2010 Gansu Rural Service Project – promo video up!

One of the highlights of the summer 2010 programs in China will definitely be our two-week project in rural Gansu Provice.  We’ll spend two weeks living in a village on the edge of the Gobi desert.  Details on the project can be found on our website’s service project page.   Here’s a brief promo slideshow of the project:

New site and new name! We are now “Global Studies – China”

Check out our new website (live, but still under construction) at globalstudieschina.com!  You will note that our name has changed from the “China Intercultural Studies Program” to PESi “Global Studies – China” – in part reflecting the focus in our programs on understanding key global trends and issues in the context of China.  We also have new print materials on our programs – drop us a note if you would like some in the mail.  Dan – Director, PESi Global Studies

Dreams Ahead – Migrant Kids and their Ambitions

From Kelly – More for Migrant Kids Project

In the afternoon, when we asked the kids to draw their dream city; they each drew many creative things in their cities. Most of the kids had tall buildings in their city and cars and houses. I asked them why they want to have tall buildings by their house; they all said that they desire to be where there are tall skyscrapers. They all desire to live in those tall apartment buildings outside of their broken down houses. Some others also drew many UFOs and different kinds of spaceships in their city. The boy who knew something about each country drew the Statue of Liberty, the Egyptian pyramids, the Eiffel Tower, and many different other famous buildings.

They all drew many creative things in their dream city. I can see their desire to be included in this upper society of Shanghai through their drawings. They want to be part of this Shanghai society, the nice areas and not the broken down walls and houses. When I talked to some of these kids; they have all said that they do not want to go back to their home city because although they are discriminated they still want to be in this modern society. Their dream city both hurts and gives me joy because they know their standing in the society, but they also do not give up on their dream…. Through their dream city drawing and their dream job, I see that these kids have huge dreams. It is very hard for me to imagine that these migrant kids at YuXin have to move away in four years because they are rebuilding the area, so the migrant kids will merge into the regular Shanghai elementary. However, most of these kids are in fourth grade, but they are eleven to fourteen years old. It would be very hard to fit into the regular school.

When it was time to say goodbye, I have gave them each a little gift and a card. When they were reading the card I wrote, I have never seen them concentrated so much on reading something. After reading the cards, they told me that they were going to miss me. One of my kids, who only came for three days said to me that he was only here for three days instead of four days. He looked at his watch and said “it is 11:00, and I only have an hour left with you guys.” His words melted my heart. He was the kid who I taught and he has really short tension span, so I thought that he never paid any attention to me. When he said those words to me, tears came running down my face. It breaks my hearts to leave these kids. My goal was just to bring some hope and joy to their life, but I am not sure about four days is enough to make a huge difference in their life. When I left the school, I had a question that kept on spinning inside of my head. Why God are these kids suffering? They are just innocent little kids, why did they have to take this kind of suffering? They all have big dreams, but their social standing in the society restricts them.

“Pride and Prejudice” … Not the Jane Austen Version

From Christine – Portrait of a Migrant Neighborhood (Part Two)

We visited the migrant schools this afternoon. We had a sociological project to do with our teams, which led to more careful observation and reflection…. We definitely had certain expectations going in, after all the lectures and articles we studied. In some ways, the area fit those ideas, and in some ways it surprised us.

Something that struck all of us was how the little (migrant) “village” was so much like its own city. Tucked away smack dab in the middle of Shanghai, surrounded by high rises and cutting-edge technology, this village seemed almost unaware of what was going on outside its aging, thick walls. Inside, the village had its own little markets, different vendors selling fruit, fish, clothes, and plastic bowls outside their homes, the rusty air conditioning units beating rapidly. One doesn’t need to venture outside the understanding, safety of the community to survive. And understanding, safety, the village has; the higher-class Shanghainese push them away, and so the migrant workers come together, building their own place. The community was full of trust: doors were left wide open, merchandise sitting out in the hot sun. Children ran from house to house, past the communal kitchens (and bathrooms) where everything is shared. The trust was only extended to community members; people watched us warily, unsmiling. Some asked us to take pictures, to raise awareness for their plight, while others refused to speak with us. They didn’t want our sympathy.

Here we were, these rich American Asians, touring through their neighborhood like it was the Forbidden City or the Lincoln Memorial, gawking at what was simply their daily lives. There was a pride in what they had, what they were, even though it seemed so pitiful to us. They seemed sad, burdened, but unashamed of their situation. We were just intruders, people that would come and go, like the officials that mark the large, red, intimidating 拆 (the Chinese character for “take apart, destroy”) on their houses. Snubbed by the urbanites, they form their own societies outside, and yet that is not enough.  And yet, their dignity, their pride in what they have, remains.

Big-shot American, I thought I was the one helping them, broken-hearted because I could not fix all their problems. But maybe…they don’t want my sympathy. Maybe what they really want is just respect, for who they are and what they have earned in the little fate has granted them. Maybe they just want what they deserve, something that has been stolen from them. Maybe they just want someone to realize that just because they have less doesn’t mean that they are less.

