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The Diaries |
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June 23, 2009The Last Day...June 23rdPosted by Alex MutschlerWell this is it, our last full day in Dalian and China. Overall we’ve spent just over 3 weeks immersing ourselves in the rich diversity of the Chinese culture. Throughout our trip I’ve seen historical sites in which I’d only seen pictures of (imagining what it would be like to see it first-hand) and been embraced by a culture which could be described as the “polar opposite” of the American mindset. Where we are short-term, individualistic, and objective oriented, the Chinese culture centers around long-term, group, and relationship-oriented characteristics. Here, information is seen as a commodity; just something that is necessary but rather unimportant in their method(s) of “doing business”. I’ve learned so much in the last several weeks, and I’m rather amazed at just how well I can remember all of the places and people I’ve seen and met. Our final day officially started at 10:20 that morning with our last Global Skills course. The class’s final exercise was an interaction-oriented activity which involved two groups of students; each of them being told how their “culture” was to behave and conduct business. The “sparklers” (my group) was American-like in the sense that we liked to show off our wealth, were not interested in conversing unless it was about money (“money” being paper clips) and desired to show off our wealth to others. The other team was more like the Chinese/South American cultures where they were more concerned about getting to know you before conducting business. Long story short, we discovered that in order to succeed in a new business environment you must initially abide by the host country’s rules and ideals. As time passes and relationships get established, a new, more efficient hybrid style of business culture begins to take shape between the two groups. What I took away from it was the concept of a dynamic business culture where new experiences and interactions help to sculpt a new mindset. After class, myself and other UNI students headed off to the dining hall (shi tang in Chinese) for what would be our last meal there. In order to do Chris a favor, I took several pictures of the dining hall when it was rather busy to say the least. The “closing ceremony” of our Global Skills program involved heading over to what we’ve come to call the Seaside Restaurant to dine with Mr. Liu (President of DNU), Mr. Sen, Lucia, Grace (our Chinese language instructor), and several other key figures involved in the creation of the program. We ate around the biggest table I’d ever seen’ it was so big that it could comfortably seat twenty some people. Halfway through the diner, the UNI students and myself met twenty or so other Chinese students from Dalian Nationalities University; introducing ourselves in Chinese along with a phrase we’d learned from our studies. From this trip, I’ve probably added some twenty five new friends to my Facebook profile. Back in our dining area, we set a video camera on the table and everyone (yes EVERYONE) gave a short speech in regards to our gratitude and appreciation for all of the hard work the faculty from both UNI and DNU had put into making such a trip possible—I’d have to say it was one of my best impromptu speeches I’ve ever done. Once diner was over with, we headed out to the restaurant’s patio that overlooked the Pacific Ocean. There, we each unwrapped and sent a Chinese lantern into the air as a final social get-together for the program. Needless to say some of the lanterns and wind conditions were uncooperative because instead of sending the lanterns out to sea, they drifted north over the mountains. No matter the circumstances however, it was fun to participate in one last traditional Chinese celebration. The last thing we (Joe and myself) did was attend our final 9:00pm session of DNU’s English Club meeting with whom we'd been meeting with Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays for their past four or five sessions. This time I brought my laptop along to share with the students the kinds of music I listen to along with some of my artistic works that I do in my spare time...things such as Photoshop projects, drawings, and music videos. Unfortunately 10:00pm came around much sooner than expected so we had to quickly pack our things in order to take a few group (and individual) photos before the building was locked down for the night. Once outside, we exchanged goodbyes and best wishes to all of the DNU students who came to bid us farewell since they wouldn’t be able to see us off Wednesday morning at 8:00am. Now all I have yet to do is pack my bags and be ready for a full day of sitting on my rump while flying 30,000 feet above the ground at 550 mph for some 14 hours in order to get home. One of the big reasons I don’t want to leave Dalian, or China for that matter, is because I’m not looking forward to sitting around doing virtually nothing for that length of time. I’ve bonded with the students from DNU so well, it hurts to realize that we’re finally heading for home—I’m left wondering if I’ll ever get another chance to meet them face to face. With that being said, it’s getting late and I still need to pack, so I bid the readers of my Global Skills blog xiexie he zaijian (thank you and goodbye).
