MCDONOUGH WORLDWIDE - CHINA

Tianjin: a Little Taste of Home

2009-04-01T08:29:00.000-07:00

你们好！

First of all, I apologize for the tardiness of this entry! The past two weeks have been filled with projects and exams. It's hard to believe you all only have one month left and I just passed the half-way marker for the semester. Nonetheless, time is flying...much faster than I want it to! Much has happened since the last entry, I hope you enjoy!

As you know, I recently picked up a job tutoring a ten-year-old girl named Emily. Her family is extremely welcoming. Her mom is a doctor and her father works for China Patent, an international trademark company that works with foreign firms such as McDonalds. Before my first tutoring session, the family wanted to meet me and get to know me before they entrusted me with their daughter. We chose to meet at Pizza Hut. The Pizza Hut experience in China is much different than in the U.S., it's almost considered fine-dining in China. I went to a Pizza Hut in a wealthy area of Beijing and the decor and atmosphere of the restaurant was lavish. Unfortunately, the prices also matched the level of decor. While eating with the family, I quickly found out how excited they were to interact with an American. It ended up being a contest, and the winner was the one who was able to get the most words out. Usually the dad won, but Emily picked up a few wins here and there as well. I was surprised how open and blunt the dad was about the mistakes of the CCP. He was extremely critical of the schooling system in China. He is an adament supporter of the American education system. I informed him that we have problems of our own, but he still insisted our education system is superior. The family lived in the U.S. for two years, and it seems as though they had a wonderful experience in the States. The dad even told me Americans have some of the best personalities!

One curious thing I have noted throughout my interactions with the family is how Mr. Xiao uses the term "God". Nearly every topic of discussion somehow relates to "God". I am still unclear about what he means exactly by the term. The majority of Chinese people do not believe in any religion. Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism still play a role, but not in the religious sense that we assume in Christianity. I saw a much deeper adherence to religious values while I was in Taiwan. This is probably partly due to CCP restrictions on religion. Sometimes I think Mr. Xiao's English translation of "God" carries a different meaning than what he would normally say in Chinese. Nonetheless, I think it is interesting and perplexing. Once I am a little closer with the family, I will feel more comfortable asking.

After the first tutoring session with Emily, Mr. Xiao and Xinna invited me to tag-a-long with their family for a weekend excursion to Tianjin. Tianjin is one of the four municipalities in China. Beijing, Shanghai, and Chongqing are the other three. By the time I leave China, I will have been to all four! They bought my train ticket (on the bullet train!) and offered to take care of me for the day. We left early on a Saturday morning for the Beijing South Station. The Beijing South Train Station is one of the many construction projects that took place in order to prepare for the Olympics. At the Station, we met up with many of Mr. Xiao's colleagues. We hopped on the train and arrived in Tianjin thirty minutes later.

In Tianjin, we met up with a few more of Mr. Xiao's colleagues. Tianjin is known for two things: Baozi and Mahua. In case you were wondering, both are types of food. I'm not entirely sure how to describe them in English, but I will try! Baozi is steamed bread filled with meat or vegetables, and Mahua is basically a type of deep-fried, twisted bread. The most famous restaurants serving authentic, fresh Tianjin Baozi are called Gou Bu Li Baozi (狗不理). Literally, "Dogs won't eat". Upon first hearing the name of the restaurant, I became slightly concerned. But, the family quickly informed me that the name of the restaurant means the Baozi are so good, that the seller does not have time to think about the starving dogs on the street. The Baozi lived up to their name, they were wonderful!

While at lunch, Xinna (Emily's mom) asked me what my plans were for the summer. I informed her that I wanted to stay in Beijing and find an internship as well as work as an English tutor. She immediately offered to help and told Mr. Xiao's colleagues about my plan. The next thing I knew, one of the colleagues told me to send him my resume so he could send it out to various companies in Beijing! I think this clearly illustrates the importance of relationships, or guanxi (关系) in China. Building relationships is one of the main components necessary to achieve goals. Promotions in the government and business world often depend on guanxi. While the U.S. culture promotes mainly on merit, promotion in China emphasizes relationships. So, I ask all of you to cross your fingers!

In Tianjin, many of the buildings feature European architecture. While driving through the streets, it felt as though I was driving through an American city. The pace and atmosphere in Tianjin is much more relaxed than in Beijing. The more time I spend in China, the more I realize Beijing is the exception to the rule. Beijing's culture and atmosphere is unique. Part of the difference lies in the fact that Beijing is the capital, and therefore more emphasis is laid on maintaining cleanliness and improving the living conditions in order to paint a nice portrait for visiting foreignors and the rest of the world. If a foreigner were only to visit Beijing and Shanghai, he/she would think China is extremely modernized. The further away you stray from the major metropolis', the more you realize the rest of China is vastly different.

