WeChat is an app available for your phone that is more or less a Chinese government allowed combination of Facebook, Facebook Messenger, YouTube, Instagram, and Whatsapp all rolled up in one. You can message people as well as call or video chat with them. This is the one service that we found words very well […]
Tag: VIPKid
The Great Firewall of China – Using Your Phone in China
Since China’s government is very careful about what information the citizens can access, internet usage is censored and monitored. Sometimes, this is jokingly referred to as “the Great Firewall of China”. Many sites and apps that we take for granted here in the United States are either severely limited or completely blocked. I will list […]
Is something happening in China? What is wrong with my bookings?
Today I have seen these questions repeatedly on the ESL groups I am in. I will say, last night/this morning was the worst booking frenzy I have experienced so far. I had only 3 bookings and 9 cancellations! What is happening in China? Well, this week is the beginning of the “winter holiday” for Spring […]
What to Pack for your China trip in Winter
The biggest variable for what to pack is your clothing. First of all, that is a broad statement. It is the same as saying “what should I pack to visit America in winter”. There are many more variables that you must take into consideration. Our trip visited Beijing, Shanghai, and my son and I took […]
Day 8 – On our own in Shanghai
This was the departure day for most of our group. My son and I however had added on a few days on this trip to see Shanghai Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland. We had reservations this night for Toy Story Hotel at the Disneyland Resort. We had found a friend who had the same itinerary […]
Day 7 – Tour of Shanghai
This day was a very long, but exciting day. We visited many of the main sites in Shanghai. We started the morning by walking along the Bund. This is where we could take iconic photos of Shanghai. This area is extremely popular with the tourists, but it is much more busier at night. It was […]
Day 6 – Free Day and Shanghai VIPKid Meetup
This day was a free day for most of the day until we had our Student Meetup that night. I will have an article specifically about the Student Meetups. We were not really given many options or information about this day. Many of us had chatted about going to Shanghai Disneyland before the trip and […]
Day 5 – Bullet Train from Beijing to Shanghai
This day was less walking than we had done the whole trip. We took the Bullet Train from Beijing to Shanghai. Before we left the US, we got a message from the travel agency asking if we would like to upgrade to First Class for $55 each. We took the upgrade for the extra legroom. […]
Day 4 – Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Hutong, Olympic Park
This was probably one of the most exhausting days on the trip. First of all, the complex that holds Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City is HUGE! I felt that we did not spend much time here, other than simply walking through, but I think it would literally take a full day (or more) to […]
Day Three – Temple of Heaven, Tea Ceremony, Pearl Market, Peking Duck
This day was packed! Our first stop was the Temple of Heaven. This was a religious temple used by the Ming and Qing Emperors for yearly prayers for the harvest. The complex was absolutely beautiful and the area is free for “senior citizens” to visit. In the park, there were groups of seniors doing exercise, […]