The morning started off super early with a ride on the subway to Chen Lei's house for a big lunch. I loved the subways in China because even though they are tight and crowded, they are very safe and very comfortable and clean.
After we got off the subway, we all got into taxis and went over to his apartment. Of course, a taxi selfie was necessary. We got really good at taking these by the end of the trip ;]
As a token of our appreciation, we all got Chen Lei's parents some fruit. The little farmer's market like shops were adorable and everything was so cheap! A watermelon - a huge one was like 3 bucks. A pound of cherries - 3 bucks. Everything was like 3 bucks!
When we got to Chen Lei's house, his mother greeted us and she told us all we were beautiful. She taught us how to make spring rolls using wrappers, a veggie mix and a flour paste. It was a little hard to get it all to stay wrapped but by the end, I think I got the hang of it!
She made a traditional Chinese New Year feast with crawfish and meatballs and my favorite: a scallop with herbs and a light vinaigrette style sauce.
After gorging ourselves, his mother came out with the spring rolls we made all fried up to perfection.
To end the meal, we had a ton of fruit. The new things that I had never had before were lychee - almost like a very sweet strawberry with the shape of a peach and a berry that was like a strawberry and raspberry combination. Both were delicious and I would love to have them again sometime soon!
After lunch, we all parted ways. I went to pick up my clothes from tailor and meet my friend Lilian! It was awesome to meet up with her in China because she was there for a bit too! We went ta very famous garden in Downtown Shanghai - you literally cannot miss the the signs. It was gorgeous!
The rocks, the roofs and the water blew me away.
After the garden, we went to the Bundt! It was awesome to see the skyline!
Then we went to Lilian's favorite restaurant - Lost Heaven. It was so cool and based off a very far away province in China with amazing food.
We had kiwi juice, shrimp and taro rolls and tofu steamed in a banana leaf. It was literally one of the best meals of my life - so fresh and crispy and perfect.
It looks a little like a strip club but I promise that it is just for Karaoke and a good time. If in China, you must must must go!
After KTV, we had to goodbye to our new friends. It was really hard because who knew when we would see the students again or if we would be back to China again. It was really hard for me! We are all friends on WeChat and I talk to Ruby pretty often which is awesome. We went to bed at midnight because we had an 8 am flight to Xi'an for the next leg of our trip!
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