tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85721965676384171422024-03-13T03:46:07.974-07:00Adventures in ChinaUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8572196567638417142.post-66311682552040674552014-07-27T05:07:00.001-07:002014-07-27T05:41:38.863-07:00Home stay with Chinese familyToday we had the wonderful opportunity to stay with a Chinese family during the day. One of the members of the family volunteered their family and had the requisite of speaking some English. <div><br></div><div>We were greeted in the hotel by our host "Jason". Jason is 24 years old and is a big basketball and soccer fan. He took us to the subway were we proceeded to his families apartment a little bit outside Shanghai. Sam and I were a bit nervous meeting Jason's parents but those nerves quickly subsided when we met them. </div><div><br></div><div>What amazingly gracious people! We took off our shoes at the front door and were given slippers to wear. We introduced ourselves to Jason's parents and were immediately put at ease by their smiles and jovial nature. We talked a little bit getting to know them a little bit before they excused themselves and began to prepare lunch. Jason showed us around the one floor apartment and his room. There were three bedrooms and two full baths. Jason then asked us to relax and wondered if we liked the show the Big Bang Theory. We responded that we did and the next thing we knew we were drinking tea and watching an American sitcom. </div><div><br></div><div>Jason's uncle then showed up and we were soon discussing many topics with him. He lived in New York City for many years and enjoyed creating art. He was well traveled and very knowledgable on many topics. We discussed many issues in China, the US and the world. We all agreed that traveling was and is so vital to better understanding the world. What a well rounded informative gentlemen he was. We were truly honored to meet him and his family. </div><div><br></div><div>Jason's parents were so thrilled that we attempted to speak some Chinese, ate with chopsticks even though we were offered silverware and tried every dish cooked. The food was fantastic and Jason's mother was so happy that we ate a dish that her brother told her not to make. Essentially it was collared greens and Sam loved it which was evident for he ate the whole thing. The parents were so delighted to have us and we were humbled to have the opportunity to be in a family setting. </div><div><br></div><div>After lunch Jason's parents drove us downtown. While driving we learned even more about each other. They told us that if we should return to China we would always have a home in Shanghai! How powerful! I informed them that there hospitality would of course be repaid if they were to visit Washington DC or the United States. When leaving the car we gave them big hugs while pondering how lucky we had been to meet such kind, warmhearted people. </div><div><br></div><div>Sam, Jason and I went to a shopping district and walked around the congested alleyways of Shanghai. We stopped into a coffee shop and relaxed further getting to know each other. We mentioned to Jason that we had a free day tomorrow. His eyes perked up and I told him he was more than welcome to join us tomorrow as well. His face light up as he said really, are you sure? We responded that of course we would love to have him join us again. He took us back to the metro where we agreed to meet again tomorrow at 9:30. </div><div><br></div><div>As I told Jason and his family. Travel never ceases to amaze me. People are good everywhere you go. I am truly humbled and in awe once again. I will take away from this trip many things. However what I will take away most is the friendliness of our Chinese friends. People have been so good to us everywhere we have gone. Today was even more of an example of that type of behavior. What an amazing day and what an amazing way to essentially wrap up our trip : )</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ET48k8cxrLQ/U9TyWkehxxI/AAAAAAAACJU/7axY2YKyXRQ/s640/blogger-image-395698473.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ET48k8cxrLQ/U9TyWkehxxI/AAAAAAAACJU/7axY2YKyXRQ/s640/blogger-image-395698473.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0LTe8hQVIuA/U9TzV7EZH5I/AAAAAAAACKc/EZpacazH34k/s640/blogger-image-1175865735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0LTe8hQVIuA/U9TzV7EZH5I/AAAAAAAACKc/EZpacazH34k/s640/blogger-image-1175865735.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0FPz5KW8LxQ/U9TyMA189MI/AAAAAAAACJE/mJS8yHV1dTA/s640/blogger-image--1403829923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-4rfth8gZPZY/U9TzGQsEOKI/AAAAAAAACKU/1mKivCnyyx8/s640/blogger-image-2019880948.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-80QPoSU0muI/U9Tyy72UEsI/AAAAAAAACJ8/oq9NbLgh_gI/s640/blogger-image--1527442528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-80QPoSU0muI/U9Tyy72UEsI/AAAAAAAACJ8/oq9NbLgh_gI/s640/blogger-image--1527442528.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-qgbXjJeLlCc/U9TyjhJNyuI/AAAAAAAACJs/UbFTqi7-k_s/s640/blogger-image-586649928.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-qgbXjJeLlCc/U9TyjhJNyuI/AAAAAAAACJs/UbFTqi7-k_s/s640/blogger-image-586649928.jpg"></a></div>Jason and his mother</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-D7vRKPIjTT4/U9TyR750DsI/AAAAAAAACJM/VcOqmh6rmo0/s640/blogger-image-2117179019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-D7vRKPIjTT4/U9TyR750DsI/AAAAAAAACJM/VcOqmh6rmo0/s640/blogger-image-2117179019.jpg"></a></div>Uncle</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ONZJyRukNt4/U9TynWZa9DI/AAAAAAAACJ0/jbHzcbO0jgk/s640/blogger-image-1491286932.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ONZJyRukNt4/U9TynWZa9DI/AAAAAAAACJ0/jbHzcbO0jgk/s640/blogger-image-1491286932.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VEXg_K5qsFw/U9Ty71X7woI/AAAAAAAACKE/KzJTXdn2qKc/s640/blogger-image--1324322614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VEXg_K5qsFw/U9Ty71X7woI/AAAAAAAACKE/KzJTXdn2qKc/s640/blogger-image--1324322614.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-rVoAtzQGpEo/U9TyafinNPI/AAAAAAAACJc/BZznEIpXp_8/s640/blogger-image-2070222690.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-rVoAtzQGpEo/U9TyafinNPI/AAAAAAAACJc/BZznEIpXp_8/s640/blogger-image-2070222690.jpg"></a></div>Our new Chinese family!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-nRqMltMvVKA/U9TyfsT_xDI/AAAAAAAACJk/9qTKSFyvt9o/s640/blogger-image--301299644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-nRqMltMvVKA/U9TyfsT_xDI/AAAAAAAACJk/9qTKSFyvt9o/s640/blogger-image--301299644.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8572196567638417142.post-282130770776706502014-07-26T05:51:00.001-07:002014-07-26T09:03:18.989-07:00ShanghaiHere are some pictures thus far from Shanghai. We are staying in the French quarter of the city which is very close to everything including the city center. <div><br></div><div>We only have three days left so the trip is winding down. Yesterday we finished our last lecture so that really marks the end of this journey. Tomorrow my roommate and I get to travel around Shanghai with a Chinese family so I will be sure to share that experience. It has been one unbelievable ride, one in which I have learned a great deal. I will be sure to post one or two more updates before concluding this chapter of my travels. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ul7w01Mgi6c/U9OizD63uKI/AAAAAAAACHY/WP23mJZIGVs/s640/blogger-image--1337275944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ul7w01Mgi6c/U9OizD63uKI/AAAAAAAACHY/WP23mJZIGVs/s640/blogger-image--1337275944.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-16AiYNg9SvQ/U9OkPl8u_6I/AAAAAAAACIk/ik6_YFf2fVg/s640/blogger-image-1743066132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-16AiYNg9SvQ/U9OkPl8u_6I/AAAAAAAACIk/ik6_YFf2fVg/s640/blogger-image-1743066132.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-FsCdJpOd9sc/U9OgQbOLjgI/AAAAAAAACEA/IKciMDN6N0I/s640/blogger-image-1576635221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-dSCIUbggEiQ/U9OkTDnhEaI/AAAAAAAACIs/_70P1AwX2nw/s640/blogger-image--1528416353.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-iQUMIyWmmrY/U9Ogb8KtqmI/AAAAAAAACEY/q4w8zNd_VRg/s640/blogger-image--1560658258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-iQUMIyWmmrY/U9Ogb8KtqmI/AAAAAAAACEY/q4w8zNd_VRg/s640/blogger-image--1560658258.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8572196567638417142.post-21821202943508047992014-07-22T03:57:00.001-07:002014-07-22T05:38:16.888-07:00School visit and performances by studentsYesterday we visited a school outside of Chongqing. It was one of the best days we have had here if not the best. When we arrived we were greeted by the teachers of the school. They then led us to a courtyard where it seemed there were a hundred students eager to meet us. Quickly five students came up to me warmly and began to ask me questions of what I thought of China and what young people are like in the states. They then showed me around there campus. I asked them questions on what they enjoy. They love the same things my students love. Movies, music, basketball, soccer and ping pong. They love the movies Transformers and America Captain as they call it. The students value there education and take it very seriously. They look at the Gaokao as an opportunity to improve there life and there families. It was such a great opportunity to meet students and learn a little about there life. I was really impacted by this day thinking about how lucky I am to be on this trip experiencing the things I have. The people we have met along the way have been so hospitable and kind that it has moved me in a profound way. Once again another reason why I love traveling and experiencing other cultures. My travels have shaped me tremendously and for this I am forever grateful. <div><br></div><div>In addition to meeting students we were also able to meet teachers from the school. I met an English teacher by the name of Milly. I told her that I was interested in establishing a relationship between her classroom and mine. She expressed interest as well so I am hopeful this comes to fruition. I would love to have my students have the opportunity to ask questions of Chinese students about there personal lives and there take of Chinese historical events and vice versa. </div><div><br></div><div>We had lunch with the Chinese students and teachers. One of the students had the same type of glasses as me and I said he looked like my little brother. He laughed so hard and for the rest of lunch called me brother. He wants to be a doctor when he grows up and help people that are in need. The other student I talked a lot with wants to own a flower shop. His favorite song is Candles by Bruno Mars and Eminem. He started singing the song and had the song recited. I gave them my business card and told them that if they were ever in the US or needed anything to send me an email. Hopefully they stay in touch. </div><div><br></div><div>After lunch we went to an elementary school. The students performed a play for us in English and did a fantastic job. It must have taken weeks of preparation and we all were blown away and impressed. Some of the students then introduced themselves and showed us some of there talents. Two of the students played there musical instruments. One did a magic trick, one did the face changing and another wrote beautiful calligraphy. Special kids!