Occasionally, two people meet and afterward they realize it was chance
or fate (yuánfèn 缘分) that brought them together. How often in this world
does one get to meet a person who has lived through the first six
decades of a government and country’s growth? While riding the high
speed rail from Shanghai to Beijing, the train hurling along the track
at an average of 300 kilometers (186.3 miles) per hour, the kind
grandmother seated next to me and I had a riveting conversation. At
eighty years old, here sat a woman who has seen her government and country grow in so many ways over the past six decades.
She
was seventeen when the Chinese civil war ended and the People’s
Republic of China (P.R.C.) formed in 1949. She was in Shanghai with her
family then, still a girl attending school. She moved to the new
capitol, Beijing, in 1954 and began her career in the foreign trade
bureau (wàimàobù 外贸部). It was there at the foreign trade bureau, in the
worker’s canteen, she met her husband. He passed away a few years ago,
just after their fiftieth wedding anniversary.
I asked her many
personal questions; several times fearing she might not answer them.
When I asked about her feelings on the Cultural Revolution, I thought
she would hesitate. She did not. Instead, she turned toward me enough to
make eye contact and stated soberly, “Insanely violent” (fēngkuáng 疯狂).
Her words carried enormous weight and articulated the numerous pained
stories which her eyes could not bear to utter aloud. “Everyone makes
mistakes,” she continued on. “The difference is, not everyone recognizes
their mistakes.”
When I asked grandmother who she sees as the
best leader in the sixty year history of the P.R.C., she eagerly
replied, “Deng Xiaoping!”
“Uncle Deng?” I asked. Her face lit
with a broad smile as she laughed softly and explained, “Yes, Uncle
Deng. Look at the economic growth China has seen since 1982. Only he had
the courage to speak out and lead us forward to develop as a nation.”
We reminisced about Shanghai. “Everything is so different,” she explained. “As a product of the growth.”
“Do you recognize the city you grew up in? Haven’t all the road names changed?”
“Some
have changed more than once. For instance, Yafei Road is now Huaihai
Road. It’s all different. And so many skyscrapers! Totally different
from the city I grew up in.”
Having noticed grandmother was
wearing a pair of faded jeans, I remembered once my own grandmother had
told me one of her favorite changes she had seen in her lifetime was the
acceptance of women wearing pants. I inquired, “How old were you when
you began wearing pants?”
“I must have been in my twenties. Before then, since I was a little girl, I wore traditional Chinese dresses (qípáo 旗袍).”
As
our train reached its destination, I was sad to see grandmother go. I
still have so many questions racing through my mind much faster than 300
kilometers an hour. What a chance encounter it was to speak with her
about her life and modern Chinese history. In this fast-paced world of
ours, you never know when life will slow down just enough for you to
meet someone with their own fascinating story to tell, if you are
willing to ask and listen.
Benjamin J. Hayford
Monday, June 9, 2014
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Final Thoughts
Blog #4 - Final Thoughts
The 2.5 weeks we spent in China have been one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Not many Americans have or will have the opportunity to see as many sides of China as we did in such a short time. My perception of China and the Chinese people has changed in so many ways since we landed in Beijing. Mostly I saw that the government is very different than the people. We are so similar as individuals in so many ways that that the differences in culture, history, and language do not hinder our ability to share common desires and life dreams. The Chinese people are receptive to the American people and have been eager to engage with us, just like we have enjoyed getting to know them, and it has been a heart warming experience.
However, the unfortunate truth of the matter is that governments go to war, not individual peoples. Despite the warm feelings and hospitality of our lovely hosts, great power politics does not forecast sunny skies for the future of our nations. It is my sincere hope that our generation can get into government jobs and make a positive impact on Sino-American relations before Christopher Layne's WWIII predictions become a reality.
I am optimistic that cross cultural relations, like our trip, and economic ties can greatly increase the friendly relations between our countries and look forward to sharing the amazing experiences we have had with my friends and family back home! Thank you for the trip of a lifetime we will never forget! Thanks and Gig 'em!!
Cheryl Landry
3 June 2014
Culture Shock
Blog #3 - Culture Shock
I want to take one blog post and dedicate it to the various things that have been most shocking or unexpected to myself and the rest of the group. Many of our posts have been about experiences we have had, so I want to express some of the observations we have made while in China.
