day ten
After about half a year of writing to my pen pal, I finally got to meet him. His name is Zhu Hao Xiang (not quite sure which characters), or Joe. He likes basketball, and surprisingly he also debates as well. His finals week is next week, but he isn’t nervous at all- which could either be a good thing or a bad thing. He goes to Datong High School in Shanghai. The school itself is beautiful- multiple high-rises and even a small museum about the history of the school. The basic ideas of a model Chinese citizen are again everywhere in the school. Nearly every classroom has it posted on the wall, as well as on the ceilings in more festive banners. Even across the world some things are the same, although a lot is different.
After meetings our pen pals, we were able to do a couple of activities the school elected to show us. First, we tried to learn some of the basic strokes of calligraphy, although handling a brush is a lot harder than I had previously thought. The precision it takes to create thick and thin strokes on command- even dipping the right amount of ink into the bristles of the brush is extraordinarily difficult. With the help of a stencil, I was able to produce some passable characters (with passable being the key word here). Another class we took was martial arts. Each of us held a wooden sword with a red hassle on the end. I could imagine how funny it could have been to watch us attempt various positions while craning our necks to look at the impeccable form of our instructor.
The rest of the day was spent exploring Shanghai. We had about two hours of free time to wander along the river in 外滩, or the Bund. Although we didn’t really stop much, it was such a relaxing and beautiful end to the day. The transition from dusk to night is absolutely breathtaking, as if watercolors were being activated by drops of water. The night was completed with a quick river cruise, the lights of the city reflecting onto the surface of the Yangtze River.
After meetings our pen pals, we were able to do a couple of activities the school elected to show us. First, we tried to learn some of the basic strokes of calligraphy, although handling a brush is a lot harder than I had previously thought. The precision it takes to create thick and thin strokes on command- even dipping the right amount of ink into the bristles of the brush is extraordinarily difficult. With the help of a stencil, I was able to produce some passable characters (with passable being the key word here). Another class we took was martial arts. Each of us held a wooden sword with a red hassle on the end. I could imagine how funny it could have been to watch us attempt various positions while craning our necks to look at the impeccable form of our instructor.
The rest of the day was spent exploring Shanghai. We had about two hours of free time to wander along the river in 外滩, or the Bund. Although we didn’t really stop much, it was such a relaxing and beautiful end to the day. The transition from dusk to night is absolutely breathtaking, as if watercolors were being activated by drops of water. The night was completed with a quick river cruise, the lights of the city reflecting onto the surface of the Yangtze River.
day eleven
We spent the first half of the day shadowing our buddies in their classes. My buddy is equivalent to an Upper at Andover. We dropped in on his Chinese, Math and English classes. In the entire morning, we never switched rooms. Instead, our teachers would switch rooms instead. There were almost forty kids in that one room, all dressed in matching uniforms. Most of the class was spent with the teacher speaking. Class participation was rare, and when it did happen it was done so formally. The student would have to stand up and answer one large question that required nearly five minutes of speaking. Classes at Andover are definitely much more interactive. It was good to know that teachers in China also have a pretty good sense of humor as well, although I wish I could have understood more of the jokes.
Next, we went to Yu Yuan, a large area filled with small shops and a park. I ate so much good food today: giant buns filled with soup, fried buns filled with soup, matcha soft serve blended with red bean and more. Our group unanimously agreed to share small pieces of each so as to maximize the diversity of food we all could have. The shops themselves are a lot of fun to visit as well- some gimicky and others more authentic, but all interesting nonetheless.
The last stop was to the Shanghai Circus. I had not expected to be as amazed as I actually was. The acrobats are all amazingly talented, with more courage than I could have ever mustered up. Amongst insane trampolining stunts, impossible ways of riding a bike and a beautiful silks duet, there was live music. The motorcycle act was crazy. It involved eight motorcyclist in a metal sphere, going at fast enough speeds to defy gravity and circle the sphere. The wheels and headlights shone brightly in the dimmed auditorium, and the speed and the exactness of the timing was breathtaking and frightening. I walked out of the theater both sweating and nervous from all of the death defying stunts. It has been a long day, but one of my favorites of the entire trip.
Next, we went to Yu Yuan, a large area filled with small shops and a park. I ate so much good food today: giant buns filled with soup, fried buns filled with soup, matcha soft serve blended with red bean and more. Our group unanimously agreed to share small pieces of each so as to maximize the diversity of food we all could have. The shops themselves are a lot of fun to visit as well- some gimicky and others more authentic, but all interesting nonetheless.