</div><div><br></div><div>After watching the drama performance we then went to a village and watched a traditional folk music performance. This ethnic group which escapes my mind has been performing this type of music since the Ming Dynasty. At first children played and then the village elders played. The men were really animated and loved playing for us. After the performance we were able to meet the children and the elders. One of the men was 89 and was so kind, a theme as you may have noticed. One of the kids was bold enough to come up to me and ask for her picture with. Next thing you know I was taking 15 pictures. I felt like Santa Claus. They were so cute coming up to the stage while laughing and giggling. Another awesome memory for I love kids!</div><div><br></div><div>After our musical performance we went to an actual legit farm surrounded by mountains and crops. We played ping pong and sang a couple songs of karaoke. We also made freshly made traditional soy milk which we drank for dinner. We had dinner at the farm with our Chinese teacher friends and talked about what a wonderful day we had. We said our goodbyes and it seemed as though the whole village came out to say there goodbyes. Pictures were taken and waves were earnestly flying as we left the farm. A day to remember forever as we settled into our bus and fell asleep after a long day. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HejtWi58dfE/U85C-qaW15I/AAAAAAAACC4/z-PG9gzN_08/s640/blogger-image-1559143604.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HejtWi58dfE/U85C-qaW15I/AAAAAAAACC4/z-PG9gzN_08/s640/blogger-image-1559143604.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-NwDJrI6AwVE/U842e9jm8NI/AAAAAAAACBQ/xSGiZRdhV0w/s640/blogger-image--894129667.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-NwDJrI6AwVE/U842e9jm8NI/AAAAAAAACBQ/xSGiZRdhV0w/s640/blogger-image--894129667.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-gs0hEfNkAfs/U842ZIaToII/AAAAAAAACBI/2Jjninn4Hqc/s640/blogger-image--1618828921.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-yjvCn4MVnG0/U85DiB_1D2I/AAAAAAAACDg/UbbgePxEC2E/s640/blogger-image--1026868177.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-jOnNJfRnBUA/U85DFqE55fI/AAAAAAAACDA/LuZepJAWI70/s640/blogger-image-1987530344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-jOnNJfRnBUA/U85DFqE55fI/AAAAAAAACDA/LuZepJAWI70/s640/blogger-image-1987530344.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8572196567638417142.post-53133845229755269032014-07-22T03:08:00.001-07:002014-07-22T05:38:16.892-07:00Dazu Rock CarvingsFThe Dazi Rock Carvings is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The carvings are a series of Chinese religious sculptures and carvings, dating as far back as the 7th century. The carvings depict and influence Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist beliefs. Listed as a World Heritage Site, the Dazu Rock Carvings are made up of 75 protected sites containing around 50,000 statues, with over 100,000 Chinese characters forming inscriptions and epigraphs. The carvings are ridiculously impressive and well preserved. <div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-u6wcgdQzVCQ/U80uPLamiaI/AAAAAAAAB7w/5OpZ_uotElU/s640/blogger-image--1770164457.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-u6wcgdQzVCQ/U80uPLamiaI/AAAAAAAAB7w/5OpZ_uotElU/s640/blogger-image--1770164457.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-dum2qE6KiRU/U80m6TKdqFI/AAAAAAAAB6w/oBgtcpwJZnA/s640/blogger-image-1457371315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-dum2qE6KiRU/U80m6TKdqFI/AAAAAAAAB6w/oBgtcpwJZnA/s640/blogger-image-1457371315.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-r1A-rLUJvMs/U80m3VwA1lI/AAAAAAAAB6o/kL3e69E4P28/s640/blogger-image--656418728.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UuSQbSi-pTA/U82pq1kCiKI/AAAAAAAAB9A/1A15u2Zr9O0/s640/blogger-image--307953278.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-fmp65ypIefY/U80k4S2h02I/AAAAAAAAB6M/RNf0KRHJJ7I/s640/blogger-image--1346637798.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-fmp65ypIefY/U80k4S2h02I/AAAAAAAAB6M/RNf0KRHJJ7I/s640/blogger-image--1346637798.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LfgDdAeFFqI/U80npk43ztI/AAAAAAAAB7I/k6FMvG8STos/s640/blogger-image-887148965.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LfgDdAeFFqI/U80npk43ztI/AAAAAAAAB7I/k6FMvG8STos/s640/blogger-image-887148965.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-05dQqzOPaWY/U82pZErSV7I/AAAAAAAAB8w/9Bq2_mF_ig4/s640/blogger-image--1932751099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-05dQqzOPaWY/U82pZErSV7I/AAAAAAAAB8w/9Bq2_mF_ig4/s640/blogger-image--1932751099.jpg"></a></div></div><div>Pig ears!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-AnQP4AxEa2Y/U80nJ-_JG5I/AAAAAAAAB7A/jr8TTJWQyk0/s640/blogger-image--309210313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-AnQP4AxEa2Y/U80nJ-_JG5I/AAAAAAAAB7A/jr8TTJWQyk0/s640/blogger-image--309210313.jpg"></a></div>Mao Zedong's favorite dish</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-WFynd-6IMVU/U80kuMFwnZI/AAAAAAAAB58/NGASszX32tQ/s640/blogger-image--94652430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-WFynd-6IMVU/U80kuMFwnZI/AAAAAAAAB58/NGASszX32tQ/s640/blogger-image--94652430.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-r9LophdO2ek/U80wMcD6XGI/AAAAAAAAB8Y/QgJIurx2N4c/s640/blogger-image-1993232697.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-unWNNd58A0s/U83Z_wtdWiI/AAAAAAAAB9w/vEtm0KjJhNQ/s640/blogger-image--691603202.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-uTUB5v91jB0/U82p5lhNU2I/AAAAAAAAB9Q/pgC445I8W6I/s640/blogger-image-1198675801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-uTUB5v91jB0/U82p5lhNU2I/AAAAAAAAB9Q/pgC445I8W6I/s640/blogger-image-1198675801.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TSH0rDej4-8/U80uUkbvh1I/AAAAAAAAB74/i687XJTs8bQ/s640/blogger-image-1363771617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TSH0rDej4-8/U80uUkbvh1I/AAAAAAAAB74/i687XJTs8bQ/s640/blogger-image-1363771617.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Mu3fs_9YeeA/U80kzJeX5nI/AAAAAAAAB6E/GAkScrCXPJs/s640/blogger-image--267212144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Mu3fs_9YeeA/U80kzJeX5nI/AAAAAAAAB6E/GAkScrCXPJs/s640/blogger-image--267212144.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8572196567638417142.post-71575583269985639792014-07-22T02:10:00.001-07:002014-07-22T05:38:16.897-07:00Confucianism, Chongqing Market and Cable Car over YangtzeIn the morning we had a presentation on Confucius and his impact today. I was really looking forward to this presentation but I was a little disappointed in the lecture. It was really hot in the room we were in and I was sitting on a stool for the whole time. In addition to that the presentation lasted three hours!<div><br></div><div>The principal religions and philosophies in China are Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism. There are approximately 100 million Buddhists and approximately 60 million Muslims. </div><div><br></div><div>Confucius is a Chinese philosopher who lived around 400 BC. He was at first a private teacher who stressed education as the way to improving ones life. One of the reasons why education is still very important in China today. At 15 Confucius's heart was set on learning. As a youth his family was poor and he would pick out peoples good and follow them. When seeing there bad points he would correct those traits in himself. Being kind and benevolent will come back to you in the future. Confucianism is all about cultivating yourself and improving yourself. Respecting your elders is also a key component in Confucianism. </div><div><br></div><div>"At thirty I stood firm"</div><div>"A person should not impose on others what he does not wish to happen to himself;a person who wishes to establish himself and reach his goals should help others to establish themselves and reach their goals"</div><div><br></div><div>"At 70: I could follow hearts desire without transgressing the norm"</div><div>"When seeing a man of virtue we should think of equalling with him, a man without virtue we should look inside and examine ourselves. Do not watch what is improper , do not listen to what is improper, do not listen to what is improper, do not speak improperly and do not act improperly. ". </div><div><br></div><div>After the three hour lecture in a sweltering room we walked around in the furnace of Chongqing. Sam, Amy and I had a great time sampling foods and interacting with the locals. Once again the people have been very friendly and good to us. It was a really cool market with lots of sights and smells. </div><div><br></div><div>After our market visit we ate hot pot in an old bomb shelter during World War II. Hot pot is what it sounds like. There is a bowl in the middle of your table with broth and various spices. It's a fun experience because you add the various foods into the hot pot. My exotic food last night was eel with its head on. Certainly have been an adventurous eater here. The spices are something else though. We all were sweating and coughing throughout the meal. But it was a really fun experience nevertheless. </div><div><br></div><div>After dinner several us went to check out the metro situation in preparation for our free day. It was a little difficult to navigate for we couldn't find a map in English. However we wanted to find a good view of the river and were lucky to stumble upon the cable cars that we saw when taking our boat ride. The cable car ride was timed perfectly. It goes across the mighty Yangtze River and we just happened to get there when the sun was setting. When we got across there were spectacular views of Chongqing at night. <br><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ke89k8gfLhs/U84ifrZkEEI/AAAAAAAAB_w/8weeBVaCWNQ/s640/blogger-image--959456700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ke89k8gfLhs/U84ifrZkEEI/AAAAAAAAB_w/8weeBVaCWNQ/s640/blogger-image--959456700.jpg"></a></div><br></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8-ZZrmE4qCo/U84qI5kluRI/AAAAAAAACAY/B-N5CrO_9gU/s640/blogger-image--44049757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8-ZZrmE4qCo/U84qI5kluRI/AAAAAAAACAY/B-N5CrO_9gU/s640/blogger-image--44049757.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-5z-W5-XW4qM/U84h4riXJVI/AAAAAAAAB-4/Wv9ayKwsn3g/s640/blogger-image--1775985082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1q7SrO3qBc4/U84hdpxmBuI/AAAAAAAAB-A/LkWYLR038IU/s640/blogger-image--502910032.