.
Next, we went to a nearby museum that showcased the scientific achievements of Zhejiang University. One particularly interesting product was the “Pico-Satellite” that was created by Zhejiang researchers.
For the rest of the week, we visited Walmart a few times more. One particularly delicious food we tasted was 锅贴 （guo tie）which basically is like xiao long bao with thicker skin and has a deep fried layer at the bottom. The soup that is contained in the guo tie is piping hot and fragrant and this soup can be drunk when you first bite into the guo tie.
We also experienced KTV culture where we sang for close to 7 hours and we ended up purchasing the unlimited singing package that came with 32 bottles of beer included. It was indeed an interesting experience as we got to sing a good variety of songs, such as Chinese, Korean, English and even Spanish.
Overall, it was a well-spent first week where we tried many new things and acted outside of our comfort zone. Here’s to a good second week as well!
