XCE Beijing Shang Hai

Shanghai 

After several weeks in Beijing, the entire XCE Beijing team took an overnight train to Shanghai where we would spend the next couple of days touring around the economic capital of China. The overnight train was a totally unique experience. It was my first time to sleep inside a train. Although quite tight and packed, it was comfortable. It was moving quickly but you can barely feel the rustle and bustle of the train. Smooth... 

The long train ride gave me the chance to hangout and interact with some of my batch mates. I also had a good conversation with Mr. Aragon. We talked about a variety of topics including college. This small conversation could ultimately be the swaying factor in choosing my future alma matter. Nothing really beats having a fruitful conversation with people I respect and admire.

Upon arriving Shanghai, we went to our hotel. We were billeted in the Greenland Jiulong Hotel. Our room was the biggest and the scariest. It had poor lighting and the window is as small as an air vent. Although the view was pretty atrocious, the small window made it seem like we were living inside a haunted mansion.  One consolation though is that the door doesn’t mysteriously open by itself like the room we have in Huawen. 

Our first stop was the Shanghai Urban Planning and Exhibition Hall.  We were given a glimpse of the different systems and plans  implemented in Shanghai and what the future lies for this city. It was an opportunity for us  to learn new and interesting things in a very interactive manner through an assortment of games and cool presentations. 

After that, we walked a couple of meters to visit Madam Tussaud’s Wax Museum. There, we had the opportunity to take our pictures with the live-size replicas of some of our favourite well-known celebrities.  Finally, I got to block Yao Ming! I would never have had an opportunity like that in real life.  

 Our next stop is Nanjing Lu, Shanghai’s version of Beijing’s Wangfujing. It was a very wide shopping district which houses a variety of different brands and nothing beats ending the day with a visit  to the biggest Nike Store in Asia. 

Our second day started with us headed to Zhouzhuang village or also known as the Venice of China (Though honestly speaking, I find it  very far from it). We walked around the village and saw the different small settlements. The supposed-highlight of that visit was a Gondola ride.  

After lunch, we headed to the Shanghai’s Oriental Pearl Tower. It was indeed a sight to see. It’s tall, elegant and unique structure towered above the different skyscrapers of Shanghai. Upon reaching  the top, we had a ton of photo opportunities with the brightly-lit Shanghai scenery as our background. Several floors below the top view deck was the glass-enclosed deck where you could actually walk ‘outside’ the structure and see the Shanghai landscape below encapsulated in glass. We had  fun taking pictures and poking fun at the people who were afraid of the height. It was truly fascinating to see and experience Shanghai’s grandest buildings. 

Our third day in Shanghai started off with a visit to the Bund. We took pictures on the paved road beside Shanghai’s most essential and important river with the Shanghai skyscrapers as our background. Afterwards, we headed over to Paul XuGuangQi’s tomb and ancestral home. It was a great chance for us to visit the person to whom our school’s name was taken from. 

After hearing mass, we went to one of Shanghai’s shopping districts.  Aside from shopping, I was able to taste the Da Long Bao, a bigger Xiao Long Bao. The taste is basically the same except that there was a lot more soup. 

Our last day in Shanghai started off with a talk inside the main headquarters of Oishi. We were all looking sharp on that day as we had to wear our business attire consisting of a long-sleeved polo shirt, tie and leather shoes. Ms. Marissa Go of Oishi gave us an insightful talk on how Oishi was doing in China and why it decided to pack its bags and set up their main headquarters there. We were able to learn a lot of new insights on how business is done in Shanghai and how it is to run such a big company as Oishi. Ms. Go also answered a lot of good questions raised by the students. Our host was also very generous  and gave us a loot bag, consisting of a variety of Oishi products, as souvenir. 

Later in the afternoon, we visited one of the top high schools in Shanghai. The students from both schools shared different things about their respective countries and schools. Different games were played, different performances were presented  and what better way to end the interaction than through a basketball game. The game ended in a draw after the Xaverians caught up from a deficit in the first half. (The officiating CLEARLY favored the local Chinese. I even had to remind the referee that we too were Chinese - Overseas Chinese) 

In the evening, we embarked on our journey back home to Beijing. It was a reminder that we had three weeks left in this city. 

TALKS (Atty. Richard Alianan of Baoshutang Pharmaceutical Company, Ltd. and Mr. Benjamin Lim Thomson-Reuters Reporter of the Year 2011) 

Experience is the best teacher. 

We were very privileged to be able to listen to great people talk. These people took time out of their busy schedules to accommodate us and shared their stories of success. It’s not everyday that you get to interact with people who are successful and we, the participants of Beijing XCE 2012, looked forward  and made the most out of it. 

Thursday, November 23, we visited the Baoshutang Pharmaceutical Company plant and met  2009 Xavier School Outstanding Alumni Awardee Atty. Richard Alianan. I was very lucky to be given the opportunity to host the event. Atty. Alianan gave us a plant tour and briefly explained to us how their products were formulated, packaged, and sold. We also got  a free sample and some ice cream. He shared to us his story and how he decided to move to China 10+ years ago for a better life and for better opportunities. He also shared to us the different challenges of running a business in China and how he and his company tried to provide their customers with the best products at the lowest cost. 

Saturday, November 25, we had the rare privilege to meet and interact with Mr. Benjamin Lim, Thomson-Reuters’ 2011 Reporter of the Year. Also a Xavier alumnus, he welcomed us with open-arms in the reception area of his office and gave a very interesting talk with insightful and rich answers pertaining to Chinese history, culture, economics and politics. Opportunities like these don’t come very often. We made the most out of it by listening and asking good questions. I hope that I will be able to absorb all the things they shared and apply everything I learned. 

Notes: Hohai challenge tomorrow! Let’s go Team Ello Pakyu!