June 22, 2009Nearing the End...June 22ndPosted by Alex MutschlerThe last couple days have been rather stressful due to the fact that Nat and myself have been studying for our Chinese language assessment. Today, at 8:30 am, we were the first group of students to take the assessment with our professor. It was rather funny because we’d probably studied several hours for this assessment and the “actual” assessment conversation only took 2 – 3 minutes. We must have done pretty well because Grace had told us “hen hao (very good).” After our assessment, I decided to walk around Dalian University’s campus and see the golf driving range about three-quarters of a mile south of campus. While walking around I wanted to take some pictures of the campus in order to show my family when I get back home. As I walked toward the driving range, I was rather uneasy trying to cross the street because traffic signs really don’t mean a thing in the city. About the only other thing I did that afternoon was surf the Internet and look through my three email accounts. The highlight of the day took place at 6:00 in the afternoon because we, the UNI students and faculty, hosted an American-style dinner. This dinner consisted of hamburgers/cheese burgers, pickles, onions, baked beans, apple crisp, potato salad, and deviled eggs. Because few, if any, Dalian students had never created a hamburger, so we saw some pretty interesting combinations of food items on a burger. Stewart and Joe were there to demonstrate a how-to on burger fixings but some students had other ideas—one rejected burger had apple crisp and onion on it. Overall the party went very well; Mr. Sen, Kelly, Grace and several other associates were able to attend the party.
June 20, 2009Dalian...June 20thPosted by Alex MutschlerWe made several interesting and enjoyable stops along the way before finally arriving at our destination—Golden Pebble Beach. The first stop of the day took place just east of Dalian at a wax and geological museum. The was museum was comprised of several world-famous celebrities such as Michael Jordan, Yao Ming, and Jackie Chan. Those figures however were not as “real” as I’d seen from photos but they were pretty impressive to say the least. Two things that haven’t changed regardless of where you are in China include every public facility being full of people and Chinese are still very pushy when in line. Just outside of the museum were several statues replicated from the works of Michelangelo. The geological museum, located alongside the wax museum, allowed its visitors to see many examples of fossilized plant and animal remains. Beyond that, there were many different kinds of stones with a resemblance to prehistoric paintings After the wax museum, we headed over to a martial arts performance. Initially, from the event’s location and the exterior looks of the building. The performance itself was great; much more energetic than the Peking Opera. The acrobatics and stunts of the kung fu performers was very impressive—not only because of their flips but their stunts involving nails, spears, and glass. Kung Fu really seems to be an art that defines the Chinese culture of precision, speed, grace, and power. Down the road from the martial arts performance center was one of the most fun and scenic parks I’d ever visited—Gold Stone Park (roughly translated of course). Gold Stone is a park roughly an acre in size with massive stones creating scenic landscapes and backgrounds. Even though there are signs posted that say not to climb on the rocks, there are several paths where you have no choice unless you want to back-track. The one disappointment I had with visiting the park was the fact that we only had time to explore for half and hour—certainly not enough time. The photos speak for themselves. After a memorable time burning some energy, we headed over to another park to simply walk around for a bit and enjoy the vegetation. I’ve never seen any kind of park like those we’ve experienced in China. Parks in the US are devoted to kids and family cook-outs rather than simply relaxing. Following a quick bite to eat we made our way to an actual gun range...something I never imagined China having since owning a gun is illegal. Our visitation allowed us to each fire a pellet gun several times; we could fire other guns ith normal ammo if we were willing to pay for it ourselves. Just afterword we went to a golf driving range for a short time to hit some golf balls. The golf portion of the trip alone almost made my day since I’m planning on starting my PGA teaching program later this summer—plus I wanted to show Chero and the other students what I love to do back home. Finally, our last stop of the day was at Golden Pebble Beach. At last I finally got to see the beach and stand in the ocean. The sounds and the scenery were almost exactly as I had imagined but a few characteristics were not as I’d imagined. The water was not as cold as expected but the thing which stood out was just how much junk (and by junk I mean garbage) was floating around and/or being washed up on shore. Sanitation policies in China seem to be non-existent, or at least lightly enforced. This lack of care in sanitation is the one real drawback I’ve seen to the country becoming a sought after world power. Aside from all of that, not much else has happened recently. I still need to prepare for my Chinese language assessment for Monday, but I can worry about it all day on Sunday. I did however get my hair cut for 5 RMB (approximately $0.85) on campus at Dalian Nationalities University. It was rather unique because the barber put on an all-English CD instead of the usual Chinese music and he wanted to get a picture with me afterwards (the same thing happened to me when I was picking up my laundry the other day from the university’s Laundromat.