1. America - SO many people wear clothes with the American flag on it! I can't think of any time where I saw an American walking around in anything with the China flag on it, but we have see everything from t-shirts and shorts, to bags and even shoes! I did not expect the average Chinese to wear the American flag so frequently.
2. Babies - in some ways I think parents are troopers compared to American parentsw. At home, parents pack everything but the kitchen sink and prepare for battle every time they leave the house. However, in China, parents rarely had any diaper bags, and in most cases left home without even a stroller. Babies are simply carried in hand. This is very different, but the streets are already crowded as it is, I can't imagine adding thousands of giant baby strollers to the mix as well! Also, parents allow their children to use the sidewalk as their personal restroom. I saw children squatting in parks and on trees by the side of the road.
3. Physical Contact - this one is very difficult for Americans to comprehend, and on many occasions members of our group had frusrations with this. Chinese people are physical in public and will not hesitate to shove or push you, specifically when you are waiting in some sort of line. I was repeatedly annoyed by this because they don't even find this rude (and they don't really believe in lines). At home when people shove, at least society looks down upon it, but in China there is nothing culturally unacceptable about pushing someone or even cutting in line (because lines aren't really a thing, they are a suggestion at best). This takes getting used to and Americans should be told this before visiting the country. It is much more tolerable if you understand this going in.
4. Traffic - one of the Chinese students put it best: driving in China is ANARCHY. The streets are literally insanity. Nobody follows the signs or stays in their lane. Motor bikes and bicycles are driving every direction imagineable, including on the sidewalks. What is most shocking to me is that despite continually coming within centimeters of colliding at any point during a trip, there were surprisingly few accidents. I believe we only saw 3 total. It is hard to believe that in such a controlled society like China there is such pure chaos on the roads. There is just no law and order, which makes being a pedestrian a little bit like the game Frogger.
5. Haggling - this was an expected culture shock, but at times exhausting none the less. I walked away from every purchase feeling like I got ripped off. If they were willing to agree to my price, I likely could have gotten them lower. Some of my classmates loved it and saw it as a challenge, but I just found it exhausting and stressful.
6. Spitting - on our first day in Beijing I saw an adorable little old woman in the streets spit the most disgustingly phenomenal loogey that I may actually have been more impressed than disgusted. The whole world knows about the awful air pollution in China and the increased potential for lung cancer, but I never thought about how the air impacted their daily lives. People spent so much time coughing and spitting in public and it seemed painful.
There is so much more, but I will end this blog post with that lovely imagery.
Cheryl Landry
3 June 2014
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Shanghai
Shanghai
They say that Shanghai is the Paris of the East. In reality, however, New York is probably a better comparison. Shanghai has many of the characteristics we often attribute to the Big Apple. The skyscraper office buildings of the Pudong reminiscent of Wall Street, flashing lights and jumbo screens like Times Square, the high-end shopping on Nanjing Street you might find on 5th Avenue, and even a good touch of historical buildings in the Bund to even it out. The streets around the Bund were packed with excited Chinese and foreigners enjoying the cool air along the river. A short boat cruise on the Huang Pu River between the Pudong District and the Bund gave us incredible views of both areas, including the Pearl Tower, the convention center, and the nearly completed Shanghai Tower, which will be the tallest building in China. We have all been trying to decide on our favorite city in China now that we have had a good taste of three very distinct areas. Each city has its own unique character that has made it a great place to visit. Beijing with its ancient and political history and great markets, Chengdu with the laid-back lifestyle and surrounding rural communities, and Shanghai with its impressive skyline.
Shanghai seems like the center of the world with its vast blend of eclectic flavors, all mixing to give an incredible experience. The city has so much to offer and beckons to all throughout the world to join its blend of nations. The majority of foreigners you see around the streets of Shanghai don't appear to be the usual tourists like you find in Beijing or even Chengdu. The foreigners in Shanghai don't seem out of place at all. They appear to belong there, an integral part of the city's character. These foreigners are businesspeople or ex patriots who have claimed Shanghai as a new or second home. The city has enveloped them and made them its own. This is Shanghai, its beauty, and its character. A place everyone should experience, because seeing could never be enough.
