China Pics - You Know You Want to See Them!

Don't you just hate it when friends pull out photos for you to view? Nah, me neither. If you're so inclined and want to see more of my trip to China, you can head on over to my public gallery. If you are here for the science, check out the nature photos. Enjoy!

Reflections on China

My trip to China has changed my life in ways both inconsequential (yes, I am much more proficient with chopsticks) and profound (read on). While I struggle to write a report that captures my views, I find some common themes and ideas emerging. Here are some of the thoughts that now fill me as a result of this amazing adventure.

• Halfway around the world I was struck not by the "foreignness" of the places I came to know, but rather by the familiarity of my surroundings. How strange to find myself feeling at home in lands where life is at once so different, yet very much the same.

• I will never again feel small and insignificant when I visit NYC. Beijing, with its population of 16 million, and Shanghai with more than 20 million people, both demonstrated what life is like when millions of people come together in one place.

• I will appreciate every breath of fresh air I take, having spent time in a city where the pollution is a constant haze over all you see, and assaults your eyes, nose and lungs in ways unimaginable. I suppose the transition from Beijing to Lhasa was made even more stark by this contrast. Though thin, the air in Lhasa was crisp and clean. I only hope that the encroachment of continued development does not change this.

• I rarely drive north on 95 anymore, as the traffic from D.C. northward is always constant and unnerving for me. After sitting for hours in Beijing traffic, I will think twice before complaining again about our traffic situation. There is simply no comparison. I'll add to this a new appreciation for American "rules of the road." In China it appears that traffic is governed only by the rule of "gross tonnage, " better stated as "I'm bigger than you so you'd better get out of my way."

• While I grow weary at times by the door-to-door visits from Jehovah's witnesses and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the evangelism that dominates late night and weekend television, and the influence of the religious right in matters political, I now appreciate and feel extremely grateful that I live in a society that that gives voice and rights to the wide range of religious groups in America. As a practicing Catholic who cantors at 8:30 mass on Sunday mornings, I found Sundays to be a very strange day in China. The lack of practical faith was something I had a hard time grasping. For myself, I felt a strange void in the absence of this traditional routine.

• William keeps asking when we are going to get him a baby brother or sister. My response is not any time soon (and probably not likely). I have never really thought much about the freedom I have to make this kind of choice in my life, but after spending time with many people who talked about the impact China's one-child policy has had on their lives, I feel incredibly lucky to know that my government does not place restrictions on the number of children women and/or families may have.

• My colleagues and I spent a great deal of time preparing for our trip. We read both popular and academic literature, watched videos and made presentations on our areas of interest. As much as I learned in this pre-travel period, it all paled in comparison to actually being in Taiwan, China and Tibet. There simply is no substitute for immersing yourself in another world, getting your hands dirty, and exploring, to the extent possible, the worlds of others. No amount of study could ever have taught me all that I learned on this trip.

• I have been away from home before, but never for more than 4 or 5 days. The void that filled my heart was enormous, and it grew every time I saw a child. I could never have imagined that I would miss William as much as I did. Do all mothers feel this way? Will I ever choose to be away from him this long again? Because I missed him so much, I found myself stealing glances at all the children we came across. I was particularly moved by the faces of Tibetan children.

• I left China with a new empathy for children who struggle to read and adults who remain illiterate. I found the illiteracy rates in Tibet to be staggering. The number we were quoted was an adult illiteracy rate of 60-70%. Looking at signs in Chinese and Tibetan, where nothing even looked remotely familiar or decodable, made me recognize in myself the panic I see on the faces of youngsters who cannot read the words on the page before them. I will never again take for granted this wonderful gift that is the ability to read.

• There were times abroad when I truly felt like the “ugly American.” Though I have five long years of Latin study under my belt, I speak no other language. This gaping hole in my personal knowledge often made me think about how poorly we prepare students in the U.S. for the world we live in. Speaking English is simply not enough anymore. Our students need to learn a second and third language in their lifetime, and they need to start sooner than middle school. Why do public schools still not recognize this need? And what can I do to help encourage language study that truly leads to fluency, not just the ability to translate the written word?

• Can one be appreciative of something as simple as a toilet facility? I think so. God bless western style toilets. Enough said on this point.

