Every culture has its own influences, expectations, and customs that shape the thoughts and actions of the people influenced. In many instances, it is hard for people from other cultures to understand the motives behind behaviors that are foreign to them. Dating practices are no exception. Are the selection criteria in China similar to those in America? In what ways do expectations and attitudes differ? These are the subjects of consideration as I explore dating norms and preferences in China when choosing a suitable partner. Taking it a step further, I am considering the difference between selection criteria for dating and marriage. For instance, a dating couple may or may not weigh the financial responsibilities when choosing a mate like a couple considering marriage. Breaking it down even further, I aim to discover the different inclinations of both males and females. Furthermore, I am curious about what characteristics couples share in categories such as economic status or religious background.
This topic interests me because love is a universal phenomenon that is embedded into the very fabric of our existence as human beings. If romantic interests were absent from human instinct, then I foresee one of two outcomes. Either the human race would cease to procreate, or sex would be an instinctive, animalistic behavior without the intimate bonding of two people. It is fascinating how different cultures uniquely express the same desire to make procreation more than just a routine, while at the same time placing special value on an individual, even though it is not necessary for reproduction. In China, dating and marriage criteria is of particular interest due to how much the culture has shifted within this past century. From arranged marriages to a generation of agency, this new freedom of choosing a partner has opened the door to a brand new dynamic of life and responsibilities for both dating and marriage potentials alike.
Literature Review
The key to choosing the perfect mate has undoubtedly always been a topic of interest of the human race. Many ponder whether there is a systematic, fool-proof criteria involved in falling in love. Furthermore, it is intriguing how an individual’s culture plays a role in dating and marriage practices. By examining traits used in mate selection, cultural influences, and the difference between dating and marriage criteria, one can begin to reveal the mystery of how love works.
From an evolutionary perspective, men and women look for different traits in the opposite sex. A study conducted by the University of Nebraska showed that “men look for youth and beauty in a partner, while women look for a partner with financial status and likelihood of long-term commitment” (Benz, Anderson, Miller 2005: 305). Furthermore, an art of deception comes into play when trying to impress a potential mate. For instance, it was found that both men and women expected a man to exaggerate how much money he had. On the other hand, women admitted to exaggerating their physical features first and foremost before being deceptive about other characteristics such as economic status and level of education. According to evolutionary theory, A beautiful woman appears to be more capable of child-bearing, while a successful man exhibits resources necessary to provide for a family. The reason for deception is conceivably due to the benefits to gain from being more competitive by exaggerating qualities desirable by the opposite sex. When focusing research strictly on Chinese relations, desired characteristics in both males and females mirrored American studies. Women ranked the job and income of a man as the most important criteria, while men valued good looks only second to class label and political record of a woman (Townsend 1998).
Furthermore, cultural influence impacts the context in which dating is practiced. For instance, data from China suggests that an individual’s status plays a big factor in a culture that has undergone numerous shifts within the past century. John Townsend (1998) makes several noteworthy comments about the development of dating in Chinese culture. First, marriage is legally no longer allowed to be arranged by parents, as was previously practiced in traditional Chinese culture. Also, in a culture where the educational system is based on standardized tests, a beautiful woman may fail the test because she can rely on her good looks to attract a successful man, rather than her level of education. However, during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), women married men of lower rather than higher status due to the persecution of intellectual and wealthy individuals. Nevertheless, after the Cultural Revolution, low status could be a deal-breaker when looking for a dating or marriage partner because low status individuals no longer had the advantage over scholars and successful men and women. Even still, by appearing that she can bear healthy children for a man, a woman could make up for what she lacks by being physically attractive. This practice of hypergyny, or “marrying up,” examined in this study appears to be evident throughout Chinese culture.
Further comparison of Western and Chinese societies have found that culture, indeed, seems to be most influential in the development of romantic beliefs, styles, and relationships. When the dating attitudes and behaviors of American and Chinese college students were analyzed, Shenming Tang and Jiping Zuo (2000) found that Chinese students differ greatly from their American counterparts. The results indicated that Chinese culture was more conservative when it came to being in a relationship. In America, (2000) the average age to begin dating was 14.69, while average age in China was 18. Furthermore, 42% of Chinese agree that the main purpose of dating was to find a marriage partner, opposed to 14% of Americans. At the time the survey was conducted, 64% of American college students were dating versus 32% of Chinese college students. This great discrepancy is arguably a result of a more liberal dating culture in America. Parents and high school institutions encourage children to date. Also, students have access to the resources necessary to date including cars and jobs. In China, parents and high school institutions view a child’s education as superior and consider dating to be deviant behavior. Due to such an emphasis on education, having a job is not an option for most students and a car is still considered a luxury for many (Tang and Zuo: 75).
The more conservative culture is an interesting factor that plays into mate selection. Susan M. Moore and C. Leung (2001) conducted a cross-cultural analysis of Chinese living in Australia. The Chinese motivation for dating seems to stem from “a collectivist society [where] romance and love are seen as subordinate to the needs of the group (typically the family), and such activities must be bound by the appropriate and accepted social rules of the group” (2001:55). The factors that influence different dating and marriage criterion is an interesting concept to explore.
When comparing criteria used for selecting a dating partner verses a marriage partner, the standards appear to be lower in dating relationships. In marriage, not only does an individual desire good qualities in a partner, but homogamy, the practice of marrying within a given group through both ascribed and achieved statuses, is desirable as well. A study conducted by Debra L. Blackwell and Daniel T. Lichter (2004) indicates that the amount of shared characteristics increases with the level of commitment. This phenomenon is known as the “winnowing hypothesis” where criteria for a mate becomes stricter as relationships progress in seriousness. Among dating, cohabitating, and married couples, educational homogamy was the most desirable. However, when homogamy was not present, both men and women preferred to ‘date up’ rather than down. The study concludes that “a fair exchange or a ‘good match’ may also be less relevant for short-term relationships (like dating) than for longer or more committed relationships…Indeed the motivations for dating…differ from those for cohabitation…and marriage” (2004: 721).
Understanding love begins by examining the criteria used in mate selection, as well as looking at cultural influences and differences between dating and marriage relationships. Experts in the field of Sociology show that, in the modern dating and marriage world, individuals have a choice with whom they fall in love. At the same time, one’s culture may inadvertently play a role in the choice of dating and marriage partners. Finally, research indicates that standards fluctuate based on the level of commitment in the relationship.
Methods
In order to collect data on attitudes about dating and marriage among Chinese college students, I designed and administered a survey questionnaire. I found this most appropriate data collection method because the information is very standardized, allowing for consistency in an environment unfamiliar to the researcher. As a foreign student, the language barrier presents a challenge to construct clear and unambiguous questions. The questionnaires are uniform, which allows for a consistent form of data collection. Additionally an anonymous questionnaire is an ideal method for data collection because choosing a dating or marriage partner may be a sensitive topic for many Chinese. For instance, due to the One-child Policy, there will be a disproportionate ratio of men to women in the marriage. Since men were favored in traditional family systems as the care providers for their elderly parents, families were more likely to practice female infanticide (Chen 1984) In a society with an unbalanced sex ratio, when men reach marriage-age, choosing a mate may seem daunting or hopeless. Another group of people who may feel disadvantaged in relationships are those who have a disadvantaged background. Money, family life, or personal misfortunes might restrict them to sitting on the bench, while the others are playing the dating game, so to speak. It may be in a face-to-face interview people will be asked personal questions that they do not feel confident answering. An anonymous survey allows people to release such information in a safe way.
One downside to this data collection method is that there is a lack of diversity within the kinds of people participating. All attend a prestigious university and already have an advantageous status in society through their knowledge of English. All of these students are hard-working and have goals for attaining an education. The economic and social status of these college students may not reflect the average range for other college-aged adults. The dynamics of choosing a dating partner may be limited to a narrower point of view and life experience.
The survey was conducted at Sichuan University in Chengdu, China. The questionnaire was distributed to approximately 100 Chinese college-aged students in a single classroom setting, from these I selected questionnaires completed by 25 females and 25 males. Students’ ages range from 18 to 25 years old, with an average age of 21.42 years old. The class is composed of English-speaking Chinese students of a Chinese professor who teaches the Culture and Society class to American students. He was given instructions to keep the survey anonymous and to reiterate that the survey would have no impact on the students’ grade in the class. He could help with language clarification purposes only. The surveys were be returned to the researcher, and the responses were analyzed accordingly to determine what factors Chinese college students find most important for dating and marriage partners. The questionnaire asked students to provide basic background information, answer yes or no questions, as well as rank on a one to five scale, one being the lowest degree and five being the highest degree, the importance of different qualities when searching for either a dating or marriage partner. The answers were then averaged for analytical purposes. My survey takes into account physical attractiveness, level of education, economic and social status, and religion when selecting a mate.
Findings
In the process of analyzing my research, I observed the overall impact of different factors that influence Chinese college students when selecting dating and marriage partners. The criteria considered when choosing a mate include education, social status, religion, physical appearance, economic status, and parents’ opinion of partner. These were measured on a five point scale with 1 signifying “not important” and 5 signifying “very important.” Means were calculated for each scale. Furthermore, I looked at the differences between answers given by men and women.
Looking at the data as a whole for both men and women, the six different factors were averaged and then ranked according to amount of influence in comparison to the other factors. In dating relationships, education was ranked the most important at 3.26, followed by appearance at 3.2, economic status at 2.96, parents’ opinion at 2.8, social status at 2.54, and finally religion at 2.16. In marriage relationships, education was again ranked as most important with an average value of 3.62, followed by parents’ opinion at 3.46, economic status at 3.38, appearance at 3.1, social status at 3.02, and finally religion at 2.62. From dating to marriage relationships, the average value of importance increased in all six categories. This supports the winnowing hypothesis that criteria for selecting a mate narrows as relationships progress (Blackwell and Lichter (2004). However, parents’ opinion was valued over physical appearance in choosing a marriage partner, while the opposite is true for dating partner selection. Because physical appearance is valued over parents’ discretion in dating situations, this data does not necessarily support the traditional Chinese idea that “dating is instrumental in nature, a way by which a suitable marital partner can be found, and a prelude to marriage” (Tang and Zuo 2000: 76). Parents arranging marriages did not give their son or daughter a choice in mate selection, precluding a dating culture altogether. In fact, “marriages in the past were predominantly arranged by parents in which case the couple did not get to know or see each other before marriage” (Kejing 1991). The evidence in this survey demonstrates the shift in Chinese culture. The fact that physical appearance is valued over the parents’ opinion in a dating relationship counters Susan M. Moore and C. Leung’s observation that China is a collectivist society that puts the family before the self.
