(FINAL POST of 2012 Exchange) Last Stop Beijing

(Mel)

Hey!

So here we are in Beijing, the last stop on our two month long journey through China, and I for one can not believe I’m typing this sentence- the time really flew by. Making the switch from Hangzhou back into tourist-mode was not an easy one. Leaving Hangzhou to begin with was not something anyone enjoyed but I think we spent our final days in the city the right way. Thursday night was the banquet where we got the opportunity to thank everyone for everything they’ve done for us during our time in Hangzhou and we really could never have thanked everyone enough. I’m not sure how they all managed to make us feel so at home when we were really twelve timezones away from everything that we’re used to. Friday night we went to do some Karaoke again with all of the host siblings and Swan (from last year’s exchange group who my family hosted) which was a great final gathering of all of the hosts. Saturday we spent the entire day with our translator friends (the year three students who have applied to go to college in the US next year so they got to be our translators). Then sunday we were with our host families (I hiked up a mountain for some sight-seeing), and got on the train at 6:30 PM - leaving Hangzhou behind.

Goodbye Hangzhou, KTV and Tennis

(Allen)

If I had to sum up the second half of this Hangzhou experience, it would only consist of two words: KTV (karaoke) and tennis. KTV has become the go-to group event, while tennis has become the go-to family event. In the past week alone, we braved the KTV rooms twice and each time I discovered something new. Slowly and slowly, Jim (Andrew’s first host sibling) has gained notoriety for his femaleness. There are some duets where he can single-handedly tackle both the male and female roles, and often times singing the female lines better.

Inside the (Chinese) Classroom

(Mel)

For the past four and a half (crazy how much time its been!) weeks we’ve all been attending classes with our host siblings whenever we don’t have classes of our own. Before coming to China I’d heard about how focused the kids are in a Chinese classroom and how well behaved they are and while that is a fine observation the factors that create such a dynamic are what’s really interesting. But- before I go any further I’d like to clarify that just because I say the students are well behaved does not mean that I feel like I’m sitting in a classroom full of robots. Highschoolers are still highschoolers wherever they live so in class here kids do still crack jokes, or text discretely under the desk or even fall asleep but overall the class seems to be a lot more orderly than I would expect a room full of 46 sixteen year olds to be. While it’s hard to pinpoint exactly, in my opinion, it seems that there are three main reasons for this different class atmosphere.

Lots of Drama in Hangzhou …

(Joseph)

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. I think someone already took that line, but I’ll steal it briefly to summarize the past week of my experience at Hangzhou.

Let’s get the “worst” out of the way first.

Kung Fu and Chinese Culture

(Andrew)

It has taken me a while to fully grasp the immense culture that China presents. Prior to my participation in the China Exchange, I had always thought America’s two hundred thirty five year old history had been unique. And, that America, a nation that heavily influences those developing, could pride itself on its rich culture. This was assumed after many years of US history lessons of course, and obviously I had been wrong. The fascinating five thousand year old Chinese culture extends its roots so deep into the man’s history that I have often caught myself wondering throughout this trip why people don’t learn more about it.

Senior Privileges

(Allen)

Back again in Hangzhou, hellooooo rain and also hello new host family. Everything with my new host family is going along fine, except for one catastrophic downfall—stairs. They live on the top floor of a six-story apartment complex with no elevator, so making it down every morning is a downhill roller coaster and conversely climbing back up every evening is like comparable to scaling Mt. Everest, just kidding. All jokes aside, my new host family is pretty awesome; they even have an adorable dog, Dudu, that looks like a bear cub. When I first walked into the apartment, Dudu barked relentlessly at the presence of a stranger, but after ten minutes he was getting all cozy in my lap and on my arm. It’s definitely taken some time, but after a week, Dudu considers me a part of the family.