Later that evening, we returned to Beijing. I decided to meet up with some friends at a small cafe on campus. We were just talking and a Chinese girl tapped my shoulder and asked me if I was American. She then proceeded to ask me if I would be willing to teach her friend English. An hour later, I walked out with a new job! I'm always amazed by the way things work over here. My new tutoree is 28 and works for a company that sells heart monitors to hospitals in China. Her new boss is an American, and she often has difficulty engaging in fluent conversations with her boss. She is unsure about how to start a conversation and she does not know what is considered acceptable behavior when working with Americans. I've found that my job is not only to help her improve her oral English, but also to help her understand the American style of interactions. She told me that many of her colleagues are American, so at dinner meetings, they all speak English without seeking to include her in the conversations. It's a little disappointing to know that the Americans in her company have created a somewhat exclusive group. She does not feel comfortable jumping in on the conversation. In such circumstances, it is not the Chinese way to interrupt a conversation. My tutoree knows she must improve her knowledge of English and American culture, such knowledge is quickly becoming a pre-requisite for promotion in her company. Globalization is everywhere!

Finally, I went to my Chinese mother's house for the weekend. She took me and her friend to the Great Wall. Of all the tourist attractions I've been to in Beijing, I think the Great Wall is the best. The Great Wall is something I never thought I would see in my lifetime, it was amazing! Granted, there was a Starbucks at the Great Wall (I wasn't necessarily bummed), as well as various other shops, but the site was still amazing. This past weekend, the Chinese celebrated the Qing Ming Holiday. Many people travel to other provinces to honor their ancestors at their graves. The idea of filial piety and respecting ancestors is a key component of Confucianism that is still prevelent in current Chinese society. On a funny note, I was watching CCTV later that evening, and they reported that honoring ancestors through the internet is becoming the new trend. It is a means to save time and money, and it reduces the pollution emitted from vehicles and burning incense. The internet has definitely changed the culture, especially among the young people.

Back to the Great Wall! Beijing is a hotspot for travel during this holiday, so the Great Wall was packed. I was asked by countless people (probably close to 50 people) to take a picture with them. Such events have become fairly common, but the experience at the Great Wall was on an entirely different playing field. I think the longest I went without being in a picture was about ten minutes. My Chinese mom told me to start charging!

I recently became familiar with another aspect of Chinese culture. My roommate is from the country-side in Jiangsu Province. In the country-side, many of the old superstitions still exist. The idea that boys are more valuable than girls is still prevalent. My roommate is the second girl in her family. Her father's parents were so disappointed when she was born, they rarely spoke to her and they treated her mother poorly for not producing a son. My roommate also told me that if a family does not want a girl, they often leave the newborns at the community dumps. I knew such practices existed, but I was unaware how prevelent the practices are today. I think the predjudice against females is changing as more and more young people go to the cities for college education. More women are attaining high-level jobs and are becoming successful. However, remnants of old traditions still remain.

Next weekend, I will travel to the Great Wall again. We are hiking 10km and staying overnight with some villagers outside Beijing. I should have some interesting stories upon my return! I hope you all have a wonderful week and enjoy the spring weather!

To Xi'an and Back Again

2009-03-13T00:55:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

I hope you all enjoyed spring break! The past week has been extremely busy. On Thursday night, my group took a train to Xi'an for a four-day trip. The little excursion was included in our program, so everything was organized by the IES staff. We stayed in a beautiful, modern hotel and we were located next to the famous Muslim Market. We arrived in Xi'an around 9:00am Friday morning after a twelve-hour train ride. The train ride was especially fun because we basically had an entire car reserved for our group, plus it was one of the student's birthday so there was cake to go around!

Upon arrival, we checked into our hotel and then went out to explore a few hours before the first planned event. In Xi'an, there is a large population of Hui Muslims. There is an entire district that is mainly populated by the Hui. The area is booming with clothing and food markets. There is also a massive mosque that tourists can enter for a price. I thought it was interesting that the government allowed the mosque to operate, but freedom of religion has been slowly increasing. Nonetheless, all legal religious institutions must be registered with the State in order to practice. If institutions do not register, such as many of the local house churches, they are subject to scrutiny and possible punishment if they are not careful. While taking a bus one day in Beijing, a random Chinese woman started a conversation with me and immediately invited me to church. I was really surprised how boldly she approached me, but I'm beginning to realize that China is changing dramatically and the old stereotypes only apply in some instances.

