|
2002 Student Impressions
Bekki Giese (Wartburg
College):
“China is wonderful. I love being able to experience a culture completely
different than my own. You can really discover new things about yourself
here amongst the beauty and the prestige. It is nice to see a different
form of government in action. China
is experiencing big changes right now. They are becoming a world power,
changing leaders and preparing for the Olympic Games in 2008. It is a great time to be in China. It is
the only place I know that you can eat a full course meal of delicacies for
just a couple of dollars, take a ride on West Lake, eat moon cakes during
the Mid-Autumn Festival and see fireworks all year round. It is definitely
a place that everyone should experience in his/her lifetime.”
Angelyn Pinter: “One of the most
interesting things about being in China is the opportunity to observe all
of the things that I have read about Chinese history and culture and to
compare it to my own experiences.
China is a country that is changing very quickly. When you walk around Hangzhou you see
West Lake, which has been the subject of legends and poetry for centuries.
The side streets are full of tiny restaurants with hand pulled noodles and
tall stacks of bamboo steamers full of baozi. But then you see a KFC and
Starbucks on the corner. Many
people are eager for a chance to practice their English, but fair warning I
have been asked more than once to give an impromptu rendition of a
Backstreet Boys song. In my time in
China, I have found that many of the old traditions are still present, but
that China is also very modern.”
Courtney Allensworth (Luther College): “Of the many things
about China that never cease to amaze me, the interplay of urban
development and scenic beauty ranks near the top. Every time I see
Hangzhou's West Lake, I am awestruck by the mere fact that if I look in one
direction, I see newly erected buildings amidst the bustling downtown
area. When I look the other
direction, it's as if time stops—lush green trees, the calming waters of
the lake, the rolling hills off in the distance where a Pagoda stands as
though reaching to the sky, a remnant of ancient history ever present
today. The longer I am in China,
the more I realize that the Chinese do things at their own pace and in
their own way, and in the end, they will have found the balance that will
lead them through the 21st century.
China is as much about greeting globalization as it is about
remembering its roots, which is the true beauty of this grand nation.”
Jenna Fick: “It’s difficult to write a
simple paragraph about my China experience. So much has happened and China
is such a complex place to describe.
My time here has been some of the best months of my life. There is so much history to learn and
culture to experience. It has been wonderful to be in a culture so entirely
different from my own. I have
learned much about Chinese people, as well as what it is like to be the
foreigner in a strange land. I feel
very much at home in China now, and it will be a sad day when we have to
pack our things and go home. I love
the little everyday things that we do here, such as visit the noodle shop
for lunch, chat with the international students between Chinese classes,
shopping downtown at the night market and walking by West Lake. The China program is a wonderful choice
for anyone who wants to learn about Chinese culture, language, and who
truly wants to experience something different from anything they know at
home.”
Joe Rodarte: “My first impression of
China was just how vast it is. My
first few days here are a little fuzzy. What I do remember is being amazed
by the diversity of life here. It’s
not in the textbooks how different one person is from another. We’re told that China is a homogenous
society. There is also great
diversity. This seems to be a contradiction, but even a minority of 10% in
China comprises a huge number of people (somewhere in the millions). I’m
not talking about religious or ethnic diversity. Everyone is doing his or
her own thing. You see garbage men
dragging hand-pulled carts along the street, beggars in revolutionary
worker clothes, rich businessman in Shanghai driving Buicks and students of
every variety. Young or old, rich
or poor, native or foreign; life moves in China in a way that I’ve never
seen. This is probably why Chinese
roads are so interesting. Life in China is a unique experience. People ask me how do you like China?
What do you do over there anyway? And isn’t it a communist country? But
it’s hard for me to form a good response. I can tell people what I’ve done,
and describe the places I’ve been and the things I’ve seen, but what people
do not realize is that living in China is pretty much like living anywhere
else in the world. You work, learn,
play, make friends, you have good days and bad days. Culture and language can be a barrier at
times but only if you choose to make it so. Staying in Hangzhou is a unique
experience. Everywhere I go heads turn. I’m easily recognized in the States
so I can’t imagine what goes through people’s heads here. And when I say my Chinese name is Wang
da Li, I can’t remember the last time I had heard so much laughter just
from introducing myself! How would I summarize my impression of China? I
can’t sum it up in one phrase. But I do know that I love it here, and I
intend to come back.”
Michael Foland: “In China I am always
amazed, above all, by the droves of people I see on the street. Sitting in front of their stores,
waiting on the bus, sweeping up debris from the sidewalk. They are simply living out their
lives. Before I arrived I was aware
the there were over one billion people living here. And I suspect, like every other student,
I could not quite comprehend that one billion represented one billion
PEOPLE. To encounter a new culture
face-to-face as I have been able to do (if only to a small extent) during
these past months is an experience unlike any other. But specifically it is encountering the
people living in their culture that is the real gift. The most important moments of my trip
here have not been my stops at famous historical sites. But rather the
moments when I am able, with however much stuttering and uncertainty, to
speak to another human being and to learn, in whatever small a part, what
that person is about. In America,
we may speak about broadening the mind in glowing terms, but I think more
simply it is really encountering others that causes such broadening. Being in China has taught me that wisdom
is something that makes me not just a well-rounded person but also more
importantly a better person.”
Nate Ruhter: “China, a country that
is undoubtedly misunderstood especially by the West, is in reality a much
more eclectic and un-obtrusive nation than it is perceived to be. It is
important to note that China is the most populous country on the planet.
The West has for centuries been accustomed to differing peoples inside
their borders. America is considered
the crucible of the globe, an amalgamation of the cultures and ethnicities
of the world. China on the other
hand, has a long history of being simply Chinese, with one national
language. With this in mind, it becomes a little easier to understand why the
Chinese are at the same time both enthralled and appalled at the site of a
foreigner. Perhaps as times move
closer to a state of globalization, the Chinese will become more accustomed
to foreigners.”
Elizabeth Sims: “China is a very interesting place to
live. Everything seems to always be
moving in all directions at all times, in a balance of chaos and
organization. The coolest thing is
that I came here not knowing a single word in Chinese, not being able to
read a single character. But now I
can get around the city, speak a little Chinese and read characters off the
signs. It’s very exciting to be learning about such a different culture and
language. I am so glad I chose to join the Hangzhou program!”
Travis Cowan: “The China study abroad
program offers students a chance to see a civilization on the rise. China is a growing economic power yet in
some ways it still holds on to its’ ancient traditions. A country with such a long history has
something for anyone. The language is extremely satisfying to learn. To see the signs around town and slowly
make sense out of them is the reward for the hours of study accumulated
throughout the semester. I recommend this program to anyone who is trying
to get more than average experiences out of their education.”
Elizabeth Weston: “I sit in front of a
laptop, my stomach warm and full with a couple of shaobing, something akin
to sesame seed pancakes, that I bought down the street this morning. After attempting greater communication
with the street food vendors, but realizing yet again that my Chinese
remains inadequate, I walked along narrow side streets enjoying my
breakfast. Although now more accustomed to direct glances and staring, I
sometimes look down to escape the looks.
The campus of Zhejiang University is a haven and with so many other
international students, one is not particularly out of place. But venturing beyond one feels like a
minority. America brims with faces of all ethnicity, nationality, and
background. China is filled with
Chinese and a meager spattering of others, leaving me to stick out as a
tall, white, foreign female. China
has given me a glimpse of what it is to be different and unable to change. It spurs me to learn the language to
communicate more freely. The
differences between China and home I cannot begin to describe. I have a new
appreciation for my life in the United States, but also a sense of wonder
and desire to know more of the unfamiliar.”
|