• Traveling in this part of the world was a feast for the senses. Almost everything around me afforded a new taste, touch, smell, sight and sound. Perhaps I should be grateful for breaking my camera. How much did I miss, or fail to see, because I was looking through the lens of the camera? I can close my eyes now and still smell the air, feel the stones beneath my feet, and taste and smell some of the most incredible foods. These are memories I will treasure.

• Ethnic minorities in western China have seen many changes in the way they live their daily lives. One major change in recent years is the abandonment of hunting and shift to agrarian forms of subsistence as a result of gun control laws. I've thought a lot about this. I never once felt unsafe walking the city streets in any of the areas we visited. I cannot say the same for my country. Have we taken the second amendment too far? After all, haven't times changed significantly since the Bill of Rights was written? Why don't we take the safety and security of our communities more seriously? In some respects, I envy the Chinese for their commitment to this policy.

• On the ground, the Chinese people we met looked and acted an awful lot like us. Why does the U.S. continue with the policy of China as neither friend nor foe? Can we really continue to to let ideological differences rule our policies toward this growing giant? There are no easy answers where our foreign policy is concerned, but at the local level, Chinese people seem to want many of these same things we do. Will they ever reach these aspirations?

• I was moved by the guarded optimism of the Chinese people regarding the future of their country. The young people in particular believe their lives are better than their parents were, feel they can speak their minds (or at least said they felt this way), and eagerly look forward to full and productive futures.

• I am as confused as ever on the issue of Taiwan. How will Taiwan deal with the fact that it is geographically, politically, socially and culturally close to China? How can we respect and support the fledgling democracy in Taiwan without stepping on the toes of the Chinese?

I suppose I now have more questions than answers. I still have much to think about. Overall, I return ever grateful for the freedoms afforded me as an American citizen. I can certainly understand the frustration with China over human rights and lack of personal freedoms, but I do believe that democratization lies ahead, though perhaps not in the very near future. I too am optimistic and believe that change will come, even if it is not at the pace we outsiders would prefer to see. I believe that this wave of economic reform will (someday) usher in both social and political reform. I only hope it happens in my lifetime. I would love to see it, both from afar and on the ground.

Final Thoughts - Thank You Friends

Any trip is what you make it. When you travel with a group, dynamics can be a funny thing. I was so privileged to share this experience with an amazing bunch of colleagues, that I must take this opportunity to remember them and thank them all publicly for making my first trip to China one I will never forget. So, for my traveling companions, this post is for you.

I'm going to begin with our fearless leader, so I'll start with the men.

Vincent W. - There simply aren't enough words to express my thanks to Vincent for planning and leading this trip. He opened doors for us all that would have been closed had it not been for his connections and tireless efforts in planning. He managed the good and the bad with courtesy and humility. We couldn't have asked for a better person to guide us.
Steve N. - Steve became known as "Old Nash" and "Nash Man" on our trip. He took the designation as most senior member in stride. I am grateful for having had Steve to talk to about music and books on many of our long drawn out bus rides.
Jonathan W. - Jonathan managed to get through a difficult situation on this trip with strength and grace. I feel lucky to have learned so much about his Mom and am glad he chose to share and celebrate her life with us.
Richard W. - Our resident museum expert was game for just about anything we threw at him. I'm so glad he joined our small group of friends on our (MY) big adventure in Beijing.

The last two men on this list were actually selected as alternates. When one of the original seminar members dropped out, both of these guys were added. I can't imagine having made this trip without them.

Andy M. - Andy was our music man who saw every performance event possible, and enjoyed the good, the bad and the ugly of it all. His quick wit kept us all laughing.
Nezih A. - Women all over China fell for Nezih and his goatee and felt this incurable urge to pull on it. (I believe we have pictures as proof!) Even though Andy was the member of our group who ate snake, we could count on Nezih to try just about anything put in front of him, like the head of a Peking duck.

Now for the women. I had the pleasure of rooming with each of these ladies, and am so grateful for having had the opportunity to get to know them better. I don't have a picture of the five of us together, so here's a picture with everyone but Carol.