Next, I analyzed the factors that influence the selection of dating partners for both men and women. When comparing the responses of the sexes, females’ answers indicated education, social status, religion, and economic status were more important factors in finding a dating partner than compared to males’ responses. Males, on the other hand, only value physical appearance and parents’ opinion over female responses. For both men and women, religion was seen as the least important factor when selecting a dating partner. Interestingly, women ranked education as the most important, while men ranked parents’ opinion as most important, both with a value of 3.52. Furthermore, with both the men and women’s second most important factors ranking at an average of 3.4, women value economic status as much as men value physical appearance.
This data suggests that college-aged women in China find education and economic status to be the most important qualities in a potential dating partner, while men value appearance and parents’ approval over all other factors. These findings were supported by the research of Joseph Bena, Mary K. Anderson, and Richard L. Miller (2005) who stated that physical attraction is a sign that women can have healthy babies, while economic status indicates that a man can support a family. Further correlation was noted between the value men and women place on education and physical appearance. Women gave physical appearance an average value of 3, while men equally ranked education with an average of 3. These surprising similarities between women’s value of education and economic status and men’s value of parents’ approval and his partner’s physical appearance respectively are supported by research conducted by sinologists Martin Whyte and William Parish. They interviewed 133 emigrants in Hong Kong and found that, indeed, women primarily value the job and income of a man, while men rank good looks above other qualities (Townsend 1998).
When comparing factors that influence marriage partners, the findings are similar. As a whole, women had higher overall rankings than men in all categories, except for physical appearance. Even though this was the only category where men ranked higher than women, their value placed on appearance from dating to marriage decreased from 3.4 to 3.2. As one of the most important factors in a dating relationship, men place less importance on appearance, valuing it after education and parents’ opinion, when looking for a marriage partner. However, men only ranked education as .08 higher than physical appearance, suggesting that a woman’s education and physical attractiveness are about equal in value. This evidence parallels Townsend’s observation that failing standardized tests is less problematic for beautiful women because they could depend on their looks to attract a successful man (1998). Since both men and women ranked education very high, this supports Blackwell and Lichter’s findings that educational homogamy is the most desirable. Furthermore, women ranked appearance as important as men ranked economic status with an average of 3. From dating to marriage, women’s assessment of physical appearance remained exactly the same. The influence of the females’ parents’ opinion increases when looking for a marriage partner. In contrast, men indicate that their parents’ opinion have less importance in marriage. This discontinuity contradicts cultural influences where “love and romance are considered in the light of responsibility towards parents (Moore and Leung 2001). Again, religion was ranked as the least important factor for both men and women. However, men’s value of his wife’s social status was still lower than the value women gave for religion. For selecting marriage partners, all categories have higher rankings when compared to dating relationships.
Research also focuses on what age females and males find appropriate to begin dating. When asked what age is appropriate to begin dating, the average response for males and females was 16.94 years old. The mean for males was slightly lower at16.8 years. Although twelve of the twenty-five men reported an appropriate age to begin dating between 18 and 20 years old, five men reported ages between 12 and 14, which skewed the average. This data presents a considerably lower age when compared to Tang and Zuo’s research which report an average age of 18 for Chinese to begin dating. Furthermore, over half of the men answered that between 12 and 16 years old is an appropriate time to begin dating, which would permit dating practices in middle school and high school aged students. The current research presents a contradiction to Tang and Zuo’s claim that the Chinese culture values education so highly, that dating is considered deviant behavior. With the average appropriate dating age in America of 14.96, many Chinese men seem more inclined to agree with the American point of view (2000).
The females’ reported age to begin dating, while somewhat closer to past research’s findings, still represents a shift in dating culture. Women reported an average appropriate age to begin dating at 17.08 years old. This apparent decrease in age represents a transition to a younger dating generation. Similar to men, ten of the twenty-five women answered that between 13 and 16 would be an acceptable age to begin dating. The research indicates that dating is beginning to become acceptable during a time when most people do not have the educational or economic level to be self-sufficient. The data seems to shift towards a more relaxed dating culture as also indicated in Blackwell and Lichter’s findings. The researchers state that an equal or favorable exchange is not necessary in dating or short-term relationships. Dating relationships have different agendas when compared to more serious relationships (2004).
Conclusion
Overall, the research conducted on Sichuan University Campus in Chengdu, China has yielded several interesting findings. Dating and marriage criteria, as well as strategies for choosing a mate, all confirm the existing research indicating that certain factors are more important for males and females. Most notably, women value the economic status of a man, while men think physical appearance is very important. From a functionalist standpoint, the evidence from this research combined with outside sources point out that these criteria are influenced by the desire for healthy offspring and a stable life. On the other hand, the biggest discontinuity found is the challenge to traditional Chinese culture that is present in dating partner selection practices. A relaxed dating culture is emerging with a younger dating generation. In addition, the Chinese idea of filial piety derived from Confucianism (Liu 2008) is challenged when the traditional significance of the parents’ opinion is challenged. The averages for both men and women value physical appearance over their parents’ opinion in a dating relationship. This shows a trend in valuing the individual’s desires over those of the family in choosing a dating partner.
An important limitation about the research was the lack of diversity within the given sample. The questionnaire was limited only to a class of students studying economics within a single university in Sichuan province. Due to the prestige of the university, the sample group may not be a good representation of the opinions on dating and marriage partner selection for the entire college-aged Chinese population. Furthermore, the questionnaire asked students to indicate what age they felt was appropriate to begin dating, but did not ask the participants to provide an ideal marriage age. This would have been significant data because the researcher could compare the ages given to previous research findings. In all, the data suggests an interesting trend among the specified survey group.
References
Benz, Joseph J., Mary K. Anderson, and Richard L. Miller. 2005. “Attributions of Deception in Dating Situations.” Psychological Record 55(2): 305-314
Blackwell, Debra L. and Daniel T. Lichter. 2004. “Homogamy Among Dating, Cohabiting, and Married Couples.” The Sociological Quarterly 45(4): 719-737.
Kejinig, Dai. 1991. “The experience and status of Chinese rural women from observation of three age groups.” International Sociology 6(1): 5-23.
Moore, S., C. Leung. 2001. “Romantic beliefs, styles and relationships among young people from Chinese, Southern European, and Anglo-Australian backgrounds.” Asian Journal of Psychology 4: 53.
Tang, Shengming, Zuo Jiping, Tang S.M., Zuo J.P. 2000. “Dating attitudes and behaviors of American and Chinese college students.” The Social Science Journal, 37(1):67-78.
Townsend, John. 1998. “Are Men and Women Alike Around the Globe?” What women want-what men want: why the sexes still see love & commitment so differently. New York: Oxford University Press.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Mao Considered Himself a Counter-Confucianist
Mao Considered Himself a Counter-Confucianist: By Crystal Swetz
"There are not a few people who are irresponsible in their work, preferring the light to the heavy, shoving the heavy loads on to others and choosing the easy ones for themselves. At every turn they think of themselves before others. When they make some small contribution, they swell with pride and brag about it for fear that others will not know. They feel no warmth towards comrades and the people are cold, indifferent and apathetic. In fact such people are not Communists, or at least cannot be counted as true Communists." -Mao Zedong
In a certain ideal society, the part is inferior to the whole. The direct needs or desires of the individual are less important than the needs of others. Humankind’s obligation in life is fulfilling duties to society. An acceptable life is exemplified through leadership partnered with such ethics. In fact, these rulers attain such a position because it is his or her destiny mandated by Heaven. Furthermore, in this society, there is a certain reverence for authority figures; respect is expected to be given, unreciprocated, by younger, less experienced individuals. This ideal insists that one must compromise his or her own comfort, safety, or even life in the name of filial piety. Finally, this model system embraces a certain cultivation of self in which learning to be a proper human being consists of becoming a gentleman with “inner integrity, righteousness, loyalty, altruism or reciprocity, and above all love. Such a gentleman should be aesthetically refined, morally excellent, and religiously profound.”
The most studious scholar of Chinese culture would recognize these aforementioned qualities as Confucian principles. Alas, it may come as a surprise to this intellectual that Confucianist ideology was not the intended aim at all. Instead, the aim upon which will be expounded upon lies within the psyche of Mao Zedong. While he claimed himself a counter-Confucianist, the philosophies that were entrenched in Mao Zedong’s mind were in fact very Confucian in nature. In line with Confucian beliefs “Mao Zedong believed that right thinking was integral to right conduct. He therefore gave enormous emphasis to matters of ideology and to the importance of ideological education to the people.”
Confucius lived during China’s Warring States period as a self-educated philosopher. He traveled around China, preaching his philosophy that he claimed would provide structure and success in society. Confucius was also a great teacher and theorist whose ideas have permeated all of eastern Asia. From this influence, Mao took Confucian ideals and distorted them to fit his own political agenda. He used collectivism to perpetuate his own self-glorification. Furthermore, Mao took advantage of collectivist-minded peasants as observed in the disastrous Great Leap Forward. Next, as demonstrated by the Red Guards, he inverted the idea of respecting parents to mean, instead, obedience to the motherland and the fathers of the Communist Party. Finally, through mass movements, rather than self-cultivation and education, Mao sought to eradicate old ways of thinking, including Confucianism. He lived his own life in hypocrisy when he told others to live humbly, while he accumulated wealth and materialism. If Mao Zedong’s ideas were a mirror, Confucius would see a disfigured, unrecognizable image staring back at him.
Mao sought unity in bringing up a Communist-minded society in which he achieved a god-like status. Instead of serving the people, Mao’s self-glorification allowed him to wield great power as an individual. This strictly goes against the Confucian idea of sacrificing the self. In addition, because leadership is mandated in heaven, he who is given power can be subject to criticism. However, his own superiority led to the same self-righteous attitude that Mao warned the Communist party about. In his speech to the Second Plenary Session of the Seventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, he cautioned “with victory, certain moods may grow within the Party—arrogance, the airs of a self-styled hero, inertia and unwillingness to make progress, love of pleasure and distaste for continued hard living.” Mao, became so arrogant that he eventually regarded his own opinion above all others, including concerned doctors worried about his well-being. Mao enjoyed a status where his book of quotations was treated like a bible. In fact, people developed religious rituals around his picture and red book. The Communist Party persuaded people to “regard Mao as virtually a god—and by 1971, Chinese citizens typically bowed three times before Mao’s picture each morning and evening, ‘reporting’ the day’s events and their thoughts to the Chairman at each evening ablution.” On Mao’s behalf, how advantageous it was for him to have an entire nation ready to do whatever he requested! Mao manipulated Confucian principals of self-sacrifice, viewing people as disposable beings. In order to achieve his agenda, Mao “demonstrated his commitment to revolution, his skill in mobilizing the Chinese against each other, and his readiness to sacrifice the lives of large numbers of people.” He showed a lack of concern for others, just so long as his desires were carried out.