The last stop was to the Shanghai Circus. I had not expected to be as amazed as I actually was. The acrobats are all amazingly talented, with more courage than I could have ever mustered up. Amongst insane trampolining stunts, impossible ways of riding a bike and a beautiful silks duet, there was live music. The motorcycle act was crazy. It involved eight motorcyclist in a metal sphere, going at fast enough speeds to defy gravity and circle the sphere. The wheels and headlights shone brightly in the dimmed auditorium, and the speed and the exactness of the timing was breathtaking and frightening. I walked out of the theater both sweating and nervous from all of the death defying stunts. It has been a long day, but one of my favorites of the entire trip.
day twelve
Today was the last day with the students from Datong High School, but it was also one of the best days yet. We were able to interview our pen pals to find information on our projects. My pen pal, Zhu Hao Xiang, or Joe, mentioned that newspapers are often the least reliable source of news. Because most newspapers are owned by the party, much of the news is released must be taken with a grain of salt. It is not so much a worry about falsehoods or the barring of information, but the prioritization. As seen at our interview Shanghai Daily later that day, so much news comes out everyday but not everything is able to be published. By only publishing certain items that are relevant to the government's agenda, a picture is formed- although that picture is technically true as well. Another issue is that at least at the Shanghai Daily, some promotional pieces are done for the government as well. By having many of the editor positions dedicated to the party, it becomes hard to find a balanced viewpoint although the paper does try, especially after the self proclamation of favoring the supposed lack of bias in Western Papers.
Although much of my topic is centered on media, it is also centered on people. Advertisements don't matter if they aren't effective after all. When asked if Joe thought that the communist party was effective, his answer was simple: "It [the Chinese Government] did its job- keeping everyone safe. You can see that in China, everyone is safe. My grandfather said that for us normal people.... Happiness is not that you have a lot of money or a lot of power. You just have a safe place to live, and good meals. That's happiness. And the Chinese government provides us with that." His outlook stressed a more direct approach to governmental policies- if it doesn't affect him, then it doesn't really matter. As someone from the United States, I can see and understand the values of the dissent our bipartisan system creates. But I can also understand where Joe is coming from- having one party, having one unified front is sometimes a lot more effective in creating change. And if that change comes at a price, change is still change. Nothing else is real except for what is real. I had never thought about China's government in that way before, and I have Joe to thank for that.
I learned a lot about my project today. Propaganda is useless unless it really changes an entire country's mindset. At least in Joe, the upsides to the one party system is strongly planted. The moral values that Americans hold highly such as honesty, integrity and transparency are not necessarily thought of on the same level as safety, health and happiness. But even after today, there is no way for me to draw a conclusion. Every single person has a different story, so for now, that's what this is. Stories from me, from you, and from all the people I have yet to meet.
Although much of my topic is centered on media, it is also centered on people. Advertisements don't matter if they aren't effective after all. When asked if Joe thought that the communist party was effective, his answer was simple: "It [the Chinese Government] did its job- keeping everyone safe. You can see that in China, everyone is safe. My grandfather said that for us normal people.... Happiness is not that you have a lot of money or a lot of power. You just have a safe place to live, and good meals. That's happiness. And the Chinese government provides us with that." His outlook stressed a more direct approach to governmental policies- if it doesn't affect him, then it doesn't really matter. As someone from the United States, I can see and understand the values of the dissent our bipartisan system creates. But I can also understand where Joe is coming from- having one party, having one unified front is sometimes a lot more effective in creating change. And if that change comes at a price, change is still change. Nothing else is real except for what is real. I had never thought about China's government in that way before, and I have Joe to thank for that.
I learned a lot about my project today. Propaganda is useless unless it really changes an entire country's mindset. At least in Joe, the upsides to the one party system is strongly planted. The moral values that Americans hold highly such as honesty, integrity and transparency are not necessarily thought of on the same level as safety, health and happiness. But even after today, there is no way for me to draw a conclusion. Every single person has a different story, so for now, that's what this is. Stories from me, from you, and from all the people I have yet to meet.
day thirteen
Laundry was more eventful than I thought it could ever be. I had previously put my travel wallet in my laundry bag with all of my dirty clothes and in a sleep induced haze I hurled everything into the washing machine. I spent the next half an hour thinking about my passport spinning around in the barrel. Thankfully everything was ok, and extremely clean.
After that whole ordeal, we headed off to the top of the Shanghai Tower. The last time I was in China, the Shanghai Tower was still under construction. The main structure was finished, although I felt like I was cheated out of a trip to the top. This time, the tower did not disappoint. Spreading out beneath us was the entire city of Shanghai, melting into the sky many miles later. The two other tall buildings where flanking one side of the tower, as if to protect the newest creation.
In terms of using the ownership of the second tallest building in the world as propaganda, an entire corner of a room was sectioned of for an elaborate light show and animation showing off obscure superlatives and "high tech" innovation. The whole show was so flashy that in my opinion it failed to effectively impress anyone in terms of pure technological achievement.
At the top of the tower a mini history museum was put together. Old televisions and other old artifacts were arranged in exhibits, and many of the small dioramas featured scenes from the past. At the tallest point in Shanghai- both physically and technologically- the past is still featured and remembered. In a city that is often criticized for destroying culture in favor of high rises, this was a nice change.