Carol S. - Carol definitely raised the intellectual level of the group. She always asked thoughtful questions. However, Carol will always be remembered for her energy. Even in Lhasa when most of us were in slow motion, Carol had energy to burn.
Melissa L. - Our other resident political scientist, Melissa fueled my interest in areas well outside of my expertise with her questions about NGOs and foreign policy. She also served as our ever-patient sounding board when we needed to vent.
Miriam M. - Miriam has been living and working on the floor below me for years, but I never got to know her until this trip. She was our resident yoga expert who managed to find her way to studios in Taipei and Beijing. Miriam even practiced in Beijing at the Temple of Heaven.

I could say much more about each of these folks, but I'll end just by thanking them all one last time for making this trip so memorable. We sat for more group photos than I can recall, but I can't seem to find a picture that includes all of us. Here's one for now, minus Dana. This was taken outside the Potala Palace, where we were joined by some monks visiting the site. When I do get a decent shot of all 11 of us, I'll post it here.

Finally, I owe a debt of gratitude to both Melissa and Nezih. I was very disappointed about breaking my camera in Lhasa, so they put up with all my complaints about being without it and took many pictures for me. All of my recent posts contain pictures they took and so graciously shared. Thanks, guys!

Day 18 - Shanghai Museum and the Long Road Home

We checked out of our hotel this morning, loaded our bags onto the bus, and headed to the Shanghai Museum for our final stop before the long trip home. The museum contains more than 120,000 pieces, so in a short time we were treated to some amazing cultural relics, from furniture to bronzes, coins, and the artifacts from some of China's minority populations. From here we left for the airport. Here are a few final views of Shanghai.

The trip home included a long flight from Shanghai to Chicago, long lines at O'Hare, a delayed flight to Richmond, with a landing (finally) about two hours late at 11:30 pm. I got home a bit after midnight and was greeted by a dog that wouldn't stop barking. She woke the boy, who was thrilled his Mom was home. I have to admit, I was glad to be home too.

Day 17 – Touring Shanghai

Our final day as tourists was today. We started out visiting Zhujiajiao, an ancient water town on the Yangtze River that is about one hour west of Shanghai. The town boasts well-preserved Ming and Qing architecture, stone bridges and old streets. We did some walking and shopping in this lovely town.

After our time in Zhujiajiao we had lunch and visited a silk factory to see the process of making silk from growing silkworms to the spinning process. Here are some pictures.

Our next stops included the French Concession, where some folks took in the site of the First National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, while others indulged in some Starbuck's and a well-needed break. We then headed to Yu Gardens and the Bazaar for more shopping and sightseeing. Despite being a tourist mecca, the Bazaar was fun just for people watching and one of our favorite pastimes, interpreting poorly translated signs! Here is what the area around the Bazaar looked like.

After a final dinner out, we spent our last evening holed up in Melissa's room drinking beer and talking about music, our trip, and anything else that came to mind. This grand adventure is finally coming to an end, and though we are all ready to go home, I know I keep wishing for just one more day.

Day 16 - Fudan University and Other Lectures

Today was a whirlwind day of meetings and lectures. It began at Fudan University with a briefing by the Director of the Center for American Studies. He gave us an introduction to security issues in China. What I found most interesting was the conversation that ensued about the emergence of "Chinese-style" socialism and why for all intents and purposes, China is a socialist country, not a communist one.

From here we met with the Director of the Office of Foreign Affairs at Fudan and the Director for Student Exchange Programs. One of the goals of this trip is not only to help faculty think about China in ways that can expand their teaching and research, but also to cultivate relationships with institutions where we might be able to develop partner relationships for study abroad opportunities. Learning about these institutions has been fascinating, but few of them offer enough courses in English for them to be good destinations for our students. However, for those interested in language study, we have seen some programs that would make outstanding choices for them.

After lunch we met with faculty from Fudan in our respective disciplines. Since several of us had no peers to meet with, we took a quick walking tour of campus in the rain. When we returned, we had the opportunity to meet with undergraduate students for informal conversations. This was one of the highlights of the trip for me. Miriam and I spent close to an hour speaking with a group of young men who were not reluctant to share their views and ideas on a variety of subjects, including, but not limited to, the war in Iraq, the state of socialism/communism in China, personal freedoms, travel and more. I was very surprised by the extent of coverage the VA Tech tragedy had in China, and was shocked to realize that the students felt that America was not a safe place because of this.