Anyways, back to the Muslim Market! The streets in the area are lined with vendors selling everthing one could imagine. It was sensory overload, and I loved it!!! While walking through the streets, I was being yelled at by the vendors to come in and look at their products. Bargaining is a must in China, and I think it is one of my favorite things to do! As foreigners, it is expected that we have a lot of money and no language skills. Therefore, the starting asking price for items is extremely high. It is so much fun to surprise the vendors with the language! We were always disappointed when we found out the vendors spoke some English because it made it harder for us to strategize. One time a couple of us started conversing in Spanish, but the vendor told us we were being impolite, in Spanish! Some of the vendors take the selling very seriously, but most of them treat it as a friendly game. If any of you come to China, you must go to Xi'an, even if you only have time to go to the Market!

After spending some time in the Market, we took a bus to the Xi'an city wall. We were able to rent bicycles and ride around the entire length of the wall. The views were amazing, and we were able to get a better feel for the layout of the city. I felt the pollution in Xi'an was much worse than the pollution in Beijing, it was especially noticeable during the bike ride. Nonetheless, it was one of the most enjoyable parts of the trip!

The next day, we went into a smaller community within Xi'an and met with the managers of a homegrown non-profit organization known as The Red Pheonix Project. The Red Pheonix Project originally sought to help young country women attain their dreams of going to college. Now, the organization helps promote environmental awareness, aids in disaster relief, and provides healthcare events for the local community. The Program is run by volunteers that are mostly college students. The desire to engage in community service is on the rise in China, but sometimes the reasons for engagement differ from those in the U.S. Many of the students see civic engagement as a means for networking and building their social relationships rather than simply giving back to the community. The increase in civic participation is an interesting phenomenon in China, and it offers many implications for the Central Government. From my understanding, The Red Pheonix Project is connected to an international NGO and receives funding from organizations such as Johnson & Johnson. Despite the fact that the Program is non-profit, the government still requires the organization to pay taxes. So, the organization is basically taking care of the problems that would otherwise be the responsibility of the government and paying the government as well. It's ends up being a great deal for the government! The structure of non-profits in China, similar to that in the U.S., is rather unorganized. However, Chinese non-profits receive much less help than American non-profits. The grassroots level and government connections are the driving forces that determine the success of an organization.

After the meeting, we went on another excursion with a different volunteer group to see the effects of pollution on the Wei River. The Wei River is a major tributary to the Yellow River, and it has played a large role in sustaining the areas around Xi'an. However, urbanization and modernization have led to dire consequences in terms of the environment. I could not believe the pollution in the River, it used to be clear but the color is currently black. The area also has issues with flooding. I can only imagine what kinds of health problems must arise during such acts of nature. The trip was interesting, fun, and sobering at the same time. During the River excursion, we walked about four miles around poverty-stricken and dirty areas. We were all more-than-ready to return to our luxury hotel!

Another wonderful aspect of Xi'an is that it is cheaper than Beijing! We were able to get an hour and twenty minute massage for $5 USD! It was so great, I decided to go two times! On Sunday, our class went to view the Terracotta Warriors. Each warrior had unique physical and facial features, the intricacies were impressive! The scenery around Terrecotta Soldiers area was my favorite part of the excursion. We were right next to mountains in a beautiful park area. Xi'an is definitely a must-visit city in China!

Once we returned to Beijing, class resumed as normal. Today, my government class took a field trip to the Beijing Administrative College and Party School. We were given a lecture about China's current strategy to increase the capacity of potential political leaders within the Communist Party. The CCP has been actively seeking to develop leaders at the low levels of leadership such as township and county levels. Since the Party take-over, the focus has been at the top, but top-level leaders are realizing that the low-level leaders are the ones that deal with many of the day-to-day issues that plague the population. As the Party's legitimacy solely rests on economic performance, it is necessary that the Party do as much as it can to also promote social stability in the declining economic situation. Another interesting change in philosophy is that the CCP is now focusing on ensuring that each individual is happy. Before, the most important thing was to protect and love the state, the people came second. I think the Party is realizing that in order to remain a legitimate force, it cannot alienate its followers. Especially with the rise of the internet, the people have gained a strong voice in China and government must listen. China's leaders have many obstacles to overcome in the near future, and their legitimacy relies solely on their actions.