Sean Larsen
26 May 2014
They say that Shanghai is the Paris of the East. In reality, however, New York is probably a better comparison. Shanghai has many of the characteristics we often attribute to the Big Apple. The skyscraper office buildings of the Pudong reminiscent of Wall Street, flashing lights and jumbo screens like Times Square, the high-end shopping on Nanjing Street you might find on 5th Avenue, and even a good touch of historical buildings in the Bund to even it out. The streets around the Bund were packed with excited Chinese and foreigners enjoying the cool air along the river. A short boat cruise on the Huang Pu River between the Pudong District and the Bund gave us incredible views of both areas, including the Pearl Tower, the convention center, and the nearly completed Shanghai Tower, which will be the tallest building in China. We have all been trying to decide on our favorite city in China now that we have had a good taste of three very distinct areas. Each city has its own unique character that has made it a great place to visit. Beijing with its ancient and political history and great markets, Chengdu with the laid-back lifestyle and surrounding rural communities, and Shanghai with its impressive skyline.
Shanghai seems like the center of the world with its vast blend of eclectic flavors, all mixing to give an incredible experience. The city has so much to offer and beckons to all throughout the world to join its blend of nations. The majority of foreigners you see around the streets of Shanghai don't appear to be the usual tourists like you find in Beijing or even Chengdu. The foreigners in Shanghai don't seem out of place at all. They appear to belong there, an integral part of the city's character. These foreigners are businesspeople or ex patriots who have claimed Shanghai as a new or second home. The city has enveloped them and made them its own. This is Shanghai, its beauty, and its character. A place everyone should experience, because seeing could never be enough.
Sean Larsen
26 May 2014
Soft Power
Soft Power in China
For this, my final blog post, I want to look back over the entire three weeks to discuss our experiences directly related to the Chinese and especially our interaction with the Chinese students at the various universities and institutes we attended. The first thing I noticed about the Chinese is how happy they all seem to be. Aside from their crazy, aggressive driving, they are very friendly to one another and to foreigners. Especially in cities like Shanghai, Chinese and foreigners seem to coexist and blend well together.
One of the greatest experiences while in China was the opportunities we had to converse with the Chinese students at their school or those who came on the daily excursions with us. Each had a unique life story and interesting views concerning their country, it's past, and the current and future relationship between the United States and China. In general, after speaking with the students, I felt optimistic about the future relations of our countries. Most of the Chinese youth speak English very well, watch American TV shows, play American sports, even eat American food. Most have a great desire to visit the US, and most probably will at some point in their lives. They mostly have favorable views towards the US, even if they don't totally agree with our government. They know, as we do concerning them, that the youth of today see things very differently than our leaders. I have hope that the ability of the youth to look past differences and their desire to continue cultural exchange may be what keeps the partnership between our nations.
Sean Larsen
3 June 2014
For this, my final blog post, I want to look back over the entire three weeks to discuss our experiences directly related to the Chinese and especially our interaction with the Chinese students at the various universities and institutes we attended. The first thing I noticed about the Chinese is how happy they all seem to be. Aside from their crazy, aggressive driving, they are very friendly to one another and to foreigners. Especially in cities like Shanghai, Chinese and foreigners seem to coexist and blend well together.
One of the greatest experiences while in China was the opportunities we had to converse with the Chinese students at their school or those who came on the daily excursions with us. Each had a unique life story and interesting views concerning their country, it's past, and the current and future relationship between the United States and China. In general, after speaking with the students, I felt optimistic about the future relations of our countries. Most of the Chinese youth speak English very well, watch American TV shows, play American sports, even eat American food. Most have a great desire to visit the US, and most probably will at some point in their lives. They mostly have favorable views towards the US, even if they don't totally agree with our government. They know, as we do concerning them, that the youth of today see things very differently than our leaders. I have hope that the ability of the youth to look past differences and their desire to continue cultural exchange may be what keeps the partnership between our nations.
Sean Larsen
3 June 2014
Word of the Day: China Dream (中国梦)
What is the word? No, in China, “the bird” is not the word.* “China dream” is
the word in China today. Echoed in the media, on screens in Tiananmen Square,
in Ministry of Foreign Affairs press briefings, in lectures, in children’s art
displays at local museums, in posters hanging in hotel lobbies or fences
surrounding construction sites, the message rings clear: “China dream” is here
to stay. The scions of the national vision are none other than the leadership
of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
Propaganda includes variances of “China dream,” including “the people’s dream” and “my dream,” effectively tying society and the individual together into one sweeping theme sponsored by a CPC-led nationalist narrative.