After our day at Fudan we spent some time at the Institute for International Studies, where the Director shared with us his thoughts on the current state of US-China relations. After this we had time for a brief question and answer session.

Our evening ended with dinner at a fabulous restaurant on the Bund. Afterwards, we walked along the Bund and took in the sights. It was another great day.

Day 15 - Yunnan University and Travel to Shanghai

Our time in Kunming has been very short compared with other cities. The last part of our stay consisted of a morning at Kunming University where we had a brief presentation from Dr. Xiao Xian, a political scientist and the Vice President for International Exchange, followed by a lecture on ethnic minorities in China and Yunnan province by Dr. Shen Hai mei. The PRC officially recognizes 56 distinct ethnic groups, with Han Chinese making up nearly 92% of China’s total population. Yunnan province is a very diverse province in China, as it is about 70% Han Chinese and 30% ethnic minorities. The last of the 56 officially recognized groups was recognized in 1980. Even though there are still groups not recognized by the government (about 730,000 people), and others that are controversially classified, there has been no movement to increase this magic number of 56 ethnic groups.

After our lecture we took a quick tour of campus with a stop off at their Museum of Anthropology and Ethnology to examine more closely some of the ethnic minorities that populate the Yunnan province. The walk through campus was lovely. We happened to be at the “old” campus, which was established in 1923. The buildings were spectacular. The campus itself was quite and very peaceful, with lots of green space and areas for students to congregate and study.

Once we finished at Yunnan we headed to lunch then made our way to the airport for the flight to Shanghai. I can honestly say that I am really tired of flying at this point. To date I have taken 9 flights. I can look forward to one really L-O-N-G flight from Shanghai to Chicago, and then a short hop to Richmond. I am having a wonderful time, but I am now more than ready to get home.

We arrived in Shanghai around 7:30 pm. We were met at the airport by our guide, Lucy. She took us our for a fantastic dinner and then for a ride on the Huangpu River to see the city at night. Here are some of the sights from that quick cruise.

We've been spending a lot of time as tourists lately, so we need to put our thinking caps on for tomorrow, as we plan to spend our entire day visiting Universities and with academics. We still have lots to learn, so it should be a good day.

Day 14 - The Stone Forest

Even though we have been in mainland China for 10 days, it feels like we have seen very little outside of city life. Today we drove to the Stone Forest, an area in Yunnan province that is marked by karst topography. Karst topography is a landscape created by groundwater dissolving sedimentary rock such as limestone. This part of Yunnan province is covered with giant limestone rocks that were once covered by the sea. Over time they have been weathered and eroded in strange and unusual forms. Here are some examples.

Once we finished our exploration of the forest, we stopped into an art studio where a master was completing painting and works of calligraphy. He created a piece for each of use that represented the year of our birth according to the Chinese zodiac. I am a snake, so the artist wrote characters on my piece that read “The snake is the dragon of the earth.”

After lunch we spent some time walking through a minority village. It was our first real taste of the countryside.

Our first and only full day in Kunming was a good one. Tomorrow we spend the morning at Yunnan University before heading to our final destination, Shanghai.

Day 13 - Travel to Kunming

We said our goodbyes to Lhasa this morning and left for Kunming. The most exciting part of the morning was the bus ride from Lhasa to the airport. Normally a one-hour drive, we left at around 9 am for an 11:25 flight. However, a simple one-hour drive was not in the cards for us.

First, I should tell you that the road to the airport is a two-lane road. As in most of Lhasa, the rule of size applies to all traffic situations. There were very few lights in Lhasa, so at crowded intersections, the biggest vehicles, like trucks and buses bus, simply barreled through while drivers incessantly honked their horns. We never saw any accidents, but many close calls. So, these were the conditions our driver was operating under when he turned onto the road for the airport and found he was behind an enormous convoy of slow moving army vehicles. Being the brave soul that he was, he spent the next 45 minutes passing trucks in the convoy while vehicles came speeding at us in the approaching lane. Tractors, motorcycles and small cars were all warned and slowed by the horn. Large approaching vehicles, however, meant that the bus needed to not only pass trucks in the convoy, but frequently slid between them at inopportune moments. When we finally passed the lead truck in the convoy, the entire bus broke out clapping and cheering for the driver.