For more information, see…http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-08/20/content_8591005.htm

Poetry in the least expected places

From Michelle – Portrait of a Migrant Neighborhood (Part One)

Above us, against a strangely blue sky, clothes waved in the wind like pink, blue polka dotted, black and green striped flags. Open windows seemed to beg the sun into the dark seemingly abandoned rooms. A door was opened, or rather, missing, and we noticed a bed, chair, and pile of clothes. A rice cooker stood alone, a reminder of a human need. Another home opened to a dim kitchen, lit by one exposed light bulb. A hot plate served as a stove and old cupboards waited to be opened.

On the streets, women and men, young and old, sat restlessly in the scorching heat. Strangely, the height of the worn buildings, some falling apart, brick by brick, was able to shield some roads from the rays. One woman was quite resourceful, pulling together wood scraps to make a little roofed chair for herself; it was unclear whether she was in charge of a shop or was a migrant worker, merely waiting for the inevitable end of a home.

A Shanghainese man explained the plight of the residents…. Most of the buildings we saw are abandoned because the government has ordered them to be torn down in preparation for the World Exposition in 2010. As such, the migrant workers have been given two options: money or housing. The housing however, is inconveniently located in the outskirts of Shanghai. Most opt for the compensation payment, despite its meager value. However, they have trouble finding housing, so many simply opt to stay, what might be deemed “squatting,” in the United States….

We continued walking and saw that there were no showers or bathrooms. It appeared that washing basins were outside, in the street…. Exposed pipes and air conditioning units leaked water into the streets; the water was a yellowish green and some of us were hesitant to step near it. Red banners, worn from dirt and rain, hung on the eggshell white walls, while exposed wiring served as a shelf for hanging clothing. Old bikes sped past us with a rhythmic sound and buildings, roofless and doorless, sat filled with rubble.

The students attend school without many lights, though they do have fans. A few posters, worn and torn at edges, hung to decorate the walls. Inside the classroom, a proudly drawn Haibao, the mascot for the Shanghai Expo beamed urban pride. The wooden desks sat patiently, with chairs turned over upon them, waiting for a Monday with students and the courtyard outside boasted a basketball hoop for the few young tall enough to dunk it….

I suppose I was really shocked to see how poor the students are, the extremity of their lifestyle compared to the richness and luxury of others in Shanghai. I mean, all cities have that aspect, but to see it in the bright, bold daylight like that, knowing that we would work with those students in the next month, makes me really want to do a great job for them.

To learn more…

Migrant Children Also Need Schools to Study 9/3/09: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/opinion/2009-09/03/content_8651062.htm

It’s not as simple as it seems….

This week China Journey will be taking a look at China’s dramatic economic growth through the lens of our experiences as students in the China Intercultural Studies Program in Shanghai…

Christine – University of Virginia

Hearing and reading about trade from the Chinese perspective in our program, again my big shot American self is reminded that it’s not as simple as it seems. We love to point out China’s problems but forget that we have major problems of our own (flailing economy, stiff export controls – I need to figure out what that REALLY means).  Plus, our trade deficit is huge…I think it’s good America tries to play good guy, moral conscience of the world, but maybe we’re too compassionate, too eager to jump in. We’re so dependent on and desirous of China’s goods but them not so much on ours.  This seems to kind of have backfired on American attitudes as well; all this talk reminds me of a campaign commercial I saw back home in NC last year. It was two old Southern guys reading a Chinese newspaper – better start learning Chinese now, they said, because sooner or later all of America’s jobs will get sent over there. It made me really mad at the time, but I couldn’t really explain why. I guess this kind of helps to understand why: we point fingers at China, but don’t acknowledge our responsibility in it….

CISP company visit - Sinopacific Shipping

But what’s comforting is that God is always in control…this program has definitely made me confront the hard questions, be they about the reality of my faith, struggles in my life, China’s seemingly unfair actions, US prejudice, or the social injustice I see everywhere. Sometimes I want to scream WHY at God, or at least sit down and really cry, and then He reminds me that it’s not up to me to know all the answers. “The battle is not ours,” as they say. Reading what I just wrote, it sounds kind of like a cop-out, the easy response –“just trust God.” But…sometimes that’s all there is to do. Either way, He’s definitely placed a bigger burden for China on my heart.

Chatting with the “lao bai xing…”

Kelly – Trinity University

A couple of us from the program talked to our taxi driver on our way back from the People Square, and we were able to get a perspective from a sixty year old Chinese baby boomer. When we asked what he thinks about his living condition now he told us that he, a “lao bai xing” or commoner, works hard in society but earns little and can work no more.  He explained that he has driven a taxi in order to support his kids in college and save up to buy a house for his son when he gets married. This is typical for an old baby boomer in Chinese society, he says.  Because of the lack of social welfare for these baby boomers, they have to work till they cannot work anymore to earn a possible decent living.

