For those who don't much about China, one thing you learn to deal with is the stares. The Chinese do it all the time and they are not at all subtle about it. It's not out of hostility though, but more just out of sheer curiosity of seeing a foreigner. Sometimes, they will stop and ask for a picture with you. Other times, you will get a "helloooo" or they will try to speak English with you. More often though, they will just keep walking. You quickly become numb to it. Although when you leave the university, the amount of stares increase drastically. For instance, when I was in Hankou, a Chinese man, after giving me a long look, begin shooting me questions about where I was from, how old I was, etc.
Why all the staring? It's generally argued that for most of its history China was isolated from the rest of the world (however, if you look deeper this is not always the case and China has a long history of interaction, or encounters, with the rest of the world). In the first half of the 20th century, China experienced a great amount of revolution, foreign invasion, and civil war. Then, after the Communists took power, Mao closed the country to most of the world, including the Soviet Union. It wasn't really until after 1978, when Deng Xiaoping instituted gaige kaifang, reform and opening, that China re-entered the global scene. It's really only been 30 years then and in certain ways the Chinese, especially regular Chinese, are fascinated by and new to all things foreign (which I will write about soon). Along with these historical reasons, about 90% of China's population consists of the Han ethnicity, so maybe a guy with blonde hair sticks out a little bit.
Besides my two Wayne State classmates, I have only seen or met less than a handful of Americans since I have been in Wuhan. As I was walking back from lunch today, I saw an older lady on a bicycle on the other side of the street. She was clearly talking with an American accent. And so, I found myself staring.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Some Clarity
It was a surpisingly clear day on Saturday. It's not uncommon to have difficulty making out the smokestack on the left in the first picture below.
I would say I have become a little comfortable and accustomed to life here. Being a student here is quite conducive for living a simple lifestyle. Although my language skills are an ever ongoing project. The classes throw words/characters at you sometimes like rifle fire and it is still a challenge when the Chinese speak very fast. Of course, there is still that difference between between the language in the classroom and the language on the street. I would say I have a long way to go and I have come to accept that.
Some may wonder about what the reaction to the Impeccable incident may have been like here. The Chinese media have covered the story with a completely different perspective, of course. But on the ground here everything is mute, which is not surprising to me. The whole incident was completely weird to me.
I am sure some may wonder about a few other recent happenings as well, but that's for later.
I would say I have become a little comfortable and accustomed to life here. Being a student here is quite conducive for living a simple lifestyle. Although my language skills are an ever ongoing project. The classes throw words/characters at you sometimes like rifle fire and it is still a challenge when the Chinese speak very fast. Of course, there is still that difference between between the language in the classroom and the language on the street. I would say I have a long way to go and I have come to accept that.
Some may wonder about what the reaction to the Impeccable incident may have been like here. The Chinese media have covered the story with a completely different perspective, of course. But on the ground here everything is mute, which is not surprising to me. The whole incident was completely weird to me.
I am sure some may wonder about a few other recent happenings as well, but that's for later.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Hankou
Wuhan actually consists of three cities (or what they call districts): Hankou, Wuchang and Hanyang. They were consolidated in 1927 under Jiang Jieshi, aka Chiang Kai-shek, and his political party, the Guomindang. Hankou is the more commercial area whereas Wuchang (where I reside) is where most of the universities are located. I don't know much yet about Hanyang, but I will get around to it. Wuhan is much like Chicago in the sense that it is one of China's major transportation hubs. You can easily hop on a train to Guangdong in the south or Beijing in the north. I believe it's also the only major city to sit on both sides of the Yangzi, China's longest river - but I may be mistaken here. So, it's also a city of many bridges.
As is the case with most of China, there is a lot of history in this region. During the 19th century, Hankou was a major treaty port for Europeans who sought to make inroads into the Chinese economy. And in 1911, Wuchang was the site of an uprising that brought down the Qing government and ended two thousand years of dynastic history.
Last weekend, I went to Hankou for the first time with some friends. We initially intended to see the Hubei Provincial Museum in Wuchang, but the line to get in rivaled waiting to get into Disney World or a rock concert. As my Iranian friend has said, "This is China, so there are always lines." After observing the scene, we decided to check out Hankou. From Wuchang, it took nearly 40 minutes by bus and for a Saturday afternoon traffic was quite hectic. By Detroit standards, the Chinese easily overshadow us. Then again, this is a city of approximately 8 million people. Being in a city this big is not something I am accustomed to, but it makes me appreciate the fact that the university really is quiet. We didn't do too much in Hankou though. We ate a Chinese Muslim restaurant, strolled through the main commercial district (note the 19th century European style architecture in the photo below) and then walked to the Yangzi River where we took the ferry back to Wuchang.