English Corner at Hanggao

(Mel)

One of the best parts of this trip is without a doubt our daily English Corner sessions. I’m sure they’ve already been mentioned in the blog but just in case you’re reading this and don’t know English Corner is a 30 minute block of time during the lunch break every day when we hang out in a room of the school and any kids who want to practice their english or learn about American culture can come to chat with us. In past years English Corner has been held outside but since we’ve only had 3 or so sunny days the whole time we’ve been in Hangzhou we’ve been inside for it but we’ve taken advantage of having a classroom by writing a few American slang words (with definitions) on the board every day. At first we weren’t sure if the kids would like it but most of the kids check out the slang words of the day first thing when they get to English Corner.

School in America?

(Emily)

Students who wish to go to school in America really have to take the initiative--its a lot of extra work. They must teach themselves the TOEFL and SAT vocabulary (although most get tutors). Also, the SAT is not administered in mainland China, so students must fly to Hong Kong multiple times. Our translator friends tell us that when they took their SAT’s they were surrounded by other mainland students at the airport, at hotels, and at the shopping malls. The test taking center they were at held 3000 people--and there were only five bathrooms, and they had only five minute breaks to use them. Not as much fun as our SAT’s, in short. Most students just take the GaoKao though--I think our perspective is a bit skewed because our guides and many of the kids we meet at English corner have more to do with us precisely because they want to practice their English.

Exploring the Creative World of American Film…Chinese style!

(Joseph)

Last week I embarked on a somewhat challenging and intimidating task: teaching the famous American film Citizen Kane to junior-level Chinese students with no experience studying film at all…and all this in less than 45 minutes. Of course, I did not really teach as much of the film as I would have liked, but we covered an amazing amount of film in our limited time.

Teaching Experiences at Hangzhou High School

(Joseph)

After a busy week teaching 14 sophomore classes here at Hangzhou High School, I am really enjoying the cultural exchange here. The students are rapt with attention when I speak of American history, life, education, and housing. In fact, I have become somewhat of a celebrity here.

Weekend Fun

(Mel)

This weekend, just as the one before, was completely exhausting but totally worth it. Even though our host siblings have to go to school on saturdays they found time on friday night to join us for some karaoke. Even some of our host sibling’s friends came with us as well as one of our translators, Emily. There were enough of us to get the VIP room which was large with a wrap-around couch/bench along three walls and a huge flat-screen TV on the other. We also had three microphones, an all you can eat buffet, and four hours to spend. I think it’s safe to say that everyone had a great time. By the time we left each person had sung at least one song (most of us many more than that) and we were all quite impressed by Jim’s (Andrew’s host brother) singing voice.

Reflections on Hangzhou

(Andrew)

Wow. I cannot believe it has already been a week that we have been in Hangzhou. So many things have happened that need their own separate blogs, so I will just give a short synopsis of what my first impressions of Hangzhou and its people are.

At around 10am on 2/14, our train from Luoyang arrived at Hangzhou’s train station. Ironically exhausted after our overnight train ride and journey throughout China, we were greeted by a smiling delegation, composed of administration members, faculty, and our host siblings.

A Tale of Two High Schools

(Allen)

Time has really flown by since our arrival here at Hangzhou. Since arriving last Tuesday, we’ve been at the school for over a week. During that time, I’ve grown to appreciate DSHS a lot more…let me explain.

Hangzhou Seniors

(Mel)

Saturday night we met up for dinner followed by a stroll around a night market with the group who came to DS last year. It was really great to get to see Swan, Kevin, SR and Wang Fei again and to hear what they’re all up to now. Here in Hangzhou we’re all being hosted by sophomores so it’s hard to compare their classes to ours but having an opportunity to talk to seniors really got me thinking about the two school systems in a way that’s more relevant to our lives as seniors. So here’s a warning to any seniors who are reading this if you’re sick of hearing about the college process stop reading this blog now (but I think this could be a new spin that might make the whole thing seem more manageable!).