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8572196567638417142.post-32072368125971314112014-07-19T16:20:00.001-07:002014-07-19T16:30:08.808-07:00Chongqing!We made it to Chongqing! After four days in Xi'an we have arrived in the furnace. Chongqing means double celebrations in Chinese. The city was built in the 11th century BC. Chongqing is the biggest city in terms of area and population. Chongqing is unbearably hot during the summer. The surrounding mountains seem to trap the heat. Also known as fog city, Chongqing is covered with a thick layer of fog for an average of 68 days a year. Chongqing also lies on the Yangtze River, one of the most important rivers in all of Asia. <div><br></div><div>Today was a very busy day. We had three presentations, one museum visit, a welcome banquet then we went on a river cruise. </div><div><br></div><div>Our first speech was on the Gaokao. The Gaokao is the test students take at the end of high school to determine whether or not they are college material and if so what school they are eligible for. This is the most important examination in China and as we heard it determines there whole life. The information I am relaying is from professor Wang Yong who was very entertaining and informative. Students spend there last year in high school preparing for the Gaokao. A typical day involves a student getting up before 6. Reading the morning then breakfast. The students then attend five periods. Then they have lunch and then attend another four periods. Finally there is supper another three periods and some students stay up studying. I will certainly be relaying this to my students when they complain about school or homework : )</div><div><br></div><div>Over 3 days students take the Gaokao exam. Gaokao is important for a person, for Chinese society and the whole family. China has a long tradition of selecting talent or officials through nation wide examinations. The civil service examinations lasted for 1300 years, until 1905. The Gaokao was created in 1949 after the Communists took over. From 1966-77 the Gaokao ceased during the cultural revolution. Students were selected based on political and family backgrounds rather than academic achievements. In 1977 the Gaokao resumed. Only 4.8% of students taking the exam were accepted into college. Today that number has ballooned to 25%. Chinese students have greatly enlarged there enrollment to meet demand. </div><div><br></div><div>Reforms on the content and form of the exam have never stopped. The ministry of education designs the exam with the assistance of teachers and professors. Some individual provinces are permitted to customize there own exams, mostly on the east coast of course. There are also specific tests depending on what your interest is. </div><div><br></div><div>There is concerns and problems with the Gaokao. There is leaking of exam content, cheating through bribery and other abuses are still being exposed periodically. There has also been cases of a student paying for another student to take the exam for him or her. </div><div><br></div><div>There is also problems with regional discrimination. A large portion of students in colleges come from Beijing or Shanghai. Beijing and Shanghai students are admitted to good universities with scores far below those from other provinces. </div><div><br></div><div>Students from underdeveloped regions are given subsidies or assistance to attend college. However we learned at a previous meeting that it is minimal, free lunch. Special concessions are given to members of ethnic minorities, foreign nationals, persons with family origin in Taiwan and children of military casualties. Ethnic minorities are also given a ten point bonus on the Gaokao. However this still has not solved the inequity challenges faced amongst minority students, rural students or students from the western provinces. As far as I can tell anyway. </div><div><br></div><div>A major problem with the Gaokao is the enormous pressure felt amongst Chinese students. "Most pressure packed examination in the world". There is tremendous competition amongst Chinese students. One of the buzz words we keep hearing is innovation. China needs to be more innovative and students need to be more innovative. Well the problem is that Chinese students are unwilling to help there fellow students and share ideas with them because they are competing with them for the best Gapkao score. Very informative presentation on the Gaokao and I feel more aware of the positives and negatives of this type of system. </div><div><br></div><div>The second presentation we heard was by the same professor which I was happy about. The professor spoke good English, had short PowerPoint slides and injected humor. The second presentation detailed the local history of Chongqing. </div><div>Chongqing reminds me of Pittsburgh for it is very hilly and there is a confluence of rivers. There are also many bridges in this city. Pittsburgh is of course nowhere near the size of this city I am just referring to the geography. </div><div><br></div><div>Chongqing was an important port city. Products from the west were and are brought to Chongqing where they then make there way to Shanghai. There was a settlement nearby during the old Stone Age. In 1890 the British Consulate General opened in Chongqing. This became the first inland port open to foreigners. Eventually the French, Germans, US and Japanese opened up consulates as well. Chongqings importance and economic power were further improved. </div><div><br></div><div>During World War II the Chinese capital moved to Chongqing. 50 embassies moved to the city. Many factories and universities were relocated from eastern China to Chongqing. This transformed the city from an inland port to an industrial city. The allies had there headquarters in Chongqing and directed the allied army of China, Burma and India. This army was under the direction of Chiang Kai Shek and General Joseph Stilwell. The bombing of Chongqing was horrific during World War II. Chongqing was easy to defend and hard to attack so the Japanese bombed it indiscriminately. There was more than 5,000 bombing runs by the Japanese and 11,500 bombs were dropped. The Japanese targeted residential areas, business areas, schools and hospitals. Thousands of civilians were killed. </div><div><br></div><div>The city is growing in importance today. It is estimated that the city is the fastest growing city in the world. It is the central city in western China. In 2007 Chongqing became one of the two experimental zones to find ways to narrowing the gap between urban and rural areas. <font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">The income gap is getting larger and larger between the east and west of China. Chongqing is a microcosm of China. The mountainous areas are still very poor today. Chongqing is growing in importance and foreign investment in the city continues to increase. In 2008 the GDP in Chongqing was growing at nearly twice China's national average. </font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">It should be noted that the Three Gorges Dam is nearby and many of the displaced people that were removed from the land were resettled here in Chongqing. This has not been addressed or brought up in any of our briefings. </font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">Our 3rd speech was titled The image of China's wartime capital. Much of the information had already been covered in the previous lecture. Here are some highlights. People felt the fog in Chongqing would save them so they migrated to the area during the war. There was a NAZI embassy here and the Nazis had a big emblem on the ground to alert the Japanese bombers to steer clear. The residents hid in underground caves. In one instance 1,000 people were trampled or suffocated to death trying to enter the cave or while in the cave during a bombing raid. The rich would pay money to enter special caves for protection. There became tension not surprisingly between the upriver local elites and the downriver newigrants. </font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">After our presentation we went to General Stilwells headquarters in Chonqing. He had the best view in the whole city of course. He was General Chiang Kai Sheks chief of staff. Although he held deep contempt for Chiang. He even tried to get Chiang removed and take over the Chinese army. Chiang scoffed at this of course and General Stilwell was removed from his command. </font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">After the museum we had an amazing welcome banquet hosted by our guests. Our hosts have been incredibly friendly and accommodating. I will always remember how friendly the Chinese people are. </font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">After dinner we went on a river cruise and were able to see the city at night along with the new development. By far the largest city I have ever seen. I can't imagine what Shanghai will look like. It has been one adventure after another. I also have learned so much while here that is hard to take it all in and digest!</font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-gYh4YXxO2rA/U8qaL5GPb0I/AAAAAAAAB28/fFzgvgYVtVc/s640/blogger-image-850149116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-gYh4YXxO2rA/U8qaL5GPb0I/AAAAAAAAB28/fFzgvgYVtVc/s640/blogger-image-850149116.jpg"></a></div><br></font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-sb0bcH-KX6c/U8qZaIn6OSI/AAAAAAAAB2w/mE8n9rHZRrI/s640/blogger-image-1849308321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-sb0bcH-KX6c/U8qZaIn6OSI/AAAAAAAAB2w/mE8n9rHZRrI/s640/blogger-image-1849308321.jpg"></a></div><br></font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ykAbUuhqWWM/U8qaab2wsuI/AAAAAAAAB3E/TR9ocMR_GRg/s640/blogger-image-1813445901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-C8ecg_FaLYg/U8qU0riIJFI/AAAAAAAAB14/wxQcNLCvSq4/s640/blogger-image--931329819.jpg"></a></div><br></font></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8572196567638417142.post-12032662020068619322014-07-17T06:03:00.001-07:002014-07-17T06:11:42.129-07:00Terra Cotta Warriors, Neolithic Museum and Big Goose PagodaAnother dream came true today! We visited the Terra Cotta Warrior museum near Xi'an. The terra cotta soldiers were created to protect the first emperor of China, Shi Huangdi. It is estimated that it took 700,000 men to build his tomb. The tomb took 37 years to build and was built around 200 BC. It is an overwhelmingly impressive site. It was not rediscovered until 1974 by farmers who were digging for a well. Each of the warriors are replicated from actual soldiers. A lot of places don't live up to what you picture them. However this was not the case today. I was blown away with the tomb!<div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-EgTKFH6QKvM/U8cXz1U-WGI/AAAAAAAABzU/z2ZekMvw_uw/s640/blogger-image-2023877870.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-EgTKFH6QKvM/U8cXz1U-WGI/AAAAAAAABzU/z2ZekMvw_uw/s640/blogger-image-2023877870.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-4uNA7kns8Xg/U8cXsnSAiKI/AAAAAAAABzE/tte__YAIq7Y/s640/blogger-image--604542724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-4uNA7kns8Xg/U8cXsnSAiKI/AAAAAAAABzE/tte__YAIq7Y/s640/blogger-image--604542724.