A perfect example of Mao’s attitude was represented in the Great Leap Forward. He took the collectivist ideology to an extreme to bring about mass production. Mao viewed this movement as enabling the peasants to be the backbone of the nation’s agricultural and industrial output. China wanted to emulate Soviet Russia’s strategy, in which Stalin saw fast industrial growth among the poor rural areas. The government assembled “people’s communes” in hope of organizing successful party-run production units. This new system was embraced by the people with a new vigor, which blinded everyone to its shortcomings. Such an enthusiasm was expected to be met with great success. Therefore, grain output was exaggerated by government officials in order to seem more flourishing. As a result, officials even wanted to leave one-third of the arable land fallow to curb the supposed excessive amount of production by the communes. The results were disastrous and all came at the expense of the disposable peasants. About 30 million peasants died of starvation. Instead of welcoming criticism, as a Confucian-minded leader would do in an attempt to rectify a failed policy or leadership, Mao purged government officials who spoke against him. He even claimed that if the entire party turned against him, he would “take to the hills, raise another army, and overthrow the CCP!” Needless to say, Mao’s threat was sufficient for the officials to side with him and punish the outliers.
Mao Zedong’s boundless power also became evident among China’s young people in a twisted practice of filial piety. In a Confucian society, children must pay respect to elders through obedience, loyalty, prayer to ancestors, have sons to carry on the family name, and do whatever means necessary to show reverence to their authority. Mao expected the same pious devotion from Communist Party members. In Confucianism, looking towards the future was ambiguous and untrustworthy because the greatest wisdom is gained from ancient knowledge. However, Mao saw looking backwards as resisting progress. The Red Guards became his pious sons and daughters and were the hands and feet of his Communist agenda. They “took to the street, in the slogan of the day, ‘to destroy the four olds.’ This translated into destroying old culture by raiding houses, burning books and antiques, beating and humiliating people who seemed not to be in the spirit of things, and killing those who tried to resist.” Mao did nothing to stop the mobilization of violence and the sudden power beholden to these young radicals. In his mind, people were working as a collective whole to overcome the evils of old society. Anyone working in the name of Communism, young or old, rich or poor, was considered equal. Mao even stated that “All our cadres, whatever their rank, are servants of the people, and whatever we do is serve the people.” This not only undermined the concept of filial piety by eliminating hierarchies, but also emphasized serving the Party before the family. Mao demanded “the unthinkable in Confucianism: that youths rebel against their elders…stressed activism and rejection of the old (one of his favorite slogans was, ‘Smash the old, establish the new’).” This idea runs directly contrary to Confucianist ideals.
Mao’s commission of mass movements entirely countered the Confucian principals of human cultivation and restraint. In his eyes, radical revolutions were the only way to make progress. He did not believe that people should stand aside and passively allow themselves to be ruled. Mao “abhorred the Confucian notion that rulers know what to do because of their mastery of the classical doctrine and that therefore the poorly educated masses must simply obey their superiors. This idea produced…just the opposite of the activist society and dynamic leadership that [he] believed were critical to the success of the revolution.” Mao employed brainwashing strategies, borrowed from the Soviets, which would be conducive to the creation of a like-minded Communist population. It began by being divided into study groups, in which people were given reading materials. Next, they had to apply the doctrines to his or her own life and find self-criticism from within. The brainwashing would be complete when the individuals wrote a confession that was accepted by the rest of the group. Such practices targeted the Chinese values of “saving face, protecting one’s innermost thinking, and above all, identifying with a group.”
While cleansing the mind was one important way of controlling the cultivation of self, physical force was used when necessary as evident in the Anti-Rightist Movement in 1957. Mao commanded that anyone who may get in the way of “establishing the new” had to be purged. As a result, children turned against parents, students condemned teachers and intellectuals, and the general populous rebelled against authority. In fact, the “school-age generation of China in the mid-1960s had been taught to demonize and dehumanize whole classes of people and to tolerate and celebrate gross violence, even sadism, against them.” Some people’s ideas were supposedly dangerous because they countered Party ideology. Heaven forbid if anyone tries to interfere with the agenda of Mao Zedong! While people condemned as anti-rightist were executed in the streets, still shouting “long live Mao Zedong,” the Chairman did not practice the same modesty and self-sacrifice for the greater good of society that he preached to his fellow countrymen. In reality, Mao did not restrain himself. Even though he “stressed the importance of simple living…Mao made extensive use of lavish residences built for his exclusive pleasure around the country.” If Mao’s most basic principals do not reflect the quintessential doctrines he teaches, then he can only expect the same amount of corruption to emanate from a monster of his own creation.
Confucianist ideals certainly influenced Mao Zedong’s own Communist philosophy. The old, fundamental doctrines emphasizing the individual benefitting the whole society, filial piety, and cultivation of self were corrupted to fit Mao’s new and progressive agendas. The problem arose when Mao’s ideals attempted to redefine traditional values that have been engrained in a society for thousands of years. A bad seed cannot produce good fruit. Rooted in Confucianism, Mao’s bad seed infested China’s natural, flourishing roots. He created a new, insidious species that disguised itself with Confucian morals, only to later suffocate society with its unyielding strength.
"There are not a few people who are irresponsible in their work, preferring the light to the heavy, shoving the heavy loads on to others and choosing the easy ones for themselves. At every turn they think of themselves before others. When they make some small contribution, they swell with pride and brag about it for fear that others will not know. They feel no warmth towards comrades and the people are cold, indifferent and apathetic. In fact such people are not Communists, or at least cannot be counted as true Communists." -Mao Zedong
In a certain ideal society, the part is inferior to the whole. The direct needs or desires of the individual are less important than the needs of others. Humankind’s obligation in life is fulfilling duties to society. An acceptable life is exemplified through leadership partnered with such ethics. In fact, these rulers attain such a position because it is his or her destiny mandated by Heaven. Furthermore, in this society, there is a certain reverence for authority figures; respect is expected to be given, unreciprocated, by younger, less experienced individuals. This ideal insists that one must compromise his or her own comfort, safety, or even life in the name of filial piety. Finally, this model system embraces a certain cultivation of self in which learning to be a proper human being consists of becoming a gentleman with “inner integrity, righteousness, loyalty, altruism or reciprocity, and above all love. Such a gentleman should be aesthetically refined, morally excellent, and religiously profound.”
The most studious scholar of Chinese culture would recognize these aforementioned qualities as Confucian principles. Alas, it may come as a surprise to this intellectual that Confucianist ideology was not the intended aim at all. Instead, the aim upon which will be expounded upon lies within the psyche of Mao Zedong. While he claimed himself a counter-Confucianist, the philosophies that were entrenched in Mao Zedong’s mind were in fact very Confucian in nature. In line with Confucian beliefs “Mao Zedong believed that right thinking was integral to right conduct. He therefore gave enormous emphasis to matters of ideology and to the importance of ideological education to the people.”
Confucius lived during China’s Warring States period as a self-educated philosopher. He traveled around China, preaching his philosophy that he claimed would provide structure and success in society. Confucius was also a great teacher and theorist whose ideas have permeated all of eastern Asia. From this influence, Mao took Confucian ideals and distorted them to fit his own political agenda. He used collectivism to perpetuate his own self-glorification. Furthermore, Mao took advantage of collectivist-minded peasants as observed in the disastrous Great Leap Forward. Next, as demonstrated by the Red Guards, he inverted the idea of respecting parents to mean, instead, obedience to the motherland and the fathers of the Communist Party. Finally, through mass movements, rather than self-cultivation and education, Mao sought to eradicate old ways of thinking, including Confucianism. He lived his own life in hypocrisy when he told others to live humbly, while he accumulated wealth and materialism. If Mao Zedong’s ideas were a mirror, Confucius would see a disfigured, unrecognizable image staring back at him.
Mao sought unity in bringing up a Communist-minded society in which he achieved a god-like status. Instead of serving the people, Mao’s self-glorification allowed him to wield great power as an individual. This strictly goes against the Confucian idea of sacrificing the self. In addition, because leadership is mandated in heaven, he who is given power can be subject to criticism. However, his own superiority led to the same self-righteous attitude that Mao warned the Communist party about. In his speech to the Second Plenary Session of the Seventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, he cautioned “with victory, certain moods may grow within the Party—arrogance, the airs of a self-styled hero, inertia and unwillingness to make progress, love of pleasure and distaste for continued hard living.” Mao, became so arrogant that he eventually regarded his own opinion above all others, including concerned doctors worried about his well-being. Mao enjoyed a status where his book of quotations was treated like a bible. In fact, people developed religious rituals around his picture and red book. The Communist Party persuaded people to “regard Mao as virtually a god—and by 1971, Chinese citizens typically bowed three times before Mao’s picture each morning and evening, ‘reporting’ the day’s events and their thoughts to the Chairman at each evening ablution.” On Mao’s behalf, how advantageous it was for him to have an entire nation ready to do whatever he requested! Mao manipulated Confucian principals of self-sacrifice, viewing people as disposable beings. In order to achieve his agenda, Mao “demonstrated his commitment to revolution, his skill in mobilizing the Chinese against each other, and his readiness to sacrifice the lives of large numbers of people.” He showed a lack of concern for others, just so long as his desires were carried out.
A perfect example of Mao’s attitude was represented in the Great Leap Forward. He took the collectivist ideology to an extreme to bring about mass production. Mao viewed this movement as enabling the peasants to be the backbone of the nation’s agricultural and industrial output. China wanted to emulate Soviet Russia’s strategy, in which Stalin saw fast industrial growth among the poor rural areas. The government assembled “people’s communes” in hope of organizing successful party-run production units. This new system was embraced by the people with a new vigor, which blinded everyone to its shortcomings. Such an enthusiasm was expected to be met with great success. Therefore, grain output was exaggerated by government officials in order to seem more flourishing. As a result, officials even wanted to leave one-third of the arable land fallow to curb the supposed excessive amount of production by the communes. The results were disastrous and all came at the expense of the disposable peasants. About 30 million peasants died of starvation. Instead of welcoming criticism, as a Confucian-minded leader would do in an attempt to rectify a failed policy or leadership, Mao purged government officials who spoke against him. He even claimed that if the entire party turned against him, he would “take to the hills, raise another army, and overthrow the CCP!” Needless to say, Mao’s threat was sufficient for the officials to side with him and punish the outliers.