Luoyang and Nanjie (from the past)

(Emily)

The last stops on our journey were a bit surreal, and made our final destination all the more welcoming. In Luoyang, China's ongoing and uneven transition into the present was obvious; while other cities we've seen have been shining and modern, and surpass those of America and Europe, Luoyang semed in some ways to be stuck in the previous century. ( Not the eighteen hundreds. No horses or telegraph lines.) We passed block after block of raw, dusty earth masked by temporary walls, and unfinished, wounded-looking buildings whose metal supports arched into the air like exposed bone. At first, we thought the weather as just overcast, but it turned out that the sky in Luoyang is permanently smoggy. The entire effect was rather dystopic. It is at times like these--well, all the time, but especially times like these--that I wish I spoke more Chinese. Luoyang, while not a prime vacation spot, is still home to millions of people who must have some affection for it. The language barrier bars me from the human interactions that I'm sure would round out my impression of the city.

To Eat or Not to Eat…

(Joseph)

To eat or not to eat…

...but there is no question about eating in China, where everything, including the kitchen sink, gets eaten.

(I apologize in advance. So much of our experience here has been about eating and, although I hesitate to write twice about the same subject, I am blogging once again about the food and eating culture here in China. I promise to find another topic for my forthcoming blogs.)

Lists

(Emily)

I found the answers to two question that had been bothering me:

1. Question: How could you possibly slice a fish into perfectly even cubes while leaving the flesh attached to the skin and then get rid of all of the internal organs?
   Answer: You turn the fish inside out before you cook it.
2. Question: Why do the Chinese set off fireworks all the time?
   Answer: Because they can. Apparently fireworks aren't just for New Years or other holidays--you can set them off when you get married or at the launch of a new business.

Chinese Flash Mobs and Other Strange Behaviors

(Joseph)

Our team, or the mighty G.O.A.T.s (Going Overseas Adventure Team), had an…amusing time in Kunming, where we met Mr. Randy Hoover, Dover-Sherborn Middle School teacher. Randy was kind enough to take time out of his vacation to be our guide for a day and a half, and it was great to see a familiar and friendly face—with a mouth that spoke very good English.

When Randy mentioned the option of biking around Kunming, I must admit: my stomach dropped and my pulse quickened. If you have not already read my previous blog about driving in China, please do to appreciate my anxiety here. The thought of biking amidst a bunch of drivers to whom rules seem non-existent was not a welcome one, but Randy assured us that it would not be so bad, and that we, unlike the Chinese, would wear helmets for protection.

Transcendental Terracotta

(Mel)

As someone with a keen interest in ceramics, today’s activities were so awesome I’m still not totally convinced it happened. Seeing as yesterday’s flight got delayed by six hours we had a late start for our first full day in Xi’an but nevertheless (and not surprisingly) we were able to cram in lots of sight-seeing. The day was essentially a voyage to the terra cotta army but we made a few stops along the way.

Surreal Bowl XLVI, China-style

(Ed. Note: This is a special posting from Randy Hoover, geography teacher at D-S Middle School and 2004 Exchange Group member, currently on sabbatical in China.  Last week, Randy spent some time with our group in Kunming.  He sent this piece to NPR's Only a Game, where it aired on February 11.  See their website or listen to the audio HERE!)

It was already halftime by the time I got up and out of my apartment, rode my bike across Kunming and finally found O’Reilly’s Irish Pub, which to my knowledge was the only public establishment in the city that was screening Super Bowl XLVI, a.k.a. the revenge match-up between my beloved New England Patriots and the nasty New York Giants. As if it wasn’t disorienting enough to be going to an Irish pub in China to watch American football – my first and only game of the NFL season since arriving in August to teach English here for a year -- it really seemed weird that the air was not cold on Super Bowl Sun…make that Monday; a 7:29 a.m. start, China time – the 15th and final day of Chinese New Year celebrations.

A Day of Amazing Food in Xi'an

(Emily)

Today was a day of amazing food. Richard took us to the Muslim quarter for dinner--highlights included sticky rice with rainbow sprinkles, deep fried persimmon cakes, and indescribably delicious eggplants that Mel and I determined we could eat forever. They were in some kind of sweet, spicy, tangy, garlicky sauce, and melted in our mouths.