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_xJFd6ZjFro/U8dCF-i8OUI/AAAAAAAAB0Q/BaKyf4D_fTY/s640/blogger-image-150529192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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Xi'an served as the capital for China during ancient times. The Qin dynasty established under Shi Huandi made this city it's home and continued that way through many dynasties. <div><br></div><div>Our first presentation dealt with the Silk Road and cultural exchange. The first or last stop was in Xi'an. Therefore it was a city that was vibrant due to the many peoples and their various cultures trading not only products but ideas. </div><div><br></div><div>The land routes of the Silk Road were supplemented by sea routes. The creator of the term Silk Road was actually a German geographer by the name of Ferdinand von Richtofen in 1877. Other names for the road included the Jade Road. Silk, porcelain and metal wares would be sent from China while rare animals, precious stones, crops and fruits would come into China. The porcelain today is not nearly as finely crafted today. </div><div><br></div><div>The main contribution of the silk exchange was the cultural exchange that took place. Technology, religion, philosophy, art and music would be exchanged. The Silk Road were highways which were interconnected. Highways of culture and commerce. The length of the overland route was roughly 4,000 miles. The two major ends were Constantinople and Xi'an. </div><div><br></div><div>The Silk Road, one could argue, led to European exploration for the Europeans wanted to bypass the costly and dangerous overland routes controlled by Arabs and Asians. Cities along the Silk Road developed with walls to protect the traders. It was risk vs reward. The Silk Road was in existence from the 2nd century BC to the early 16th century. </div><div>The route contained inhospitable terrain such as the Gobi and Taklamakan deserts as well as large mountain ranges. The Silk Road was able to thrive early on due to the two strong empires of Rome and the Han Dynasty. The presentation was very informative and the professor was very passionate about his subject. </div><div><br></div><div>The 2nd speaker discussed the topic of Buddhism with us. Our speaker translates signs and historical markets around Xi'an into English. We learned a great deal about the characteristics of being a Buddhist. Moderation is an extremely important concept. Buddhists are always striving for the future. There is a cycle of suffering and rebirth to finally reach enlightenment. There are five main rules in Buddhism. Don't kill, steal, lie, unchaste, or drink intoxicants. </div><div><br></div><div>I did not know that there are different forms of Buddhism. There is Theravada Buddhism and there is Mahayana Buddhism. Buddhism has had a complicated past in China. Mao Zedong criticized religion, especially Confucianism. Mao said to the Chinese that religion is the opium of your mind. During the Cultural Revolution many temples were destroyed. Recently Buddhism has seen a resurgence and the government has invested money in renovating many temples and pagodas. </div><div><br></div><div>Our last presentation of the day was on Ancient Chinese medicine, specifically acupuncture and moxibustion. Acupuncture is a needling therapy that stimulates certain points. Moxibustion utilizes ignited wood. Ancient Chinese medicine has been used since prehistoric times in China. There are currently 24 traditional Chinese Medicine Universities in China today. The World Health Organization recommends 43 diseases that could be treated with acupuncture and moxibustion. 120 countries use acupuncture today. Honestly this presentation was hard to follow and rather boring. However we got visit a hospital after the presentation and a couple of us had acupuncture performed on us. It was pretty cool having it done to me and I certainly felt relaxed afterward. I would consider getting it done again in the future. </div><div><br></div><div>After the hospital we went to a restaurant that specializes in all kinds of various dumplings. I think I ate close to 20 different dumplings. It was insane! I am paying the price today !</div><div><br></div><div>After dinner we walked around the Muslim market that snakes through the back alleys of Xi'an. It was rather overwhelming with the number of people but cool nevertheless. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-iNeHqNxtjGg/U8Umo9kshzI/AAAAAAAABqs/shI_C_IzHrc/s640/blogger-image-1332645045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-iNeHqNxtjGg/U8Umo9kshzI/AAAAAAAABqs/shI_C_IzHrc/s640/blogger-image-1332645045.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-qO2ignLEA7U/U8UmkME7esI/AAAAAAAABqc/e4xVslNmYPA/s640/blogger-image-901619733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-qO2ignLEA7U/U8UmkME7esI/AAAAAAAABqc/e4xVslNmYPA/s640/blogger-image-901619733.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1gxq-3e5qXk/U8UmQ-U6LBI/AAAAAAAABp0/fBREo9sFBuA/s640/blogger-image--370538938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-FmG6tQxRlm4/U8Upp-10SOI/AAAAAAAABrU/HQ3iCo-NhEI/s640/blogger-image--94445280.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8572196567638417142.post-62530744488925771022014-07-16T06:19:00.001-07:002014-07-16T13:59:28.985-07:00Chinese farm? Lama Temple and Bike Ride.Today we went to a "Chinese Farm", we all pictured a farm out in the countryside with crops and animals grazing. The farm turned out to be a community of farmers that had there land taken away by the government for development. Middle class Chinese families go to the compound to get out of the city. These former farmers have art shops, restaurants, recreation areas and who knows what else set up for the middle class families in China. It was rather bizarre. However we went to a nice art shop, learned how make dumplings and then ate them and Sam and I were able to play basketball and ping pong. <div><br></div><div>After the so called farm we went to the Lama temple here in Beijing. The temple is 300 years old. The emperors would stop there and worship. We had the opportunity to meet the monk in charge. We were taken to a special room where the monks meet with the Panchen Lama or the head of Buddhism in China. By the way this is the person that the Chinese government puts in the role. The monk recited a chant for us which was very cool. The chant wishes you good health, good fortune and wishes that you do good deeds and treat people right. </div><div><br></div><div>I asked the monk what a typical day was like. Let's just say it is a lot of worship, studying and ceremonies. 20 some monks study there. The monks mostly stay there but sometimes do go outside the temple. Buddhists pray for all the living things animals, insects and of course other human beings. The temple performs a lot of charity work as well. It was a really wonderful experience learning more about Buddhism and the rituals. We were given very special access that most don't have thanks to our guide Tiger who is learning from one of the monks. </div><div><br></div><div>The last activity was visiting Xi'ans city walls. The walls are original from the Ming dynasty and are very well preserved. They are quite formidable as well. We were given the option of biking around the city walls. The task was quite difficult for it is 9 miles all the way around. What made it more difficult was that we only had an hour and a half. Several of us attempted it and I am proud that I finished and didn't stop. It took us a little less than an hour. I haven't ridden a bike that far since I was a kid : ). It was awesome biking around the ancient walls while get awesome views of the city. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-iLbSSI1g7p8/U8Z7gXekp1I/AAAAAAAABvs/qERz61-Wens/s640/blogger-image-1860930584.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-iLbSSI1g7p8/U8Z7gXekp1I/AAAAAAAABvs/qERz61-Wens/s640/blogger-image-1860930584.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-2422gN-3xgs/U8U8jbiCSmI/AAAAAAAABs0/ehqEXRC-s4Q/s640/blogger-image--1193230933.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-2422gN-3xgs/U8U8jbiCSmI/AAAAAAAABs0/ehqEXRC-s4Q/s640/blogger-image--1193230933.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zNGgdo29Lds/U8U5YAP1RfI/AAAAAAAABsc/VnMttI7tdX4/s640/blogger-image--2101969108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-2KaSeoLmoPM/U8Z7vztWhVI/AAAAAAAABwM/pNEHKrFdM_A/s640/blogger-image-203682089.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bN74NuR9NbY/U8U82Dzl_zI/AAAAAAAABtM/hwvZT1l3bwc/s640/blogger-image--1130114197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bN74NuR9NbY/U8U82Dzl_zI/AAAAAAAABtM/hwvZT1l3bwc/s640/blogger-image--1130114197.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4JY6lxjJWLs/U8U84iVrdBI/AAAAAAAABtU/_SWvB1St2k4/s640/blogger-image-1609682111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4JY6lxjJWLs/U8U84iVrdBI/AAAAAAAABtU/_SWvB1St2k4/s640/blogger-image-1609682111.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8572196567638417142.post-79903203623535381622014-07-13T23:21:00.001-07:002014-07-13T23:21:21.320-07:00National Museum and Temple of Heaven<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">In the morning Sam and I headed to the National Museum. We then went to the Temple of Heaven which served as the holiest site for the emperors. The emperors would abstain from alcohol, meat, women and music for three days before entering the temple of good harvest. The grounds have a really nice park and many Chinese gather there to sing, play hackey sack and Chinese checkers. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Today we took a bullet train to Xi'an. The train ride was five hours. By bus it would've been 14 hours. We headed to a mosque which was built in the. 700's. Traders along the Silk Road would stop and Xi'an and this how Islam was brought into the area. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-dXZ760GU1F4/U8MkLbLNeVI/AAAAAAAABno/pZjuNGM7N9o/s640/blogger-image--2104582029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-dXZ760GU1F4/U8MkLbLNeVI/AAAAAAAABno/pZjuNGM7N9o/s640/blogger-image--2104582029.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-grQJvPzTPd4/U8Mj-fg-47I/AAAAAAAABnY/NT-z3FnjMCA/s640/blogger-image--1245843308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-grQJvPzTPd4/U8Mj-fg-47I/AAAAAAAABnY/NT-z3FnjMCA/s640/blogger-image--1245843308.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-JnsweVtk354/U8Mj8J95JdI/AAAAAAAABnQ/o5xR9AJOqM8/s640/blogger-image-545253559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-g5lJDfgoiDY/U8N1wZrXziI/AAAAAAAABpI/3d0NaEESUUg/s640/blogger-image-314357291.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-BLl32qcGPvc/U8Mkx_e5wSI/AAAAAAAABoc/4wZrv-LF6kg/s640/blogger-image-1347866600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-BLl32qcGPvc/U8Mkx_e5wSI/AAAAAAAABoc/4wZrv-LF6kg/s640/blogger-image-1347866600.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Xi'an</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-i8_9QfFWyrQ/U8KGPNp86sI/AAAAAAAABmU/okaCGTtk67M/s640/blogger-image--2047684525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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There was some overlap with what we have heard previously. Grades 1-9 are compulsory. By 2020 the goal is for grades 1-12 to be compulsory. The official mentioned that equity is a challenge in the Chinese education system. Rural vs urban schools is an issue in funding and achievement. In the last ten years there has been an increase in funding for the western province schools however there is still major inequity between schools in the west and schools in the east. About ten percent of all students in the west attend university. There is a program now to double the salary for young graduate teachers who go to western China and teach. According to him 82-86% decide to stay after 3 years.<br />