Mao Zedong’s boundless power also became evident among China’s young people in a twisted practice of filial piety. In a Confucian society, children must pay respect to elders through obedience, loyalty, prayer to ancestors, have sons to carry on the family name, and do whatever means necessary to show reverence to their authority. Mao expected the same pious devotion from Communist Party members. In Confucianism, looking towards the future was ambiguous and untrustworthy because the greatest wisdom is gained from ancient knowledge. However, Mao saw looking backwards as resisting progress. The Red Guards became his pious sons and daughters and were the hands and feet of his Communist agenda. They “took to the street, in the slogan of the day, ‘to destroy the four olds.’ This translated into destroying old culture by raiding houses, burning books and antiques, beating and humiliating people who seemed not to be in the spirit of things, and killing those who tried to resist.” Mao did nothing to stop the mobilization of violence and the sudden power beholden to these young radicals. In his mind, people were working as a collective whole to overcome the evils of old society. Anyone working in the name of Communism, young or old, rich or poor, was considered equal. Mao even stated that “All our cadres, whatever their rank, are servants of the people, and whatever we do is serve the people.” This not only undermined the concept of filial piety by eliminating hierarchies, but also emphasized serving the Party before the family. Mao demanded “the unthinkable in Confucianism: that youths rebel against their elders…stressed activism and rejection of the old (one of his favorite slogans was, ‘Smash the old, establish the new’).” This idea runs directly contrary to Confucianist ideals.
Mao’s commission of mass movements entirely countered the Confucian principals of human cultivation and restraint. In his eyes, radical revolutions were the only way to make progress. He did not believe that people should stand aside and passively allow themselves to be ruled. Mao “abhorred the Confucian notion that rulers know what to do because of their mastery of the classical doctrine and that therefore the poorly educated masses must simply obey their superiors. This idea produced…just the opposite of the activist society and dynamic leadership that [he] believed were critical to the success of the revolution.” Mao employed brainwashing strategies, borrowed from the Soviets, which would be conducive to the creation of a like-minded Communist population. It began by being divided into study groups, in which people were given reading materials. Next, they had to apply the doctrines to his or her own life and find self-criticism from within. The brainwashing would be complete when the individuals wrote a confession that was accepted by the rest of the group. Such practices targeted the Chinese values of “saving face, protecting one’s innermost thinking, and above all, identifying with a group.”
While cleansing the mind was one important way of controlling the cultivation of self, physical force was used when necessary as evident in the Anti-Rightist Movement in 1957. Mao commanded that anyone who may get in the way of “establishing the new” had to be purged. As a result, children turned against parents, students condemned teachers and intellectuals, and the general populous rebelled against authority. In fact, the “school-age generation of China in the mid-1960s had been taught to demonize and dehumanize whole classes of people and to tolerate and celebrate gross violence, even sadism, against them.” Some people’s ideas were supposedly dangerous because they countered Party ideology. Heaven forbid if anyone tries to interfere with the agenda of Mao Zedong! While people condemned as anti-rightist were executed in the streets, still shouting “long live Mao Zedong,” the Chairman did not practice the same modesty and self-sacrifice for the greater good of society that he preached to his fellow countrymen. In reality, Mao did not restrain himself. Even though he “stressed the importance of simple living…Mao made extensive use of lavish residences built for his exclusive pleasure around the country.” If Mao’s most basic principals do not reflect the quintessential doctrines he teaches, then he can only expect the same amount of corruption to emanate from a monster of his own creation.
Confucianist ideals certainly influenced Mao Zedong’s own Communist philosophy. The old, fundamental doctrines emphasizing the individual benefitting the whole society, filial piety, and cultivation of self were corrupted to fit Mao’s new and progressive agendas. The problem arose when Mao’s ideals attempted to redefine traditional values that have been engrained in a society for thousands of years. A bad seed cannot produce good fruit. Rooted in Confucianism, Mao’s bad seed infested China’s natural, flourishing roots. He created a new, insidious species that disguised itself with Confucian morals, only to later suffocate society with its unyielding strength.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Chongqing
Last weekend, Bruce and I went to Chongqing. I stopped there briefly in September on my way to Chengdu, but did not get the chance to explore the city. There was so much to do and so little time.
We arrived in Chongqing by train on Friday afternoon. I scored big on finding the perfect hotel. We stayed in a four-star hotel for 29 US dollars a night. I love how cheap China can be!! Anyway, hotpot originated in Chongqing, so everywhere we went we were surrounded by this famous Sichuan cuisine. The first day I was feeling a little sick, so we avoided it. I actually felt sicker the second day (and I've gotten progressively more congested and icky), so we never ended up eating it. Needless to say, I am not even the least bit heartbroken for not eating food cooked in a pot of boiling oil and spicy peppers. I found the MOST AMAZING STARBUCKS I HAVE EVER SEEN! The place was 3 stories and super plush. This Seattle girl was very impressed, indeed. The next day we walked across a bridge that went over the Yangtze River. One the other side we found this amusement park where I had an artist draw a portrait of me. It didn't look like me at all. I think he made my neck too long and I looked Russian or something... That night, we went on a 2 hour river cruise to check out the fantastic city skyline reflected on the river. We met a cool American couple who took way better pictures than me. Also, I don't know why, but I have noticed a trend of old Chinese men wanting to take pictures with young American girls. I shudder to think where my face is somewhere, unbeknown to me, floating around in cyberspace. I impressed the Americans by ordering the man a beer and asking where the bathroom is... I know. My skills astound me too ;)
When we got back to the hotel, we went to the bar/nightclub/karaoke on the 8th floor. The owner came up to us and asked where I was from. She offered me and Bruce free beers on the house, so I suffered through a Budweiser. I washed it down with a coffee liquor on the the rocks. I forgot my money in my other pants, so it was embarrassing to have to make Bruce go get my money :( Oh well...
We left Sunday morning, feeling a little sick, but glad that we went on the trip and happy to have met some interesting people as always.
We arrived in Chongqing by train on Friday afternoon. I scored big on finding the perfect hotel. We stayed in a four-star hotel for 29 US dollars a night. I love how cheap China can be!! Anyway, hotpot originated in Chongqing, so everywhere we went we were surrounded by this famous Sichuan cuisine. The first day I was feeling a little sick, so we avoided it. I actually felt sicker the second day (and I've gotten progressively more congested and icky), so we never ended up eating it. Needless to say, I am not even the least bit heartbroken for not eating food cooked in a pot of boiling oil and spicy peppers. I found the MOST AMAZING STARBUCKS I HAVE EVER SEEN! The place was 3 stories and super plush. This Seattle girl was very impressed, indeed. The next day we walked across a bridge that went over the Yangtze River. One the other side we found this amusement park where I had an artist draw a portrait of me. It didn't look like me at all. I think he made my neck too long and I looked Russian or something... That night, we went on a 2 hour river cruise to check out the fantastic city skyline reflected on the river. We met a cool American couple who took way better pictures than me. Also, I don't know why, but I have noticed a trend of old Chinese men wanting to take pictures with young American girls. I shudder to think where my face is somewhere, unbeknown to me, floating around in cyberspace. I impressed the Americans by ordering the man a beer and asking where the bathroom is... I know. My skills astound me too ;)
When we got back to the hotel, we went to the bar/nightclub/karaoke on the 8th floor. The owner came up to us and asked where I was from. She offered me and Bruce free beers on the house, so I suffered through a Budweiser. I washed it down with a coffee liquor on the the rocks. I forgot my money in my other pants, so it was embarrassing to have to make Bruce go get my money :( Oh well...
We left Sunday morning, feeling a little sick, but glad that we went on the trip and happy to have met some interesting people as always.
Going to Church
I have decided to dedicate an entire blog about my church experience in China. I don't care what I say in this blog. I am leaving China soon anyway, so it can't hurt anyone and I'm not going to preach at you. I am only talking about my own personal experience.
On most Sundays when I am not off on a weekend trip or whatnot, I go to one of the legal churches about half an hour's bike ride from my school. The service is a more traditional protestant service, with hymnals and reciting the apostle's creed and Lord's prayer. It is really cool to hear that stuff in a different language in unison. It is still as powerful as in English. When the pastor prays, people interject "amen" throughout the prayer, just like in America. Despite the fact that the sermon was in a language I can barely understand because the words are not common words used in regular speech, it is still great to be in fellowship with brothers and sister in Christ. After church is over, Michael, Bruce, Roselle, Peter, some others, and I usually go out to eat lunch. It is always a great time because Roselle and Peter are from New Zealand, so they speak both English and Chinese. Roselle is a crack up. She has funny facials expressions when she speaks Chinese and is so full of life!
My Chinese friend whose name is also Sarah (we call her "Chinese Sarah" so we don't get her confused with my sister) invited me to go to her underground church. Sarah, Bruce, and I have been there a few times now and Bruce says that it is much more meaningful than our morning church (yep, I go to church twice in one day!). Bruce really likes the worship songs a lot more than the hymns too. The first time we went there, after the service the people took us to the back room and told the "newbies" about the fall of man and how we have a savior who paid the price for our sins. The woman telling us all of this asked each individual if they would like to pray and become a Christian. As we prayed I felt the holy spirit and got these "spiritual tingles" even though I couldn't really understand what she was saying. This was an important moment for me because it was amazing for me to experience the holy spirit defy language barriers! Praise God!
On most Sundays when I am not off on a weekend trip or whatnot, I go to one of the legal churches about half an hour's bike ride from my school. The service is a more traditional protestant service, with hymnals and reciting the apostle's creed and Lord's prayer. It is really cool to hear that stuff in a different language in unison. It is still as powerful as in English. When the pastor prays, people interject "amen" throughout the prayer, just like in America. Despite the fact that the sermon was in a language I can barely understand because the words are not common words used in regular speech, it is still great to be in fellowship with brothers and sister in Christ. After church is over, Michael, Bruce, Roselle, Peter, some others, and I usually go out to eat lunch. It is always a great time because Roselle and Peter are from New Zealand, so they speak both English and Chinese. Roselle is a crack up. She has funny facials expressions when she speaks Chinese and is so full of life!
My Chinese friend whose name is also Sarah (we call her "Chinese Sarah" so we don't get her confused with my sister) invited me to go to her underground church. Sarah, Bruce, and I have been there a few times now and Bruce says that it is much more meaningful than our morning church (yep, I go to church twice in one day!). Bruce really likes the worship songs a lot more than the hymns too. The first time we went there, after the service the people took us to the back room and told the "newbies" about the fall of man and how we have a savior who paid the price for our sins. The woman telling us all of this asked each individual if they would like to pray and become a Christian. As we prayed I felt the holy spirit and got these "spiritual tingles" even though I couldn't really understand what she was saying. This was an important moment for me because it was amazing for me to experience the holy spirit defy language barriers! Praise God!
Dujiangyan Fundraiser and Thanksgiving
At one of our weekly Sunday class meetings, Raedar made an announcement that some of our classmates wanted to organize an event to raise money for the earthquake victims in Dujiangyan. "Oh, and by the way, I signed you and Sarah up to sing a song." Alright. No problem. Sarah and I settled on Prayer of the Children because the theme of the benefit dinner was "Warm our Hearts."