Some of you had a few questions concerning information in my previous post. One of you asked why many Chinese people are not as eager to talk to a person if he/she is French. There is a bit of a rough political history between the two countries, and the overall impession of French people is not at its highest in China. I don't know all the specifics, but it works out great for us! Also, in terms of the trust issue in Asian societies, I think the information in Lewis' book is fairly accurate. It takes time for Chinese people to open-up to another person. I have lived with my roommate for nearly a month now, and it wasn't until recently that she started to feel comfortable talking to me about personal matters. While I still do not think I have her full trust, we have made progress and I am more-than-willing to wait. On a side note, I just secured a private tutoring job for two to four hours each week. I will be working with a ten-year-old girl, and I start on Sunday! I am excited to meet the family and I think the experience will definitely be rewarding! I hope you all had a wonderful and safe spring break, and are feeling refreshed for the rest of the semester! Keep the questions coming, I will do my best to answer!

Meng Meng, a college volunteer for the Red Phoenix Project.

She is from the country-side located on the fringes of Xi'an.

The evening began with a litte cuisine known as Chuar...

Words of Wisdom: Save your stomach and stick with bread.

A view from the city wall

Our wonderful hotel!

A glimpse of the Terracotta Warriors

The Bell Tower in the center of Xi'an, beautiful!

The volunteers that took us to the Wei River

Got Pollution?

Who doesn't love a little poverty?

Venturing out of Beijing!

2009-03-02T00:05:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!

I hope you all are doing well! I am now in my second week of my Chinese Government course. Understanding how the system in China works, or classifying the system for that matter, has proven to be a difficult task. Many of the policies and practices of the government contradict the foundations of Marxism/Communism. For example, the Communist Revolution started with Mao Zedong aiming to create a class-less society in which the peasants were to be highly esteemed. In actuality, Mao created even more classes and was basically a hypocrite in terms of preaching Communism. Eventually, the power was transferred to Deng Xiaoping. Deng implemented the 改革开放 (gaige kaifang-"Reform and Opening Policy") in 1979. The Policy held that China should first-and-foremost focus on economic modernization and development. While maintaining the ideals of Mao Zedong Thought and Marxism/Leninism are still important, they should not impede economic growth. So now China has three ideologies working simultaneously: Marxism/Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, and Deng Xiaoping Theory.

Throughout my studies, I've come to the conclusion that one can not call China's government communist. It is, as the Chinese say, a socialist government with Chinese characteristics. The government leaders keep saying that the overall aim is to achieve Communism, but the people should expect to be in this state of socialism for at least another one-hundred years. I highly doubt the leaders actually plan on giving up their power for the sake of communism, but that's the rhetoric thus far. The contradictions within the PRC's Constitution and the Chinese Communist Party Constitution are mind-boggling. Coming from a Western democratic background, it's difficult to understand why the Chinese would stand for such discrepancies. However, the majority of people are becoming increasingly nationalistic, especially the "middle class". In China, there is the mentality that even though leaders at the local level are corrupt, if the President or Emperor knew about the situation, they would save the people. Thus, many Chinese believe their main leader has a good heart, and always has the best intentions in mind.

As time progresses, I'm slowly gaining a better grasp on the culture and the social issues in the country. Until this past weekend, I had really only seen Beijing. Beijing is a fairly affluent city, as are the other major cities such as Shanghai. However, my classmates and I decided to plan a weekend trip to Datong, China, in order to see the Yungang Grottoes and the Hanging Temple. On the train ride, I saw much of the country side. The income gap in China is high and continues to increase. The peasants that were supposed to be exalted by the Communist Party live in the worst conditions. I could not believe the conditions I was seeing. Basically, the peasants I saw lived in huts out in the middle of nowhere. I'm not sure if I could live in such conditions for more than a day. Eventually, the leaders in China will have to come to terms with the poor living conditions of the peasants if they want to maintain stability. But as for now, the stability of the country rests on economic growth.

So, now that I have talked about the serious stuff, I can tell you about my first experience traveling outside Beijing. The adventure to Datong started on Saturday morning at 12:45am. We took a taxi to the Beijing Train Station in order to catch our train at 2:40am. The entire train experience is a "germaphobe's" worst nightmare, however it is something worth experiencing! I had a hard-sleeper ticket, which means I had a tiny bed reserved in one of the cars. There are about ten sets of six bunk beds in the cars. I was on the top bunk in my set, so I had to climb up over two other people in a very confined space! While being short is great when it comes to fitting into places in China, I had a lot of difficulty reaching the step to get up to my bed. It took a team of three to help me manage my way up! About six hours later, we arrived in the "unique" city of Datong.

Datong is west of Beijing and is comprised of about three million people. Our plan was to arrive in Datong, purchase the return tickets to Beijing, see the sites, and then book a hotel/hostel. When we arrived, I quickly found out that Datong was nothing like Beijing. Many of the buildings were demolished, the air was terrible, and we couldn't figure out where all three million people were hiding. Nonetheless, we ended up renting a private bus to take us to the Yungang Grottoes. The Yungang Grottoes are a collection of massive Buddhist carvings in the mountains. It was one of the most breath-taking sites I've ever seen. I think there were about 57 caves each containing massive carvings of Buddhist figures.