One of the things you notice while walking around the city is that there is a vast number of poor people, but also a vast amount of wealth. I've always read that the income gap in China is larger than in the US, but being here it is physically visible. It's not just a bunch of statistics in a news article. Not only that, wealth and poverty seem to be thrown and mixed together unlike in the Detroit area. Given this, for an American who is new to China, it can be a little disorienting to observe this but it is equally all the more interesting for the sake of experience.
I took many pictures during this outing. However, I managed to somehow delete all of them in the process of transferring them to my computer. The picture below is the only one I salvaged.
As is the case with most of China, there is a lot of history in this region. During the 19th century, Hankou was a major treaty port for Europeans who sought to make inroads into the Chinese economy. And in 1911, Wuchang was the site of an uprising that brought down the Qing government and ended two thousand years of dynastic history.
Last weekend, I went to Hankou for the first time with some friends. We initially intended to see the Hubei Provincial Museum in Wuchang, but the line to get in rivaled waiting to get into Disney World or a rock concert. As my Iranian friend has said, "This is China, so there are always lines." After observing the scene, we decided to check out Hankou. From Wuchang, it took nearly 40 minutes by bus and for a Saturday afternoon traffic was quite hectic. By Detroit standards, the Chinese easily overshadow us. Then again, this is a city of approximately 8 million people. Being in a city this big is not something I am accustomed to, but it makes me appreciate the fact that the university really is quiet. We didn't do too much in Hankou though. We ate a Chinese Muslim restaurant, strolled through the main commercial district (note the 19th century European style architecture in the photo below) and then walked to the Yangzi River where we took the ferry back to Wuchang.
One of the things you notice while walking around the city is that there is a vast number of poor people, but also a vast amount of wealth. I've always read that the income gap in China is larger than in the US, but being here it is physically visible. It's not just a bunch of statistics in a news article. Not only that, wealth and poverty seem to be thrown and mixed together unlike in the Detroit area. Given this, for an American who is new to China, it can be a little disorienting to observe this but it is equally all the more interesting for the sake of experience.
I took many pictures during this outing. However, I managed to somehow delete all of them in the process of transferring them to my computer. The picture below is the only one I salvaged.
Monday, March 9, 2009
太忙了！
It rained for nearly three weeks in February. As of right now, it's about 70ish degrees and the grass is turning green. As is nearly always the case, it is hazy, but you can seen the sun. Everyone still dresses in warm clothing, which makes me think that the cool weather is not completely over. Despite the fact that I've stopped running the heater in my room, the classrooms are still quite chilly. Spring is definitely on its way though.
I've been busy with classes and a little research lately, but expect more regular updates in the days ahead.
I've been busy with classes and a little research lately, but expect more regular updates in the days ahead.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
China – The First 10 Days
I flew over the Arctic and Siberia during a nearly 14 hour flight from the US. I arrived in Beijing where I had a five hour layover. I was so tired that I don’t even remember the plane taking off that dropped me in Wuhan. After picking up my bags at the airport, a Chinese student picked me up and we took a cab to Huazhong University of Science & Technology, which will be my home for the next several months. When my father and I left for Detroit Metro Airport, it was about 6am on a Wednesday. When I made it to my dorm room in China, it was about 11pm on Thursday (10am Eastern Time).
Since I have arrived, I have often felt elated, excited, bored and frustrated all in the same day. Being here is a lot like being born again. Even though I’ve had two years of Chinese (Mandarin) , I still don’t feel I am nowhere near fluent, so it can be difficult getting your point across sometimes. It’s no surprise then that you have to depend on the help of others to get certain things done (for example, buying a cell phone). The Chinese and foreign students have been quite helpful in that regard though. Despite this, I’ve found though that my listening, and speaking, has improved a little faster than expected.
Obviously, everything is different here compared to the US. Even down to the light switches. There are no dryers in my dormitory, but that’s what the clotheslines are for. You buy your electricity for your room rather than paying a monthly bill. The cell phones work a little differently. Cars honk incessantly and have the right of way. People on bikes and scooters seem to know how to get through an intersection without looking both ways most of the time. Men, and women, are not afraid to hock up something and spit it out. The public toilets usually consist of a hole in a floor with no toilet paper – so bring your own. Then there are the street vendors selling god knows what, but it is delicious.
