【推荐2】Adapted from Shanghai writer Jin Yucheng’s Mao Dun Literature Prize winning novel, Fan Hua (Blossoms), the series — which primarily takes place between 1993 and 1994 — follows the jouney of Ah Bao, an ambitious everyman who takes every chance and rises to become a legendary figure in the city’s most upper-class commercial circles. Aside from emphasizing his ability to seize opportunities in the stock and foreign trade markets, the plot also follows his delicate, and romance-like relationships with three women.

The enthusiasm the drama has stirred up has led to tourists flooding to the show’s locations, such as the Fairmont Peace Hotel, which is where he rents a luxurious room to do business, and Huanghe Road, which was lined with the most high-end restaurants in the 1990s. Other examples include fans waiting in long queues outside restaurants to order a plate of fried pork chops with rice cakes, a traditional Shanghai dish that Boss Bao always orders. The drama’s popularity even extends to its soundtrack. Steal One’s Heart, a song used to set the heartbreaking atmosphere in a particular scene gains newfound popularity.

Considered by some critics as a love letter from the director to Shanghai, the city shot through the lens arouses a feeling that is both familiar and fresh. While showing landmarks like the Bund and the Oriental Pearl Tower, the drama also presents Shanghai’s cityscape in a brighter and warmer manner, as if the city has been polished by the memory of someone who loves it deeply.

Buxiang, a phrase that means “keeping silent” and which represents the concept of keeping a low profile in the Shanghai dialect, is one of the most frequently heard phrases in the drama. However, the show’s popularity has caused the phrase to become a hit, as some fans on major review sites like Douban, where the drama has received a rating of 8.5 out of 10, have commented.

【推荐3】Technology use in class

You will be allowed to use your favorite type of technology (e.g. , laptop, iPad) in class if you choose to do so, since some people prefer taking notes that way. If you decide to use it, please avoid distractions, like e-mail checking or accessing social media during class.

Academic integrity

You will be expected to be the author of the assignments you turn in for this course. Your papers will require you to draw upon existing research to inform and lend credibility (可信度) to your arguments. To credit the ideas of others properly, you must follow two main rules:

●Always cite the source of a finding, idea, or argument that is not your own, no matter how much rewording you have done.

●Always put the findings, ideas, and arguments you cite into your own words. If a direct quote is absolutely necessary, put the text in quotation marks (引号) and include a page number in your citation.

Absences and late assignments

You are expected to attend every class, since your participation in class will count towards your final grade. Students with excused absences will have a chance to complete missed class assignments (and participation) without punishment. Otherwise, class participation can only be completed during class. Assignments submitted after the deadline will be considered late assignments. Late assignments will be graded with ½ of the grade if submitted by no more than one week following the original deadline. If not submitted within one week following the original deadline, late assignments will not be graded.