One month ago I was sitting in my dorm room in Hangzhou. Now I'm sitting in my dorm room in Middlebury. Wow. While it's a still an adjustment, I'm happy to be back. China was truly an incredible experience and one that might at some point happen again, maybe after graduation? Who knows. Anyways, this final blog post compiles a list that I made while in China, and then took forever to put up. Lots of stories about my mom and my trip around China (including the first time I was ever so blatantly cheated) but I'll save those for later.
THE LIST:
THINGS I WILL MISS
-Certain Chinese foods (translated into English, making them sound absolutely disgusting): Deep fried dough stick, pumpkin “cookie”, etc..
-Perks that come from being white, American, and Chinese speaking
-Being constantly complimented on how good my Chinese is – a phenomenon that upon return to school will immediately decease
-Daily weather forecast sent to my phone
-The amazing roommates – especially Wang Su/Yu Yang!
-Our own Chinglish mixture that really no one else can understand
-Indecision over choosing from any one of the homey restaurants around campus
-Milk tea!!!!
-Fireworks all the time for no apparent reason at all
-Not giving in to the fear of having an upset stomach with food at the Back Gate
THINGS I HAVE GOTTEN USED TO BUT WON'T NECESSARILY MISS
-Squatting to use the bathroom
-Scaring little kids with my utter whiteness
-Scary taxi rides throughout Hangzhou
-Never quite quenching my thirst – due to no water from the tap and the absurd amount of time it takes for the water guy to deliver water
THINGS I WILL NOT MISS
-Loud clearing of throat and then spitting
-Dining hall closing at 9am every morning(even weekends!)
-The smell of Coco Bar woman’s bathroom
Thanks again to EVERYONE who took the time to read this blog. I love you all. Until my next great adventure.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Monday, December 28, 2009
Your Patience is Appreciated..
Just a quick note to say my final blog is coming, I promise. I don't know how many people haven't given up on my getting it out there but I am here to say it will be released sometime this week. Happy holidays! It's great to be home.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
So I just ate my first piece of chocolate from my advent calendar, (thanks Mom!) which means it's December. Now wait a second, what?! That means I have been in China for over three months, am finished with finals in a week and a half, and about two weeks away from traveling to China's hot spots with my mom. How in the world did time fly by that fast? While I am desperately missing home and am excited about heating, salads, and other American amenities, I am beginning to realize how much more I wish I had time to explore Chinese culture and everything else about it. Sometimes it takes the kick in the butt that time is almost up to realize what an experience you really had, eh?
Before some more reflections on Chinese society and the people in it, I figured I would talk about how I spent my first Thanksgiving away from home in China. Our residential director spent a lot of time trying to find us a real Thanksgiving dinner, but seeing that Hangzhou is relatively small in terms of ex-pats and that eating at one of the places that actually was serving a Thanksgiving dinner would cost 300 rmb (about $50 - which is a LOT), she settled on a beautiful restaurant a little bit outside the city. Before eating and in honor of one of America's traditions, we had a little football game: Middlebury students vs. Non-Middlebury students. The weather was pretty great and it was fun to all be together making up ridiculous plays and just enjoying each other's company, which is what I always take out of Thanksgiving experiences. After that we ate. While there wasn't traditional American food we did get really good mango smoothies, China's version of BBQ chicken, and this really amazing toasted "tower" of bread with ice cream on top that slowly melted through. While you may have the same reaction as my parents (WHAT?! That does not sound good at all!) I will tell you first hand that it was fabulous. I am also going to take Mom there when we're in Hangzhou so I will have her tell you herself how magical two such simple ingredients are together. We finished up with a mini dance party at which we turned on the Christmas music, FINALLY. Although I will say I miss 97.1 FM's 24/7 Christmas music. I'm getting by. So, while definitely not the traditional Thanksgiving and feast, I had a good time. No tests on Friday meant we could just relax and have a good time - which might be one of the greatest starts of the Christmas season I could have asked for.
Next exciting thing of last weekend: KTV! Which I'm pretty sure translates to karaoke television. Basically it is a Chinese college student staple, and had been on my list of things to do before I left Hangzhou - check! At our and many other colleges, the dorms lock at 11:30. So if students want to go out at night they can't get back into their rooms until around 6:30. And since KTV has discount 6 hour passes from 12-6 am, many students go to KTV at night and stay there til morning. Our roommates were talking about how they would sometimes rent bigger rooms, sing for a while, and then pass out on the coaches. We had 13 people or so - mix of Chinese and American, so we alternated with English and Chinese songs. For English we sang a wide variety, including: Spice Girl's Wannabe, Madonna's Like a Prayer, Ting Ting's That's Not My Name, as well as many others. It was also great because a lot of the English songs didn't have the real music videos, and instead had what looked like home made videos around various farms and lakes. Visually stunning. I will add though, if you think you have a decent voice don't put your microphone volume all the way up and start singing, because you will realize you don't. Before I knew it we had been in there for over 3 hours and I am so glad I got a chance to do it. It's so nice to just be a fool and dance around for a few hours - EVEN if there are videos of your singing that will most likely be posted on facebook in the near future.
Now for the blogly (like biweekly... get it?!) reflection of Chinese culture. Today in Classical Chinese we finished early so we were chatting "suibian" (casually - but not the most perfect translation - arghh -- better get used to that switch back to full English - it has been about 6 months of Chinese, and only Chinese, and all the time). Our teacher, who looked about to cry, started talking about how much she envied our freedom and our ability to: study various languages, study and work at what we wanted to, among other things that I have taken quite a bit for granted. She said she wanted to maybe go to the US, but she thought she'd be lonely and didn't know what to do. I and others were saying she could teach classical, find a job, etc. Basically, "we think if you want to do something you should go ahead and give yourself the opportunity to do it." She started talking about how there was no way her parents would approve, as she was already nearing the age that she should be married (30). She said her mom was already distraught enough about how she was away from her family studying in Hangzhou - and didn't know how she could do that to her family. She then went on to say that she felt very trapped in Chinese culture - because there isn't that much room to do what you want to, and just little mobility in general. Even though she studies classical chinese for her own enjoyment - she seemed deeply upset at seeing us have opportunities that she may never have dreamed of.