Despite what may seem like disorderliness though, there appears to be a certain kind of order. The Chinese diligently follow a routine, in particular meal times. Even the PA system throughout the campus plays announcements and music (Metallica’s “Unforgiven”, for instance) throughout the day during specific times, usually beginning with zaoshang hao or xiawu hao (good morning/good afternoon). You can always here the truck that rinses the streets around breakfast time because they blare “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”. The market opens on time and despite the honking, everyone seems to make room for each other. And interestingly enough, especially for those of you who are concerned, China feels safe. Although the night market, Ximen, feels a little different with its crowds and not always clearly lit alleyways. Regardless, this is a lively place.
It’s taken some getting used to and it has been something of a challenge though. For instance, I am still learning how to read the food menus in the dining halls, which are in all Chinese. The first week, and even still, took some guesswork and gesturing to the food staff. My classmate from Wayne State, Mike Switney, once found himself confronted with a plate of only onions. Then there are the stares, which you quickly become accustomed to. Adjusting will come with time.
Registering for classes involved running from one building to another to pay fees and chasing after stamps and then more paperwork. Occasionally, they would send you up and down the same set of stairs several times. Again though, what appears to be chaotic is actually more systematic than it appears. I was initially placed into the basic level Chinese, but I switched to a higher level after realizing I already knew how to say Ni Hao! The classes I am in now are mostly taught in Chinese and the schedule is much more rigorous. It’s yet another adjustment, but I feel that it will be more than productive in the end.
The weather here is fairly unpredictable. I would say that it has been in the 50s for the most part. Cloudy, damp, and cool. However, a few days ago it had to be near 80. I’ve been told that by late April and into May it will become increasingly hot and probably extremely hot by the time I leave for home in July (90+ along with high humidity). As of this writing, today has been rainy and cool, probably near 50 degrees.
This is the first in what will hopefully be many posts that will detail my experiences of adjusting to and experiencing life in China. This is just an introduction.
Since I have arrived, I have often felt elated, excited, bored and frustrated all in the same day. Being here is a lot like being born again. Even though I’ve had two years of Chinese (Mandarin) , I still don’t feel I am nowhere near fluent, so it can be difficult getting your point across sometimes. It’s no surprise then that you have to depend on the help of others to get certain things done (for example, buying a cell phone). The Chinese and foreign students have been quite helpful in that regard though. Despite this, I’ve found though that my listening, and speaking, has improved a little faster than expected.
Obviously, everything is different here compared to the US. Even down to the light switches. There are no dryers in my dormitory, but that’s what the clotheslines are for. You buy your electricity for your room rather than paying a monthly bill. The cell phones work a little differently. Cars honk incessantly and have the right of way. People on bikes and scooters seem to know how to get through an intersection without looking both ways most of the time. Men, and women, are not afraid to hock up something and spit it out. The public toilets usually consist of a hole in a floor with no toilet paper – so bring your own. Then there are the street vendors selling god knows what, but it is delicious.
Despite what may seem like disorderliness though, there appears to be a certain kind of order. The Chinese diligently follow a routine, in particular meal times. Even the PA system throughout the campus plays announcements and music (Metallica’s “Unforgiven”, for instance) throughout the day during specific times, usually beginning with zaoshang hao or xiawu hao (good morning/good afternoon). You can always here the truck that rinses the streets around breakfast time because they blare “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”. The market opens on time and despite the honking, everyone seems to make room for each other. And interestingly enough, especially for those of you who are concerned, China feels safe. Although the night market, Ximen, feels a little different with its crowds and not always clearly lit alleyways. Regardless, this is a lively place.
It’s taken some getting used to and it has been something of a challenge though. For instance, I am still learning how to read the food menus in the dining halls, which are in all Chinese. The first week, and even still, took some guesswork and gesturing to the food staff. My classmate from Wayne State, Mike Switney, once found himself confronted with a plate of only onions. Then there are the stares, which you quickly become accustomed to. Adjusting will come with time.
Registering for classes involved running from one building to another to pay fees and chasing after stamps and then more paperwork. Occasionally, they would send you up and down the same set of stairs several times. Again though, what appears to be chaotic is actually more systematic than it appears. I was initially placed into the basic level Chinese, but I switched to a higher level after realizing I already knew how to say Ni Hao! The classes I am in now are mostly taught in Chinese and the schedule is much more rigorous. It’s yet another adjustment, but I feel that it will be more than productive in the end.
The weather here is fairly unpredictable. I would say that it has been in the 50s for the most part. Cloudy, damp, and cool. However, a few days ago it had to be near 80. I’ve been told that by late April and into May it will become increasingly hot and probably extremely hot by the time I leave for home in July (90+ along with high humidity). As of this writing, today has been rainy and cool, probably near 50 degrees.
This is the first in what will hopefully be many posts that will detail my experiences of adjusting to and experiencing life in China. This is just an introduction.
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