Last week it was hot and humid. The Lord must have known that I couldn't take much more of that because this week is gorgeous and much cooler. Thank you, Jesus! :)
(*Panoramic picture taken by Richard from the balcony of our apartment.)

Five minutes away from our Jia is the Jing'an Temple. We walk past it regularly to get to our group dinners and local eateries. This past week I was fortunate to spend some time with a few of the students, which is always precious for me. Ellia and I found Subconscious Day Spa to get our nails done. It cost only $17 for a manicure! The girl spent an hour on just a regular manicure! Amazing!
Local dining includes places like:

• Beef & Liberty - where we had burgers and fries for a group dinner
• AE Kitchen - located just across the street from the alley of the Jia;  I had brunch with Pam there this past week and we enjoyed their breakfast specials. Delicious!
• Dunkin' Donuts - where I bought donuts for an illustration for one of my education lessons
• The French Pancake House - which is a hole in the wall just a few minutes from the Jia that loves Pepperdine students and serves fried rice for about $3

As part of his HUM 295 class, Charlie takes the students around Shanghai and explains its history. He uncovers gems of the city and points out the amazing architecture that is here. On this tour of the Bund, he gave us the historical background of the Bund and then took us on a walking tour of beautiful buildings that line the waterfront. Below are pictures of the Bund and the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

Each Pepperdine student is paired with a local student so that they can meet regularly to improve their language skills and build friendships. The Chinese students are able to practice their English, and the Pepperdine students are able to practice their Chinese. These are pictures from our first meeting with our language partners. Mona, the Program Assistant, ordered a Western feast for dinner and then students went into classrooms to engage in some ice breakers.