“We love you Dr. Subisak. Keep fighting!”

Every other the year, Academy’s Chinese program invites any upper school students interested in visiting China to partake in a trip over Spring Break. This year, sixteen students and five faculty members flew to Shanghai on March 11 for an eleven-day trip.

The group visited local schools in Shanghai and ate dinner with their host families, trying to experienced what life is like for a typical Chinese student.

Their next stop was Chengdu, known for its spicy cuisine, especially the famous hot pot. But what they were really looking forward to was going to see the cute and clumsy baby pandas.

Stopping in Xi’an provided a break from continuous trips to tourist attractions. Upon their arrival, students had a relaxing bike ride around the Xi’an wall, where they enjoyed the view from above the city. The famous Terracotta warrior museum also fascinated everyone. They also enjoyed eating a dumpling feast, which had 18 different kinds of versions, and spent their evenings watching traditional dance and kung fu shows.

The students spent their last couple days in Beijing, touring a  jade factory, venturing around the Bird’s Nest, the 2008 Olympic Stadium, and admiring the scenic Temple of Heaven. They also, embarked on a journey along Great Wall. Sam Lichten ’20, in regards to his climb, said, “Going uphill was not as difficult as downhill, especially in the rain.”

The head chaperone, Jing Yan, notes, “I was very glad to see that through this once-in- a-life-time trip, students expanded their learning beyond the classroom.”

The group, however, deeply missed Dr.Subisak, Academy’s head chaperone of the many previous trips to China. They, along with the rest of the Academy community, hope Dr. Subisak will have a speedy recovery.

For more details, go to the China Trip Blog put together by chaperone Chris Bolognese and the students.