Just a quick update; if you are a parent and are frantically searching Shanghai Waves to see if your student arrived safely (and why you haven't heard from them), don't fret - their flight took off, but turned around and returned to LAX a few hours later because of a minor problem with the plane. They are significantly delayed (and had a re-routed layover in Osaka, Japan to change plane crews), but my latest report from the student RAs with the group is that everyone is in good spirits and finding the comedy in the situation! Right now, the students are due to arrive in Shanghai either at 9:30pm or 10:50pm, depending on whether they can make the earlier connecting flight from Hong Kong.

I will be sure to remind the students to either send a quick email or to give you a quick call when they arrive so you know that they are here and safe. This highlights one of the first 'golden rules' of international travel, and one that is all the more important concepts to master while living in China: go with the flow. Things change unexpectedly - usually because of circumstances that are out of your control - and the more flexible you are (and the more you try to retain your sense of humor) the better the experience will be. Apparently, the first class of students has the blessing of learning this lesson immediately. The education begins...

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions!

The furniture is here, and the Jia is a hive of activity to get everything set-up this week. I'm attaching a picture of the lengths we are having to go through to get some of the furniture into the rooms; this is a wardrobe being lifted into one of the buildings - they are huge and beautiful, but I hope that every time you hang up a shirt, you'll think of the workers that made it all possible! We've been out all week, buying more washing machines, plates, computers, and just about every other household item that man has invented it seems - we'll do our best to see that the Jia is fit to be 'home' by the time you get here.

As you prepare all your final packing list, I wanted to share a few of the questions I have received from students and parents, and give a few final recommendations for things you might want to pick up on your way to the Middle Kingdom!

Also, I highly recommend you review the Program Manual that was distributed at the orientations in Malibu. If you’ve lost your copy (shame on you), then click here to download it again; although some of the information regarding the facility may be incomplete/outdated, there is a lot of useful information in it, including other general suggestions for packing, etc. I highly recommend you skim it at least one more time before you leave. When you arrive, we’ll go through the Program Handbook (which is slightly different, and contains more policy information and Shanghai/Jia-specific information), but this is a very useful read in the meantime.

House address:
A number of you have written asking for the house address for shipping things. It is:
(Your Name)
Pepperdine Shanghai Program
No. 66, Lane 532, Yuyuan Rd.
Shanghai, P.R. China 200040
Main program office line: +(86) 21 5238-6807

Packing:
The rule of thumb to remember with packing and what to bring is this: if there is anything particularly ‘special’ about a particular item you ‘must have,’ then bring it with you, don’t plan on buying it here. This means, if you rely on a particular brand of shampoo, facial cream, or pogo stick (being such a practical form of transportation in Shanghai), then bring it. The caveat to this is clothing: clothing sizes can vary widely in China, and depending on your personal clothing taste and sizes, you might want to plan ahead. Shoes will generally be smaller in China than in the US; for women, shoes over a size 8.5 are incredibly hard to find (according to my wife, who is widely regarded as the ‘Indiana Jones’ of treasure-hunt clothes shopping worldwide). The same is true for shirts above US medium, and pants larger than US size 9. For guys, I’ve found that shoes get harder to find above size 10-10.5; since I’m about an 11.5, I do most of my shoe shopping in the US, although I have found a few pairs in China. Clothes are similar – although clothing tends to be cheaper in China, your choice in sizes tends to more limited for larger sizes. Because of this, I’d recommend making sure you bring at least a few good sets of clothes for both spring and winter that fit you well and that you expect to last – these can then hopefully be supplemented here as needed.

Other things to bring:
- Dryer sheets, or a fabric-softener ball (you can get them here, but they’re pricey)
- Specific to women: (this is straight from Mrs. Van Velzer): Clothes recommendations: Bras & underwear. You can have clothes made here, and can find sizes larger than this, but if you’re in this category, it might be wise to make sure you bring enough to be comfortable if this proves to be challenging. Face lotion, specific hair-products, hair-rubber-bands, makeup, leg-razor refills, hair-removal products or waxing kits, deodorant.
- Specific to men: a few cans of shaving cream (if you wet-shave, since it’s a little pricey here – though you can definitely get it). Deodorant, if you’re particular to non-generic brands. Shoes I already mentioned above; clothes: shirts larger than a US ‘large’ size; pants/jeans: you can do ok with sizes here, but if you’re larger than a 40 waist, or longer than a 34” pant leg, you’ll have limited options here. For pants/jeans, keep in mind that often more ‘European styles’ are seen in fashion here, so if you don’t like tapered jeans, etc. – it might be better to plan on stocking up in the US.

Do Bring (For Everybody): Standard cold medicine (Dayquil/Nyquil, Aspirin, Nasal Spray – whatever you normally use). You might want to pick up a brand of anti-diarrhea pills, though you can get that here easily. A quad-band cell phone (Google this if you don’t know what this means – most modern models are already quad-band, but if your phone is older, it may not work on the cell network here).

