After a daylong trip — 17 hours on the plane, two hours on the road, five hours in the airport — I’m finally standing in front the house where I lived last semester. The three-week holiday at home was sweet and unforgettable, especially after being away for a long while at school.

During the winter break, I spent most of my time in Shanghai. My life took a different track: I didn’t drink any coffee (no need for a caffeine jolt); I didn’t check NYTimes.com or Boston.com on a daily basis (shame on me); I didn’t speak English; I ate Chinese food almost everyday – sometimes Japanese, or Thai, or Korean; I rode my bicycle; I paid for the plastic shopping bags; I snapped pictures all the time, but I didn’t rush to edit them; I bought the latest Hollywood movies from vendors on the street for $1 USD each; I complained about the gray sky and overcrowded subway; I missed the soup and brownie I enjoyed in Boston; I drank milk, regardless of its bad reputation; I wandered the around streets of Shanghai and found a shop named ‘BU’.

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Speaking of Shanghai, you might not be able to point it out on a world map, but I’ll bet you’ve sampled its cuisine — Shanghai is famous for its dumplings. I had some in Chinatown here, but it’s usually not authentic. Anyone who is passionate about Chinese food should seriously think about traveling to China and try what local people have.  As for me, the happiest part of my body while at home was unquestionably my stomach.

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Another favorite of mine is Hong Kong milk tea, which I miss a lot while I am here. There are many Hong Kong dining places in Shanghai. Among those, I favor the afternoon tea places, which are seemingly on every corner. You can have some milk tea and dim sum with friends on a sunny afternoon for reasonable price (around $4 USD per person).

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Vacations always seem too short. Now I am back to school, there’s so much waiting to be done before I graduate this May. Better to forget the comforts and indulgence of the past month and get ready to go!