A Year in Shanghai

Some Beijing Photos...

Fresh off the train in Beijing. It's 7am, and we need some coffee...

Wendy and Me, showing our Chinese pride!

Brian and Elwin, "greeting" the cultural relics...this one's not real, right?

New Friends! Kristin, Wendy, and Me with some extroverted school children.

Flush with cash, these boys are ready for whatever happens in Beijing...Cool hats, too....

Lauren, Kristin, and Wendy on the Great Wall...

Me, Elwin, Lauren, Kristin, Brian, Wendy and Kendall. Oh, and Mao too...

The Greatest Wall

A few weeks ago I was in Beijing, finally getting a look at the capital of China. We took a twelve-hour, overnight train and arrived in a much colder Beijing at a little after seven in the morning, proceeded to our hostel, and then spent the day in Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and Bei Hai Park. Our whirlwind tour of Beijing also included the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven, Drum Tower, a Lamasery, and the Ming Tombs. All these places were beautiful and historic, and most of them were under re-construction so that visitors during the Olympics in 2008 will see the best side of Beijing, but none of them could compare to the Great Wall.

One of the seven wonders of the world, the Great Wall stretches for over 4,000 miles, and in ancient times was used to protect China from invading forces, namely the Huns and the Mongols. One-third of the population of China was conscripted to help in building the wall, and hundreds of thousands of people died building it; the rumor is that they were buried in the wall itself, making the Great Wall the world�s longest cemetery. Knowing all this, and the fact that you can see the wall from space, I was eager to see it. Most Chinese think that you cannot call yourself a true Chinese until you have climbed the Great Wall; likewise, I couldn�t leave China not having seen the Great Wall�it would be like going to New York and now seeing the Statue of Liberty: unthinkable.

Coming off a disappointing tour of the Ming Tombs, we hoped that the Great Wall (or as Elwin calls it, �the Great Boy�) would not let us down. As our van followed the curved path to the top of the mountain, I saw the first piece of it out of the corner of my eye. The wall was broken off on the mountainside; it almost looked as if a chunk of it had been removed to make room for the road. From where it came to an abrupt end by the highway, it continued off in the other direction. It was crumbling apart, but that didn�t make it any less spectacular. My breath hitched in my chest�here was something ancient (those of you who know me know that I am obsessed with old things�antiques, old books, history), something I�d only seen in books, and thank goodness I was sitting down, because right then I really realized I�m in China, and it was a bit of a shock.

We got to the wall, and after a �cart ride,� which was really an excuse to put a mock roller coaster near the Great Wall, we got to a point where we could start climbing to the top. My second sight of the Great Wall was not as impressive as my first. The section we visited�Badaling�has been restored, and although it is in Great Wall spirit and form, it was not the ancient wall I had seen on my way up the mountain. This section is touristy and packed with people pushing and shoving and trying to take pictures with and of the wall and foreigners; for some, the foreigners seemed to be the bigger attraction. In any case, it was still awesome to see the Great Wall snaking off into the distance, and even restored, it was a sight to behold. To think that people did all of this by hand and on these massive mountains in ye olden days just boggles the mind.

When I was on the wall, climbing the many steps that it took to almost get to the top (we ran out of time), I had a few thoughts. First of all, you would have had to be crazy�no, more than crazy: completely psycho�to try to invade China when they have this wall set up for defense. They call it the Great Wall for a reason�the thing is huge, maybe twenty to thirty feet tall and fifteen or so feet wide (maybe more�measuring has never been one of my strong suits). The steps on the wall are torturously huge; some steps came to just below my knee, which I�d say might be a foot and a half. Stepping up was hard enough, but when I was stepping down, I just prayed to whatever deity might be listening that I wouldn�t fall. The wall was in the mountains�it�s built on a hill, so, not only are the steps big, but they are also steep, and one tumble and it could be all over.

Now, I know if I�d been part of an invading army and I was marching through the mountains, the instant I looked on that wall, I would have said, �Hell no, you people are crazy,� and have turned around. Secondly, if the army managed to get on the wall, all the Chinese guards would have to do is push the invaders down the stairs or off the sides, and they�d all probably die of complications and internal injuries, or they might break a limb or two, rendering them useless. That�s not to mention the tremendous height advantage the guards would have from the mountain combined with the extra feet from the wall itself�they could shoot anyone from that vantage point.

This is all well and good, but what is it that makes the Great Wall great? Sure, it was built by hand and it�s long, and it�s menacing. Well, here�s what I know: what makes the Great Wall so great is its prevalence as a symbol to the Chinese people. This iconic piece of architecture once built to protect them, now draws visitors of all ages from all over China who have one thing to prove: if they can climb to the top of the Great Wall�well, they may not have conquered China, as invading armies once hoped to do, but they have instead proved themselves to be true Chinese. This is symbolic, since one needn�t climb or do anything to prove what they are, but when looking out at the view from the highest peak of the wall, and seeing the path reaching out over the mountains into the distance, past and present fuse together. Suddenly there�s a vague, gnawing feeling and a glowing warmth: unexplainable pride and awe. Then, in that instant, it�s not about standing on the top of the mountain, but seeing where you came from, and knowing what this wall meant to the people that came before�protection, power, and pride�you know what it is to be proud of who you are and where you come from, no matter your ethnicity or nationality. And because of that, because of its legacy, it is the Greatest Wall, ever.

Belated Holiday Wishes (and proof that we're still alive...)

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the Sonoma Seven!

Too lazy to type....

Photo-op as we wait for the train in the subway...