Free Coptive Anlimals (sic)

(Emily)


I was rather afraid that I would experience furry animal withdrawal while in China, but the country has exceeded my expectations and offered many animals, furry and otherwise, for my enjoyment. In Lijiang we went to a market that featured more vendors for the Lantern Festival. There were turtles, both large and small, for sale, as well as parakeets and another kind of bird that looked like a large wren with long tail feathers. We also saw a cage full of small Russian hamsters, which I hope were for pet purposes only (I have been telling myself that they are too small to be worth eating). One street vendor was selling live chickens, and many others were selling live fish who swam little circles in buckets on the streetside. One man had a cart with a cage full of live rabbits. On our way home we passed a girl and her mother feeding lettuce to a fluffy white baby rabbit who was about the size of a fist. It was incomprehensibly adorable.

Cultural Revolution II

(Andrew)

The morning started with a highly anticipated breakfast. For days all of us have been craving a western breakfast. Although all of the Eastern breakfasts we have had have all been excellent, nothing beats fruit and/or yogurt. So, as Mr. Hoover, and team GOAT entered the dining room, we all headed towards the yogurt and fruit. And it was delicious. The yogurt tasted just like Dannon yogurt, and it hit the spot nicely.

After our satisfying breakfast, Mr. Hoover led us to Wal-Mart.

Deep In the Shibao Mountains

(Allen)

The past couple days have all been a blur as we moved from one traditional Chinese city to the next, spending no more than two days each. For me, having been in China a couple times already, many of the things weren’t so foreign. Temples, caves, busy metropolitan areas are all great but it was nothing new…that is until went to Shaxi village.

Shaxi, located in the heart of the Shibao mountains, is packed with history and culture. To give you a little history about the village, Shaxi used to be a pivotal stop along the Tea and Horse Caravan Road, which is an important branch of the Silk Road. So it still has that border-town kind of feel, with many of the same cobble-stone structures that were originally built over a thousand years ago. It is the oldest and most culturally preservative of all of the villages in the Shibao mountains.

Mr. Wu's Wild Ride

(Joseph)

Dear Reader,

So much has occurred in the past few days, and my experiences have been so varied, that I cannot focus on any one topic at present. Thus, I apologize in advance for this somewhat scattered, stream-of-consciousness blog entry that will touch upon various topics.

Mr. Wu’s Wild Ride
So far, driving in China has been 99% off-road, 99% of the time, and not even the best of car shocks will cushion the ride, so I think the Chinese don’t bother with shocks. No, the true shocks are apparently left for the tourists. Navigating the roads is semi-organized, nail-biting chaos. The roads are most often extremely circuitous and rife with rocks and pits, which makes for a fairly uncomfortable riding experience. I’m not quite sure there are driving laws or “rules,” actually.

The Outskirts of Dali/Shaxi Village

(Mel)

Hello again!

Yesterday was largely another travel day (this time by car) from the center of Dali to Shaxi Village (the outskirts of the Dali area). We woke up at a beautiful hotel in Dali, one that’s completely covered in artwork with scattered courtyards and koi ponds, where we ate a quick “western breakfast” picked up our laundry and got in the van to start our journey to Shaxi.

Dali

(Emily)

Today we arrived in Dali at about 6:30 in the morning off the sleeper train from Kunming. Before getting on the train, we had dinner with Mr. Hoover, who is on sabbatical and teaching in Kunming, and his girlfriend Pei Wei, who coordinates exchanges between Chinese and American high schools. They were incredibly helpful in getting our train situation sorted out--Pei Wei was able to get us into two compartments right next to each other--and I think that had they not been there we would still be in the Kunming train station!

Trains, Planes, Boats and Minibuses

(Andrew)

The day started with a literal bang. For at least five minutes, firecrackers exploded on a street near our hotel. Though our windows were closed, it seemed that the firecrackers were going off right outside our hotel. Because Allen and I have been waking up a little late every day, it was a nice wake-up call to start the day.