After we saw the Grottoes, we took the bus for another hour-and-a-half to see the Hanging Temple. The Hanging Temple is a structure constructed on the side of a mountain. On the way to the Temple, we saw many rural villages along the mountain-side. It was an eye-opener to see the poverty throughout China and how it compared to the poverty in the US. However, the Temple was also amazing! We were able to walk through the Temple, which was a little bit nerve-wracking considering the structure is held up by a few beams and is thousands of years old!

By the end of the day, we were all exhausted and starving. Our bus driver took us to a local restaurant in which the entire neighborhood of children gathered around to watch 16 foreigners eat. They just stood outside the window and stared the whole time! After dinner, we decided to stay in a hostel that was part of the deal we took with renting the private bus. We each paid 30 kuai for a bed, which equals out to be about 5 USD. While the deal was great, the bathroom facilities and the cleanliness in general were nothing to be desired. The shower consisted of a hose over the "Eastern toilet". Needless to say, I decided I was clean enough. I was so scared to use the bedding, that I used my scarf to cover the pillow, I wore my winter coat to sleep, and only used the comforter for my legs after freezing for about an hour without any blankets! The hostel was not the worst thing in the world, but I dreamed of my bed at Bei Wai!

The next day, I was the first one up because I was waiting to get out of my bed! Our group decided to go to downtown Datong to see the ancient Drum Tower and the Nine Dragon Wall. We quickly found out that Datong does not see too many foreigners. Every time our group started talking on the sidewalk, about thirty locals would form a circle around us and observe. There was a temple fair in the city, so there were little sidewalk shows going on throughout the city. We were approached by many beggars, but some of the locals quickly came to our rescue. Some of the beggars grabbed our clothes and followed us for long distances, eventually we started telling them we were French and did not have any money! Most of them could speak tiny bits of English, so telling them we could only speak French and no Chinese somewhat deterred them. We've found that saying we are French is helpful in many situations! Oh! I forgot to mention that the night before, while walking from the restaurant from the hotel, we encountered an exploding trash fire, a woman pretending she had been hit by a vehicle on the street so she could get money out of the drivers, and a little boy using the side of the road as a restroom facility. Yes, Datong is little off the beaten path for foreigners. It was definitely an experience!

By 2:00pm on Sunday, we were all back on the train on our way to Beijing. I met a family with a three year old girl. I could not talk very much to the family due to my limited Chinese. However, the little three-year-old decided we were going to be friends. My trip home was pretty entertaining! My first excursion outside of the city was a success. I realized the modernization in the big cities is the exception to the rule in China. However, it was refreshing to see a different landscape. This coming Thursday, we will go to Xi'an through the school. I'm excited to see more of China and I hope to have more insight to share with you!

A small town near Datong

I wasn't kidding, the Temple really is held up by a few beams!

Posing for a pic at the Hanging Temple

Just a few of the many intricate carvings at the Yungang Grottoes

The street performers for the Temple Fair

2009-02-22T02:51:00.000-08:00

大家好！ First of all, I'm sorry for posting the blog late this week! My classes have been pretty demanding, so finding spare time to write has been difficult. The past week, I was moved up to the 300 level Chinese language course. I went from understanding everything my teacher said in 201 to understanding about 50% or less in the 301 class! Let's just say the first test was not a shining moment for me! However, I'm optomistic that I will understand more-and-more each day.

I was greeted by my roommate last weekend after returning from Monica's home. She is very sweet, I know it's going to be a great semester! I have been trying to practice my Chinese, and she has been wonderful in terms of helping me. She is not as eager to practice her English as I would have thought. I'm actually somewhat relieved because I need to practice speaking more Chinese. To answer Emily's questions from the last post, my regular classes are in English and my Chinese class is strictly in Chinese. I don't think it's possible to come to China prepared to speak the language. The classroom setting is completely different from the real-world experience. I was lost when I first arrived, but I've managed to get a handle on things and I'm good enough to be able to get around without too much trouble. If I am at a loss, it's pretty safe to resort to hand gestures. I think the biggest obstacle is being confident enough to just start speaking. I have found that I know many words, but I am always nervous about speaking because I'm not always sure how to put all the words into a cohesive sentence. The best thing to do is to go for it. As long as you are not accidently cursing at someone, the people here are very willing to help you out.