June 19, 2009Pressure is BuildingPosted by Alex MutschlerOur Chinese language class has finally come to an end and the only thing left to do is fulfill the language assessment on Monday. I’m scheduled to take the assessment with Nat (Gow Hei) on Monday morning at 8:30 (ba dian san shi fen). The assessment consists of us having a conversation (much like a Q & A session) where we both have to ask 8 questions and have 8 responses...the challenge comes from not repeating the same questions or responses. We are not allowed to ask about the likes of our conversation partner—so much for this being easy. Thus far I’m still not overly comfortable asking questions...at least not a large variety of questions because I’ve seemed to have hit a plateau in my learning of the Chinese language. I’m probably overreacting quite a bit however. At least I’ve learned to tell time in Chinese. Our Global Skills class has come to an end as well, but we do have one final class to attend next Tuesday. UNI students in Dalian, including myself, still have one final quiz to complete sometime before this coming Sunday. This last quiz is comprised of part II of our Working Globesmart book, “Group Skills”. The UNI students (and I) have given our presentations for the Chinese students attending the class: I discussed the daily life of a college student and what the campus of UNI looks like; Nat talked about what it’s like growing up in America; Joe discussed American romance; Samantha, the average American’s perception of China; Nick highlighted to activities of UNI homecoming; Stew outlined some popular American leisure activities; Mr. Klein talked about life as a college professor; and Mr. Deeds reported on the general information of the US and Iowa. Before we head back to the States we’re planning to provide an American grill-out for the Global Skills students at Dalian Nationalities University. We’re planning on grilling hamburgers, offering potato salad and smores to those who’ve never had a real American meal. So far the trick has been finding stores that offer the supplies we’ll need to make the grill-out possible...I know Christine and Samantha have spent several hours running to and from various grocery stores trying to find ground beef and other ingredients. We did get to visit the San Te Garment Company just 30 minutes north of Dalian. San Te is a foreign subsidiary of another company located in New Zealand. This particular company specializes in the creation of men’s business suits—requiring a minimum order quantity of 1000 suits. From what I could tell, those who are employed at the facility begin at the bottom and, based on their performance, make their way up the hierarchy. The most common suit fabric is wool, and all of San Te’s products are shipped to Europe (Germany to be more specific). Why are San Te’s preferred customers in Europe? It’s primarily because Europeans demand fabrics and suits with much higher quality than those in America for example. The most surprising fact I learned about the facility is that for all of the fabric and materials they use, approximately 0.3% of the materials purchased never make it into the final product to be shipped—there’s very little wasted. On our trip to the San Te Garment facility, we finally got to see the rural, undeveloped countryside of China. It was rather weird not seeing open country with only a few dozen rows of corn instead of acres upon acres like it is in Iowa. I kept waiting to see a huge John Deere combine or something, but China continues to utilize hands-on agriculture. Our Friday afternoon activity, climbing Black Bear Mountain, has been cancelled because of poor weather conditions. Too bad because I need something to do to let out some energy.
