To My Village,

Ni Hao! Hello!! Greetings from the opposite coast of the Pacific!

I am trying my very best to settle in comfortably at Fudan University just outside the city center of Shanghai (China).  Thanks to the Chinese government scholarship moving into the student dormitory was quite smooth.  As for all other registration requirements, I am forever grateful to my mother for teaching me patience and persistence.  These invaluable qualities, in addition to my limited but somewhat understood Mandarin, have helped me manage things thus far.

I am living in a 23 story dormitory for foreign students where the ability to speak English, or Chinese for that matter, may not exactly help you to meet other students.  Here students from all over the world have come to study at Fudan and most do not speak English and are only learning to speak Chinese, so in most cases it is very difficult to communicate.  So far the few words I know in French, Italian, and Japanese have helped to break the ice on long elevator rides.  I have my own room and a magnificent view (when it is not raining).  The most entertaining landscape is the traffic intersections just outside our building where red lights mean go quickly before getting hit, green means go for all directions where bicycles and semi-trucks miss each other by inches and motorized bikes race local buses to the right and left turn.  It is at its best in the morning when farmers are moving crops on pull carts through the intersection on foot, completely confident no one will hit them.  Other than the persistent honking at 6am, it is pretty quite around here.

Fudan is about 25 min outside of Shanghai proper but it will take you about an hour and 15 minutes to travel here because of traffic. I thought we had it bad in LA.  The good thing is the long taxi ride will only cost you about 50¥ or $6 US.  The metro train will cost you 5¥ or .60 cents US, but it will take you just as long or longer.  I have started taking the bus, it is the fastest option.  Although taking the bus is the greatest test of nerves and you must have a tough stomach to make the ride.  Speeding through the streets and the steeping firmly on the breaks just before slamming into a crowd seems to be the only way for the bus to beat the pedestrians and bikes through the crosswalk. Fun times! Everyone on the bus is helpful and eager to talk and help once they have heard me say a word or two in Chinese. 

Oh yeah, I am here at Fudan to conduct research and finish my writing for my degreeŠ Well so far I am having a great time with this.  Not only hasthe Venture Capital expert of Fudan agreed to let me in his research group, but it turns out he is one of only three recognized experts in China on the research and development of this subject, Dr. Zhang LuYang.  Together with his group of graduate students we have traveled all over China to meet with and learn about the VC industry.  So far we have been to Tianjin, Beijing, Shizhizhuang, Taiyuan, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen (all by train).  We have met with 20 VC companies and new enterprises.  Since professor Zhang is one of the directors of the Chinese VC Research Center, gathering data is looking promising. This aspect of my trip is moving along quite nicely and I am so fortunate to work with Dr. Zhang.  There is just one, small, insignificant detail; Šhe does not speak English.  ;-)

I have so many interesting stories I want to share with you.  My travels have been full of unsightly restrooms (with no rest), semi-edible dishes, cultural mistakes and unpredictable weather including typhoons and heat upwards of 100°, all in the same week.  I have also visited many beautiful ancient historical sites and watched gorgeous countryside landscapes pass by on 24-hour long train rides.  So much to tell, and for all the quarks and semi-inconveniences, the people have been very warm and gracious towards me. 

I will continue to keep you posted but I would love to hear from you.  It would be great to hear from a friend.  Thank you for all your prayers and support, I can feel your thoughts and I am doing well, I miss you very much.  I will be in touch again soon.

Off to explore more of China,

Tharon

ps

If you have an extra minute and want to mail something my address is:

Room 1629, Foreign Students Dormitory of Fudan University

No. 57, Wudong Rd, Shanghai, P.R.C.  200433