The past two weeks, I've been taking an Intro to Asian History course. We tried to cover 5,000 years of history in ten days! I find it interesting that China has endured so many changes in terms of governance and foreign occupations. How does a culture maintain traditions when its way of life is constantly being forced to adapt? I think the history of change in the culture helps us better understand China's ability to mesh outside influences with traditions. I think one tradition that has remained the strongest is the concept of filial piety from Confucianism. I was talking to my roommate, and she said of all the traditions, filial piety will always remain a part of China. After studying the dynastic history and the rise of the Chinese Communist Party, it makes sense that the traditional family culture would remain strong. In many cases, the only people one could rely on were family members.

I am also amazed by the resiliency of the Chinese people. The turmoil endured by millions during the Cultural Revolution, the loss of life during the 1976 Tangshan Earthquake, and the brutality endured during the Nanking Massacre are a few of the events in China that would certainly break most people. Yet, the people just keep moving forward. There is hardly a single Chinese person in his/her forties that did not either participate in the beatings or become a victim during the Cultural Revolution. During the Tangshan Earthquake, many of the women lost their children and their husbands. In Beijing, the government tried to hide the fact that the Earthquake had occured, and very little aid was sent to the area. If I were one of those mothers, I would most certainly be bitter. However, many of the women started orphanages and now care for children everyday. The fact that they are willing to give back to society after society gave so little in terms of aid is pretty amazing and inspiring.

On a lighter note, some of you were asking about information in the Lewis book about Chinese culture. I am actually planning on doing my semester-long research project on how the information in Lewis compares to what I have experienced, as well as how the characteristics that are typical of a leader in China differ from the characteristics that we perceive to be necessary for a leader to embody in the States. So, if anyone knows how to get a copy of the book online, I would love the input! In Lewis' book, the Chinese are classified as reactive. I would say Lewis is correct. Based on my experiences with my roommate and Monica, I would say Americans are much more forthcoming when it comes to personal issues. Until they know that you are trustworthy, expect the Chinese to remain relatively private. That's not to say that they don't interact like everyone else, they are just more cautious. I actually think many Americans could learn a few things from the Chinese! I've spent three weekends with Monica thus far, and today she really started to feel comfortable asking me about the different cultural issues in the States and my thoughts on politics, relationships, gay rights, my background, etc. I still do not feel like I am in the position to ask her such personal questions, but we are well on the way to developing such a relationship.

On a somwhat random note, I have definitely been experiencing more and more situations in which I am stared at, approached, or talked about. Apparently my skin is exceptionally white, because I've had many people stop me on the street to tell my they like my skin. It's kind of an awkward feeling at times. Also, all of the models in posters are American or European. It's hard to find products like lotion and soap that do not have whitening chemicals inside them. In addition, every mall plays American music. I am always surprised to see how popular it is to mimic Westerners.

Finally, a friend and I are looking into summer job and living opportunities in Beijing. We are interested in possibly teaching English or working through the IES Program while renting an apartment in Beijing for a few months after our program ends. There is a huge demand for native English speakers, and the pay is very good in many cases. Actually, many English teachers make more money here than the typical student makes at a summer job in the States, and the food and living expenses are extremely reasonable. I am definitely excited to see what the future holds! Until next time, I hope you all have a great week!

The Insanity Begins!

2009-02-10T00:09:00.000-08:00

Hello All!

My first week of classes has officially begun! I am currently taking a 200-level Chinese course and an Introduction to Asian History course. So far, the classes have been pretty interesting. The amount of work involved is pretty intense, but it's definitely possible to get it done! I may not be saying the same thing once my government class starts, though!

This past weekend, I went to Tian'anmen Square, the Forbidden City, Jingshan Park, and the Olympic Village. While on the Tian'anmen Square trip, we were able to go to the Urban Planning Center. The Center had a scaled model of the entire city of Beijing on the floor. It is constantly updated and is amazing to see! Actually, our professors could point out all the buildings they had lived in over the years because the model was so exact! At Tian'anmen, many tourists outside of Beijing come to visit. Many of them have never seen a foreignor, so those of us with very white skin and blonde hair become part of the site to be seen. I haven't had this happen to me yet, but I guess many people will just walk up to you and hand you their baby so they can get a family picture with a foreignor! At Jingshan Park, we climbed to the highest point in Beijing. I realized two things that day: I need to work-out more often, and the smog here is insane! From the top of the hill, we overlooked the entire Forbidden City. The sight was definitely amazing. The Olympic Village was equally amazing. We were not allowed to enter the facilities, but I couldn't help but imagine the pride the Chinese people must have felt during the Opening Ceremonies. Attached to the Village is a massive park that opened just after the Olympic Games. If any of you decide to study in China (which you should!), you must go see it. I'm excited to return in the spring when the trees are in bloom.