I found in reading over my last few blogs that I have very cautious to express a definite point of view about Chinese society - saying things like "Well, I don't know quite yet.. but..." and I've decided that that isn't necessary anymore. My thoughts about Chinese culture and its structure are mere thoughts and understandings and as a disclaimer are in no way critical of the society, or at least that's not how they should come off. I felt after class a very unnerving sense of guilt about the kinds of opportunities I have been given/have had. I can go to Middlebury, study abroad, and study what I want to. After class I was discussing this with a friend and she was saying that while there was no reason I should feel guilty , she understood. I forget sometimes how lucky I have had things. This also doesn't discount any of my hard work - but seeing people like my classical teacher who despite all her hard work and aspirations can't move anywhere within her locked society is quite guilt provoking. After class my friend and I were also talking about how hard it is to make a move (like go to America, in essence turn her back on the traditions and way of life she knows) if very few people around you are doing so too. I feel like a lot of our roommates are special kind of people - they are all eager to go to graduate school outside of China - but I wonder how many others are like them and sadly, if they will succeed in fulfilling all their aspirations. Sometimes the circumstances we find ourselves in just do not seem fair.
So that's my reflection, for now. As always, love and miss you all.
Before some more reflections on Chinese society and the people in it, I figured I would talk about how I spent my first Thanksgiving away from home in China. Our residential director spent a lot of time trying to find us a real Thanksgiving dinner, but seeing that Hangzhou is relatively small in terms of ex-pats and that eating at one of the places that actually was serving a Thanksgiving dinner would cost 300 rmb (about $50 - which is a LOT), she settled on a beautiful restaurant a little bit outside the city. Before eating and in honor of one of America's traditions, we had a little football game: Middlebury students vs. Non-Middlebury students. The weather was pretty great and it was fun to all be together making up ridiculous plays and just enjoying each other's company, which is what I always take out of Thanksgiving experiences. After that we ate. While there wasn't traditional American food we did get really good mango smoothies, China's version of BBQ chicken, and this really amazing toasted "tower" of bread with ice cream on top that slowly melted through. While you may have the same reaction as my parents (WHAT?! That does not sound good at all!) I will tell you first hand that it was fabulous. I am also going to take Mom there when we're in Hangzhou so I will have her tell you herself how magical two such simple ingredients are together. We finished up with a mini dance party at which we turned on the Christmas music, FINALLY. Although I will say I miss 97.1 FM's 24/7 Christmas music. I'm getting by. So, while definitely not the traditional Thanksgiving and feast, I had a good time. No tests on Friday meant we could just relax and have a good time - which might be one of the greatest starts of the Christmas season I could have asked for.
Next exciting thing of last weekend: KTV! Which I'm pretty sure translates to karaoke television. Basically it is a Chinese college student staple, and had been on my list of things to do before I left Hangzhou - check! At our and many other colleges, the dorms lock at 11:30. So if students want to go out at night they can't get back into their rooms until around 6:30. And since KTV has discount 6 hour passes from 12-6 am, many students go to KTV at night and stay there til morning. Our roommates were talking about how they would sometimes rent bigger rooms, sing for a while, and then pass out on the coaches. We had 13 people or so - mix of Chinese and American, so we alternated with English and Chinese songs. For English we sang a wide variety, including: Spice Girl's Wannabe, Madonna's Like a Prayer, Ting Ting's That's Not My Name, as well as many others. It was also great because a lot of the English songs didn't have the real music videos, and instead had what looked like home made videos around various farms and lakes. Visually stunning. I will add though, if you think you have a decent voice don't put your microphone volume all the way up and start singing, because you will realize you don't. Before I knew it we had been in there for over 3 hours and I am so glad I got a chance to do it. It's so nice to just be a fool and dance around for a few hours - EVEN if there are videos of your singing that will most likely be posted on facebook in the near future.
Now for the blogly (like biweekly... get it?!) reflection of Chinese culture. Today in Classical Chinese we finished early so we were chatting "suibian" (casually - but not the most perfect translation - arghh -- better get used to that switch back to full English - it has been about 6 months of Chinese, and only Chinese, and all the time). Our teacher, who looked about to cry, started talking about how much she envied our freedom and our ability to: study various languages, study and work at what we wanted to, among other things that I have taken quite a bit for granted. She said she wanted to maybe go to the US, but she thought she'd be lonely and didn't know what to do. I and others were saying she could teach classical, find a job, etc. Basically, "we think if you want to do something you should go ahead and give yourself the opportunity to do it." She started talking about how there was no way her parents would approve, as she was already nearing the age that she should be married (30). She said her mom was already distraught enough about how she was away from her family studying in Hangzhou - and didn't know how she could do that to her family. She then went on to say that she felt very trapped in Chinese culture - because there isn't that much room to do what you want to, and just little mobility in general. Even though she studies classical chinese for her own enjoyment - she seemed deeply upset at seeing us have opportunities that she may never have dreamed of.
I found in reading over my last few blogs that I have very cautious to express a definite point of view about Chinese society - saying things like "Well, I don't know quite yet.. but..." and I've decided that that isn't necessary anymore. My thoughts about Chinese culture and its structure are mere thoughts and understandings and as a disclaimer are in no way critical of the society, or at least that's not how they should come off. I felt after class a very unnerving sense of guilt about the kinds of opportunities I have been given/have had. I can go to Middlebury, study abroad, and study what I want to. After class I was discussing this with a friend and she was saying that while there was no reason I should feel guilty , she understood. I forget sometimes how lucky I have had things. This also doesn't discount any of my hard work - but seeing people like my classical teacher who despite all her hard work and aspirations can't move anywhere within her locked society is quite guilt provoking. After class my friend and I were also talking about how hard it is to make a move (like go to America, in essence turn her back on the traditions and way of life she knows) if very few people around you are doing so too. I feel like a lot of our roommates are special kind of people - they are all eager to go to graduate school outside of China - but I wonder how many others are like them and sadly, if they will succeed in fulfilling all their aspirations. Sometimes the circumstances we find ourselves in just do not seem fair.
So that's my reflection, for now. As always, love and miss you all.
Monday, November 23, 2009
The Perks of Being a Chinese-Speaking Foreigner
Heyyy there! Sorry for the long pause between my last post and this. Mom always says that "the fans" are waiting for another one - so here it is. While I don't believe that I have lots of fans I do want to say thanks to whoever has been reading my blog - it's been a nice comfort during my time here to have the ability to tell of my adventures.