Don’t Bring: Plug adapters (they can be purchased here on practically every corner, and are not terribly expensive). Bed linens – they are provided for you. A non-quad band cell phone (you won’t be able to use it). Finally, don’t bring anything that isn’t necessary – this may go without saying, but if you can live without it, just don’t bring it. If you don’t really need 6 pairs of shoes, leave 4 at home. Save the luggage weight, or find a cheaper alternative while here. Batteries – these can be bought cheaply (even rechargeable ones), so don’t worry about stocking up in the US.

To Buy In Shanghai: SIM card for your cell phone – these are not very expensive, and you pay-as-you-talk with all plans here. It’s cheap compared to the US – depending on your level of use, you might be able to get through the whole semester on less that $50 US of cell minutes. Having a cell phone for directions and keeping in touch is a huge benefit in China); voltage converters: you’ll need one for anything you bring that only uses the 110v; they’re not very expensive. If possible, avoid bringing anything that doesn’t have a dual-voltage power supply, but if you need something, pick one of these up once you’re here.

That’s about it. Again, read the handbook for more suggestions and information, and please feel free to email with any questions. We’re very excited to have you all here next week!

T-minus 18 days and counting!

I can't tell you how excited we are for your arrival in Shanghai. The last weeks and months have been a whirlwind of activity at the Jia; renovations are almost complete, and within the next week and a half, the furniture will be delivered, which will all but complete the preparations that we've been busy making to ready your 'home away from home.' Of course, there are approximately a 1.2 gazillion (rounded up to the nearest gazillion) other details that we're trying to keep on schedule that are non-facility related, but I must say, the renovations, which you will see in full-revelation once you arrive, have made an already great facility all the more suited to our needs. Bathrooms have been added, halls moved, lights, curtains, carpeting, tiling - it's incredible to see it all finally take shape, and it heightens the excitement to be able to share it with you very soon. In particular, some major changes to the garden area turned out wonderfully; no more pictures to share for want of spoiling anything, but I hope you'll be as pleased as we are. As a caveat to all this, which I feel obligated to remind you - no place is perfect, especially for such a unique living-studying-administrating-recreating combination of needs; there will certainly be things we'll need to tweak and adjust once we've had some time to break in the house.

Many other big developments have taken place, including the hiring of our program assistant. We had over 714 applications submitted, and feel very confident that the new addition to our team will be a blessing to the program. I'm going to do a separate post shortly to introduce our team to you, but it is certainly a major development, and one that will be a daily part of your Shanghai experience!

I hope most of you were able to watch the opening ceremony of the Olympics on Friday; I cannot understate what an important event this is for China, and of course, the world. So much has been poured into the preparations, and it represents such an important moment for China - one that can be tangibly felt in every person here. Although you'll be arriving shortly after the Olympics have finished, I hope that seeing the fanfare and spectacle of the preparations China has made will get you even more excited to be starting your studies in such exciting, historical times. 中国加油！(Note, if you didn't already know, Pepperdine was honored to have Charles Hall, our Dean of International Programs, participate in the opening ceremony show. You would have to look closely to see him on TV, but I was able to find a picture of his participation in the various news coverage afterwards. What an honor for Charles!)

As you get ready in these last weeks, I'd like to invite you to ask final questions that you might have - I'll respond to you personally, but will also post questions for everyone to see in the FAQ section, as I'm sure we'll all benefit from the shared knowledge. You can submit them via the contact form, or look up Chris Van Velzer in the Pepperdine email system to email me directly (I won't post my email address here, so as to avoid spam-bots from having a party in my inbox). You can also leave a comment directly in this post.

Please feel free to keep us in your prayers as we finish out the last of the planning this month, and of course- pray for your fellow Shanghai-men (that's the 'Chinese men 们 ,' not the English, gender-specific variety). I will be praying for you all until we see you at the airport!

This is some important information regarding your visa application. First of all, if you haven't received your visa application materials (namely, a letter of admission from Fudan University and a required accompanying form) then please contact the IP office to get these materials immediately. Second, if you're not starting to work on applying for your visa, you should start now; it is far better to get it early than too late. Visas can be a little complicated and unpredictable, so don't wait until the last minute in case there are issues to take care of!

There are a few other important things to mention however:
1) BEFORE you do apply for your visa, however, I need to point out that your admission letter from Fudan needs to be signed and dated by you. Please see the image accompanying this blog, and sign/date the letter where it indicates. I'm also going to be emailing all of you about this specifically, but I wanted to post this here as another reminder.

2) If you can read Chinese (then good for you!) you'll notice that the application form mentions needing to have a physical exam accompanying your visa application. This is a little complicated, but the important information for now regarding this is that you DO NOT need to get an exam for this particular visa application.

