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.

Land of Opportunity and Growth

Timothy – Rice University

As someone from Hong Kong, my impression of China has changed as I’ve grown up. When I was young, before the 1997 handover, China was really not present in my life, and during this time, speaking Mandarin was looked down upon. However, as the handover loomed closer, people in Hong Kong began chatting up the subject. Many of the capitalists decided to leave Hong Kong for good, fearing that the Chinese Communists would implement some hostile takeover as soon as Hong Kong was returned to China on the morning of July 1^st, 1997. Soon after the handover, most of the citizens of Hong Kong realized that the Chinese government would act on its promise that Hong Kong would be treated as a Special Administrative Region, ruled under the policy of “one country, two systems”. From then on, China began to be seen as a land of opportunity, growth and economic opportunity. As more mainland millionaires made their way to Hong Kong to buy cheaper name brands, Hong Kong people began to treasure Chinese customers and becoming more accepting of Mandarin. Today, learning Mandarin and speaking it well is a must, with many local schools focusing on Mandarin as a first language. Clearly, people in Hong Kong understand China’s growing influence on the world, and the inevitability of having to speak the official language of their own mother country.

CISP students at the Shanghai Exhibition Center

This week – journal entries reflect on China’s economic growth…

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…

Nikki – UT Austin

Personally, I am amazed by the fast-paced development China (Shanghai especially) has undergone over the last 15 years. I was talking to Dan, our resident director, and he said that 15 years ago, Shanghai barely had any skyscrapers. Now, it is bombarded by tall business company buildings, one after another. It is impressive for China to stand back up on her feet, considering the embarrassment it has experienced from the era of the Opium War through the war with Japan. However, there are major challenges still lingering. These include stagnant inflation due to housing expenditure, economic growth without job growth, overdependence on investment and lack of consumption, overdependence on foreign trade, income inequality, urban-rural duality, environment degradation, and the need for social welfare.

For example – take the challenge income inequality. My friends and I were talking to the taxi driver last night on the way home from the Yu gardens. We asked what he thinks about the upcoming World Expo 2010 and the sudden economic boom of Shanghai. He shared that it does not really matter to him because the economic growth has not reached nor benefited his life as a taxi driver. Also having worked with the migrant kids during our migrant school project, we saw the abundant opportunities to improve their facilities and staff. This economic growth in China can help the many poor people of China.  I just hope the government handles this issue of income distribution very well…

an open heart and mind

It was only when I stepped out into the humid Shanghai air at the airport that I finally realized that I was in a different country. This is my first time coming to China, and I have no idea what to expect or even what to think. I have only watched news about Chinese events on American media, but they have felt distant and unrelated to my own life. The closest thing to Chinese culture that I can have had a taste of in the United States is watching Chinese specials on travel channels, spending time with my Chinese- American friends, or speaking with my parents (though this is different as well because they are from Taiwan). Overall, I came into this country with neither a positive nor negative feeling because I realized that I know nothing about it. I can only take on the advice of the Slimbach article we read on Trans-cultural Learning and approach things with an open heart and open mind during my time in Shanghai.

Honestly, I am not scared of this month in China – I am actually anxious and curious as to what I will learn and the experiences that can change my perspectives. One of the experiences in which I hope to gain from is the migrant kids project, though I know nothing about what we will do or how we will teach these kids. It was surprising to learn that even with China’s booming economy and with such an emphasis on education in Asian cultures that there would be such a segregation and duality in quality of education in cities in China. I do not think that this reflects poor judgment on China’s government, but rather a steadily growing problem that is being addressed delicately. In some ways, when I read the Education Inequality article about the challenges of migrant schooling in China, it reminded me of poor urban schools where I live in Atlanta, Georgia. Even there, the quality of schools is terrible due to lack of funding and the inability of families to move and the apathy of the government to provide more support. More to come soon about my experiences in the CISP China and the World course at Fudan!

Jayme – Emory University

Summer 09 Shanghai posts coming soon…

The CISP Shanghai team (session 1) is back!  New posts coming soon….

Becoming a “caring businessman” – Daniel Song

When most people and even I, myself, think of China, I tend to think at the national level, like thinking about commerce, of big events like the Olympics, and cultural sights. I love all these things about China. But what blew me away the most was what happened at the local, human level, particularly at Prince of Peace Children’s Home (POPCH) — an orphanage where I did a service project through CISP. It was there where I met the most genuine, loving people that I’ve ever met in my life. I met my “betters” there, so to speak. I had the privilege of working with these little bundles of joy at the orphanage. I can honestly say that I can be a shallow person on occasions. Even though I strive to be as caring as I can be, no matter how many times I volunteered for different projects at the home, I felt drained and exhausted day after day taking care of these kids.
 

At POPCH, I met such beautiful, precious children and some of the most admirable, amazing people in my life: the volunteers. They dedicated all their time, effort, and love to these orphans. I was really so touched. One such amazing woman I met was Treamie. She was a petite woman with a big heart and smile. She never ran out of love for each child that she met. Every child she met experienced genuine love from her in some way or another, either through a tight hug, words of care and concern, or through her daily dedication. I would say that she should be ranked as a National Hero of China, but that’s just my opinion. There were other volunteers as well showing the same dedication and love to these orphans.
 

At the start of this program, I wouldn’t have regarded myself as caring. I was more ambitious and headstrong you could say, thinking as a businessman. I don’t mean to dismiss ambition or determination. These are worthy values in many ways. But I discovered that these men and women had genuine love and care. I was blessed to see the worthiness of these values lived out at POPCH and how I could find a balance between the two characteristics in my studies, future career, and daily interactions with others.
 
In addition to the blessing of a top university education at Tsinghua or Fudan, the positive challenge of cultural immersion, and the chance to the ancient wonders of China, make sure not to miss out on volunteering at POPCH. Because of all things I experienced in China, I was most blown away by the love I saw in that place. This is a chance for you to discover what the heart of China is really about.