Hangzhou is doing pretty well by me. It is, however, FREEZING. It snowed very briefly last week - but we're not counting it as a snow day because it was that rainy/snowy mixture. But still - damn! The weather today was a balmy 10 degrees - which reminds me a lot of Midd -- when in February if it turns 38 degrees we're all out in tank tops. Hangzhou's weather has supposedly not been this cold at this time in November ifor the past 20 plus years. The biggest problem is that our classrooms and rooms are dangerously close to the temperatures outside. And our air conditioner doubles as our heater - it is not strong at all, and does very little to heat up our decently wide room. That said, we all feel really pathetic and rude for complaining so much about our rooms, classrooms, and the halls of our dorm, because none of the other Chinese students ANYWHERE (dorms, classrooms, etc.) have heat. They all just get used to it and deal with it - even when the temperatures continue to drop. I think that is one "story" that sums up our experience - our time in China is largely influenced by our skin color and status as foreigners. It does also make me think though. In the larger scope, how does my experience compare to Chinese students?
Another event that REALLY showed me the other day how much more we get to experience due to our skin color and language ability was when Taryn, Cameron, and I went to one of Hangzhou's museums - full of scissor, knife, umbrella, and fan exhibits. After walking through the scissor exhibit a woman was sitting at a table cutting out paper into "Chinese paper art," or at least that is what I"m calling it. (http://www.chinancient.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/Paper-Cutting-01-297x300.jpg -- ALL done by hand). We stood around for a little bit, mesmerized by the type of art she was creating with just a small pair of scissors. We all made some comments about how we thought she was doing amazing work - and she immediately asked us if we understood what she was saying and upon realizing we did began to feverishly explain to us the work she did. She then gave me a small cut out of a frog, showed Taryn how to make one herself, and gave Cameron the one she had just made. Meanwhile, lots of Chinese were standing around, all of whom she paid no attention to. At one point a Chinese boy came up to her shoulder to look at what she was doing and she simply said "Get away, you're going to ruin my work." At the end of her mini tutorial (we had to say multiple times we had to go before she gave up on trying to teach me how to make a "much more complicated design," since we all know how that would've turned out), she gave us, free of charge, three of her already-completed larger pieces of art - and all originally 15 yuan each. I then wanted to buy two of my own, and she dropped the price down without me making any attempt at bargaining (which I hadn't been planning on doing anyways as it was all her own original work.) So in the end I left with 4 pieces of her original work for 20 yuan total.
After leaving the musem the three of us talked about how we didn't think these type of experiences would've happened if we were back in the States or studying abroad in Europe. In Hangzhou there really is a sense of curiosity re foreigners and a real sense of awe when they learn that we can all speak Chinese. I don't think I would've had the chance to talk to as many of the restaurant owners, or get as good prices as I can get at the silk market, or get special entry into a variety of exhibits and demonstrations if I wasn't a white skinned Chinese speaking American. It's a weird thing to wrap my mind around, but also something that I really am going to miss. As part of my continuing to wonder if I have had every experience I wanted to in Hangzhou - I wonder if I should've spent more time looking at it from that angle. Where can I have an experience that I would have NO chance to in America. But in some sense I do think I've done that. The other thing I've found is that a lot of times we can't plan the types of experiences we have. In our efforts to see different parts of Hangzhou that might not be touristy, we were able to meet all kinds of different people and learn all kinds of different things. And that is definitely something that I'm glad about.
I hope everyone is gearing up for a great Thanksgiving week. We are all pretty bummed here about missing Thanksgiving, but we're keeping going by the fact that our time is almost up and Christmas is closer than we think. I personally can't wait until after Thanksgiving - as we have all decided that that is when we will start blasting the Christmas music. I just also want to say to Mom, Dad, Marsh, Alice, Clark, and Caeli that it is going to be very odd not watching the parade, helping out in the kitchen, and spending time with you this Thanksgiving. Have a great time - eat lots of mashed potatoes - and start looking forward to next year's Thanksgiving. Love and miss you all -- happy holiday season (officially!)
Hangzhou is doing pretty well by me. It is, however, FREEZING. It snowed very briefly last week - but we're not counting it as a snow day because it was that rainy/snowy mixture. But still - damn! The weather today was a balmy 10 degrees - which reminds me a lot of Midd -- when in February if it turns 38 degrees we're all out in tank tops. Hangzhou's weather has supposedly not been this cold at this time in November ifor the past 20 plus years. The biggest problem is that our classrooms and rooms are dangerously close to the temperatures outside. And our air conditioner doubles as our heater - it is not strong at all, and does very little to heat up our decently wide room. That said, we all feel really pathetic and rude for complaining so much about our rooms, classrooms, and the halls of our dorm, because none of the other Chinese students ANYWHERE (dorms, classrooms, etc.) have heat. They all just get used to it and deal with it - even when the temperatures continue to drop. I think that is one "story" that sums up our experience - our time in China is largely influenced by our skin color and status as foreigners. It does also make me think though. In the larger scope, how does my experience compare to Chinese students?
Another event that REALLY showed me the other day how much more we get to experience due to our skin color and language ability was when Taryn, Cameron, and I went to one of Hangzhou's museums - full of scissor, knife, umbrella, and fan exhibits. After walking through the scissor exhibit a woman was sitting at a table cutting out paper into "Chinese paper art," or at least that is what I"m calling it. (http://www.chinancient.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/Paper-Cutting-01-297x300.jpg -- ALL done by hand). We stood around for a little bit, mesmerized by the type of art she was creating with just a small pair of scissors. We all made some comments about how we thought she was doing amazing work - and she immediately asked us if we understood what she was saying and upon realizing we did began to feverishly explain to us the work she did. She then gave me a small cut out of a frog, showed Taryn how to make one herself, and gave Cameron the one she had just made. Meanwhile, lots of Chinese were standing around, all of whom she paid no attention to. At one point a Chinese boy came up to her shoulder to look at what she was doing and she simply said "Get away, you're going to ruin my work." At the end of her mini tutorial (we had to say multiple times we had to go before she gave up on trying to teach me how to make a "much more complicated design," since we all know how that would've turned out), she gave us, free of charge, three of her already-completed larger pieces of art - and all originally 15 yuan each. I then wanted to buy two of my own, and she dropped the price down without me making any attempt at bargaining (which I hadn't been planning on doing anyways as it was all her own original work.) So in the end I left with 4 pieces of her original work for 20 yuan total.