More pictures...

Celebrating the end of another work week at a local restaurant!

The Pearl Tower at night...one of the buildings Shanghai is famous for...

A picture of a gigantic Buddha that we saw when we went to Wuxi in early October. I think he's about 25 stories high!

A picture's worth a thousand words...

Kristin and I with Cidong Huang (the Dean of the English Department) at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet.

A view of the Shanghai Skyline from the Bund.

"Was this a good idea?"

The Wheels on the Bus

Well, I figured that it would happen sooner or later, what, with the way these bus drivers careen down the street, playing chicken with all the other vehicles on the road, and try to see how close they can get to the bumper of the bus in front of them when they stop...

Last week we got on the bus to go down to our local market. Most of the seats were taken, so a few of us sat and the rest of us stood in what I think of as a "surfer stance," clutching the hand bar for good measure. The bus pulls away from the stop, turns the corner and heads toward the next bus stop, and, for some reason, stops about 200 feet before the next actual stop. People get on and off, and our bus gets ready to pull away, when, BAM! ANOTHER BUS PLOUGHS INTO THE BACK OF OUR PARKED BUS!!!!! I was lucky I was hanging on because the whole bus lurched forward and everyone was completely stunned for a moment.

The bus driver got out and started yelling at the other bus driver in Chinese, but I'm assuming he said something along the lines of "You hit my bus!!" and some other choice phrases, and the other driver talks back, probably with "what were you stopped in the middle of the road for?" also likely accompanied by a few expletives of his own. Then, they both both got on their cell phones and started to yell at people on the other end.

Meanwhile, we're all sitting (standing) there, wondering what to do and making sure we're all ok. We all were perfectly fine, except for minor incidents: Lauren had jammed her arm, Wendy had broken her fan against her face (face is fine--fan is not), and her sun glasses, which were on top of her head, flew at the Chinese guy behind her, who was kind enough to return them to her after the melee. Everyone else on the bus was okay as well, but they looked much more used to this kind of thing than we were. The other bus had a cracked windshield, and probably some front-end damage, but our bus looked alright.

Needless to say, we got on another bus to the market, and we took a Taxi home (only because it was hot, not because the buses are scary, which they are a bit scary, but this is a rarity, I hope). As we were getting on the other bus, Kristin pointed out that if that had happened in America, we'd all be filing class-action lawsuits right about now....

PUUUU DONG baby!

So i have to say i don't know why it's called SHANGHAI sanda university because i have to take the bus for 45 minutes and then a subway train for a few more just to get to Shanghai. At least where we are they've never seen a white person so it's like being a celebrity when we walk down the street...going back home will be a major shot to my ego.

The Village

The "Village" borders Sanda University and provides the foreign teaching group with access to exotic foods, (by exotic, I actually mean common for this area) drinks, and an expected amount of stares and glares. I think I can speak for everyone when I say that the degree with which the Chinese people of the area stare is quite excessive. Although sometimes fun and interesting, other times it can become quite irritating and annoying. Overall I'd say this small piece of Chinese culture offers much excitement, especially when dining, and I'm happy to say that I live in the area.

pre china- two months out

June 26, 2005
since this is one way i will document my experience, i thought i should try an entry- 1st time blogger. so, some pre china concerns to look back on and think that compared to being in culture shock, these were minor-
1) shipping my things across the world is a daunting task. maybe i should buy my winter wardrobe there.
2) i will miss my kitty
3) teaching to chinese students will be different than my experience in santa rosa
4) will i decide to come back within 3 years to clear my teaching credential?
5) how hard will learning the language be?

This blog is created to follow a group of eight Sonoma State graduates, who are embarking on a unique teaching and learning adventure in Shanghai, China in August, 2005. Sonoma State American Language Institute has partnered with Shanghai Sanda Institute to offer members of the University community the opportunity to teach English to college students for an academic year at the Sanda Institute, a technological university in Shanghai.

The first group of eight students will teach Sanda Institute students English oral skills such as listening, speaking and pronunciation, while immersing themselves in a vibrant Asian culture. As part of the agreement between Sanda Institute and Sonoma State University, the students are compensated for teaching 16 hours per week with a transportation allowance, housing, meals and stipend and given a tuition waiver to attend classes. In anticipation of this unique opportunity, Eileen O'Brien states, "I am very excited to experience the amazingly rich culture of China. This will truly be a life altering experience."

The Sonoma State University students leaving this August for China are: K. Metcalfe (Santa Rosa); Elwin Parker-Morris (Felton); Brian Sweeney (La Verne); Elizabeth Goodrich (Grass Valley); Eileen O'Brien (Santa Rosa); Lauren Castro (Modesto); Wendy Tappon (Oxnard); Kristin Cozort (Pacific Grove).

In order to prepare for their teaching assignments, the group has completed an
intensive 3-week course in TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) which included observations, practice teaching, and instruction in the basics of Chinese culture and the Chinese language system. The students will be able to learn more about Chinese culture by taking courses at Sanda Institute, studying subjects such as Chinese Language, Culture, Economy and Law.

Kristin Cozort expresses her excitement, "I'm going to gain first hand experience of a culture that is rich in history and tradition. Also, this is an experience that will certainly broaden my academic and professional prospects in the future." Beth Goodrich agrees that "This is a once in a lifetime experience that I just couldn't pass by. How many other college graduates will be able to say they taught English to college students in China?"

For more information about this program, contact Helen Kallenbach at Sonoma State American Language Institute at 707-664-2742 or visit www.sonoma.edu/exed/ssali/china.