The location was phenomenal. We ate a very expensive dinner at the Grand Lhasa Hotel in Chengdu. Inside the dining hall was a replica of the Potala Palace. My host family was there too. The event included a catered meal and entertainment by the Americans. We also wrote letters to the children and sent them in envelopes attached to teddy bears. One of the best parts of the event was when some of the boys in our group choreographed a dance to the Nsync song "It's gonna be me." It was the funniest thing I have ever seen. They did such a good job.
As a side note, later that night a few of my classmates went out to the clubs. One of the guys was dancing with a Chinese girl who asked HIM to dance. He found out he was dancing with the wrong girl when he got punched in the head by the girl's boyfriend. They were wrestling around and somehow the Chinese man got a hold of a beer bottle and smashed it on top of my friend's head. After a hospital trip and about 16 stitches later, he is doing just fine. Trust me, the whole situation was much more traumatic, but that is all you need to know.
For Thanksgiving, PLU paid for us to go to a 5 star hotel and have an unbelievably amazing banquet. It was only about 30 US dollars for the whole thing!! Food wise, it was the best Thanksgiving ever...don't get me wrong, I did miss my family's snowman poop and aunt lori's pie.
Around this time I also found out that I got the RA job for Spring semester. Out of 69 applicants, there were only a few spots open, so I consider myself very lucky and blessed to be hired. I can't wait to get involved when I get back to PLU...and the free single room doesn't hurt either! Today, I got an email asking me to start work during J-term instead of waiting until the Spring, so I will be pretty busy when I am back in America! Only 2 weeks (and counting)!
The location was phenomenal. We ate a very expensive dinner at the Grand Lhasa Hotel in Chengdu. Inside the dining hall was a replica of the Potala Palace. My host family was there too. The event included a catered meal and entertainment by the Americans. We also wrote letters to the children and sent them in envelopes attached to teddy bears. One of the best parts of the event was when some of the boys in our group choreographed a dance to the Nsync song "It's gonna be me." It was the funniest thing I have ever seen. They did such a good job.
As a side note, later that night a few of my classmates went out to the clubs. One of the guys was dancing with a Chinese girl who asked HIM to dance. He found out he was dancing with the wrong girl when he got punched in the head by the girl's boyfriend. They were wrestling around and somehow the Chinese man got a hold of a beer bottle and smashed it on top of my friend's head. After a hospital trip and about 16 stitches later, he is doing just fine. Trust me, the whole situation was much more traumatic, but that is all you need to know.
For Thanksgiving, PLU paid for us to go to a 5 star hotel and have an unbelievably amazing banquet. It was only about 30 US dollars for the whole thing!! Food wise, it was the best Thanksgiving ever...don't get me wrong, I did miss my family's snowman poop and aunt lori's pie.
Around this time I also found out that I got the RA job for Spring semester. Out of 69 applicants, there were only a few spots open, so I consider myself very lucky and blessed to be hired. I can't wait to get involved when I get back to PLU...and the free single room doesn't hurt either! Today, I got an email asking me to start work during J-term instead of waiting until the Spring, so I will be pretty busy when I am back in America! Only 2 weeks (and counting)!
Lizhuang
A few weeks ago, on our way to Lizhuang, we stopped at a dinosaur museum. The place was really neat/random. We got some awesome pictures of Sarah and me sitting in the mouth of a t-rex. Crazy dinosaur impressions abound!
Lizhuang is located on the Yangtze River and used to be a lot more popular for tourism. The hotel we stayed at used to be a temple, but during the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s and 1970s, people sought to destroy the Old China and establish a New China under Communism. All of the rooms in the hotel were different shaped. The toilets were squatters and in the same vicinity as the sink and shower.
The best part of Lizhuang was the people. When we got there, we strolled down the street looking for something to do before dinner. By the time I got to the end of the street, I was followed by a ton of elementary age kids. They "tested" me on my Chinese by pointing to their head, eyes, nose, etc. and asked what the English words were. All of their parents came up to me and Sarah too to boggle at the blonde white twins! The kids insisted that we "pao bu"--run around town, literally. We engaged in running competitions! I totally felt like I was 8 years old again. Sarah and I taught them the Chinese version of Red light, green light "hong deng, lu dung." When it was dinner time, the kids told us to hurry up so we could keep playing, even though it was already dark.
After dinner, our classmates went in search of a pool table. As we were walking down the street, we saw men sitting in wicker chairs playing cards. They yelled over to us to sit down and chat. I walked over and they asked me if I wanted a Chinese husband or if I had ever been with a Chinese man. I just laughed and then we proceeded to talk about how much fatter Americans are compared to Chinese. It was really strange. Continuing on my way, we maintained a steady stream of Chinese men, women, and children at our heels. Any store we went into was followed by about 20 other people trying to see what we were doing. I overheard a group of young girls trying to persuade a girl to approach us. Over and over she repeated slowly, practicing to herself "where...are...you...from?" I am fascinated at how friendly the entire town was and how different their reactions were to anything I have ever experienced.
Lizhuang is located on the Yangtze River and used to be a lot more popular for tourism. The hotel we stayed at used to be a temple, but during the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s and 1970s, people sought to destroy the Old China and establish a New China under Communism. All of the rooms in the hotel were different shaped. The toilets were squatters and in the same vicinity as the sink and shower.
The best part of Lizhuang was the people. When we got there, we strolled down the street looking for something to do before dinner. By the time I got to the end of the street, I was followed by a ton of elementary age kids. They "tested" me on my Chinese by pointing to their head, eyes, nose, etc. and asked what the English words were. All of their parents came up to me and Sarah too to boggle at the blonde white twins! The kids insisted that we "pao bu"--run around town, literally. We engaged in running competitions! I totally felt like I was 8 years old again. Sarah and I taught them the Chinese version of Red light, green light "hong deng, lu dung." When it was dinner time, the kids told us to hurry up so we could keep playing, even though it was already dark.
After dinner, our classmates went in search of a pool table. As we were walking down the street, we saw men sitting in wicker chairs playing cards. They yelled over to us to sit down and chat. I walked over and they asked me if I wanted a Chinese husband or if I had ever been with a Chinese man. I just laughed and then we proceeded to talk about how much fatter Americans are compared to Chinese. It was really strange. Continuing on my way, we maintained a steady stream of Chinese men, women, and children at our heels. Any store we went into was followed by about 20 other people trying to see what we were doing. I overheard a group of young girls trying to persuade a girl to approach us. Over and over she repeated slowly, practicing to herself "where...are...you...from?" I am fascinated at how friendly the entire town was and how different their reactions were to anything I have ever experienced.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
A Late Introduction + Other Thoughts
Over two months down and less than two months to go... sorry I am not very good at keeping my blog as up to date as I should :( But anyway, I realized that I failed to introduce you to one of the most influential parts of my China experience: my American classmates. I can tell you all about Tibet, Hong kong, my purse getting stolen, etc. but the people behind the experiences really make or break the trip, right?
What a good-looking group, eh? From the back to the front, left to right: starting with Andy in the white shirt, Raeder, Phillip, Zach, Luke, Joey, Tyler, Dylan, and Troy. In the middle: Justin, Thom and Kay McDade, Lexi, Anna, Emily, Erin, and Colin. In the front: Maria, Me, Tiara, Sarah, and Hillary. ...Whew! Once we got to Chengdu we met up with John, Ashley, Eva, and Micah. I hope I'm not forgetting anyone....
So Tiara, in between me and Sarah is my roommate. Sarah's roommate Lexi is next to the McDade's. Sarah's and my roommate hang out with each other a lot which is kind of interesting. Given another month or so, Sarah and I would have ended up rooming together and Tiara and Lexi. I still get along with Tiara, we just didn't click like her and Lexi. Or "clique" I might say...
Overall, I think our group is pretty good--of course it doesn't come without the average amount of drama which is totally to be expected: you know, she likes him, but he doesn't like her and vis versa. Or, "lets have a 'Girls Night,' but exclude some girls." blah, blah, blah. I used to be annoyed by it, but now I don't really care. In my opinion, I don't think you can expect twenty some people to all be "best friends." I try to be on one side of the spectrum or the other: stay out of it as much as possible or be as inclusive as possible . Personally, I don't understand how some people have it in their hearts to exclude others while they are in the same room. If you are going to have a "girls night" then, come on guys! --don't talk about it when there are others in the room who you don't want to invite. Common sense. I've always had the mentality that we are all in this together, so why not include everyone? Some of my Chinese friends have expressed to me that they don't feel comfortable hanging out with "the American group" because they don't feel welcome. That is just downright immature and makes me feel bad. Of course people are creatures of habit and cling to what is familiar, but to be creatures of habit at the expense of others feelings, especially our Chinese friends who don't deserve to be treated like that, is not okay. Alright, I'll get off my soapbox, but I guess I just wanted to give you more of a personal insight of being in China, instead of expository blogs telling you the basics on traveling, historical sites, and what not... Don't get me wrong, I like our group though.
So now that I have told you a little about the Meiguo ren (Americans), let me tell you about some of my Chinese friends (sorry I don't have pictures yet). First of all, Winter is probably one of the smartest people I have ever met. She speaks English very fluently and even has a slight British accent. She helped me sooo much, especially when my purse got stolen. She helped me buy a new cell phone. When I first arrived in Chengdu, Winter also took us shopping at Trustmart for all our basic necessities. Then there is Alex. I met him at English Corner, a popular place to go on Friday nights for Chinese to practice speaking English. His British accent is worse than Winter's. He talks in puns and idioms a lot like, "five finger discount" and "I'm just shooting the breeze." It makes me laugh when he uses them incorrectly, but sometimes I wonder if his English is better than mine. He is so diligent in learning English. He carries a notepad around with him everywhere. He is a Sichuan cuisine chef. One of his hobbies is reading BBC and studying the economy. Alex thinks my facial expressions are amusing :) Abby and Rita are two very cute girls who helped me pick out my halloween costume. They are very nice and I hope to hang out with them more. I met Michael Xiang and Bruce at church. Michael is obsessed with playing rugby and likes NBA. He was the guy I met the first week or so and very candidly asked me if I was a Christian, which I thought was brave for China. I admire his discipleship. After church this week, a bunch of us went to hotpot with Michael and his family. Bruce is a really cool guy. I think he is kinda cute ;) He is a baby Christian and we have been hanging out a lot lately. I am going to karaoke with him this afternoon. He is a chef like Alex (I think I have a magnetic forcefield for chefs), but he does Western pastries! mmmmm..... :) Who else? Sissi, Ivy, and Cherry are college students who I am giving English classes to. They want to learn about money and business and hope to be able to improve their English enough to apply to Western universities. I met a great New Zealand couple named Roselle and Peter who Michael introduced me to. They are really awesome people who I go to church with and have great fellowship with!