After leaving the musem the three of us talked about how we didn't think these type of experiences would've happened if we were back in the States or studying abroad in Europe. In Hangzhou there really is a sense of curiosity re foreigners and a real sense of awe when they learn that we can all speak Chinese. I don't think I would've had the chance to talk to as many of the restaurant owners, or get as good prices as I can get at the silk market, or get special entry into a variety of exhibits and demonstrations if I wasn't a white skinned Chinese speaking American. It's a weird thing to wrap my mind around, but also something that I really am going to miss. As part of my continuing to wonder if I have had every experience I wanted to in Hangzhou - I wonder if I should've spent more time looking at it from that angle. Where can I have an experience that I would have NO chance to in America. But in some sense I do think I've done that. The other thing I've found is that a lot of times we can't plan the types of experiences we have. In our efforts to see different parts of Hangzhou that might not be touristy, we were able to meet all kinds of different people and learn all kinds of different things. And that is definitely something that I'm glad about.
I hope everyone is gearing up for a great Thanksgiving week. We are all pretty bummed here about missing Thanksgiving, but we're keeping going by the fact that our time is almost up and Christmas is closer than we think. I personally can't wait until after Thanksgiving - as we have all decided that that is when we will start blasting the Christmas music. I just also want to say to Mom, Dad, Marsh, Alice, Clark, and Caeli that it is going to be very odd not watching the parade, helping out in the kitchen, and spending time with you this Thanksgiving. Have a great time - eat lots of mashed potatoes - and start looking forward to next year's Thanksgiving. Love and miss you all -- happy holiday season (officially!)
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Stars & Rain: Autism in China
I am finally taking some time on this warm Saturday afternoon (Hangzhou's weather Gods have been seriously confused this week) to write and reflect on my trip to Stars & Rain, China's first non-government educational center for children with Autism. I was lucky enough to make a contact with a recently graduate of Middlebury who is volunteering there for the semester, and she was nice enough to show us (another student Myra and me) around Stars & Rain's kindergarten and group home.
I have to say - I wasn't really sure what to expect the first day Myra and I got to Stars & Rain. Having heard very little about China's approachto Autism, I didn't expect much. I was, however, VERY pleasantly surprised. It really gave me a lot of hope for the future of Autism awareness and "help" in China and especially for Chinese autistic children.
Stars & Rain is divided into two different "schools", both vastly different from each other. I spent my first day at the group home, where my friend Cordelia works. The group home houses around 6-8 students all with pretty severe low-functioning Autism. (I've attached a link to Cordelia's blog about autism abroad at the end of this blog - there will be much more specific information on the center in her blog, but I will do my best to tell you what I remember.) My work with Autistic children has mostly centered on students with Asperger's (a higher-functioning form of Autism --- although there was a very interesting article in the New York Times saying that the Asperger's term may be on the way "out" -- http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/03/health/03asperger.html -- thanks Alice!) so it was a new experience to get to work hands-on with somewhat lower functioning students.
All the students in the group home are between 10-16 years old and most have been there for a year or more. The group home itself houses these students (sleeping, meals, everything) during the week and then the kids go home for the weekend. The home itself is very nicely set up - there is a workout room, a couple bathrooms, classrooms, sleeping rooms, and all kinds of activities to keep the kids happy and "occupied." From the moment we entered the kids were very welcoming. Part of the benefit of visiting Stars & Rain was that the school was really used to foreign visitors (lots of people come to look around, volunteer, etc.) so for a good part of the day we were really able to work closely with the students - instead of just staying around in the background. A trait of autism is that children lack social skills - for example, they rarely look you in the eye when speaking to you. The students at the group home, however, were more than able to say their names and answer questions, as long as the questions we asked were very direct. Most of them, while speaking in a whisper, were able to communicate with us, in their own way. The kids also enjoyed singing, dancing with us, and just sitting on a chair hugging. That is one thing that I absolutely love about Autism and what it is able to teach us - communication isn't just words and also doesn't need to be.
At the group home I didn't get a chance to visit any classes but instead got to hang out with the students during their time off (very frequent - as their concentration levels aren't enough to work on the same project for thirty or so minutes straight). The other great part of the group home is what the program's plans are for the future. Besides taking the kids for a week long field trip (including flights and hotel stays) the program also is working on a sensory room, as autistic children usually have too little or too much sensory stimulation. The sad part is that there is a LONG waiting list for the school - but there is no more room to house any students. Still - it is a really great positive step for autism in China.
While the group home is more interesting from a volunteer point of view because there is more to do, the kindergarten, in my mind, reflects just how remarkable Stars & Rain is. The kindergarten has eleven-week sessions where both the autistic child AND a parent stay with the child near the Stars & Rain facility for the duration of the program. Myra and I were lucky enough to visit some classes the second day and really got a feel for how the program works and what they're hoping to achieve. I got a chance to sit through the last part of a music class and then a full class. The week we were there was the second or so to last week of the program, so the kids were pretty used to the set up and the format, it seemed, and they sang some songs with hand gestures they seemed to have memorized. Very cute. Afterwards I got to see a class where all the kids and the parents had a series of assignments to complete, all dealing with useful skills - such as cutting shapes in paper, recognizing what colors match with what other colors, and differentiating what one should and shouldn't do during class.
I was most frustrated during my time at the kindergarten because I DESPERATELY wanted to know the kids' stories. When were they diagnosed? How did each of the parents react? I also wanted to ask the teachers about the kids' progress. For example, in one class I sat in on, one child did NOT want to cut paper and instead got very angry at his mother and started biting her hard on the arm, right in front of me. I expected the mom to yell and get angry, but she instead ignored her son's bad behavior and kept working with him to finish his assignments. I wanted to know, what had she done before the program when that kind of thing happened? Was this positive progress for their relationship from a discipline perspective? I wish I had days and days to figure all of that stuff out.