I compared his story to the people back in America who move to Florida when they retire and go on all kinds of vacations – this man is forced to worry about his kid’s future and his living status for the rest of his life.  This has really made me think – this guy who drove a taxi for most of his life to keep his family running still has to save up in order to give some support to his son, and in the end he may have nothing when he is retired.  I reflect on my own story, how my parents immigrated to America, and how hard they have had to work in order for me to receive an education in America…the sacrifices they made to leave their own parents and their good jobs in China and start new page in America.  Sometimes I sympathize with commoners like the taxi driver, but conversations like this also remind me to appreciate my own life…

Dusk at People's Square in Shanghai

Karaoke, politics, and a new perspective on life in the U.S.

Michelle – University of Maryland

As this trip is ending, I have come to learn a lot about China and surprisingly, about America. I’ve learned to be understanding of other points of view and to be considerate of the fact that China may have its own ways of doing things that I don’t fully understand. Chinese politics may not be my favorite, but they work for China, and it’s important that I learn to respect the Chinese way of life. Furthermore, I think I’ve grown fond of Chinese culture, surprisingly as that may seem. Nights out at karaoke, shopping, hanging out with Chinese and fellow PESI students have given me a lot of great memories and an unexpected love of Chinese music! I feel strange realizing this, but while I do miss my home, my family and my friends, I am also incredibly sad to be leaving China, to end this wonderful experience and opportunity. However, I hope to take everything I learned, all the memories, and all my friends and connections with me in life.

CISP students hanging with Bill at Microsoft Shanghai

God has given me a lot. I’ve been fortunate enough to live in a happy, healthy and wealthy home. I get to go to a great university and take part in student groups every day. I get to work and earn money that I can spend with my friends. I get to go to church without fear of government oppression. I can say just about anything I feel pops into my head. And hopefully, I’ll take my money and spend it on things that last.  A few less designer bags and outfits, a few less crepes and dinners out, versus one more mission sponsorship, one more donation to a program to benefit what Jesus called us to - loving people and caring for those who are suffering.

Slumdog Millionaire and my responsibility…

This week China Journey will be taking a look at China’s economic growth through the lens of our experiences as students in the China Intercultural Studies Program in Shanghai…

Geneva – UCSD

This past Sunday I went to Shanghai Christian Fellowship. Once again, I saw the disabled beggar man sitting outside the church. He has been there for the past three weeks I have gone. He is one of the many beggars I have seen around Shanghai. Almost all of them have been disabled in some way or another. It reminds me of a scene in the movie Slumdog Millionaire, where orphan children were mutilated to seem more pitiful so they could gain more money for their boss. I don’t know whether or not these men are part of a similar scam or not, but it was breaking my heart to see them like that, whether or not they are scam artists. Since even if they are, they still are people who are in need. And as seen through the article we read in class, the growing disparity between the haves and haves-not is growing…

 What has caused me to think the most about the beggar is that he was sitting right next to the main gate of the church. Part of our responsibility for those who are Christians is to take care of the poor, yet I saw many, myself included, pass by him as quickly as possible without looking. Yet if we were to truly follow Jesus’ example, it would be an example of caring for the poor and hungry, eating with those perceived as unwanted or lowly, and healing the sick. How can we say we follow Jesus and His commandments of loving one another when I just walk by the man without offering any help? In one of our tutorial sessions, we discussed the poor we see in Shanghai, specifically what the government’s response should be, as well as our own personal responsibility in caring for them. One thing I took away from the session was that we need to remember that God does love all His people, especially the poor, and even though sometimes it doesn’t seem like Christians do that, we should do the same…. After all of this journaling, I’m still not sure what to do about the homeless and hungry I see while walking around Shanghai. I still firmly believe in not giving homeless money unless I have know them for some time and know they will not use the money to their detriment. However, I willingly give homeless my time, food, and the Word when possible. I hope that I would have this attitude whether or not it is convenient for me.

Nanjing Lu – Prada and picking through trash…

Jayme – Emory University

Traveling to the Bund and the nearby Nanjinglu was a very good representation of what we covered in class, which was urban socio economic development. The gap between the rich and poor was apparent everywhere. Walking across the Bund were construction workers, probably very poor migrant workers. Their concept of common city social etiquette was not apparent, as they were walking around …sometimes with only a shirt half on…This was an example of this tremendous gap – they were helping the decadent renovations going on some of the most expensive styles and fashions in these shops.       Shanghai is undergoing rapid growth in part due to increasing foreign investment and also massive cash inflow to the construction of urban buildings…It is a privilege to be an urbanite in China, because of an “ascribed status” and everyone wants to take part in this growth- but at what cost? 

One thing that really affected me was seeing people digging through the trash bins for recyclable material….I was merely resting in front of a recycle bin when some middle aged man just pushed me aside and started digging through the trash. At first I was confused and shocked that someone was so desperate to look through trash, but then I realized that this was just his way of life….Here, hundreds of people flock to a busy hub to buy rich luxury goods and pay little attention to some of the poorest people in China. It is one thing to learn about all the contrast and facts and figures in class, but to see this first hand is a truly saddening experience.