We finally arrived at the airport around 10:30 and were checked in as a group. We quickly made it through security and tried mightily to find our gate (there were only 4 and one wasn’t in use), but at this late time it was still unassigned. Around 11 am we learned the flight would be briefly delayed, but we did finally take off before noon. One thing I have noticed on these group bookings is that all the men get aisle or window seats, while all the women get stuck in middle seats. It’s been really uncomfortable, and today was no exception. I was stuck between a man who had not showered in a very long time, and another who kept spitting into tissues and then stuffing them into the seat pocket in front of him. I know, I should look on the bright side. This is China and spitting is something that people do everywhere, so he could have just as easily spit on the floor. In any case, the view leaving Lhasa was spectacular.

We briefly touched down in Shangri La to let some passengers disembark and to take on new ones. The stop was quick and we were soon in the air again. Here are a few pictures of Shangri La from the air.

We finally landed in Kunming around 3pm. After a bus ride to the hotel, we dumped our bags in our rooms and headed out for a meeting at Kunming Normal University, where we sat in on student presentations. After this we ate another terrific meal with a few students and the Director of the SIT program. We finally arriveed at our hotel a bit road weary. Tomorrow is a tourist day, so we're all looking forward to some new sights.

Day 12 - More of Lhasa

We spent our morning today touring the Jokhang Temple. This is the holiest temple in Tibet, and we were fortunate enough to be in Lhasa during the holiest month of the year, so we saw many pilgrims to this holy place. The Jokhang Temple sits in the heart of the Barkhor, the bustling marketplace in Lhasa. The square outside of the Jokhang is marked by two large poles laden with prayer flags, and a large incense burner that constantly spews the scent of juniper bushes.

Pilgrims to the Jokhang make their way in a clockwise pattern around it, with many fully prostrating themselves along the way. The temple itself was magnificent, but so crowded with tourists and pilgrims that it was a bit uncomfortable. The view from the roof was absolutely stunning. Here are some pictures.

After our tour of the Jokhang we spent the remainder of the morning shopping. Here are a few images of the Barkhor.

After lunch we headed to Tibet University for a lecture on Tibetan culture. We learned about the rituals related to birth and funerals, as well as Tibetan Buddhism. When we had time for a question and answer period, we asked a bit about how deep the understanding of Buddhism was by the pilgrims who visit. We learned that while most practice the rituals associated with religion, since approximately 60-70% of Tibetans are illiterate, their understanding of the philosophy of their religion does not compare to the monks, since they do not read the texts.

The evening was ours, so after a group dinner we wandered around the market before heading back to the hotel in a pedicab. Our last day in Lhasa was a memorable one, and one in which we all left with bags heavier than when we came, due to our successful outing in the Barkhor. We are all becoming pretty good at bargaining, and can't wait to try our skills in the next cities. I think we'll all be a bit sad to leave Lhasa behind, but we're ready for the next stop on our trip.

Finally Back Home

Dear Friends,

I returned home shortly after midnight last night. Unfortunately, since my post on Day 11, I have been unable to access my blog. All our connections went through Google China, and apparently, I included something in my posts that caused the site to be blocked. I could not access my Google account at all for the remainder of my trip in China. I did, however, continue to write every day, so I will go back and post entries and pictures should you care to read them. Thanks to all of you for following me on this incredible journey. Stay tuned for the remaining posts and pictures.
Best,
Tricia

P.S. - Let me offer a special thanks to Elaine at Wild Rose Reader for posting a short note about this problem.

Day 11 - There Are No Words

Today we drove 3 hours southwest of Lhasa, into the mountains to picnic at Yamdrok Lake, one of the three holiest lakes in Tibet. On the way there we stopped in the mountains and ascended a small peak to reach a height of 5000 m, or 16,400 feet. This is the equivalent altitude of Everest Base Camp. The drive was perilous, the view spectacular, the climb easy on the legs but hard on the lungs, and the lunch by the lake refreshing. Words simply do no justice to the day I've had. Take a look.

I will sleep well tonight. You do the same.