Cordelia had explained to us that the kindergarten, while for the benefit of the children, is really more for the benefit of the parents. The last class I had a chance to sit in on was a "parent teach." Literally, the parents all sat around with notebooks carefully taking notes, while the kids just sat in front occupying themselves. The teacher was explaining to the parents goals for their children (I'm assuming for the future - I missed the first part of the class) such as looking someone in the face upon speaking, etc.
I really liked and was happy to see the positive atmosphere surrounding the kindergarten. I had heard lots of talk before I visited the center about parents wanting to simply get rid of autism instead of dealing with it, but it was so nice to see how positive and encouraging all the parents were. Some parents still seemed to be doing a lot of the work for their children - but they were very active with their children which I think is all we can really ask for, to some extent. Overall it was a really fabulous experience and made me realize how much I a) love working with iautistic kids b) how important programs like these are c) how I want to be a part someday of bringing this recognition to all parts of China. It was a really great experience.
~~~
Phew, other than that things are pretty good. We went to Nanjing last weekend, which was pretty unremarkable. Although we did get a chance to go see the new Rape of Nanjing museum - which was the best part of the weekend but was the only time I felt I really got a chance to understand Nanjing. We spent most of our time on the bus traveling from one place to another. Other than that not much is going on. Classes are moving ahead as usual and we are all trying to make the most out of our final weeks (5! + 1 week of traveling) in China. We are all also finding ourselves anticipating reverse culture shock upon our return to the States. I've been asking myself recently: Will I have any regrets? Have I done everything I wanted to? While these questions are probably unanswerable focusing on them is putting a fire under all our butts to really make sure we get out to see anything and everything we might have missed. For example, tomorrow I plan on going with a couple of friends to Hangzhou's scissors museum. Yes, you read that right. Supposedly Hangzhou has a SUPERB collection of scissors. I will let you know how that goes.
PLEASE check out Cordelia's blog: autismabroad.blogspot.com -- she is really trying to spread awareness about China's progress with autism - and the more exposure the better. Also, if you want to check out Stars & Rain's website it is here: http://www.guduzh.org.cn/Default.aspx?alias=www.guduzh.org.cn/English
As always, love and miss you all.
I have to say - I wasn't really sure what to expect the first day Myra and I got to Stars & Rain. Having heard very little about China's approachto Autism, I didn't expect much. I was, however, VERY pleasantly surprised. It really gave me a lot of hope for the future of Autism awareness and "help" in China and especially for Chinese autistic children.
Stars & Rain is divided into two different "schools", both vastly different from each other. I spent my first day at the group home, where my friend Cordelia works. The group home houses around 6-8 students all with pretty severe low-functioning Autism. (I've attached a link to Cordelia's blog about autism abroad at the end of this blog - there will be much more specific information on the center in her blog, but I will do my best to tell you what I remember.) My work with Autistic children has mostly centered on students with Asperger's (a higher-functioning form of Autism --- although there was a very interesting article in the New York Times saying that the Asperger's term may be on the way "out" -- http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/03/health/03asperger.html -- thanks Alice!) so it was a new experience to get to work hands-on with somewhat lower functioning students.
All the students in the group home are between 10-16 years old and most have been there for a year or more. The group home itself houses these students (sleeping, meals, everything) during the week and then the kids go home for the weekend. The home itself is very nicely set up - there is a workout room, a couple bathrooms, classrooms, sleeping rooms, and all kinds of activities to keep the kids happy and "occupied." From the moment we entered the kids were very welcoming. Part of the benefit of visiting Stars & Rain was that the school was really used to foreign visitors (lots of people come to look around, volunteer, etc.) so for a good part of the day we were really able to work closely with the students - instead of just staying around in the background. A trait of autism is that children lack social skills - for example, they rarely look you in the eye when speaking to you. The students at the group home, however, were more than able to say their names and answer questions, as long as the questions we asked were very direct. Most of them, while speaking in a whisper, were able to communicate with us, in their own way. The kids also enjoyed singing, dancing with us, and just sitting on a chair hugging. That is one thing that I absolutely love about Autism and what it is able to teach us - communication isn't just words and also doesn't need to be.
At the group home I didn't get a chance to visit any classes but instead got to hang out with the students during their time off (very frequent - as their concentration levels aren't enough to work on the same project for thirty or so minutes straight). The other great part of the group home is what the program's plans are for the future. Besides taking the kids for a week long field trip (including flights and hotel stays) the program also is working on a sensory room, as autistic children usually have too little or too much sensory stimulation. The sad part is that there is a LONG waiting list for the school - but there is no more room to house any students. Still - it is a really great positive step for autism in China.
While the group home is more interesting from a volunteer point of view because there is more to do, the kindergarten, in my mind, reflects just how remarkable Stars & Rain is. The kindergarten has eleven-week sessions where both the autistic child AND a parent stay with the child near the Stars & Rain facility for the duration of the program. Myra and I were lucky enough to visit some classes the second day and really got a feel for how the program works and what they're hoping to achieve. I got a chance to sit through the last part of a music class and then a full class. The week we were there was the second or so to last week of the program, so the kids were pretty used to the set up and the format, it seemed, and they sang some songs with hand gestures they seemed to have memorized. Very cute. Afterwards I got to see a class where all the kids and the parents had a series of assignments to complete, all dealing with useful skills - such as cutting shapes in paper, recognizing what colors match with what other colors, and differentiating what one should and shouldn't do during class.
I was most frustrated during my time at the kindergarten because I DESPERATELY wanted to know the kids' stories. When were they diagnosed? How did each of the parents react? I also wanted to ask the teachers about the kids' progress. For example, in one class I sat in on, one child did NOT want to cut paper and instead got very angry at his mother and started biting her hard on the arm, right in front of me. I expected the mom to yell and get angry, but she instead ignored her son's bad behavior and kept working with him to finish his assignments. I wanted to know, what had she done before the program when that kind of thing happened? Was this positive progress for their relationship from a discipline perspective? I wish I had days and days to figure all of that stuff out.
Cordelia had explained to us that the kindergarten, while for the benefit of the children, is really more for the benefit of the parents. The last class I had a chance to sit in on was a "parent teach." Literally, the parents all sat around with notebooks carefully taking notes, while the kids just sat in front occupying themselves. The teacher was explaining to the parents goals for their children (I'm assuming for the future - I missed the first part of the class) such as looking someone in the face upon speaking, etc.