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Teacher quality is always an issue in China. It was once a highly respected position and still is in many regards. Free tuition is being offered in some cases for students studying education and promising to become a teacher. </div>
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Chinese students have many more tests than American students beginning in elementary school and at the end of junior and senior secondary school.</div>
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4% of China's GDP goes toward education. Most of the funding for education comes from the local government. Funding per pupil in China is ten percent less than the US. </div>
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Interestingly enough the official with the Ministry said that the advantage of the US education system is that American students can apply what they have learned and use it while the Chinese student is less innovative and focused on theory or knowledge. Of note; the officials daughter is studying at an American university. </div>
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Our second meeting of the day dealt with International Relations. Items of note from the professor who spoke. China will be a developing country for a long time. Common prosperity is the goal not just for some people. The western provinces make up 71.5% of the land but only accounts for 22% of the GDP. 150 million live on 1 dollar a day. The speaker was shocked by the poverty in the west and called this a dangerous situation. With all of the recent events or attacks one could see why. The speaker made some interesting comments. He spoke for a long time so we only were able to ask a couple of questions. I really wanted to ask him one for he mentioned that one of the challenges China has and needs to address in order to meet its 2050 goal of becoming a world power and playing a part in international affairs is the need for political reforms. Hmmm. Very interesting and surprising comment!</div>
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The speaker surprisingly also mentioned that China is imbalanced between economic and social development. That would've been interesting to follow up on as well. </div>
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The long term goal of China is to be recognized by the international community as a major power. China's strategic choice is to become a big power in East and Southeast Asia not the dominant power. China's focus should be in Asia. </div>
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He lastly mentioned that the relationship between the US and China is at a crucial point is a complex relationship. Both China and the US are interdependent of each other. </div>
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Our last presentation was absolutely amazing and inspiring!!!!!</div>
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The speaker was Wu Qing. Her parents were quite famous and I'm pretty sure she is quite famous in China. She is the chairman and founder of a rural school for women. Wu's mother was Xie Bing Xin a famous Chinese writer who attended Wellsley college from 1923-26. She also participated in the May 4th movement and supported the 1989 Tiananmen Square student protests. Her famous line was the students love the country and I love the students. Her father was Wu Wen Zao and he attended both Dartmouth and Columbia. He is considered to be the father of Sociology in China. They were punished during the Cultural Revolution. </div>
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Wu's organization has trained more than 13,500 women. They train them to be kindergarten teachers, teach them about clean water, soil contamination and the law. Wu mentioned that the government has not done enough to invest in the rural areas. Infrastructure they have but the rural areas don't have enough money to pay for the increase in water prices, seeds and electricity. </div>
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Wu mentioned that it is difficult to speak the truth in China today. She has been blacklisted and twice for a period of three years each time was unable to leave the country. </div>
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Wu studied the Chinese constitution and was the first to use it since 1984. As she said; if no one respects the constitution then there is no oversight. Wu was a visiting scholar at MIT. She worked with Mel King and became politically active in Boston. Her inspirations have been Gandhi and Rosa Parks. </div>
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She mentioned her core beliefs on how to train a person. Rights and responsibilities, economic independence, protection, health and sanitation, education both formal and informal and finally peace. She was one of the most inspiring people that I have ever listened to or met. She was a peoples deputy from 1984-2011 where she represented the people in her district. Once every week she would meet with the people in her neighborhood for hours. She cast abstention votes or voted no something no one had ever really done. The communist party call her a rebel rouser. She mentioned that the whole world is turning materialistic and China is the same. Young people are not as political she said. One of the participants told her how inspirational she was and asked her if she gets lonely trying to change the world and many times being rebuffed. She got really emotional and started to cry and said that yes she sometimes feels that way however she has so much love and support from people around the world. Several of us including me went up there and thanked her and have her a hug. One of the lasting things I will remember from her was this comment. The more I travel the more I realize there are more similarities than differences amongst people. This fit in great with her opening remark to us. Hello global citizens! </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8572196567638417142.post-62061995293839253882014-07-10T18:09:00.001-07:002014-07-11T09:42:34.268-07:00Meeting with the Secretary of State and Chinese Vice PremierYesterday was an incredible day. One of those days that reminds me how fortunate and lucky I am. I would never have thought growing up or when I was in college or beginning my career that I would be in attendance of a meeting with the United States Secretary of State and Chinese Vice Premier. Crazy!!<div><br></div><div>The meeting we attended concerned China-US people to people exchange. The meeting was held at the peoples hall in Tiananmen Square. Very few people are allowed into the Peoples Hall. I was surprised at how intimate the meeting was and how close our delegation was to the diplomats. We had the opportunity to meet some of the delegation. I spoke to an intern with the State department who told me about some of the education initiatives they were working on between China and the US. We also met the Vice President of education for National Geographic. I was jealous for a couple participants met Michele Obamas chief of staff and got to talk to her. I had the opportunity to meet the first American to travel to China as apart of the first American delegation. He stayed in China for the last 35 years and has a Chinese wife and two sons. </div><div><br></div><div>Secretary of State Kerry mentioned Fulbrighters in his speech several times and mentioned how his son was a Fulbright participant. The speech was awesome for he mentioned the importance of traveling and gaining a greater understanding of the world through traveling and learning from other cultures by face to face relationships and immersion. He also mentioned the importance of freedom of speech and press. Which was a knock against China for this is not fully permitted in China. I am curious as to how that was received along with his comment about political freedom. I was surprised he mentioned those topics and in that setting. We kept pinching our self through the meeting. I never thought I would have the opportunity to be so close to the Secretary of State of the United States and have my name mentioned as part of such a prestigious trip. I am so luck! Anyone can do this it's just being persistent and chasing after your goals. My goal just happens to be learning about the world through travel. </div><div><br></div><div>After lunch we went to a presentation on the modern history of China. It was a little hard to follow for it was told through an interpreter and very basic. Nevertheless it was cool being at such a prestigious university such as Peking University. We then got a tour of the university. One thing that I forgot to mention was that it was a clear blue sky yesterday which is unheard of in Beijing. We heard that in preparation for the American delegation China shut down its coal factories around Beijing. One of the issues that was discussed during the American China talks was pollution and environmental issues. We mentioned this to some of the American delegates and they just smiled like they weren't surprised. </div><div><br></div><div>After sitting in traffic for two hours we made it to a tea house that is a replica of how the tea houses used to look in China. We got to see some really cool entertainment like martial arts, hand puppets, masks changing on the performers heads, magic, storytelling and music and dance. </div><div><br></div><div>Another incredible day in Beijing. Busy day here with an important meeting with the Ministry of Education. We are all looking forward to our free day tomorrow. We fly to Xian on Sunday. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ianMIeyzn6c/U783SVy-SlI/AAAAAAAABho/wQ2MzNoMZBs/s640/blogger-image--770649912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ianMIeyzn6c/U783SVy-SlI/AAAAAAAABho/wQ2MzNoMZBs/s640/blogger-image--770649912.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ccm-WMd5JwI/U783OcCBolI/AAAAAAAABhY/h-UX0zWWIrw/s640/blogger-image--1500042342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ccm-WMd5JwI/U783OcCBolI/AAAAAAAABhY/h-UX0zWWIrw/s640/blogger-image--1500042342.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Vc3yGu_CuiQ/U782wgSo-yI/AAAAAAAABhQ/449wF9JVJlU/s640/blogger-image--2081086794.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EZ0-ENJIc_I/U783iTbyGoI/AAAAAAAABiY/KeQEtkNJyE4/s640/blogger-image-847425140.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-iOsxC_ghLX0/U785D4x6E5I/AAAAAAAABjM/B0Xxqxx8dxs/s640/blogger-image-1483155816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-iOsxC_ghLX0/U785D4x6E5I/AAAAAAAABjM/B0Xxqxx8dxs/s640/blogger-image-1483155816.