After packing the rest of our luggage and eating another delicious Western/Chinese breakfast in our hotel restaurant, Ricky took us back into our min-bus for another day of adventure. Our first stop was a rural “Shangri-La” village where the Dong minority lives. Inside this gated village, everything was beautiful. Because the village is located near Yangshuo, rolling hills painted the background, and a crystal clear river cut through the village. To complement this natural beauty were the Dong’s traditional painted wooden buildings. While at the village, we took advantage of the river, and rode a boat through the village. The ride revealed the Dong people’s real modern homes which starkly contrasted with their traditional rituals and buildings at the front of the village.

The Journey of the Four Goats and the Wolf

(Allen)

I can’t believe it but I’m finally here, bringing you a blog update about the journey of the four goats (greatest of all time) and the wolf. After getting off the plane in Hong Kong, I think I can safely say that Hong Kong is probably an even bigger melting pot than the entity known as America. The city, divided by the gorgeous South China Sea, consists of two parts: Kowloon and mainland Hong Kong. The area outside the hotel we stayed at was a bustling sphere of wealth and prosperity. Walking down the street at 11:00 PM, the city vastly resembled a Times-Square-esque feel. With flashing neon lights, bright green Ferraris, classy Louis Vuitton stores, and magnificent skyscrapers, heck, it was nicer than Times Square. Surprisingly, the city had a very clean feel, with hardly any trash on the ground and clear-ish skies. The night air was very breezy and vibrant and almost felt like day, due to all the light pollution, which isn’t so much a bad thing. What struck me the most was the amount of diversity in the Asian metropolis. You couldn’t take five steps without seeing multicultural faces, be it Caucasian, African, or Indian, among the sea of Asian faces.

Don’t Drink the Snake Wine. Please.

(Joseph)

The Li River boat trip from Guilin to Yangshuo was misty, but enjoyable nonetheless; I can’t complain, as it was supposed to rain. We saw some huge limestone rock formations, Chinese workers and home along the riverbanks, and the occasional water buffalo. Also remarkable were the “river” vendors: balancing on five large thatched sticks of bamboo (which makes for a very narrow raft and, I’m sure, and no easy balancing act), these eager sellers paddled towards our boat, tied themselves onto it, and sold their produce to the cooks on our boat while the cooks prepared our buffet-style lunch. Such vendors are ubiquitous, and we saw at least a few hundred of these boats either in motion or tied up along the riverbank. Thousands of Li River families earn their living doing this, which is fascinating, but also creates for fierce completion, I imagine, since most of them are selling the exact same produce. In fact, this seems to be the case in at least much of Yangshuo, where we have stayed for the past two days.

Hong Kong: A Place of Contrasts

(Mel)

Hello!

So here on full-day two we’ve just landed on the main land (Guilin) after spending a day and a half in Hong Kong. I’m not sure how much of this post will overlap with Mr. C’s so I’ll keep the beginning short. We arrived in HK late thursday night and after checking into our hotel we went out to grab a bite to eat but didn’t really get to exploring the city until the next day. Friday (yesterday) we spent the day walking around Hong Kong- a city that’s completely manageable as an English-speaking tourist but completely overwhelming as someone who has grown up in Sherborn.

Reflections on Hong Kong

(Joseph)

Here I am: my first morning in Hong Kong. I have slept very little for the past three days, and yet (I think I speak for our group), we’re all extremely energized and excited to take this adventure together.

But before we get into Hong Kong, a few thoughts about the flight over. Our flight to San Francisco was, frankly, like any domestic flight within the U.S—cramped and humid with the musty smell of various bodily odors that accompany cramped quarters. In short: completely un-noteworthy. And slightly foul-smelling.

(FIRST POST of 2012 Exchange) Bleary-Eyed Goodbyes

(Mr Viz - blogmaster!)

It's hard to believe that the 10th D-S China Exchange Group has just departed on another epic, 8-week experience in China!  As usual, I'm green with envy and jealousy.  Envious because they get to unplug from their daily routines and immerse themselves into life in another country, for such a wonderful length of time. And jealous because they are as young as they are, at an age when their experiences will without doubt help mold their future. ...