I really liked and was happy to see the positive atmosphere surrounding the kindergarten. I had heard lots of talk before I visited the center about parents wanting to simply get rid of autism instead of dealing with it, but it was so nice to see how positive and encouraging all the parents were. Some parents still seemed to be doing a lot of the work for their children - but they were very active with their children which I think is all we can really ask for, to some extent. Overall it was a really fabulous experience and made me realize how much I a) love working with iautistic kids b) how important programs like these are c) how I want to be a part someday of bringing this recognition to all parts of China. It was a really great experience.
~~~
Phew, other than that things are pretty good. We went to Nanjing last weekend, which was pretty unremarkable. Although we did get a chance to go see the new Rape of Nanjing museum - which was the best part of the weekend but was the only time I felt I really got a chance to understand Nanjing. We spent most of our time on the bus traveling from one place to another. Other than that not much is going on. Classes are moving ahead as usual and we are all trying to make the most out of our final weeks (5! + 1 week of traveling) in China. We are all also finding ourselves anticipating reverse culture shock upon our return to the States. I've been asking myself recently: Will I have any regrets? Have I done everything I wanted to? While these questions are probably unanswerable focusing on them is putting a fire under all our butts to really make sure we get out to see anything and everything we might have missed. For example, tomorrow I plan on going with a couple of friends to Hangzhou's scissors museum. Yes, you read that right. Supposedly Hangzhou has a SUPERB collection of scissors. I will let you know how that goes.
PLEASE check out Cordelia's blog: autismabroad.blogspot.com -- she is really trying to spread awareness about China's progress with autism - and the more exposure the better. Also, if you want to check out Stars & Rain's website it is here: http://www.guduzh.org.cn/Default.aspx?alias=www.guduzh.org.cn/English
As always, love and miss you all.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Is there someone Chinese in your family?
A week after returning to Hangzhou from Beijing, I've had time to reflect upon my time in China's capital and figured it was about time to post something. I am also off to another city which (in the "olden" days) used to be another capital of China -Nanjing - tomorrow, so need to make sure to not mix the two cities together. I had an absolute BLAST in Beijing. I think it was a mix of the company, sights, and lack of electric bikes that really made the trip enjoyable. I also had the eye-opening and quite incredible experience of going to China's first autism center. I'm going to save that for another blog - as it will be long and I really think it deserves its own blog.
I'll just go through some of the highlights, even though I'm sure I'll miss a bunch.
-Wide open spaces! I was VERY surprised, upon my arrival, that despite the massive amount of people in Beijing, I didn't feel so claustrophobic or confined in Beijing as I do in Hangzhou. About the last few days I realized that this was because I COULD WALK ON THE STREETS WITHOUT FEAR OF DEATH. I never knew not having so many electric bikes could make such a difference. It also changed the way in which I dealt with taxi rides. Without so many electric bikes to try and go around, I felt safe(-ish) in the cabs, and this made for a much more calming experience. The streets are also a lot wider, unlike Hangzhou's which are narrower streets and with somewhat low overpasses. Needless to say, I felt like a pretty big fish in a pretty big pond.
-Our hostel was absolutely fabulous. It got pretty good reviews online - but we really lucked out in terms of location, rooms, and staff. I would recommend Qian Men Hostel & Cafe for anyone. Just a five minute walking distance from Tianemen Square and the nearest subway station - we were within easy access to all of Beijing by subway (even if it DOES close around 11). The staff liked us a lot - although that might have been because we spoke Chinese - they didn't seem to be AS friendly to everyone else. AND the best part was they had "American breakfast" for cheap - which included bacon (I MISSED YOU!), toast with jelly, and hash browns. It was a beautiful sight to see. We also got an entire group of rooms together (before half of us stayed in Beijing and the other half went to Inner Mongolia) which made for a really fun time, including late night chats through walls, etc. It felt like a fun summer camp.
-Biggest food adventure (although there weren't many) was eating donkey! Except it was very anti-climactic. We ordered it and kept waiting for it to come. It turns out it was the first dish ordered, which really tasted and looked exactly like beef. Not exactly anything to write home about. But apparently enough to write on my blog about.
-We did the sightseeing goodies too, although I and another friend from the program went off for two days to the autism clinic. I didn't go with the group to the Great Wall because I wanted to share it with Mom and Cathy, and didn't make it to Forbidden City (but that'll be done upon our return in December). What we did make it to: Tianamen Square (where we were FAMOUS and I got a bunch of pictures with our new Chinese friends), Olympic Green (very beautiful in person -- there was the opportunity to enter into the Bird's Nest but we decided it wasn't worth it. I really wanted to go into either the swimming pool or the stadium where they had gymnastics - but the pool was closed to visitors and the stadium was holding a car show, which I almost (key word almost!) bought tickets to. That would've been a colossal waste of time.) Another friend from Midd and I hit up Summer Palace on our second to last day. Summer Palace is a beautiful old, well, palace, with a beautiful lake behind it and a nice park surrounding the lake. This place was FULL of tourists. Interestingly, though, there were WAY more Chinese tourists than there were foreign tourists. All the Chinese tourists were from different tour groups and they all had different colored hats. My favorite was the tour group with the red hats that appeared to be sponsored by Nike. There was a little too much congestion around some parts - but once we got out behind the lake and took the hour walk it reallly quieted down and we were able to just enjoy the surroundings and the beauty. We paid a full price ticket - assuming we'd get to everything but that was not so. We couldn't find the "Garden of Virtue" and after about 45 minutes we finally found it. But of course, it was neither a garden or interesting. What a waste of time. Still beautiful to see. Mom, and anyone else with any interest in Buddhas, would really enjoy much of the Summer Palace.