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8572196567638417142.post-90631248565061853322014-07-09T08:06:00.001-07:002014-07-09T18:55:43.306-07:00Media in China and the World Wildlife FundToday we started off our day by going to the Communication University of China for a lecture on Young People and Political Communication in China. There are 15,000 students at the university studying a wide range of subjects including, broadcasting, journalism, animation, film, computers and many other subjects. <div><br></div><div>In China today there are 618 million Internet users. 500 million use the internet on there mobile phone. WeChat is the most popular form of social media in China. Weibo is the Chinese form of Twitter. Weibo has had to delete many posts for being two controversial or critical. </div><div><br></div><div>Weibo has been an important force in changing Chinese society. Ordinary citizens can launch a public debate or shame the government and corporate officials by posting photos, videos and comments according to the lecturer professor Zhang Yanqui. China's leaders are torn between appreciating Weibos capability to gauge public opinion and resisting public scrutiny. It is a new battleground among Chinese authorities, internet companies and citizens all testing the others boundaries. Weibo has become the voice of millions of Chinese citizens. </div><div><br></div><div>Reren is the most popular social media site in China. It is the equivalent of Facebook in the United States. Most political conversations are kept private in China between family and friends. Not so much in the public. More young people however are beginning to voice political opinions on Reren. Many users create inspiring or funny topics to attract each other's attention. Key words or creative wording is used to avoid having comments deleted when criticizing. Some celebrities have been put in prison over comments on Weibo or other sites. Ordinary people report others for "spreading rumors ". Taboo subjects include challenging the one party system, Tianammen Square protests, past Nobel Peace Prize winners that challenged China and the free Tibet movement. </div><div><br></div><div>The next meeting we went to was the World Wildlife Fund. The World Wildlife Fund was created in 1961. The panda was chosen as the symbol for the animal is loved all around the world and is recognizable. There are now 7 offices for the World Wildlife Fund in China. Some of the major initiatives include the cleaning of the Yangtze River, preserving and increasing the tiger population in China (only 20 remain), climate and energy issues, making China more environmentally friendly, sustainable production and consumption and stopping the wildlife trade. </div><div><br></div><div>The conventional wisdom in China is that coal is indispensable. 65% of China's energy comes from Coal. The energy consumption of fossil fuels is obviously leading to pollution. Interestingly for four years China has invested more in renewable energy than any other country. Solar panel installation has increased 7 fold from the goal set in place a couple of years ago. </div><div><br></div><div>70% of energy consumption and emissions in China comes from large corporations. Shockingly hundreds of thousands of people die each year due to pollution. Not surprisingly the issue of the environment has increasingly become a bigger issue among Chinese people, especially the youth. The problem in China is that legislation is created but there is no effective enforcement of the legislation or corruption disrupts the enforcement. The Chinese version of the Environmental Protection Agency is not able to effectively enforce. Environmental protection is not a top priority among the Chinese government. As things change and more people suffer from environmental issues this issue should keep gaining more and more prominence in China. </div><div><br></div><div>After the WWF meeting we checked out the ancestral temple which is located in the Forbidden City. The emperors would worship in the temple five times a year. This was the main worship area for the emperors. The wooden columns in the temple are over 600 years of age. The trees came from SE China and now don't exist. The temple obviously holds an important place in Chinese history. Ancestral worship is an important component of several Chinese religions. </div><div><br></div><div>In the evening we had an awesome experience attending an acrobatic performance. </div><div><br></div><div>Tomorrow is a big day for we get to attend an important conference between US and Chinese officials. The United States government will be represented by Secretary of State John Kerry. We are hoping that we will have the opportunity to meet Secretary Kerry. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gx_FbU_j_aU/U71aEa1gkdI/AAAAAAAABfY/-iuwM0pytBQ/s640/blogger-image--1941444548.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gx_FbU_j_aU/U71aEa1gkdI/AAAAAAAABfY/-iuwM0pytBQ/s640/blogger-image--1941444548.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-wDVnBOlQ3e0/U71XbghaUOI/AAAAAAAABeE/C8EEeJKENTY/s640/blogger-image-1279420118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-wDVnBOlQ3e0/U71XbghaUOI/AAAAAAAABeE/C8EEeJKENTY/s640/blogger-image-1279420118.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ohruGbC7GXs/U71aCDT29YI/AAAAAAAABfQ/-oX0c-4N4pY/s640/blogger-image--1711182780.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-FFu_QgoqbZY/U71aPkRq-oI/AAAAAAAABgI/4AmVqNLOlEU/s640/blogger-image-678800825.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-NSGg0W4irt4/U71adDAkbrI/AAAAAAAABhA/Ea6AWcLSMzs/s640/blogger-image-1063781760.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-NSGg0W4irt4/U71adDAkbrI/AAAAAAAABhA/Ea6AWcLSMzs/s640/blogger-image-1063781760.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8572196567638417142.post-66208500335351777842014-07-08T14:57:00.001-07:002014-07-08T18:16:46.296-07:00Sino-US Relations & Dandelion School<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Today we went to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. We then went to a school for migrant families and then lastly went to the Times Square of Beijing where I ate some strange foods. </div></div></span></div><div><br></div><div>The United States and China first began diplomatic relations in 1971 when Henry Kissinger visited China in secret. China really started participating in the international community at the end of 1978. The presenter mentioned that the US and China can do many things through joint efforts. Honestly I felt as though the presenter was giving us the answers to our questions according to what the Chinese government would want. Many questions were dodged or twisted in my opinion. He was honest however in stating the challenges the two countries face in diplomacy. 1. Competition for influence in Asia or the Pacific. 2. The narrowing gap between the US and Chinese militaries. 3. Competition in cyberspace. </div><div><br></div><div>My fellow participants and I asked many questions on a wide range of topics. Some of the comments he made to certain topics were as follows; China opposes regime change in North Korea by external forces. On Japan : Japan is not comfortable with China for Japan has been the leader in Asia for over a century. There is still real tension over World War II. On Syria: 2 goals are for Syria to get rid of all chemical weapons and peace and stability should be maintained in the region. That certainly has not been accomplished. </div><div><br></div><div>China's military expenditures are on the rise. Although he was quick to point out that it is nowhere near the US. The speaker also mentioned that environmental problems are a huge concern for the Chinese government. The issue of internet restriction was asked as well and the answer to the question was that certain sites are monitored or blocked for security concerns. </div><div><br></div><div>All in all the presentation was very interesting and enlightening. I'm just not so sure how true or honest some of the answers were. I know people in our country are not always honest and spin things a certain way so I'm not just saying that this is what you get in China. </div><div><br></div><div>After lunch we visited the Dandelion school. The school is a private school that educates students whose families have moved into Beijing to work. Often times these students would not receive any education at all. 85% of the students live at school. Sometimes this is because there is no room for them at home. The students in the school are between the ages of 13-15. The typical day looks like this. 7:00 a.m is breakfast. 8-12 the students have classes. </div><div>12-1:30 is lunch and free time. </div><div>1:30-5 the students have classes. </div><div>5-6 the students participate in a club they have chosen. </div><div>6-6:30 is dinner. </div><div>6:30-8:45 is study time. </div><div><br></div><div>There are 500 students in the school. The students actually graduated earlier that day and were getting ready to head home for the summer. Many were leaving to go back home to their provinces in order to go to high school. If you are not born in Beijing then you can't go to high school there. 25% of the students don't finish school at Dandelion. Some drop out completely. Some go back home to finish there while some go to a vocational school. The Dandelion school does have a partnership with 4 high schools however 2 of them require extremely high scores on the test that students take after middle school to get into high schools. Some white collar migrants and of course higher income families buy their way into good high schools. </div><div><br></div><div>The visit to Dandelion was amazing. We split up into four groups and talked to the students about what we taught. We also talked to the students about what they knew of the US and what they enjoyed doing for fun. Although there are certainly differences there is also many similarities between Chinese and American youngsters. Enjoyment of computer or video games, sports, music, dancing, watching television and reading. The students were so kind to us and presented us with a thank you card and picture of us at the school. Incredible experience. </div><div><br></div><div>At night we took the metro to the Times Square of Beijing where there is a huge market of exotic foods and souvenirs. It was amazing seeing all of the exotic foods such as lizard, spider, grasshopper, scorpion, silk worms and who knows what else. I saw an American who has been to the market four times. He mentioned that he has never seen anyone eat the scorpions before. I, of course, ate the scorpion and silk worm. Many Chinese were gathered around us taking pictures of me and a couple of my fellow participants eat strange food. As my motto says when you travel be prepared to try new things even if it means eating weird insects!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zC51aqUCvhk/U7wjbTwx3lI/AAAAAAAABcU/NdumIgpGTH4/s640/blogger-image-581886063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zC51aqUCvhk/U7wjbTwx3lI/AAAAAAAABcU/NdumIgpGTH4/s640/blogger-image-581886063.jpg"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zC51aqUCvhk/U7wjbTwx3lI/AAAAAAAABcU/NdumIgpGTH4/s640/blogger-image-581886063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-0WMwzmutXnc/U7xpNYGyALI/AAAAAAAABdc/6mmb3mDKRWU/s640/blogger-image-896755249.