June 16, 2009Dalian...The Journey ContinuesPosted by Alex MutschlerThe last few days have been pretty hectic, especially since I’ve begun to realize that our Chinese language assessment is coming due in less than a week. So far, I’ve had a headache trying to cram all of the new terms and phrases into my head. At least I’ve been able to learn to count to 1000 (although I’m not yet that quick at it). We still do not know enough to carry on a conversation with any of our Chinese language partners. Our assignment for tomorrow is to learn what the basic colors are and how to properly pronounce them (colors such as red, blue ect). We’ve begun our “group skills” portion of our Global Skills course and from what I’ve heard few did well on the first quiz. As of right now, we’re on the negotiation portion of the course. It was rather funny today in class because we were conducting a negotiation exercise and it seemed to be too simple for much of the class to initially grasp. Long story short, the class finally understood the concept, negotiated for certain prices of particular items, and then we shoed our negotiation agreements. Between Chinese and this course, I can piece it all together before our next quiz on Thursday or Friday. On Monday, June 15th we visited Countermast Technology Company. Countermast is a subsidiary of an Australian company which specializes in the manufacturing of automatic door openers (Countermast in Dalian specializes in automatic garage door openers). After meeting with Jennifer Wu, the General Manager of the facility, we learned some rather interesting things about the company. First, the Dalian facility located in the Dalian Free Trade Zone has only been in operation since May 2009. Countermast’s first subsidiary was actually based in Hong Kong, but as the company has expanded, there just hasn’t been any room to grow for the original plant. Now in the free trade zone, Countermast exports all of its products back to Australia for final inspection and distribution. The company’s one real competitor back in Australia was left unnamed but Jennifer said Countermast has some 50 percent of the automatic door opener market. Although some of our questions could not be readily answered due to the facility only being in operation for a month, they certainly seem to have the dedication and personnel needed to succeed in the competitive business environment.
Our most recent activity has been Chinese paper cutting--much harder than it sounds. We began by cutting out butterflies from some very thing red paper. Our instructor told us that the butterfly in paper cutting is a stepping stone to more complex designs. We'll get to construct artificial roses with various materials the next session of our paper cutting activities.
June 13, 2009June 12-13th...Our first week in DalianPosted by Alex MutschlerWell, we’re officially done with our first full week of classes and have been in Dalian since last Sunday. It’s still disconcerting how fast time goes by when you’re very busy—looking ahead, we only have 11 days or so left in Dalian. As much as I’d like to stay in Dalian for another couple of weeks, I also would like to head back to Iowa—heading back only involves spending 15 hours on a plane (something I’m REALLY not looking forward to). Chinese language class is getting easier to follow since our instructor, Grace, began teaching the course entirely in Chinese. So far, we’ve learned a variety of useful phrases and words that comprise the “essential Chinese” that’s needed to interact with people and get to know them a little better...learning how to tell time is on the agenda for next week (good thing I’ve been practicing and studying my numbers). Our comprehensive exam in the course is also coming up rather soon. The students involved in the Global Skills course, including us, are preparing to give presentations about our culture, life growing up, college life, and many other aspects which comprise the lives of both us and our Chinese classmates. We have our first quiz over the course material this coming Monday—a 25 question, multiple choice quiz. Class is in the morning however, and it has not put a damper on our afternoon company visits. We visited with a company called Kuancent Building Material (headquarterd in Canada), which deals with the manufacturing and exporting of house-building panels. Essentially, this company creates puzzle pieces which, when put together create a very sturdy house (where other buildings have failed, these homes have survived—the Kobe earthquake in Japan for example). The panels created have varying thicknesses depending on where any particular customer lives in the world. Thus far, Counter Mast’s primary markets include Canada and Europe. The biggest benefit to these style of houses is that the insulation is built into the panels, so customers don’t have to place any additional insulation into the attic. Depending on the circumstances, a house can be erected in as little as four days. An entire house can be shipped within 2 cargo containers...saving on freight and additional material costs. Another company we visited was a candle factory situated on the Dalian Free Trade Zone. This company was a foreign subsidiary to a much large company located in Germany. Because of the kinds of materials involved in the making of candles, there is very little waste. This company had an office displaying the 700 different varieties of candles their installation can manufacture. From what the Vice President (whose name escapes me at the moment) told us, they export virtually all of their finished product to Europe...with their peak manufacturing season between August and November. The thing imperative to their strategic advantage was establishing a facility inside the free trade zone early...prices for land to develop a factory have virtually doubled in the last 7 years because of demand.