For the rest of the day, we went to the Watertown. The food was amazing, and the area was beautiful with old style homes next to cross crossing canals and ancient bridges. It was a lot of fun to explore and sort of just get lost in.
The day ended with an extraordinary concert based on water. Although it was a concert, performance elements were definitely a large of the entire experience. My favorite part was when the glass walls were open to the temple, and the prayers of the monks mingled with the golden sounds of strong instruments and water droplets. The experimentation was new and fresh, but the composer also managed to bring in catchy pop elements to the sounds as well. The entire experience was so well thought out and the execution was brilliant.
After that whole ordeal, we headed off to the top of the Shanghai Tower. The last time I was in China, the Shanghai Tower was still under construction. The main structure was finished, although I felt like I was cheated out of a trip to the top. This time, the tower did not disappoint. Spreading out beneath us was the entire city of Shanghai, melting into the sky many miles later. The two other tall buildings where flanking one side of the tower, as if to protect the newest creation.
In terms of using the ownership of the second tallest building in the world as propaganda, an entire corner of a room was sectioned of for an elaborate light show and animation showing off obscure superlatives and "high tech" innovation. The whole show was so flashy that in my opinion it failed to effectively impress anyone in terms of pure technological achievement.
At the top of the tower a mini history museum was put together. Old televisions and other old artifacts were arranged in exhibits, and many of the small dioramas featured scenes from the past. At the tallest point in Shanghai- both physically and technologically- the past is still featured and remembered. In a city that is often criticized for destroying culture in favor of high rises, this was a nice change.
For the rest of the day, we went to the Watertown. The food was amazing, and the area was beautiful with old style homes next to cross crossing canals and ancient bridges. It was a lot of fun to explore and sort of just get lost in.
The day ended with an extraordinary concert based on water. Although it was a concert, performance elements were definitely a large of the entire experience. My favorite part was when the glass walls were open to the temple, and the prayers of the monks mingled with the golden sounds of strong instruments and water droplets. The experimentation was new and fresh, but the composer also managed to bring in catchy pop elements to the sounds as well. The entire experience was so well thought out and the execution was brilliant.
day fourteen
In the morning we went to two museums: one for urban planning and another for propaganda art. The second museum is in the basement of an apartment complex, neither glamorous nor futuristic. But what the museum lacked it made for in content. Over 6000 propaganda posters are displayed around the museum, saved from a fate of destruction.
At an alumni dinner later, an alumnus Julian did his thesis paper on Chinese propaganda. He mentioned the museum we had went to earlier that morning. He said that many times, Chinese propaganda depends on traditional images and media in order to convey a feeling of importance and culture. For example, one of the posters was made completely from traditional red paper cutting. Some of the posters also feature mythological references as well. Whatever the purpose, the posters were memorable, thoughtful and even downright works of art.
During our huge block of free time, some friends and I visited the fake marker after the most amazing green tea soft serve. At a certain subway stop, a sprawling collection of shops sell uncanny replicas to nearly every single trendy item. The size of the whole project was insane- enough people come to purchase items in an obscure corner of the subway system that an entire department store's worth of fake goods is sold. A different group of friends had spent the day in a high end mall, shopping the same items as us although at a drastically different price. We laughed a bit at the irony later.
The last event of the day was an alumni dinner hosted by Joe Tattlebaun. It was much more formal than I had expected- dinner was guided discussion, complete with introductions and conclusions from everyone. Although a bit nerve wracking, it worked wonders in furthering my research topic and also helped to cement my own thoughts on the topic. Although it was a packed day, it was both so much fun and so intellectually stimulating at the same time.
At an alumni dinner later, an alumnus Julian did his thesis paper on Chinese propaganda. He mentioned the museum we had went to earlier that morning. He said that many times, Chinese propaganda depends on traditional images and media in order to convey a feeling of importance and culture. For example, one of the posters was made completely from traditional red paper cutting. Some of the posters also feature mythological references as well. Whatever the purpose, the posters were memorable, thoughtful and even downright works of art.
During our huge block of free time, some friends and I visited the fake marker after the most amazing green tea soft serve. At a certain subway stop, a sprawling collection of shops sell uncanny replicas to nearly every single trendy item. The size of the whole project was insane- enough people come to purchase items in an obscure corner of the subway system that an entire department store's worth of fake goods is sold. A different group of friends had spent the day in a high end mall, shopping the same items as us although at a drastically different price. We laughed a bit at the irony later.
The last event of the day was an alumni dinner hosted by Joe Tattlebaun. It was much more formal than I had expected- dinner was guided discussion, complete with introductions and conclusions from everyone. Although a bit nerve wracking, it worked wonders in furthering my research topic and also helped to cement my own thoughts on the topic. Although it was a packed day, it was both so much fun and so intellectually stimulating at the same time.