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-0WMwzmutXnc/U7xpNYGyALI/AAAAAAAABdc/6mmb3mDKRWU/s640/blogger-image-896755249.jpg"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-0WMwzmutXnc/U7xpNYGyALI/AAAAAAAABdc/6mmb3mDKRWU/s640/blogger-image-896755249.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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We began the day by meeting with the Chinese Education Association for International Exchange. The organization was founded in 1981 and both receives and sends teachers around the world. 26 % of all students in the world are Chinese. Chinese students have to go to school for at least 9 years. At the end of high school Chinese students have to take an exam to get into college. The Gaokao is a test that puts tremendous amounts of pressure on both the student and teacher. In 2002 the universities expanded their size or to be more precise doubled the amount of students accepted. In 1978 1.5 % of all students went to college. That number has risen to 30% today. <div><br></div><div>The challenge today in China is that the cities and high income areas have more resources than the rural areas and the western provinces. The neighborhoods around good schools charge high rent. Students are randomly chosen by a computer that tells you what school to go to in your district. Parents often call the principal to try to get their child in the best schools. In the rural areas the whole village will sponsor a student accepted into university by paying for their books and as many of the costs as they can. The government tries to provide help by paying for the students lunches. This is still clearly a problem for I learned later only 1% of all rural students attend universities. </div><div><br></div><div>The number of outbound Chinese students has increased tremendously over the last decade from 39,000 to 400,000. Most of these students attend American universities. On the opposite end the number of foreign students studying in China has increased tremendously as well over the last decade from 52,150 to 328,000. Most of these students, 63%, are from Asia. </div><div><br></div><div>It was very interesting listening to how much higher education and education has changed in China. There has been a big push to exchange students and teachers internationally. </div><div><br></div><div>After lunch we visited an art museum which was specifically built to house college art students work. The students art work is evaluated at the end of the year and the winners are honored by having their art work displayed in this very nice art museum. </div><div><br></div><div>After the art museum we had the opportunity to meet with a teacher and learn about teacher training. It turns out that Ms. Di Yan taught at the high school where one of our participants on the trip graduated in Indianaopolis, Indiana. It used to be that students were taught Russian, this has not surprisingly changed to English. The Chinese public schools are rather different than ours. There are typically 40 students in one class. The classes are 45 minutes long and students typically have a 2 hour break for lunch. The average Chinese teacher only teaches two 45 minute classes in a day. They then have the rest of the day to grade and plan lessons. Ms. Yan said the most difficult part of teaching for a teacher in a China was that Chinese students are too quiet and there isn't a lot of interaction or critical thinking taking place. Teachers used to prefer to lecture in order to keep order in the classroom. </div><div><br></div><div>The average teacher in Beijing makes $2,000 to 3,000 a month. However in rural areas teachers may only make $100.00 a month! The government and businesses support primarily the city schools. Teachers need to do a certain amount of professional development to advance on the pay scale. At the district training center teachers and principals research, exchange experiences and receive training. Different areas of China have different ways to train teachers although it is similar in most of the cities. </div><div><br></div><div>Teachers are not allowed to decide what textbooks or literature to use in the classroom. The communist government of course decides this. The students also must take a politics or government class where they of course learn about Mao Zedong and the little red book. The presenter when growing up was taught about how bad America was and the threat we posed. Now students are taught that China can surpass the U.S. as the global economic power. </div><div><br></div><div>Special education students in China go to segregated schools. Students with learning disabilities are given no accommodations and many leave the general school because they don't receive sufficient instruction. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-GCn4fpRFXJA/U7qnBfHozZI/AAAAAAAABX8/ZmhupDveKkU/s640/blogger-image--139511671.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-GCn4fpRFXJA/U7qnBfHozZI/AAAAAAAABX8/ZmhupDveKkU/s640/blogger-image--139511671.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-PeqfCR3DxQA/U7qnEWH4tSI/AAAAAAAABYM/IJTIeTYNKwo/s640/blogger-image--799250200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-PeqfCR3DxQA/U7qnEWH4tSI/AAAAAAAABYM/IJTIeTYNKwo/s640/blogger-image--799250200.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/--wAU65LVy9Y/U7qnRtl4omI/AAAAAAAABY8/OphSwrcS1jc/s640/blogger-image--1671234487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-S-L44X7GjCs/U7qm_mF0W9I/AAAAAAAABX0/fJDK3iQu5CM/s640/blogger-image-1355101699.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-J54R7QkYdcA/U7q3OA3nL6I/AAAAAAAABak/oliR0adV5DE/s640/blogger-image--2106162369.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-J54R7QkYdcA/U7q3OA3nL6I/AAAAAAAABak/oliR0adV5DE/s640/blogger-image--2106162369.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8572196567638417142.post-45695696484339943162014-07-06T07:54:00.001-07:002014-07-06T08:03:18.396-07:00Great Wall of China!What an absolutely amazing day!<div>I have always dreamt of going to the Great Wall of China as a kid and there I was today. Absolutely incredible!</div><div><br></div><div>The wall was built thousands of years before the Qin dynasty. The Ming dynasty, which lasted from 1368-1644, is the dynasty credited with really improving the wall. The wall was built to secure the northern frontier from invasion by the Mongols. The Ming didn't allow the Mongols to trade freely with them. There was a tribute system and the Mongol leader Esen would abuse that system. He would over report gifts that he gave to the Ming in order to receive more goods. The Mings stopped trading with the Mongols so the Mongols decided to simply invade. </div><div><br></div><div>The Great Wall was not really a symbol of China until Sun Yat Sen. He helped create the sense of nationalism and used the wall to unite the people. Sun Yat Sen was one of the early revolutionaries in the early 1900's. By the way, the Great Wall of China can not be seen from space. The peoples republic of China has renovated it, especially under Deng Xiaoping. </div><div><br></div><div>Some of us when getting to the wall decided to climb the difficult portion of the wall. It was a ton of climbing but so worth it. We even walked past the allowed area to see dilapidated portions of the wall. It is hard to believe any sizable force could've attacked this portion of the wall but the Mongols did. </div><div><br></div><div>After our wall climbing we went on a Hutong tour. We first walked around the surrounding neighborhoods. Sam and I walked around and had an awesome experience in a tea shop. A woman invited us in and made us various varieties of tea for free. We offered to give her money at the end but she refused. We then went to the Hutong which is an alleyway in Beijing. There are courtyard houses where various families live. It is very traditional and unfortunately many if the Hutongs have been demolished for high rises. We were taken to someone's home and fed a home cooked meal. The cooks family has lived in the Hutong for 100 years. His father cooked these amazing carrot balls, which we had, for the last emperor. This meal was by far our favorite. The cook was so gracious and friendly that we all were blown away by his hospitality. </div><div><br></div><div>After dinner we were then taken around the Hutong on a modern version of a rickshaw. What an amazing day!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-freFmKeEo08/U7lhbROW2II/AAAAAAAABWM/ZlK95R2Raio/s640/blogger-image-1231821876.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-freFmKeEo08/U7lhbROW2II/AAAAAAAABWM/ZlK95R2Raio/s640/blogger-image-1231821876.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-S_X_MTCBCw0/U7lgwM1c_gI/AAAAAAAABUs/UILv4wwIues/s640/blogger-image-1911515810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-S_X_MTCBCw0/U7lgwM1c_gI/AAAAAAAABUs/UILv4wwIues/s640/blogger-image-1911515810.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HQrz7sVwAys/U7lgiCd1zfI/AAAAAAAABT8/r0xuTFJ2sls/s640/blogger-image--849784590.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lVA7Jv3r60g/U7lgmZGUNrI/AAAAAAAABUM/TgViK4dGCpM/s640/blogger-image--372133401.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-jR5mBe-MZ1I/U7lhJn9RD5I/AAAAAAAABWE/-TkK6qBSeto/s640/blogger-image-51745361.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-jR5mBe-MZ1I/U7lhJn9RD5I/AAAAAAAABWE/-TkK6qBSeto/s640/blogger-image-51745361.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yBwhZkJtOec/U7lgtKNB-kI/AAAAAAAABUk/--hy9KlD4F0/s640/blogger-image--549881752.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yBwhZkJtOec/U7lgtKNB-kI/AAAAAAAABUk/--hy9KlD4F0/s640/blogger-image--549881752.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4HdcaCzs1W0/U7lg6S88YxI/AAAAAAAABVU/mhnz-3Vus9k/s640/blogger-image--160019157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4HdcaCzs1W0/U7lg6S88YxI/AAAAAAAABVU/mhnz-3Vus9k/s640/blogger-image--160019157.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Yes we took the toboggan down!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Eou8_YdOtf0/U7lggFqEJxI/AAAAAAAABT0/Bxo3VB4FSH4/s640/blogger-image-153696158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Eou8_YdOtf0/U7lggFqEJxI/AAAAAAAABT0/Bxo3VB4FSH4/s640/blogger-image-153696158.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-kpmDqHdL86U/U7lhEf8akNI/AAAAAAAABV0/8c-BvxEwWF0/s640/blogger-image--625386317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-kpmDqHdL86U/U7lhEf8akNI/AAAAAAAABV0/8c-BvxEwWF0/s640/blogger-image--625386317.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-bRuh-m-CAAA/U7lg2OV8idI/AAAAAAAABVE/iSXrBrukfi4/s640/blogger-image-1849419669.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-1NKWrhZYB4Q/U7lgk3U1sQI/AAAAAAAABUE/8Le2-CYJ4vM/s640/blogger-image--769420764.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-StvZYfJ0tL4/U7lg_SGuGUI/AAAAAAAABVk/eNy6WoIVMEw/s640/blogger-image-1056207886.