If you are only studying in Shanghai for the semester, you won't have to get an exam at all; it is only required if you are studying in China longer than 6 months. HOWEVER, if you are studying for two semesters, a physical exam will probably be required when we renew your visa in China. If there is a way we can work around this, we will, but if not, it is something everyone staying for the year will have to do, and if that's the case, we'll make a big group trip to the hospital in Shanghai to get it done. The advantage of doing it in China, however, is that it saves you the hassle of having to get the exam certified in the US before submitting it with your visa application. I know this might be a little complicated, but again - for now, all you need to know is that you DO NOT need to get a physical exam or blood test done while applying for this visa.

3) Regarding the same issue as above, if asked by the consulate when applying for the visa, you should tell them that you are studying in Shanghai from September-December (the same dates noted on the admission letter from Fudan). Again, technically, you are admitted by Fudan for two terms of 3.5 months; you'll extend your visa once here, but if you say you are studying for a year, this will be in conflict with the admission letter you have, and may require a different letter and a comprehensive physical examination PRIOR to leaving.

4) Finally, once you get your visa, please email us and let us know what the details of your visa are; ie, if you get a multiple entry visa, etc. Some regional consulates may have slightly differing policies regarding this; ultimately, you should get a multiple entry visa (especially if you're only here for the semester), but if you're staying for both semesters, once you're here and get your visa renewed, we'll be able to make sure it is valid for multiple entries. Because of the Olympics, visa policies have been increasingly conservative in the short-term to make sure that tourists don't 'overstay' their visit and just stay in China - each individual consulate has ultimate authority to decide what type of visa to grant or deny though. This will relax post-Olympics, but in the meantime, don't panic if you aren't given a multiple entry visa the first time when applying.

If you have any questions or problems, PLEASE feel free to contact us. Above all, make sure you are on top of your visa application - it is your responsibility to get this done, and without a visa, your studies in Shanghai will look a lot like Malibu (because that's where you'll be)!

Well, the news all of you have been waiting for is finally official: the Shanghai Jia is officially ours. (Note: the 'Shanghai Jia,' 上海家,is what I'll be calling it – is just means 'Shanghai House' or 'Shanghai Home.') Needless to say, this is a historical moment for the program; really, finding the 'right' facility is in some ways one of the most important parts of the program, as it is the place you will be calling home for either the semester or year.

Actually, the property has been officially ours for about 3 weeks now, I've just been far too busy to get to the announcement on the blog. After signing the lease, we've been busy working on getting renovations scheduled and started, which will begin shortly. If I remember correctly, Charles Hall, the IP Dean, showed some pictures of the Jia at the program orientation, but I'll post some more here for your viewing enjoyment too. William and I looked at literally dozens of properties; the reality is, there are only so many places in a city that could really work as a 'Pepperdine House.' The 'big-4' qualifications for the Jia, as I saw them, were: 1) Adequate size 2) Convenient/ Ideal Location 3) Not made of cardboard, or popsicle sticks 4) Has the right 'personality'. Although the pictures don't really do it justice, you can see that the facility is actually comprised of 3 buildings; buildings one and two are shown in the first picture (building two has the large green-box looking thing on top), and the next picture shows the garden in the middle, with building three at the back of the garden. In the right part of that same picture, you can seen the entrance gate to the facility where the guard sits. The other pictures show the stairwell in building one, as well as a classroom - just to give you a sample. Keep in mind that although the Jia is already 'up to our standard', we'll be spending the next 3 months in renovations to make it even better - adding bathrooms and showers, a student lounge, and some extensive changes to the garden. I think you'll be pleased.

The more I am at the Jia, the more I am convinced that it was unwittingly prepared just for our program.  First, it is a wonderful representation of Shanghai's diverse history. Constructed in 1937 (the same year that George Pepperdine College was founded), the original facility was built toward the end of the foreign concession period of Shanghai's history, when the city was still divided in control by foreign colonial powers. The facility was built to house the Chinese owners of a German-affiliated paint company, and reflects a European "garden-villa" style residence. During the rise of the communist party, the house, along with many other residences of it's size, was controlled by the government and made a home for multiple families in order to 'redistribute wealth' amongst the working classes. In the 1970's and 80's, when China began opening up to more economic development, the property served as offices for several businesses. The facilities and property were renovated and expanded in the late 1990's, adding 2 additional buildings. Its location places it in one of the most historic and convenient locations in the city.