-The other "highlight" (that's up for debate) was our trip to the Cultural Revolution themed restaurant, the only real goal I'd had on entering Beijing. Manned with directions and warnings from our hostel owner that it was really far, we trudged through the subway and once closer began trying to find a cab. Six cab drivers later, all of whom claimed to not know where this restaurant was, we walked 30 minutes, took a bus, and walked another 15 minutes. We got there too late for the show, ate some bad food, promised to come back to actually see the show (basically sing and dance about the "good times?" of the Revolution - I don't really know how to word it), and headed back. We did go back the next day, in daylight, to see the show. It is really a magnificent restaurant, in terms of overkill and Mao love. It is almost like a two story warehouse, with a stage with a Mao backdrop, Long Live Mao writing on the side, and lots of other Mao paraphernalia. It really was a sight to see. We also decided we might be the only foreigners to ever have gone there - because of how we were treated and due to how far away it is from everything. Don't quote me on that though, I'm just a study abroad student. OH! and that was where the magical quote that is this blog's subject line appeared. As we were reserving a table for the following day's lunch (very unnecessary as we were practically the only ones there) the waitress asked me, (due to my STELLAR chinese abilities) if there was someone Chinese in my family? While the answer is no it was still EXCITING! I'M A REAL CHINESE! Or at least, one person thought I looked like one. OR not even looked like one. Just spoke like one.
-Speaking of foreigners - I got a slightly different response in Beijing than I do in Hangzhou. Most importantly, cab drivers DO NOT like foreigners. At all. I was the only non-Asian in the group after half the group went to Inner Mongolia - and I could NEVER find a cab. Three cabs would pass me, but the first one would stop for my Chinese looking friends. I suppose it makes sense seeing as it's probably annoying when the drivers can't communicate with the passengers - but in Hangzhou it seems that they just want to work and don't care who you are. I don't know. Also in Beijing we got a few more "honest" people - who told us that our Chinese actually sucked, to put it in blunt terms. Once again, it's definitely true, but it's weird once you get used to being praised all the time. About time I got brought back down to reality, I guess. Still not literate. But I'm getting there. And that's what should count.
I'm sure there are more highlights - but I can't seem to think of any of them right now. I will just add some lovely Chinese culture gems that I picked up these past few weeks.
1) We were watching Mulan on TV the other day and at the end when the dad and the daughter hug, my Chinese friend said "So American." I love when our roommates say things like that - it just makes the attempt at understanding the two cultures so much more interesting.
2) When birthdays roll along, it is usually the birthday child who qing's ke (pays for the meal) and invites out friends to eat.
So that is all for now. Phew, hope you enjoyed THAT blog. Please skype/e-mail. Love you and miss you all, as always.
I'll just go through some of the highlights, even though I'm sure I'll miss a bunch.
-Wide open spaces! I was VERY surprised, upon my arrival, that despite the massive amount of people in Beijing, I didn't feel so claustrophobic or confined in Beijing as I do in Hangzhou. About the last few days I realized that this was because I COULD WALK ON THE STREETS WITHOUT FEAR OF DEATH. I never knew not having so many electric bikes could make such a difference. It also changed the way in which I dealt with taxi rides. Without so many electric bikes to try and go around, I felt safe(-ish) in the cabs, and this made for a much more calming experience. The streets are also a lot wider, unlike Hangzhou's which are narrower streets and with somewhat low overpasses. Needless to say, I felt like a pretty big fish in a pretty big pond.
-Our hostel was absolutely fabulous. It got pretty good reviews online - but we really lucked out in terms of location, rooms, and staff. I would recommend Qian Men Hostel & Cafe for anyone. Just a five minute walking distance from Tianemen Square and the nearest subway station - we were within easy access to all of Beijing by subway (even if it DOES close around 11). The staff liked us a lot - although that might have been because we spoke Chinese - they didn't seem to be AS friendly to everyone else. AND the best part was they had "American breakfast" for cheap - which included bacon (I MISSED YOU!), toast with jelly, and hash browns. It was a beautiful sight to see. We also got an entire group of rooms together (before half of us stayed in Beijing and the other half went to Inner Mongolia) which made for a really fun time, including late night chats through walls, etc. It felt like a fun summer camp.
-Biggest food adventure (although there weren't many) was eating donkey! Except it was very anti-climactic. We ordered it and kept waiting for it to come. It turns out it was the first dish ordered, which really tasted and looked exactly like beef. Not exactly anything to write home about. But apparently enough to write on my blog about.
-We did the sightseeing goodies too, although I and another friend from the program went off for two days to the autism clinic. I didn't go with the group to the Great Wall because I wanted to share it with Mom and Cathy, and didn't make it to Forbidden City (but that'll be done upon our return in December). What we did make it to: Tianamen Square (where we were FAMOUS and I got a bunch of pictures with our new Chinese friends), Olympic Green (very beautiful in person -- there was the opportunity to enter into the Bird's Nest but we decided it wasn't worth it. I really wanted to go into either the swimming pool or the stadium where they had gymnastics - but the pool was closed to visitors and the stadium was holding a car show, which I almost (key word almost!) bought tickets to. That would've been a colossal waste of time.) Another friend from Midd and I hit up Summer Palace on our second to last day. Summer Palace is a beautiful old, well, palace, with a beautiful lake behind it and a nice park surrounding the lake. This place was FULL of tourists. Interestingly, though, there were WAY more Chinese tourists than there were foreign tourists. All the Chinese tourists were from different tour groups and they all had different colored hats. My favorite was the tour group with the red hats that appeared to be sponsored by Nike. There was a little too much congestion around some parts - but once we got out behind the lake and took the hour walk it reallly quieted down and we were able to just enjoy the surroundings and the beauty. We paid a full price ticket - assuming we'd get to everything but that was not so. We couldn't find the "Garden of Virtue" and after about 45 minutes we finally found it. But of course, it was neither a garden or interesting. What a waste of time. Still beautiful to see. Mom, and anyone else with any interest in Buddhas, would really enjoy much of the Summer Palace.
-The other "highlight" (that's up for debate) was our trip to the Cultural Revolution themed restaurant, the only real goal I'd had on entering Beijing. Manned with directions and warnings from our hostel owner that it was really far, we trudged through the subway and once closer began trying to find a cab. Six cab drivers later, all of whom claimed to not know where this restaurant was, we walked 30 minutes, took a bus, and walked another 15 minutes. We got there too late for the show, ate some bad food, promised to come back to actually see the show (basically sing and dance about the "good times?" of the Revolution - I don't really know how to word it), and headed back. We did go back the next day, in daylight, to see the show. It is really a magnificent restaurant, in terms of overkill and Mao love. It is almost like a two story warehouse, with a stage with a Mao backdrop, Long Live Mao writing on the side, and lots of other Mao paraphernalia. It really was a sight to see. We also decided we might be the only foreigners to ever have gone there - because of how we were treated and due to how far away it is from everything. Don't quote me on that though, I'm just a study abroad student. OH! and that was where the magical quote that is this blog's subject line appeared. As we were reserving a table for the following day's lunch (very unnecessary as we were practically the only ones there) the waitress asked me, (due to my STELLAR chinese abilities) if there was someone Chinese in my family? While the answer is no it was still EXCITING! I'M A REAL CHINESE! Or at least, one person thought I looked like one. OR not even looked like one. Just spoke like one.