One very exciting visit/tour that I’d been anticipating was the Dalian Pole Aquarium. Located in what I believe was the southwestern corner of Dalian lies this aquarium which is like a miniature SeaWorld. Although we were tight on time, we were able to see a large variety of animals including two different animal shows. Some of the main attractions there were beluga whales, dolphins, penguins, polar bears, walruses, and sea lions. Fortunately we had time to watch both the whale/dolphin show and the sea lion show. Probably the highlight of our tour there was riding the zip-line over the bay residing along the park. There is one thing I now understand about the Chinese, they’re very pushy and disconcerting about your position in line—you have to fight for your position in line AND to maintain that position.
Our group also sat down to watch a Chinese opera. In this opera, there are three acts. The first involves two men fighting with swords and martial arts inside a bedroom so dark that they can't see each other (rather entertaining to say the least). The second act had a couple women singing and dancing but I don't know the story that goes along with the act. The final act ultimately revolved around the emperor's wife/concubine killing herself. Overall I found the performance very entertaining and filled with a deep intertwining of Chinese culture and their history.
Lastly, we did some shopping in Dalian’s downtown district as our final activity in the last couple days. Much like Beijing, there are some stores that unless someone tells you where they are, you’ll never know they existed. Looking at the pictures below, you’d never know that there’s an expansive 5-story mall completely underground. This mall was very similar to the marketplace we visited in Beijing with one exception...the store vendors here were much less pushy about trying to sell you something (they’d actually let you look around before trying to sell you something). I’ve had another first on my trip to China...I finally had a drink from Starbucks (I bought a “tall size” iced coffee) and I have to say it tasted very good...I’m not going to pay another $4 for a coffee for quite some time after this though.
The one downside to the trip has been the fact that I can’t watch Tiger Woods play in some of his upcoming tournaments. I was very disappointed when I learned that he’d won the Memorial Tournament and I had no way of either watching, or recording his four days of tournament play. I have not missed video taping a tournament he’s played in since the 2000 PGA Championship!! At least I’m able to go online and watch video highlights. In another week however, I’m going to miss him playing the US Open at Bethpage Black GC in New York...he’s currently the defending champion for the Open title and he won the US Open at Bethpage in 2002.
From my understanding, all we have going on for this Sunday, June 14 is a visit around Dalian.
June 12, 2009Dalian...the Adventure ContinuesPosted by Alex MutschlerThrough June 10th and 11th regarding our stay in Dalian there really hasn’t been much news to report. We continue to struggle in our Chinese language course but there is now light at the end of the tunnel for all of us who want to merely pronunciation the phonetics comprising the Chinese language correctly. Our language professor, Grace, has been very patient and fourth coming with any questions we have regarding the grammatical use of certain Chinese words—including the introduction of new words as we continue through the course. It’s still rather frustrating the have only been in a foreign language class for only a couple of days and already Grace refuses to speak English to us for the remainder of the course...at least in class. Now, we not only have to worry about correctly pronouncing all the syllables, we must rapidly learn/memorize the terms and phrases that comprise the “essential Chinese” necessary to meet (and interact) with other native Chinese speakers...a rather overwhelming task that even some of our professors seem to have trouble with occasionally. Unlike some of the other UNI Global Skills participants, I’ve proactively tried to get myself involved with more on-campus activities that our Chinese Global Skills counterparts are participating in—in hopes of enhancing my relationship with my new-found peers, Chinese language proficiency, and my overall enjoyment of the Global Skills program. A couple days ago Chero (Huang Chen) asked me whether or not I’d be interested in playing