The last couple of days have been extremely noisy. Since yesterday was the last day of the Chinese Spring Festival, fireworks have been going off 24/7. This is the first year the government has allowed fireworks to be launched within Beijing in a long time. I can definitely say that the Beijingers took advantage of these new priveledges! A group of us decided to take part in the festivities, so we bought fireworks and launched them from the sidewalk near a main street. The girls in our group decided to document the situation from a distance while the guys took care of the dangerous stuff! It was so odd to me how everyone was shooting fireworks over busy highways and traffic just kept going as usual! When we finally reached Qianmen (just south of the Forbidden City), we found ourselves in what seemed to be a war zone. In fact, our group was somewhat ambushed by fireworks and had to run for cover! Amazingly, only 46 people were injured due to fireworks during the holiday...according to Chinese stats. However, a new hotel did burn down. We were all impressed that only one building burned! On a cultural note, Chinese people shoot fireworks during the New Year because it is supposed to ward off evil demons that could cause problems throughout the following year. It ends up being pretty spendy for people by the end of the festivities!

Since the last time I posted, I have learned a few more things about Chinese culture. For instance, I went out to eat with Leila Dai's (an MC student from Beijing) family the other night. They ordered a feast and were very insistent that I eat all of it. Apparently, if you leave any food on your plate, it signals that you want more food. In America, you're supposed to eat everything on your plate before you take more. Unfortunately, I will probably always have leftover food on my plate because my chopstick skills are definitely not enviable. Every time I looked another direction, more food was on my plate. I kept telling them I was full, but the concept did not seem to resonate with them! Another thing that differs from the U.S. in terms of dining is the sharing aspect. Some of you may know this, but in China, it is custom to go out to eat with a bunch of people and order many dishes that are to be shared among the group. Nobody orders a plate just for him/herself. I actually prefer this custom. After I ate with Leila's family, I went to their home with them. They seemed to think I would only like hot cocoa, Aunty Monica was shocked when I asked if I could have some tea!

The Confucian ideal of reciprocity is definitely apparent in daily interactions. Aunty Monica vowed to take care of me during my stay in China, saying I could ask her for anything. I had never met her before I came here, but since Leila stayed with my family over this past Christmas break for awhile, it was just assumed that her family would watch over me. Leila's family is extremely sweet and loving, so I am excited that I will be able to spend time with them. I will actually be staying with them during some of our free weekends. Aunty Monica and I are planning to "shop-til-we-drop" this weekend and she is also going to help me bargain at the markets so I can buy some jade! I'm pretty fortunate to have connections over here, not only does it help me get around, but it is a great way to build life-long relationships! Furthermore, Aunty Monica is helping me learn more Chinese and I am helping her learn more English. Our interactions have already revealed much about the Chinese culture, I'm excited to keep learning!

Thanks for all of your comments thus far! I will try my best answer everything in a timely fashion. Just to let you know, I post my responses to your questions on the same page that you post your questions. I'm not sure if this is the norm, but if you would like me to post you each individually, just let me know! I hope you all have a wonderful week and enjoy the pics!

A small part of the model of Beijing

One of the malls in Chongwenmen

First Impressions

2009-02-01T18:47:00.000-08:00

你们好！

I hope you are all enjoying your semester thus far! I arrived in Beijing on Saturday, Jan. 31st. Everything went smoothly and I arrived at Bei Wai University around 6:00pm Beijing time. We traveled by bus for about an hour before we reached the University, so I was able to see just a small portion of the city. I cannot believe the enormity of the city! This weekend, we will be going into the middle of Beijing, so I should have a much better idea about logistics once I see more than our little corner in the Haidian District.

As for my living situation, I am currently rooming with an American student from New York. In a few days, we will both move to different rooms where we will live alone until the end of February when our Chinese roommates move in. I am very excited to meet my Chinese roommate and look forward to practicing my Chinese and learning more about the culture. I just want to say, that we as Americans have no idea how fortunate we are when it comes to college living. My room is a double and is extremely small. I'd say it's about the size of a Fayerweather single. I do not mind the close living quarters, but I was a little shocked when I first walked in! One of my classmates said she spoke to a Chinese man on the flight, and he said the Americans are housed in the biggest and nicest rooms. I'm definitely thankful for the space I've been given! In terms of bathroom facilities, there are two western toilets and two eastern toilets. I was just happy to find out the school had western toilets! Luckily, I had found out in Taiwan that toilet paper was non-existent in bathrooms, so BYOTP is the standard!