-Speaking of foreigners - I got a slightly different response in Beijing than I do in Hangzhou. Most importantly, cab drivers DO NOT like foreigners. At all. I was the only non-Asian in the group after half the group went to Inner Mongolia - and I could NEVER find a cab. Three cabs would pass me, but the first one would stop for my Chinese looking friends. I suppose it makes sense seeing as it's probably annoying when the drivers can't communicate with the passengers - but in Hangzhou it seems that they just want to work and don't care who you are. I don't know. Also in Beijing we got a few more "honest" people - who told us that our Chinese actually sucked, to put it in blunt terms. Once again, it's definitely true, but it's weird once you get used to being praised all the time. About time I got brought back down to reality, I guess. Still not literate. But I'm getting there. And that's what should count.
I'm sure there are more highlights - but I can't seem to think of any of them right now. I will just add some lovely Chinese culture gems that I picked up these past few weeks.
1) We were watching Mulan on TV the other day and at the end when the dad and the daughter hug, my Chinese friend said "So American." I love when our roommates say things like that - it just makes the attempt at understanding the two cultures so much more interesting.
2) When birthdays roll along, it is usually the birthday child who qing's ke (pays for the meal) and invites out friends to eat.
So that is all for now. Phew, hope you enjoyed THAT blog. Please skype/e-mail. Love you and miss you all, as always.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Subject: Beijing Huanying Ni...
So I'm heading off to Beijing in about 9 hours - we're heading out on an overnight train (which should be an adventure in itself) and then spending the week seeing and enjoying what the city has to offer. We're also going to make the most of traditional Chinese "things," including already-ordered tickets to the Beijing Opera and a Chinese acrobatic troupe performance. My goal is also to go to a Cultural Revolutionary themed restaurant for dinner one night - everyone dresses in Mao garb so it is Mao central. One of my Chinese professors at Midd said how interesting that was - so I can't wait to go. I am also, along with another psych buff from Smith!, going to visit a recently- graduated Middlebury student's volunteer job. She works for an "autism company" at its teenage group home. The program also sponsors a kindergarten - so we're going to try and see what that is like too.
I'm actually really excited to see what this is all about - because I really think China is on its way to a greater understanding of what autism is, although it still has a long way to go. Last week we were at lunch talking about what our plans were for fall break and I mentioned that I was going to an autism "clinic" (as you can see, I'm not really sure how to describe what the place is). This was at what we call Chinese Table, so my newspaper teacher, as well as the academic director, were eating with us. My newspaper teacher started explaining characteristics of the autistic child of a friend of his. As he explained all the symptoms, the academic director started laughing. It at first made me frustrated, because these children have no control over what their lives are like, but then I realized the reaction is mostly just a problem of consciousness. I would assume that the US 10ish or more years ago was also more or less ignorant about autism, and I think China is slowly making inroads. I also wonder if this is my "calling" - to spread autism awareness to China. While I'm not so sure about that yet, I am excited to start the potential process by going to this school on Monday.
Other than that things are pretty good. I find myself getting a little burnt out with all the Chinese - but I'm working on just pushing past it and keeping it going. We talk a lot about it here and I also realize that sometimes I feel like there's the "English Elise" and the "Chinese Elise," because it's hard to put all of your personality (esp. my dry sarcasm) into a language that doesn't understand the concept of sarcasm. So this week, due to the added stress of midterms, it was especially hard to just keep the language going. But I figured I'd have some weeks like that.
Oh and also, as usual, still no facebook or blog so send me an e-mail! I should be checking e-mail a few times (our hostel has an internet cafe) during the week. As always, love and miss you all!
So I'm heading off to Beijing in about 9 hours - we're heading out on an overnight train (which should be an adventure in itself) and then spending the week seeing and enjoying what the city has to offer. We're also going to make the most of traditional Chinese "things," including already-ordered tickets to the Beijing Opera and a Chinese acrobatic troupe performance. My goal is also to go to a Cultural Revolutionary themed restaurant for dinner one night - everyone dresses in Mao garb so it is Mao central. One of my Chinese professors at Midd said how interesting that was - so I can't wait to go. I am also, along with another psych buff from Smith!, going to visit a recently- graduated Middlebury student's volunteer job. She works for an "autism company" at its teenage group home. The program also sponsors a kindergarten - so we're going to try and see what that is like too.
I'm actually really excited to see what this is all about - because I really think China is on its way to a greater understanding of what autism is, although it still has a long way to go. Last week we were at lunch talking about what our plans were for fall break and I mentioned that I was going to an autism "clinic" (as you can see, I'm not really sure how to describe what the place is). This was at what we call Chinese Table, so my newspaper teacher, as well as the academic director, were eating with us. My newspaper teacher started explaining characteristics of the autistic child of a friend of his. As he explained all the symptoms, the academic director started laughing. It at first made me frustrated, because these children have no control over what their lives are like, but then I realized the reaction is mostly just a problem of consciousness. I would assume that the US 10ish or more years ago was also more or less ignorant about autism, and I think China is slowly making inroads. I also wonder if this is my "calling" - to spread autism awareness to China. While I'm not so sure about that yet, I am excited to start the potential process by going to this school on Monday.
Other than that things are pretty good. I find myself getting a little burnt out with all the Chinese - but I'm working on just pushing past it and keeping it going. We talk a lot about it here and I also realize that sometimes I feel like there's the "English Elise" and the "Chinese Elise," because it's hard to put all of your personality (esp. my dry sarcasm) into a language that doesn't understand the concept of sarcasm. So this week, due to the added stress of midterms, it was especially hard to just keep the language going. But I figured I'd have some weeks like that.
Oh and also, as usual, still no facebook or blog so send me an e-mail! I should be checking e-mail a few times (our hostel has an internet cafe) during the week. As always, love and miss you all!
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