some ping pong and pool with him at a local bar just off-campus. I was delighted that he’d asked me so of course I said yes...for one time in my life coursework can wait. Before leaving, I got a chance to see Chero’s dormitory and meet his three roommates (unfortunately the only one that I can remember right off hand was named Joe). My new found friend Chero is a very fascinating guy who shares many of my interests. He has a deep interest in the kinds of music I listen to along with my hobbies in sports, drawing, and graphic design. Chero has a weird hobby/ability...he’s able to solve any rubix cube puzzle in under a minute (I’ve never been able to complete one of those puzzles in my life and I’ve seen him do in 20 seconds). He also has a green laser pointer that is a class IIIB and requires a laptop batter to power it. How powerful is a class III laser you ask, well a class III pointer is capable of permanently blinding someone if the beam is shined in their eyes for very long (a class I or II laser will only temporarily blind you)..laser pointer, ping pong / pool (Chero still thrilled about it). A class III laser’s beam is bright enough to be seen in broad daylight without the use of dust or fog and has a range of AT LEAST 10 MILES. The beam is strong enough to actually ignite a match resting at the focal point of the beam...about 6” away from the pointer’s tip (Stewart, Nick, Joe, and myself can attest to it because Chero showed us). To put it into perspective, anything above a class II laser in the US requires a special license/permit before anyone can possess one.
Happy B-day Chris...don’t know how old she is but Nick & Stewart continue to refer to her as ancient. The party was arranged by Hubert and Anna (our Dalian student ambassadors) which was held at a popular dumpling restaurant just east of campus. The birthday cake was incredible—unlike traditional American cakes, this one had cool whip decorations on it instead of thick frosting. The candle itself was a Chinese firework that sparked, spun around, opened up into a five pedal flower with candles on it, and played “happy birthday” music.
English club meeting on Thursday @ 9:00pm with Chinese students wanting to practice their English pronunciation...turned into a Q&A session which was rather exciting....met a girl named Gene (although it is not spelled like that)...learned a new work baiyo which refers to someone with is daring and willing to try something no one else will—seen as foolish in this country. The students told us that the next meeting is being held at 9:00 pm on Sunday...as of right now, Joe and I are planning on attending again.
June 10, 2009Monday & Tuesday...Class has Begun!!Posted by Alex MutschlerIt’s official, I’ve become a morning person here in China because I continue to wake up at 5:00 or 5:30 in the morning and I’ve come to just accept it. My temperature thus far has been right around 37.5 Celsius (no swine flu for me) but I have caught a cold from either Nick or Stewart...thanks guys. Another thing that has become apparent after only one day of Chinese language class is that the language itself is not easy to speak...we can’t even make the proper sounds, which means were being outdone by 3 year olds! Regarding the sounds for z, c, s, and r, I’ve got a feeling we’re all going to go crazy trying to just make the sounds let alone speak the language. Our language professor has told us that she’ll stop speaking English to us on the third day of class—I took Spanish in high school for three years and the only time my professor taught the entire class in Spanish was during the later part of my fourth year...class is moving rather quickly to say the least. Our professor is rather good looking...she reminds me a lot about the LPGA player Lorena Ochoa; except Lorena speaks Spanish, not Chinese. Our Global Skills course taught by Chris Schrage was enjoyable for several reasons. First, the Chinese students had read and learned the terms such as culture from the same book as we did, so to that regard we’re already on a somewhat level playing field. After introducing ourselves to the class, it was very interesting how fourth coming the Chinese students were to wanting to get to know us better...what are our likes, dislikes, hobbies, and what are the things we’ve come to appreciate most about the country/culture after our short stay in China. Back in the States, students would not be this eager to meet and interact with new students...especially from another country.