The Shanghai Jia is located in the beautiful and historical Jìngān district – exactly a 10-minute walk west from JingAn temple. Although accessible to the heart of JingAn district, the house sits off of the historic and quaint Yuyuan Road, Lane 532, which is full of preserved, historical residences. Within a 10-minute walk of the Shanghai Jia, students can reach the historic JingAn Temple and park, the Jiuguang (shopping mall), a fantastic mix of local and western restaurants, side-alley markets, two subway stations (JingAn Temple and Jiangsu Rd on line 2), and a major business district that features some of Shanghai's largest commercial high-rises. It's the best blend of familiar, western places, sprinkled with 'real China' markets, noodle-shops, baozi stands, and quaint alleys where you can play 'name-that-smell' to your heart's content. It is also located 1.5 km north of the American consulate and the Héngshān International Community Church. Besides the student rooms and a faculty apartment, the property also features a private flower garden, and accommodates the program offices, 3 classrooms, a library and computer lab, and a large student lounge room. Basically, it's great - and stood neck and shoulders above every other place we saw.

I also want to take a moment here to mention something that is particularly relevant in light of the topic of this blog. As I'm sure many of you have been reading in the papers recently, just as Pepperdine has found it's 'home' in Shanghai in the last few weeks, literally hundreds of thousands of people in central China have lost theirs. The Sichuan earthquake, which happened just 2 weeks ago, continues to affect the lives of millions of people across China. Although the earthquake was too far away from Shanghai to affect the city with any direct damage, many have lost friends or family members in this terrible disaster. As of today, over 62,000 people are confirmed dead, and that number is expected to rise above 80,000 in the following weeks.

A week ago today, on the 1-week anniversary of the first earthquake (which has continued to cause aftershocks), all of China began 3 days of mourning with 3 minutes of silent reflection for the earthquake victims. William and I were on our way to a meeting with the renovation company, and stopped with the other cars in the middle of Nanjing Road in the heart of Shanghai. Thousands of people came out of their office buildings, shops, and homes, and stood silently for three minutes to pay respect for those killed or injured in the quake; the stillness was surreal, especially knowing that it was not just silencing the usual breakneck pace of Shanghai, but of the entire country. For the next three days, the government mandated that all public entertainment would be suspended in mourning for the victims. For 72 hours, every television station either went off-air, or broadcast one of two national news channels, which showed only 24/7 coverage of the earthquake relief effort.

I mention this because, although you are not in Shanghai yet, this is a major part of the 'China' that you are about to enter into and experience. As you prepare to come to Shanghai this summer, take a moment to pray for those that are affected right now – those that have lost homes, children, parents and other loved ones.  Pray for those in Myanmar as well, who are facing the same – and most likely, without the prospect of substantial help or relief arriving any time soon. We are exceptionally blessed to be where we are with the provisions for the program, and to have such an exceptional group coming this first year; as you get ready to depart for the 'Motherland,' foster an expectancy to learn and grow deeply, and in doing both, to better serve...the need is great.

 

I'm pleased to announce that as of a little more than a week ago, Pepperdine has begun an academic partnership with Fudan University (复旦大学). Our signing ceremony was an event of great pomp and circumstance (as you can see for yourself from the pictures); Charles Hall, the Dean of International Programs (whom many of you may already know) came to Shanghai specifically for the event. If you don’t like reading details, the rest of what follows can be summed up as 'awesomeness.'

Unlike most of Pepperdine's other programs, which typically hire local faculty directly, Chinese law dictates that all teaching must be done through an approved educational institution, which is ultimately overseen by the Ministry of Education (whom I lovingly refer to as 'Moe'). Even the Pepperdine visiting faculty must be invited as a 'guest lecturer' of sorts to teach students in the program. Classes, visa assistance, and all teaching services must be provided through an academic partner – there is no other option, and this makes a university partner here extremely important.

Our search for a university partner started this past fall; William and I began by arranging meetings with virtually every major university in Shanghai. Although we considered many factors, three qualities were of the utmost importance: academic reputation and quality, the ability to offer the kinds of classes we need in English, and people at the university that were genuinely interested in an academic collaboration and who seemed easy to work with. After meeting with every major university in Shanghai over a period of several months, only a few rose to the top of candidate list – and ultimately, our final candidate was easy to choose based on it's ideal fit with these qualities.

Fudan University is the perfect match for Pepperdine's Shanghai Program. Although rankings vary depending on who is conducting the rating, Fudan is consistently ranked 3rd or 4th among all universities in China. This is true even of casual encounters on the street; Fudan is known throughout all of China as being one of the top universities in the entire country – truly an 'Ivy League' of the Chinese University system. In particular, Fudan is most renowned for it's strength in the humanities: history, language, culture, literature, art, etc. – which is exactly what we need offered in most of the general education requirements of our classes. Needless to say, Fudan also attracts the highest caliber of faculty in Asia.

On top of studying in one of the most unique and exciting cities in the world, you will now have the privilege of saying that you did so in a program that was partnered with one of the top universities in China and Asia. This is a huge step in the development of the program – in fact, it is the foundation of virtually everything else. For a more detailed history of Fudan, visit the Wikipedia entry for the University or Fudan's English site.