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-StvZYfJ0tL4/U7lg_SGuGUI/AAAAAAAABVk/eNy6WoIVMEw/s640/blogger-image-1056207886.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-zrPvIaT6V_I/U7lipo1-jfI/AAAAAAAABXU/Gpm4gQpzyzk/s640/blogger-image--1857149161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-zrPvIaT6V_I/U7lipo1-jfI/AAAAAAAABXU/Gpm4gQpzyzk/s640/blogger-image--1857149161.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-5eO-22w1Q_Q/U7lhHekFm3I/AAAAAAAABV8/GWPj6aKdHKw/s640/blogger-image--1752573104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-5eO-22w1Q_Q/U7lhHekFm3I/AAAAAAAABV8/GWPj6aKdHKw/s640/blogger-image--1752573104.jpg"></a></div>The awesome cook in the Hutong!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-6_rh9Y1Fdd8/U7lgoUbDNWI/AAAAAAAABUU/KCHhrnXCDa8/s640/blogger-image--1910401039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-6_rh9Y1Fdd8/U7lgoUbDNWI/AAAAAAAABUU/KCHhrnXCDa8/s640/blogger-image--1910401039.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>The traditional Hutong is being destroyed : (</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-tBf3TH_QbaQ/U7lhuE4cHrI/AAAAAAAABWU/jCIRmDabe-w/s640/blogger-image--1032375487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-tBf3TH_QbaQ/U7lhuE4cHrI/AAAAAAAABWU/jCIRmDabe-w/s640/blogger-image--1032375487.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-2JrUjuz_m70/U7lh05lngjI/AAAAAAAABW8/kXGqoNNbhig/s640/blogger-image--664236097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Vt_7nvV7RMM/U7lg3tsApfI/AAAAAAAABVM/Q-HhdhgfiqY/s640/blogger-image--5879384.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-WOpRxA3Tr4A/U7lh5ADnJ_I/AAAAAAAABXE/fJWBDNVd_YU/s640/blogger-image-814209125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-WOpRxA3Tr4A/U7lh5ADnJ_I/AAAAAAAABXE/fJWBDNVd_YU/s640/blogger-image-814209125.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8572196567638417142.post-40590605496729495812014-07-05T14:07:00.001-07:002014-07-05T14:23:29.465-07:00Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City!<div><br></div>All I have to say is wow! My roommate and I got up at four today suffering from the jet lag. We waked around outside our hotel and found a park where we got a little exercise. Need to work off all the amazing food we are eating : )<div><br></div><div>Today we went to the Forbidden City then went to this really hipster part of town which is known for its artwork. We learned a lot thanks to our awesome tour guides. Everything in the forbidden city has a purpose and has symbolism. I also learned a lot about the eunuchs and their role. Let's just say that I would rather not be castrated and serve the emperor. Ouch! The dragon in China symbolizes the emperor and power. The passageways up to the forbidden city were even segregated with the emperor only traveling along the center road. The palace was designed with a purpose and it was designed according to the cosmos. </div><div><br></div><div>The emperor was constantly paranoid and would have many people try to the food before eating. Poison was very common and the emperor would use silver chopsticks to detect poison. There were also 15 layers of bricks because the emperor was paranoid about tunnels being built under the palace. In fact he would sleep in different places each night. The empress and concubines were also always a source of his paranoia. In fact no woman, his wife nor his mistresses would spend the full night with him. There was constantly drama between the empress and the concubines. Sometimes the emperor would have 3,000 concubines. Some he may never have met or slept with. The concubines would pay the eunuchs to spy on the empress so they could find out when the empress was gone so they could try to get closer to the emperor. </div><div><br></div><div>After going to the Forbidden City we went to this really awesome art district of town. Evidently hipsters are everywhere especially Beijing. This area of town used to be very industrial but has been transformed completely. </div><div><br></div><div>Just a couple of things I would like to point out. The city of Beijing is absolutely enormous and really nice. There are parks and the city is full of cool architecture. However the smog here is no joke. People that own cars are not allowed to drive every day of the week it depends on their license plate and the number they are assigned. However every day more than 1,000 new cars enter the streets. </div><div><br></div><div>The people here have been really really friendly. I can't tell you how many people have come up to us and said hello or brought there young kids over or have wanted a picture with us. Awesome stuff!</div><div><br></div><div>Real estate here is crazy expensive. $5,000 per square meter. You also omen the propert for 60 years not life. </div><div><br></div><div>Tomorrow we are going to the Great Wall of China. We get to take a toboggan down. Then we get to go to the traditional neighborhoods of Beijing, the Hutongs. I am so lucky!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-OlxGoONVZtA/U7gF2E9pDiI/AAAAAAAABQo/_va5Z4MTV3c/s640/blogger-image--697967389.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-OlxGoONVZtA/U7gF2E9pDiI/AAAAAAAABQo/_va5Z4MTV3c/s640/blogger-image--697967389.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ioHxazHOw8k/U7gJVy0W8qI/AAAAAAAABSE/cSD-2jOoxxE/s640/blogger-image-1135434818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ioHxazHOw8k/U7gJVy0W8qI/AAAAAAAABSE/cSD-2jOoxxE/s640/blogger-image-1135434818.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1SMUQgNEcPI/U7gJfbvpENI/AAAAAAAABTM/PyKcnJeZO9Y/s640/blogger-image--1010426939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7Aiw2pAGu5o/U7gJcP8hkvI/AAAAAAAABS0/2hzxWhMxKm0/s640/blogger-image--700384318.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lpPBIUOc90w/U7gJVAkaUHI/AAAAAAAABR8/PN9n3CbNliI/s640/blogger-image--1180293993.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lpPBIUOc90w/U7gJVAkaUHI/AAAAAAAABR8/PN9n3CbNliI/s640/blogger-image--1180293993.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8572196567638417142.post-22719696460894687242014-07-01T23:12:00.001-07:002014-07-01T23:12:17.945-07:00Greetings from the Ponderosa!<br />
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Greetings from Menlo Park, near San Francisco!<br />
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It has been an action packed couple of days. I am one of 16 participants who will be traveling to China as part of a Fulbright Hays Exchange Program. I am confident this will be a trip of a lifetime. We will be traveling to four cities. We are still waiting for our final itinerary but that should be coming soon. <br />
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Everything is becoming a little more real and exciting for me at this point. Today we had a busy day of discussions and more in depth introductions. Our first presentation was from Dr.Gold from UCLA. We spoke about Modern Chinese Society. This was extremely enlightening and informative. Dr.Gold mentioned that there is a big issue as far as cultural preservation is concerned. One of these examples are the Hutongs which are old alleyways full of houses that have no indoor plumbing and sanitation. Some say that they should be torn down and new housing should be developed while others say that this is part of China's identity. We heard that there is a struggle internally in China over the vision of where China should go. <br />
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Dr.Gold also mentioned that there is a disconnect between the generations or a generation gap and that relationships between parents and the youth are strained. The single children born to Chinese parents are often called little emperors or empresses for they are indulged and in some cases spoiled. We then discussed other issues such as the education and testing system, capitalism and ethnic differences. I really enjoyed Dr.Gold's presentation and respected the fact that he mentioned these were his impressions and that we should form our own. <br />
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We then heard from Dr.Van Slyke who was a Professor of History at Stanford University. Dr.Van Slyke gave us a wonderful overview of the History of China. He recommended a book by Henry Kissinger called " On China". We learned a lot of interesting facts and information on China during this presentation by Dr.Van Slyke. 30% of the land in the United States is arable compared to 11% in China. No where is global warming affecting the earth like it is in the Himalayas according to Dr.Van Slyke. Other random tidbits that I learned or we discussed included the fact that the group takes precedence over the individual in Chinese culture. There is a reliance on hierarchy and authority while China has discomfort with pluralism.For all the periods of disintegration in Chinese history, China has maintained its unity.<br />
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The Columbian Exchange, or the influx of goods from the Americas after the discovery, increased Chinese population tremendously. Population growth went from 170 million in 1730 to roughly 400 million in the 1830's. The influx of corn, sweet potatoes, chili's and tomatoes contributed to this increase. The trade went from Mexico to the Philippines and then to China. The population also increased due to a new strain of rice from probably Vietnam which ripened much faster and thusly allowed the Chinese to plant more crops. <br />
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Law: The purpose of US Law many would argue is to protect the individual. In China the purpose of law is to assist the rule authority. Individuals have duties. Dynasties at certain points in history refused to publish the laws, this still happens today with people being arrested for ambiguous laws. This however as I mentioned preexisted the Communist revolution. <br />
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After our informative presentations we went around the room and discussed how we hope to use what we learn in China in our classrooms. Many of us stated that we need to experience the four weeks and decide where to go from there. However we all have ideas. I am interested in seeing how Confucianism still affects China today. I also am interested in learning more about Buddhism and Taoism. I teach about these religions and often times my students have problems distinguishing between the eastern religions. I also am interested in meeting a Chinese teacher who would be willing to interact between his or her classroom and mine. I would love to be able to Skype with a Chinese classroom and have the students share their perspective on their history while my students would share their perspectives on certain events in United States history. These are just preliminary thoughts and if anyone has any suggestion feel free to comment or email.<br />
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Alright it is getting late so I am going to end this long post. Tomorrow is our last fully day and then we fly out on Thursday. I am excited for another trip of a lifetime.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0