The companies and places we’ve visited in Dalian through Tuesday, June 9 have been the Dalian Port Authority, the Dalian Development Area Museum, and explored some amazing parks. For anyone who has not seen a cargo port in action (such as me), the sheer size of the port along with the activity needed to keep the port efficiently operating is mind boggling. The model of the port Mr. Chen showed us in the lobby of the office building really puts the port’s size and location into perspective. We were lucky enough to go inside a special warehouse that holds crates and creates of Intel computer components but **NO CAMERAS ALLOWED**...so no pictures. The DDA Museum was somewhat discouraging because hardly any of the information was presented in English, so we had to rely on the pictures—those showing the “fishing village” 20 years ago in comparison to what the same area looks like today is just astounding (the city seems to have developed overnight). What was most enjoyable about the DDA Museum visit was the fact that we got to see a movie presented in much the same way an IMAX theatre...with a 360 degree screen showing the current development of Dalian along with the next 25 year developmental plans for the future. Along with that, the museum also had a full-scale model of the entire city...the model spans an approximate 150 x 50 feet!!! The model itself costs over $1 million dollars to create (the thing also lights up)!!! We also visited a couple parks with some amazing views as can be seen by the pictures—the one park, Feng Tsao Yuan is only a 10 minute walk from campus and is well work the hike.
June 9, 2009Dalian...our 2 week destinationPosted by Alex Mutschler
The city itself is much more upscale and modern because it has only been developed in the last 25 years or so. Regardless, it's still very crowded and noisy like Beijing. There is however, very little smog; we will have to deal with fog and the "marine layer" coming off the ocean for the remainder of our stay. I'm rather excited to be in what's been noted as one of the most beautiful cities in China...merely judging from what I can see, there really does seem to be a lot of scenic views with the mountains surrounding the city. We've all seem to notice that the food prepared among various meals during the day isn't all that differentiated day to day, or meal to meal for that matter. The bright side to Dalian University's breakfast in the hotel is the fact that they serve fried eggs (one of my favorites...I'm still looking for the salt and pepper however). One of my favorite dishes thus far has been a seafood dish called "guanbaro"...essentially sweet and sour fried fish fillets. Another thing we've noticed is that the Chinese population in general is very conscientious about how meals/dishes are laid out on a table...organization and presentation are key.
June 8, 2009Last day in Beijing...Dalian here we come!Posted by Alex MutschlerOur second day in Beijing was as busy, if not busier than the previous day because we were scheduled to see the Forbidden City, a pearl factory, a silk factory, Tienanmen Square, the Temple of Heaven, a marketplace, the Emperor’s Summer Palace, and finally leaving Beijing from one of the train stations. Our first order of business was visiting the Forbidden City which was open to the public in the early 1920s. I find it rather humorous that the Emperor, who was the figurehead for the Chinese empire, was never even seen by those he ruled over—he was figuratively a prisoner within the confines of the Forbidden City (no one outside of the City even knew what the emperor looked like). It’s hard for me to imagine the entire Forbidden City facility was built in 18-20 years; I can only imagine the man-power required to accomplish such a feat. Will all of the emperor’s concubines however, he probably wasn’t too concerned with seeing the world outside his guarded fortress. The pearl factory was rather interesting simply because of some of the things I took away from the tour. In order to determine whether or not a pearl is real, you must rub it against another pearl or very hard surface and see whether or not the pearl powder is white…if it is, the pearl is real. Freshwater pearls however, are not as valuable as saltwater pearls because they’re much more abundant within the oyster’s shell and they’re often of smaller size (taking less time for an oyster to create them). I was never really into pearls in regards to buying them as a gift for someone simply because they look too much like regular beads—just very valuable beads. During the demonstration, the speaker asked for a volunteer…I was rather reluctant to go up in front of the audience again simply because I didn’t know whether or not she was going to shoot pearls at me through a blowgun. The silk factory was also very educational. I didn’t realize that a single silkworm cocoon could produce a strand on silk 1 km long, but it takes many of these cocoons to merely create a quality tie. Some of the other items available at the silk factory were incredibly expensive…things such as