So as you can see, I have a very diverse group of people I am spending time with. Sarah and I still do a lot together. Recently we serenaded the chinamen with some Chinese songs at English Corner...now they are joking that we need to give them a new song each week lol. That is one way to motivate me to learn Chinese :)
My roommate is leaving this weekend so I get the room to myself this weekend again (she went to Hongzhou once too) Like, 11 or 12 people are going to Xian this weekend and 5 people are going horseback riding somewhere else (my roomie and co.) so I will be one of the few people left in Chengdu. What will I do? I haven't gone on a shopping spree lately. Maybe I'll make my roomie come back to copius amounts of room decor or jinianpin (souveniors). If you know of something specific that you want me to bring you, let me know.
So that is pretty much all for now. This next week or so will be consumed with registering for next semester's classes and studying for my Chinese midterm (hen rongyi- really easy). I wish I was learning more new material. I only had two choices: go into a class for people with absolutely no Chinese whatsoever, or the class for people who have had any remote amount (I mean...even only a year, and I'm on my 6th year) of Chinese, so I'm caught in the unfair compromise...oh well, it gives me more of an excuse to go back to China :) But not too soon, don't worry! I miss you guys too much to stay here too long.
PS- Obamarama, as my dad said. I am kind of indifferent to the presidential candidates, but I'm anxious to see what "change" Obama has up his sleeve. One of my friends joked that the US will be renamed the USSA- United Socialist States of America :P We'll see, won't we?
Monday, October 13, 2008
My trip to the earthquake ruins
On Saturday, our group went to a city stricken by the earthquake. It was a very interesting experience. My experience was definitely not what I expected.
We began our trip by going to a refugee type community. As we walked through, I felt an odd sense of being voyeuristic that I did not like at all. We pretty much invaded their space and treated it like a tourist site, which I consider very inappropriate. Apparently, we did the same tour that Condoleeza Rice went on. But there wasn't much more to that excursion.
Next, we went to a high school to volunteer to do activities with the kids. Goings-on included soccer, making friendship bracelets, singing English songs, frisbee, and playing cards. I opted to sing songs :)
Now this might seem kinda cheesy, but one of the songs we taught them was "You are my sunshine." The day was overcast and rubble was still everywhere from the earthquake. Many of the kids could read and speak English, so the language barrier was not a huge problem. There was a profound moment for me as we sung "you make me happy when skies are grey, you'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away." Amidst everything bad that had happened to these high schoolers, they could still come together to sing about hope and love when their lives had hit rock bottom. I couldn't prepare for the swelling feeling in my heart that I experienced towards these children. This, this here is the true definition of peace. One of the dictionary's definitions calls peace: freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, an obsession, etc.; tranquillity; serenity. How can one know peace without the knowledge of unrest, disorder, and anxiety? When do you know that peace has been achieved? It's when young, bright minds come together, despite all hardships, to be united in perfect harmony--musical harmony brings peaceful harmony. I know this sounds so cliche, but I could not begin to describe to you the feeling I felt. Afterwards, everyone told me they loved the singing. Hugs all-around, I got back on the bus knowing that I made new friends that I connected with in a special way.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Om mani padme hum
Om mani padme hum... that is the mantra for the buddha of compassion, which is the main buddha.
I have to say, I am kinda monasteried out. I think I have been to 6 or 7 so far and after a while the insides all seem to look and smell the same. Monks dressed in maroon and yellow robes, buttery stuff fueling candles, ten cent notes everywhere....... "walk counter-clockwise!" ok, ok, ok...I don't want to come across as someone who is unappreciative of other cultures, don't get me wrong the monasteries are beautiful and full of history, but right now I am just on an overload.
So overall, Lhasa is a very beautiful place with a rich culture. It is so different from anything I have ever experienced it is hard to put it into words.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Yak yak yak yak yak
Hey everyone!
So I made it to Tibet safe and sound. I absolutely love it here. The altitude is really high, but I'm not really having a problem with it. There is a market not too far from our hotel and I bought a north face jacket for like $35 US! The food is really good here too. The other day I had "yak chowmein" :D One thing you have to be careful about is the China-Tibet sensitivities. I am avoiding talking to anyone about the conflicts. Also, I have never been in a place that is "occupied" by an army force. I see camo trucks driving up and down the streets with men inside, soldiers walking in formation, and street corners armed with men in uniform and shields. I walk by them anytime I go anywhere. It reminds me of the gaza strip or something!
But enough about that...today was one of the best experiences of my life! We rode a bus up switchback roads to a Buddhist hermit village and I went rock climbing in the mountains. Sarah and I got some sweet pictures! One of my friends got a picture of a monk listening to his Ipod! It was so sweet! Since the elevation is so high, they have very limited access to technology, so they boil water by reflecting the sunlight off of metal plates. There are yaks everywhere like cows in any farm in the US and I got a picture like 5 feet away from one. Tibetan prayer flags are also a big deal. It was so crazy to see them strung literally from one cliff to the other. How the heck did people get UP there? I can't believe people actually lived in the caves too. It was a surreal experience, especially the view! It definitely beat anything I have ever witnessed in my life so far...
I know I keep going on and on without actually showing you pictures of everything, but I will figure out how to do it when I get back to Chengdu next Saturday or so. Later!
Friday, September 26, 2008
I Can't Sleep
So I can't sleep because I can't stop thinking about something I saw that I swear was straight from a scifi movie! It was by far one of the creepiest, most disturbing things I've ever seen.
It might seem kind of stupid, but you had to be there, so I will do my best to describe it in as much detail as possible....
So a friend and I were walking down the road when we encountered a praying mantis that had been run over by a car or bicycle. It's guts were everywhere. Big deal. But from the guts arose this black, skinny snake-like mass. I promise you it was a spawn of satan from the pit of hell! It proceeded to writhe/slither/crawl away from the corpse. I am presuming that it was intending to return to the evil inferno from whence it came.
Im sure it was the nervous system that separated from the mantis, causing such a disturbing sight. But I am not exaggerating one bit when I say it was the freakiest thing I have ever seen and I have now successfully developed a phobia for praying mantises!
Oh my gosh, I can't sleep....
Thursday, September 18, 2008
My life post-theft
So I must apologize for my last frantic blog...but it was warranted. Since my purse got stolen, I've been back near the scene of the theft two or three times. Also, my classes have officially been in session for two weeks now, so a nice routine will hopefully keep me out of trouble! Or so I thought...
Sarah and I parked our bikes outside of the North gate of the university to catch a bus downtown. When we came back, our bikes had been stolen! I couldn't believe it! I wasn't as upset because a bike can be replaced easily. Plus, I think I'm starting to realize that theft is a big part of life in any big city. The annoying part is being dubbed the "bad luck sisters" and other various titles...Sarah lost her room key not too long ago.
So today I went to apply for my new visa. I found out the cost would be around 940 yuen. My passport cost 730 yuen, and my purse had 1200 yuen in it...so not counting everything else I had to pay for, my minimal loss comes to about $430 (US) but I had to buy a new purse, translator, bike...so it will be more than that...but in the course of my whole life the money lost is not as significant as the lesson learned. I keep telling myself that. Mom said something that cannot be denied either. This is a sign that I am doing God's will. If I wasn't, I don't think that the Enemy would be attacking so forcefully! So bring it on (not really...but you know what I mean)!
So I believe God has answered many of your (and my) prayers by sending some very special people into my life. Or it could potentially be another temptation by Satan...I will explain everything and then you can tell me what you think! It is one of those things that may be a real blessing or too good to be true.
My professor approached me after class with the proposition of teaching English. He gave me the phone number of the guy who was the "middle man" for his friend who wanted a tutor. At first it was kinda sketchy because he specifically requested a female tutor. I didn't see why that made a difference and I knew nothing about him. So when I went to meet this guy, I took a guy friend with me and definitely planned on backing out if it got even slightly weird. We met at this golf country club and sat and talked for about 3 hours before the man invited me to dinner. He is about my parents age and he has a daughter about my age. She is really cool and I am glad that this explains the request for a female tutor. He is a very kind and generous man. The dinner was very expensive and I felt totally out of place.
He told me that he and his daughter wanted to learn and practice English in a friendship setting. Since money is no obstacle for him, he was willing to pay for my transportation and any other expenses revolved around building a relationship (dinner and what not) and learning English. He also said that he could help me with my Chinese. He wants to pay me too, but I don't know if that is a good idea because it violates my visa (which I currently don't have lol). It really isn't worth it if I get caught. Plus the amount he has already spent on dinner, going out, and transportation is payment enough if you ask me!
So this has turned out to be a lucky experience so far. It seems legit, but I will keep you all updated. I hope it is not Satan trying to distract me from what I am supposed to be doing. What do you think?
Well I'm going to go to bed now, so I hope to hear from everyone soon! Love and miss you all!
Sarah and I parked our bikes outside of the North gate of the university to catch a bus downtown. When we came back, our bikes had been stolen! I couldn't believe it! I wasn't as upset because a bike can be replaced easily. Plus, I think I'm starting to realize that theft is a big part of life in any big city. The annoying part is being dubbed the "bad luck sisters" and other various titles...Sarah lost her room key not too long ago.
So today I went to apply for my new visa. I found out the cost would be around 940 yuen. My passport cost 730 yuen, and my purse had 1200 yuen in it...so not counting everything else I had to pay for, my minimal loss comes to about $430 (US) but I had to buy a new purse, translator, bike...so it will be more than that...but in the course of my whole life the money lost is not as significant as the lesson learned. I keep telling myself that. Mom said something that cannot be denied either. This is a sign that I am doing God's will. If I wasn't, I don't think that the Enemy would be attacking so forcefully! So bring it on (not really...but you know what I mean)!
So I believe God has answered many of your (and my) prayers by sending some very special people into my life. Or it could potentially be another temptation by Satan...I will explain everything and then you can tell me what you think! It is one of those things that may be a real blessing or too good to be true.
My professor approached me after class with the proposition of teaching English. He gave me the phone number of the guy who was the "middle man" for his friend who wanted a tutor. At first it was kinda sketchy because he specifically requested a female tutor. I didn't see why that made a difference and I knew nothing about him. So when I went to meet this guy, I took a guy friend with me and definitely planned on backing out if it got even slightly weird. We met at this golf country club and sat and talked for about 3 hours before the man invited me to dinner. He is about my parents age and he has a daughter about my age. She is really cool and I am glad that this explains the request for a female tutor. He is a very kind and generous man. The dinner was very expensive and I felt totally out of place.
He told me that he and his daughter wanted to learn and practice English in a friendship setting. Since money is no obstacle for him, he was willing to pay for my transportation and any other expenses revolved around building a relationship (dinner and what not) and learning English. He also said that he could help me with my Chinese. He wants to pay me too, but I don't know if that is a good idea because it violates my visa (which I currently don't have lol). It really isn't worth it if I get caught. Plus the amount he has already spent on dinner, going out, and transportation is payment enough if you ask me!