The poet Li Bai (李白) declared, “I will mount a long wind some day and break the heavy waves. (长风破浪会有时， 直挂云帆济沧海。)” President Xi Jinping has referenced the line in an effort to inspire the Chinese people to pursue the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation (Liu 2014).
A variety of opinions exist as to what exactly the China dream is and signifies. This week I asked a municipal bureaucrat in Shanghai what he thought of the China dream. “It’s critical,” he replied. “If a country has no dream, then it doesn’t exist.”
When asked whether the China dream campaign is mere rhetoric or will translate into tangible derivatives, one American diplomat smiled wryly. The diplomat went on to explain that, unlike in the U.S. where policy-makers write and pass detailed, down-in-the-weeds legislation before implementation, in China policy-makers are prone to unveil a sweeping vision and then go on to define the program along the way.
Although there can be no doubt the China dream is sweeping China, what deliverables will result in businesses, communities, schools, and elsewhere is still unknown.
Benjamin J. Hayford
Propaganda includes variances of “China dream,” including “the people’s dream” and “my dream,” effectively tying society and the individual together into one sweeping theme sponsored by a CPC-led nationalist narrative.
The poet Li Bai (李白) declared, “I will mount a long wind some day and break the heavy waves. (长风破浪会有时， 直挂云帆济沧海。)” President Xi Jinping has referenced the line in an effort to inspire the Chinese people to pursue the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation (Liu 2014).
A variety of opinions exist as to what exactly the China dream is and signifies. This week I asked a municipal bureaucrat in Shanghai what he thought of the China dream. “It’s critical,” he replied. “If a country has no dream, then it doesn’t exist.”
When asked whether the China dream campaign is mere rhetoric or will translate into tangible derivatives, one American diplomat smiled wryly. The diplomat went on to explain that, unlike in the U.S. where policy-makers write and pass detailed, down-in-the-weeds legislation before implementation, in China policy-makers are prone to unveil a sweeping vision and then go on to define the program along the way.
Although there can be no doubt the China dream is sweeping China, what deliverables will result in businesses, communities, schools, and elsewhere is still unknown.
Benjamin J. Hayford
Monday, June 2, 2014
Overview
30
June 2014
I joined this group at the last minute, and I am so glad that I did. Before this trip, I was asked if I had any career interests in China, and the answer was no. After this trip, the answer is a definite yes. Before joining the study abroad, I never thought that I would spend so much time in China, or that I would know so much about the country.
I wish that every Bush School student could have this same experience. I have learned so much over the past three weeks. The lectures allowed us to understand the social and historical context of Chinese foreign policy, and the interaction with Chinese students and scholars was invaluable; the Chinese students gave us real insight into distinct perspectives and reminded us that even though we live half a world apart, we are essentially the same.
I feel that this trip was especially enriching for me, an IDEP student, since I have never studied China academically. Most of what I knew about Chinese foreign policy and Sino-US relations before this trip came from various news outlets and publications. This made me quiet in our discussion based lectures, since I was constantly absorbing new information. I am heading back to the United States with half of a notebook filled with notes from our lectures.
I am so grateful for this experience, and I look forward to coming back to China many times in the future.
- Andrea
I joined this group at the last minute, and I am so glad that I did. Before this trip, I was asked if I had any career interests in China, and the answer was no. After this trip, the answer is a definite yes. Before joining the study abroad, I never thought that I would spend so much time in China, or that I would know so much about the country.
I wish that every Bush School student could have this same experience. I have learned so much over the past three weeks. The lectures allowed us to understand the social and historical context of Chinese foreign policy, and the interaction with Chinese students and scholars was invaluable; the Chinese students gave us real insight into distinct perspectives and reminded us that even though we live half a world apart, we are essentially the same.
I feel that this trip was especially enriching for me, an IDEP student, since I have never studied China academically. Most of what I knew about Chinese foreign policy and Sino-US relations before this trip came from various news outlets and publications. This made me quiet in our discussion based lectures, since I was constantly absorbing new information. I am heading back to the United States with half of a notebook filled with notes from our lectures.
I am so grateful for this experience, and I look forward to coming back to China many times in the future.
- Andrea
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