Yesterday, I had to put my Chinese skills to the test at a little supermarket. What I refer to as the "pencil incident" was proof that I need some practice! Apparently there are separate checkouts for specific items, I was unaware of this custom. I tried doing more shopping while holding a pack of pencils, but I found myself being swarmed by about five assistants all talking a million in Chinese. After trying to ask them if I had to pay, they said "No". Then I tried asking if I could go shopping for my other things, they said "No". After about ten minutes, they gave up on me and told me I could go with my classmates. I ended up paying for them at another cash register and all was well! In addition to being confused about where to buy the pencils, I was apparently confused about what I was buying because I found out I actually bought pens. I'm definitely on a roll! While it has been a little stressful getting around, I have confident that it will get easier with time.

My classes start on Thursday and I recently found out the Contemporary Issues Program requires its participants to adhere to a language pledge. Starting on Thursday, we must speak in Chinese wherever we go. If we are caught speaking in English, we receive grade deductions. After nine offenses, we can be sent home and dismissed from the program. The program failed to mention this detail in the literature, but I've come to terms with the idea and realize it will be good for me to be forced to practice Chinese. Aside from my language course, I will take an introductory Asian History course, Chinese Government, Chinese Philosophy, and Chinese Economics. The classes will be administered in blocks and I will be traveling to Chongqing and Shanghai toward the end of the semester.

In terms of culture, I have met some extremely kind people who are more than willing to help us navigate our way through the city. While part of this may be because Chinese people do not like to say "No" (except in the case of buying pencils/pens at the wrong place!), many genuinely like interacting with us. Today, we were given a paper with a place we had to find in Beijing. My place happened to be the Beijing Zoo. My partner and I had to ask people on the street for directions and bus routes, and the first lady we asked took time out of her day to take us to the bus stop. While at the Zoo, one family even asked us to be in a picture with their daughter! In addition to the everyday cultural exchanges, we listened to a wonderful speaker. She gave a lot of insight into the governance system and political process in China. I will give everyone more details once I return to the States!

Finally, pay attention to the Lewis book! The information is definitely useful. I feel like I am much more prepared in terms of understanding the culture. Once I have my Chinese roommate, I will have more input on this subject! But for now, please feel free to ask questions or make comments!

再见！

Posing with our new friend!

A few of my favorite critters from the Beijing Zoo!

Just outside of the airport--Beautiful!

Pre-departure Hopes and Jitters

2009-01-07T20:18:00.000-08:00

大家好！I am 23 days away from boarding my plane in Minneapolis, the first stop on the way to Beijing! My flight will leave at 6:00AM (Thank goodness for Caribou Coffee!) and will make its way to Denver. From Denver, I will have one more layover in San Francisco before I arrive in Beijing. If everything runs on-time, I will land in Beijing in the afternoon on Saturday, January 31st. I am definitely excited to start the adventure!

The past couple of days, my family and I have been getting everything prepared. While all the paperwork has been finalized for some time, we've been working on lining up a cellphone, international calling card, SIM cards, and shots. Strangely enough, my dad and I ordered a phone from EBay that is being shipped from Hong Kong, and the SIM card is coming from China! It's a small world! All I have left to accomplish is packing, which might be the most difficult task!

Some of you may be wondering why I chose to study abroad in China. Since I was little, I've been very interested in Asia. I'm still not sure why, but I've always been fascinated by the culture. I traveled to Taiwan with a relative in 2002, and absolutely loved it! I immediately enrolled in Chinese language classes at MC with hopes of returning to Taiwan in the future. While I am not returning to Taiwan on this occasion, I am excited to experience a new country while furthering my knowledge about the language and culture! I also want to work in international trade in the future, and this experience will be extremely helpful. The decision of what country to study in was pretty easy, finding the program right for me was the hard part!

While I'm in Beijing, I will be taking an intensive language course and four other courses in blocks. My goal is to be able to hold a fluent conversation with a Chinese native speaker by the end of the course and my stay in China. The IES literature said I should expect to learn up to 200 Chinese characters per day! I am very anxious about the class, especially since we learn about that many characters in one semester at MC! But, I am ready to take on the challenge. After all, immersion is the best way to improve my language skills.

Aside from building my language skills, I am excited to experience, first-hand, Chinese culture and apply the knowledge I gained in my Lead 201 and 203 courses. I think my approach to and practice of leadership will be challenged as I work with students from around the globe both in class and in every day life. I know this will be an opportunity for personal growth and the development of a more well-rounded perspective of the world.

I think I've covered the majority of my hopes and fears in this first blog. I will be posting my reactions as soon as I have a chance to get settled in. I am looking forward to hearing from everyone throughout the next few months. I wish everyone the best of luck and a happy semester!