EPHS Bands Grand Tour to China!: 2013

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Shanghai - the Final (full) Day

Our final full day in Shanghai started with a trip to Nanking Road where we saw a beautiful garden and a bustling market.

We then went to the Shanghai school for our performance. As in Beijing the kids forged a connection through music and through conversation. The concert went well and, afterwards, a brief spontaneous game of pick-up basketball took place.

We had dinner at a Shanghai restaurant and then went on a boat trip to see the amazing buildings lit up in Shanghai. It was a perfect evening to stand on the outside deck of the boat as we soaked in the sights of brightly lit buildings.

We then returned to the hotel to pack for the return home.

Pictures from the concert:

And a little pickup basketball:

And another gorgeous shot of Shanghai at night:

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

More Pictures from Shanghai

Compliments of Chaperone Peggy Baker:

Kids with famous Pearl Tower in the background on the left.

They're tired, but still smiling!

Seniors!

Koi from a reflecting pool

Kids from the Red bus

Day Five in Shanghai

Today we visited our second school. We played our concert for the students in their band, then they played in small groups for us: a flute quartet, a clarinet quartet, a saxophone duet, and a percussion trio on a traditional Chinese drum. It was fantastic.

Day Four in Shanghai

We are in Shanghai! Such a contrast from Beijing. It's a very modern city with many people. Yesterday we visited the TV Tower - which is one of the most familiar buildings in Shanghai. The students were able to walk on a clear glass floor 259 meters above the ground! Got some great pictures. We also visited a creepy museum filled with wax figures, telling the story of the history of the city. It reminded some of us of an episode in the Twilight Zone...but it was very educational!

Peggy Baker sent this:

Even though most of our group has recovered from jet lag, we were still amazed to wake at 5:00 am for an air flight from Beijing to Shanghai. The whole group was ready and we arrived in Shanghai without incident.

We ate lunch at The Seagull Restaurant and then went to the Pearl Tower where an elevator took us 263 meters where we had a fabulous view of Shanghai. Some of us also stood on a "glass" floor which was 259 meters above the ground. The "glass" floor allowed us to look straight down to the street below.

We also saw the Shanghai Museum which had many dioramas and displays of Shanghai's growth over the years.

We next went on a people mover which had a mesmerizing electric light display.
From there we saw the cityscape of Shanghai with its modern skyscrapers on one side and other buildings with ornate facades.

Dinner was at a local Shanghai restaurant and then we saw a performance by Chinese acrobats.

We returned to our hotel which is a beautiful, modern building.

Chaperones Peggy Baker and Bill Wrobel sent these pictures.

At the Great Wall of China:

Peking Duck Dinner:

Kids waiting at the airport:

Group Shots!

And from Wednesday's Huangpu River Cruise, this beautiful shot:

Monday, April 1, 2013

Day Three in Beijing

Day Three has been as busy as every other day. We have virtually no time off, which is why the kids are usually asleep by 10:00 or earlier each night! Today we visited a jade factory and climbed the Great Wall of China. Some of the kids brought their drum pads to the top and practiced their rudiments. Great photo opportunity! It was a beautiful day with blue sky, which is very rare in Beijing. It was perfect for a visit to the Wall. Our group picture turned out great! Every student will bring one home. Tomorrow morning we fly to Shanghai. We are all having a wonderful time!

Group Shot Different Angle

If you were not able to find your student in the Group Shot posted earlier, here is the same picture from a different angle posted by chaperone Eric Dungan.