So this has turned out to be a lucky experience so far. It seems legit, but I will keep you all updated. I hope it is not Satan trying to distract me from what I am supposed to be doing. What do you think?
Well I'm going to go to bed now, so I hope to hear from everyone soon! Love and miss you all!
Friday, September 5, 2008
Someone stole my purse
Ok, so I'm in the process of writing a longer blog, but I just have to let you know what happened. The worst thing imaginable happened to me today...ok not THE worst, but very very very bad. I could have gotten run over by one of these crazy chinese drivers, but my purse got stolen today with EVERYTHING in it. I mean my passport, translator, drivers license, cell phone, immunization records, 1200 yuen (like $175 bucks in US), wallet with credit cards and social security card, my room key and bike lock key. all gone. i put it down in a department store for 2 seconds to try on a pair of shoes and it was gone. im am so angry at myself.... i can't believe this happened! Maybe a chinese driver could put me out of my misery. Im not serious, but that's how i feel right now :( :( :( I feel like I've been hit by a car. Please pray for me. I'm trying to be optimistic. I'm storing up treasures in heaven, right? It's just stuff that will need to be replaced. It's just stuff...but it is still horrible!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
From Hongkong to Chengdu
What a wild adventure this has been getting to Sichuan University! I know my previous blogs have been pretty lame as far as details and it is all over generally bad writing, so this will be my official first semi-thoughtful blog...I have only been gone for 2 weeks, but it feels like it could easily have been months!
After our first 12 hour layover adventure in Vancouver, it was a relief to finally get to Hongkong. I wasn't bored at all in Vancouver though. We hit up the town and ate at an awesome Italian restaurant. They asked us if we were all 19 and over, so I ended up ordering a raspberry beer...eh not a big fan. But it was kinda cool feeling all legal :) But that feeling was short lived. Chinese serve beer with practically every meal I've eaten. It's always tea and beer...so gross! Maybe it helps wash the spiciness down. Give me my latte with extra foam please. Oh, wait. You don't have any milk. And my cheese staple is nonexistant too...but I don't mean to bore you with my food rampage.
Hongkong reminded me of NY with high-end labels and big crowds. I really wanted to get a hold of my friend Crystal Lee who lives in HK, but I had a full schedule and no cell phone or internet made that kinda impossible. We went to a museum all about Hongkong history. The most interesting part was seeing the prehistoric exhibits. Oh, I forgot to mention the typhoon. Our plane landed during the tail end, so there was torrential rain on the first day. But it got nice enough for us to walk around HK the following days and check out the shops and go to the beach. I walked up stairs for what felt like 20 minutes in hot humidity. Everyone was soaked in sweat by the end. However, reaching our destination made it all worth it. We visited a Hongkong orphanage and got to hear about the organization and then see the babies. It was awesome because this is exactly what I can see myself doing with a Chinese Studies major. From there we took a tram up the mountains and experienced the amazing view of the whole city down to sea level. Hongkong is such a versatile city; it is a bustling city with natural beauty as well.
From Hongkong we got on a short plane trip to Guilin. When we got there we only had time to check into our hotel and go to bed. We woke up in the morning to more torrential rain! The food was really good :) We got on a small river boat and went on a 4 hour trip down the Li River. I met the cutest Chinese girl who was 9 years old! My friend Luke took a few pictures of us together. That boat trip was pretty interesting, especially the "she jiu." There was probably 4 or 5 whole snakes in this bottle of liquor. So of course everyone in our group HAD to have some. :( It was totally weird and it burned a little....eh peer pressure! When we got off the boat, there was a little town. Everyone was approaching us, asking us to buy things like maps and fans. We all learned the phrase "bu yao" very well meaning "I don't want." The next part of the trip was hard because we went on a tour through the farm villages and saw people living in very dirty conditions. An old woman with no teeth approached me desparate to sell a really dumb cheap toy. We had to be careful about taking pictures too. Another woman was carrying her baby in a basket and when we took a picture of him, she asked us for money for the picture. It was very sad to see how desparate these people were.
Out of Guilin we rode on the train through the night to Wuhan, known as the hell of China or something like that because of how hot it was. We got lucky tho because it was overcast. Or was it smog? I'm not sure anymore...But anyway, the train was pretty fun. The girls all got to sleep in closed cabins, while the boys got cabins open to the aisle. We just sat around and talked a lot, then watched p.s. i love you and went to bed. When we got to Wuhan we ate breakfast in this weird basement before visiting the famous Yellow Crane Tower. This place was famous for the scholars who would drink bai jiu and write their renouned poetry. Bai jiu, by the way translates to "white liquor" or the Chinese call it rice wine. There is nothing wine about it... at 52% this stuff is definitely not good for you--no "glass of fine rice wine with dinner," anyway. So these famous intellectuals would drink this stuff and somehow produce amazing works of literature. At the tower, I got a sweet fan with my Chinese name Wei Jingjing on it. But alas, my fan was in my purse that got stolen. Sad day.
Also in Wuhan we went to a museum. There was an exact replica of a set of ancient bells played in 400 BC. It was awesome to watch a performance and think that they were played 400 years before christ. Weird to think about....
From Wuhan we took a bus ride to Yiching (?I think?) where we got on the Victoria Catarina for a 4 day long 5-star cruise. Normally PLU schedules only 4-star cruises, but because all the 4 stars were full, we had to upgrade....too bad :) The cruise was definitely my favorite part of China so far. The accomodations were way more than I could have ever fathomed! It was a great bonding experience for the group too. We were pretty much the only young people onboard. There were lots of old English people. So every night we had the dance floor all to ourselves. It was really fun trying to get the old people to dance with us! On the first day, we docked and took a trip to the 3 gorges dam, the biggest dam in the world! It rained really hard that day and I think I was one of the only people without an umbrella...lol I was very happy to see rain! But the whole Yangtze river was pretty rainy, so it was a nice change. One night, the crew put on a cabaret and invited the guests to perform. Sarah and I were more or less signed up against our will to sing "Tian mi mi," a chinese song I learned in high school. All the other performances were very extravagant with beautiful costumes and dancing. I was scared of what I had gotten myself into. Ours is going to be a joke. I was going to embarrass myself on a 5-star cruise. We pretty much just did karaoke up on stage, but for some reason we were the hit of the show. Two guys brought us flowers, I danced with one of them, and we got the best applause by far. I am not being ostentatious, but the crowd's response was crazy. I don't know what I did, but it was fun.
We traveled through the lesser gorges too. It was beautiful and mist enshrouded. The tour guide did a lot of "if you use your imagination, you can see..." in reference to the shape of the cliffs. Apparently my imagination is not that good. On the last day before we reached our destination, we visited the ghost city of Fengdu. It was basically a big temple where a supposed "heaven" resided. It also had horrible depictions of hell. There were enough nightmarish statues and figures being tortured to give me a lifetime of chills. One interesting thing I noticed about the Chinese beliefs is the parallel to God. They believe every person will be judged for their life. If you do bad things, you are tortured in hell. Specific punishments suit the evil deed. They are SO missing a savior!! There were many parallels to Christianity, that I can't help but think that God is trying to reveal Himself to the whole world. I hope I don't get in trouble for saying this...
Coming back from Fengdu, I think I was very emotionally and spiritually sensitive. Raeder and I had a pretty good conversation on the walk back down about God revealing Himself to us and others. Then walking down the stairs to the marina there were a handful of crippled and blind beggars. My heart just broke for them. I wanted to help them, but there was nothing I could do. I remembered in James how it says "suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing, and you say, 'Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well'--but then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does it do?" I felt so bad at that point. Then I remembered how Jesus told the crippled man to stretch out his hand and for the blind man to walk. I was filled with the holy spirit, but for some reason I kept on walking. I think I confused my fear of God with earthly fear. I wish I could be writing right now about how those people walked away from the marina by the power of God. I think every Christian experiences the guilt of disobedience. What if my faith wasn't strong enough to heal those people? What if, what if, what if....................? That will be a moment that lives in my memory forever.
My journey to Chengdu continued and we arrived in Chongqing. We were only a few hours away from Chengdu!!! On the very long bus ride, we stopped at the Baoding Buddhist carvings in Dasu. It was pretty amazing to see all of those ancient caves and figures carved into the rock. This place was on the edge of the desert, so the monks would stop there either before or after their journey to thank the gods or ask for safe travel. I will hopefully post tons of pictures on facebook soon!
So we finally get to Chengdu, and it is nothing like I expected it to be. It is such a big city. I think I was picturing something a little more small-scale. My immediate impression was that there were many rich and poor parts of town. In fact, the place where I bought my bike was a super sketchy part of town where they led us down this dirty back alley. I'm almost 100% sure that it ws black markey territory and the bike I bought may have been stolen. When I first got to my dorm, I was not impressed. The floors and walls were cracked, the building has termites, and our shower leaked. Funny story about that: we came back one afternoon to find a big hole where the shower used to be. There was dirt everywhere and we could see the exposed bricks on the sides of the walls. The funny part was when my roommate Tiara saw a little dirt on the groud and started to sweep it up before she noticed that this was one problem that sweeping was not going to fix :D
I like Tiara, I think we have a lot in common. She loves Jesus and likes to sing. We both want to start working out more. The other day we went shopping together and she bought a guitar. We both can't wait to start up the worship songs! She cleans a lot, which is definitely not a bad thing. She has folded my laundry and made my bed a couple times. We both like to make lists and plan everything out, but we both like to just go out and have fun and unwind. Tonight we planned out our whole schedule, which included class, working out, studying, worship time, etc. I'll keep you posted on how diligent we are. But knowing me, I will probably embrace the routine, especially in a foreign country. This is my way of exercising control over my strange life...
So anyway, here I sit with almost 3 weeks of China under my belt. Whether feeling good or bad, there is always the unexpected highs and lows. One thing I never anticipated were the crazy mosquitos here! I come home with insanely itchy bites EVERYWHERE. I gave myself bruises on my leg from scratching so hard. There isn't malaria here though, but the malaria medication is actually helping my acne, so I think I'll keep using it. Tomorrow I am going to the consolate to replace my stolen passport. In 10 days or so I will apply for my visa. There are about 30 malaria pills left. I am hoping by the time they are gone, this whole stolen purse fiasco will be a memory and I will have a nice blemish-free face to show for it!
So that's it for now. I miss all of you and I can't wait to hear about your boring lives!
After our first 12 hour layover adventure in Vancouver, it was a relief to finally get to Hongkong. I wasn't bored at all in Vancouver though. We hit up the town and ate at an awesome Italian restaurant. They asked us if we were all 19 and over, so I ended up ordering a raspberry beer...eh not a big fan. But it was kinda cool feeling all legal :) But that feeling was short lived. Chinese serve beer with practically every meal I've eaten. It's always tea and beer...so gross! Maybe it helps wash the spiciness down. Give me my latte with extra foam please. Oh, wait. You don't have any milk. And my cheese staple is nonexistant too...but I don't mean to bore you with my food rampage.
