Our headmistress announced the trip two months ago over the loudspeaker during morning assembly. Thirty students from our school would travel to Shanghai for sightseeing and cultural exchange. We were all thrilled. My closest playmate, Jenny, squeezed my hand and whispered that this was the perfect chance to test our fluency in English conversation with real strangers.
After landing in Shanghai, we checked into a tall hotel overlooking the river. The next morning, I pulled on my soft bathrobe and headed down for brunch. The buffet was enormous. I helped myself to a generous spoonful of yoghurt mixed with fresh fruit. Our chairwoman of the student council, Alice, sat across from me and reminded everyone to stay hydrated throughout the day.
The afternoon took us to a lively street market near the old town. The ground was uneven and slightly hilly in places, making it tricky to walk in a group. Vendors called out prices for everything from roasted mutton to thin slices of veal. One quiet man behind a stall was typing rapidly on an old machine. Jenny pointed at him and said he looked like a professional typist from another era.
Two days later, we boarded a night train toward the Tibet region. It was the worst journey in terms of altitude sickness — several students felt dizzy as the train climbed higher. Through the windows, we watched farmers use simple wooden channels to irrigate their dry fields. We also spotted families gathering firewood from the edge of a forest, working carefully in the cold mountain air.
Our guide took us to a wildlife reserve on the outskirts of the city. To our surprise, there was a kangaroo enclosure inside — part of a multi-continent animal section. One bold kangaroo hopped right up to the fence. In addition to the kangaroo exhibit, we saw dozens of other animals from around the world. A teenage volunteer at the reserve rode up on his skateboard and offered to answer our questions.
Later, our group got separated near the highland meadow. Two of us could not find the rest of the class. We spotted a local volunteer — a kind woman who spoke a little English. I asked her, "Could you show me on the map?" She smiled and pointed to our location right away. Jenny then added, "Is there an ATM nearby?" because we had almost run out of cash. The volunteer who came to our rescue spoke softly but with calm confidence.
On the final evening, we gathered in the hotel lobby to share memories. In addition to the beautiful landscapes, what stayed with me most was the courage it took to speak up. Every traveler who stays silent misses a chance to truly connect. Our headmistress smiled warmly and told us this trip had taught us more than any classroom lesson ever could.