Hongkong reminded me of NY with high-end labels and big crowds. I really wanted to get a hold of my friend Crystal Lee who lives in HK, but I had a full schedule and no cell phone or internet made that kinda impossible. We went to a museum all about Hongkong history. The most interesting part was seeing the prehistoric exhibits. Oh, I forgot to mention the typhoon. Our plane landed during the tail end, so there was torrential rain on the first day. But it got nice enough for us to walk around HK the following days and check out the shops and go to the beach. I walked up stairs for what felt like 20 minutes in hot humidity. Everyone was soaked in sweat by the end. However, reaching our destination made it all worth it. We visited a Hongkong orphanage and got to hear about the organization and then see the babies. It was awesome because this is exactly what I can see myself doing with a Chinese Studies major. From there we took a tram up the mountains and experienced the amazing view of the whole city down to sea level. Hongkong is such a versatile city; it is a bustling city with natural beauty as well.
From Hongkong we got on a short plane trip to Guilin. When we got there we only had time to check into our hotel and go to bed. We woke up in the morning to more torrential rain! The food was really good :) We got on a small river boat and went on a 4 hour trip down the Li River. I met the cutest Chinese girl who was 9 years old! My friend Luke took a few pictures of us together. That boat trip was pretty interesting, especially the "she jiu." There was probably 4 or 5 whole snakes in this bottle of liquor. So of course everyone in our group HAD to have some. :( It was totally weird and it burned a little....eh peer pressure! When we got off the boat, there was a little town. Everyone was approaching us, asking us to buy things like maps and fans. We all learned the phrase "bu yao" very well meaning "I don't want." The next part of the trip was hard because we went on a tour through the farm villages and saw people living in very dirty conditions. An old woman with no teeth approached me desparate to sell a really dumb cheap toy. We had to be careful about taking pictures too. Another woman was carrying her baby in a basket and when we took a picture of him, she asked us for money for the picture. It was very sad to see how desparate these people were.
Out of Guilin we rode on the train through the night to Wuhan, known as the hell of China or something like that because of how hot it was. We got lucky tho because it was overcast. Or was it smog? I'm not sure anymore...But anyway, the train was pretty fun. The girls all got to sleep in closed cabins, while the boys got cabins open to the aisle. We just sat around and talked a lot, then watched p.s. i love you and went to bed. When we got to Wuhan we ate breakfast in this weird basement before visiting the famous Yellow Crane Tower. This place was famous for the scholars who would drink bai jiu and write their renouned poetry. Bai jiu, by the way translates to "white liquor" or the Chinese call it rice wine. There is nothing wine about it... at 52% this stuff is definitely not good for you--no "glass of fine rice wine with dinner," anyway. So these famous intellectuals would drink this stuff and somehow produce amazing works of literature. At the tower, I got a sweet fan with my Chinese name Wei Jingjing on it. But alas, my fan was in my purse that got stolen. Sad day.
Also in Wuhan we went to a museum. There was an exact replica of a set of ancient bells played in 400 BC. It was awesome to watch a performance and think that they were played 400 years before christ. Weird to think about....
From Wuhan we took a bus ride to Yiching (?I think?) where we got on the Victoria Catarina for a 4 day long 5-star cruise. Normally PLU schedules only 4-star cruises, but because all the 4 stars were full, we had to upgrade....too bad :) The cruise was definitely my favorite part of China so far. The accomodations were way more than I could have ever fathomed! It was a great bonding experience for the group too. We were pretty much the only young people onboard. There were lots of old English people. So every night we had the dance floor all to ourselves. It was really fun trying to get the old people to dance with us! On the first day, we docked and took a trip to the 3 gorges dam, the biggest dam in the world! It rained really hard that day and I think I was one of the only people without an umbrella...lol I was very happy to see rain! But the whole Yangtze river was pretty rainy, so it was a nice change. One night, the crew put on a cabaret and invited the guests to perform. Sarah and I were more or less signed up against our will to sing "Tian mi mi," a chinese song I learned in high school. All the other performances were very extravagant with beautiful costumes and dancing. I was scared of what I had gotten myself into. Ours is going to be a joke. I was going to embarrass myself on a 5-star cruise. We pretty much just did karaoke up on stage, but for some reason we were the hit of the show. Two guys brought us flowers, I danced with one of them, and we got the best applause by far. I am not being ostentatious, but the crowd's response was crazy. I don't know what I did, but it was fun.
We traveled through the lesser gorges too. It was beautiful and mist enshrouded. The tour guide did a lot of "if you use your imagination, you can see..." in reference to the shape of the cliffs. Apparently my imagination is not that good. On the last day before we reached our destination, we visited the ghost city of Fengdu. It was basically a big temple where a supposed "heaven" resided. It also had horrible depictions of hell. There were enough nightmarish statues and figures being tortured to give me a lifetime of chills. One interesting thing I noticed about the Chinese beliefs is the parallel to God. They believe every person will be judged for their life. If you do bad things, you are tortured in hell. Specific punishments suit the evil deed. They are SO missing a savior!! There were many parallels to Christianity, that I can't help but think that God is trying to reveal Himself to the whole world. I hope I don't get in trouble for saying this...
Coming back from Fengdu, I think I was very emotionally and spiritually sensitive. Raeder and I had a pretty good conversation on the walk back down about God revealing Himself to us and others. Then walking down the stairs to the marina there were a handful of crippled and blind beggars. My heart just broke for them. I wanted to help them, but there was nothing I could do. I remembered in James how it says "suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing, and you say, 'Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well'--but then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does it do?" I felt so bad at that point. Then I remembered how Jesus told the crippled man to stretch out his hand and for the blind man to walk. I was filled with the holy spirit, but for some reason I kept on walking. I think I confused my fear of God with earthly fear. I wish I could be writing right now about how those people walked away from the marina by the power of God. I think every Christian experiences the guilt of disobedience. What if my faith wasn't strong enough to heal those people? What if, what if, what if....................? That will be a moment that lives in my memory forever.
My journey to Chengdu continued and we arrived in Chongqing. We were only a few hours away from Chengdu!!! On the very long bus ride, we stopped at the Baoding Buddhist carvings in Dasu. It was pretty amazing to see all of those ancient caves and figures carved into the rock. This place was on the edge of the desert, so the monks would stop there either before or after their journey to thank the gods or ask for safe travel. I will hopefully post tons of pictures on facebook soon!
So we finally get to Chengdu, and it is nothing like I expected it to be. It is such a big city. I think I was picturing something a little more small-scale. My immediate impression was that there were many rich and poor parts of town. In fact, the place where I bought my bike was a super sketchy part of town where they led us down this dirty back alley. I'm almost 100% sure that it ws black markey territory and the bike I bought may have been stolen. When I first got to my dorm, I was not impressed. The floors and walls were cracked, the building has termites, and our shower leaked. Funny story about that: we came back one afternoon to find a big hole where the shower used to be. There was dirt everywhere and we could see the exposed bricks on the sides of the walls. The funny part was when my roommate Tiara saw a little dirt on the groud and started to sweep it up before she noticed that this was one problem that sweeping was not going to fix :D
I like Tiara, I think we have a lot in common. She loves Jesus and likes to sing. We both want to start working out more. The other day we went shopping together and she bought a guitar. We both can't wait to start up the worship songs! She cleans a lot, which is definitely not a bad thing. She has folded my laundry and made my bed a couple times. We both like to make lists and plan everything out, but we both like to just go out and have fun and unwind. Tonight we planned out our whole schedule, which included class, working out, studying, worship time, etc. I'll keep you posted on how diligent we are. But knowing me, I will probably embrace the routine, especially in a foreign country. This is my way of exercising control over my strange life...
So anyway, here I sit with almost 3 weeks of China under my belt. Whether feeling good or bad, there is always the unexpected highs and lows. One thing I never anticipated were the crazy mosquitos here! I come home with insanely itchy bites EVERYWHERE. I gave myself bruises on my leg from scratching so hard. There isn't malaria here though, but the malaria medication is actually helping my acne, so I think I'll keep using it. Tomorrow I am going to the consolate to replace my stolen passport. In 10 days or so I will apply for my visa. There are about 30 malaria pills left. I am hoping by the time they are gone, this whole stolen purse fiasco will be a memory and I will have a nice blemish-free face to show for it!
So that's it for now. I miss all of you and I can't wait to hear about your boring lives!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Hong Kong
So we arrived in Hong Kong at 8:30 am on the 23rd. There was still debris everywhere from the typhoon. We went to a history museum. The next day we went to a temple and saw a bunch of buddhist, daoist, and confuscious rituals. The inscense and humidity was NOT a good combination!! That day we did a LOT of walking! My feet hurt so bad! Walking up stairs and then more stairs was insane. Just when we thought we got to the top, there were more stairs. We were all dripping sweat by the end. The best part about yesterday was getting to the top of the stairs to an orphanage. We got to hear about the organization and then tour the orphanage and see the babies. Today we are going to the beach, then to get a foot massage and shopping before heading to Guilin tonight. Internet is kinda expensive and sparse, so if we can't connect for a few days! I'm having a blast bonding with my friends and "staying out of trouble." :)
Friday, August 22, 2008
The Adventure of getting to Hong Kong
Our flight to Vancouver, BC was great despite how early I had to get up. I didn't expect to be so emotional leaving and saying goodbye :'-( We were supposed to have a 4 hour layover in Canada before leaving for Hong Kong. Right now, that layover went from 4 hours to 7 hours to 12 hours now, so we might plan on hitting up the city of Vancouver for a little while. Apparently Hong Kong is having some typhoon warnings, so the flights are being delayed for a long time. My fellow PLU compadres composed a serious list of things to accomplish while waiting:
1. play the card game spoons (except with forks, knives and chopsticks)
2. play hide-and-seek/sardines
3. talent show
4. wifi protest
5. nap
6. host our own olympics
7. scavenger hunt
8. finish the book we were supposed to have done by now
9. learn to use chopsticks
10. learn chinese
11. learn Canadian anthem
12. steal golf cart and race
Ill keep everyone updated in my travel rendezvous.... later.
1. play the card game spoons (except with forks, knives and chopsticks)
2. play hide-and-seek/sardines
3. talent show
4. wifi protest
5. nap
6. host our own olympics
7. scavenger hunt
8. finish the book we were supposed to have done by now
9. learn to use chopsticks
10. learn chinese
11. learn Canadian anthem
12. steal golf cart and race
Ill keep everyone updated in my travel rendezvous.... later.
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