this glass window “display” which was valued at 155,000 Yuan. The Temple of Heaven was a rather extraordinary place except for the fact that it was raining. Those who were selling umbrellas probably were able to raise their asking prices from 15 Yuan to 30 Yuan easily. Again, the structures the Chinese were able to construct with very little equipment is amazing. Now, the area surrounding the Temple of Heaven is a large public park where people can do daily exercise and socializing activities. One of Beijing’s famous marketplaces for many of its gift shops was a rather interesting experience. Immediately you’re attacked by vendors who are willing to offer you the “best/lowest price” while promising you top quality. After being advised by our cultural guide Jesse, I was not willing to spend more than 50 Yuan for virtually and souvenirs that I bargained for. While looking for shoes, I was able to talk one vender down from an initial offering of 820 Yuan, down to 100 Yuan after threatening to walk away…which I ended up doing anyway because I already have three pairs of shoes with me (I don’t need another pair). The last thing to be accomplished for the day involved leaving Beijing via train and taking a 12 hour ride to Dalian. Much like any thrawling airport, the train station was literally full of people jostling around for their chance to get onboard the train. Even Jesse didn’t like the train station…thank goodness she was around to help us find the location of our train’s platform and the actual train-car itself. Surprisingly, the beds on the train, although crowded, were actually softer than what was available at the hotel we were previously staying at. After a competitive game of Monopoly on Stewart’s computer with myself, Stew, Nick, and Joe, we pretty much did our own thing…I continued to study and read our textbook while Joe and the others decided to explore the rest of the train. Let me just say that aside from the whistle blowing of the train conductors and the frequent starts/stops, the train ride was not too bad—we arrived in Dalian at roughly 8:00am on Saturday.
First full day in BeijingPosted by Alex MutschlerEven though it was our first full day in Beijing, we had a lot of things to see: Great Wall, Jade Factory, Dr. Tea, Ming Tomb, the Sacred Way, and an evening dinner w/ traditional Chinese performances. The first tour visit for the day took place at a jade factory. Before this trip, I’d only heard of jade but didn’t know exactly what jade really was. It turns out that jade is not a crystal, but rather it is a very valuable kind of rock that can be found in various parts of China. Also, jade can be of many different colors and/or combination of colors—anything from the typical light green color to rare pieces with reddish orange. Initially, I wasn’t too excited about visiting a jade factory but after seeing the kind of artistic sculpting they can do with such material is just astounding; especially when artists carve a “happiness ball” from one solid piece of jade. First and foremost, I’d have to say that the visit to the Great Wall was my favorite destination to visit—merely because of the history and the sheer challenge of climbing up and down the Wall itself. I can’t even imagine the manpower it would’ve taken to build that kind of structure without the use of modern day machines (the Wall measuring some 5,000km). Both the climb up and down (following the “hero” route) were rather interesting; sometimes you had to literally climb the stairs and at other times you had to deal with not sliding down the path due to the steep slope. Following the Great Wall tour, we headed back into the heart of Beijing to experience a tea ceremony at Dr. Tea. While at the facility, we tasted four different types of tea including jasmine, litchi, golden green, and white tea. During the ceremony, we were showed how to properly hold a tea cup (depending on whether you were male or female)—frankly, I was more worried about burning my fingers and mouth than how to hold the cup…show us how to hold it before there’s scalding hot tea already in the cup!! Of the four flavors we did try however, I’d have to say that jasmine tea was my favorite, but I still prefer juice to tea any day. I’d suggest not buying an authentic, ceremonial tea set there because some of the prices for such items are extraordinarily high—8800 Yuan for the tea set shown. The Ming Tomb was very interesting as well. Whether you’re looking at the girls representing the Emperor’s concubines or tripping over the low-level barriers that prevent the short evil spirits from entering the facility, there always seems to be something to look at. What I’d like to know is how will they keep the evil spirits away from the Emperor in his underground palace when there are handicap ramps allowing visitors access to the tomb. You can certainly see the age of the structures because there are massive evergreen trees growing out of the brick foundation of the buildings. Just south of the Ming Tomb lies the Sacred Way, a paved path for the Emperor that is protected by 16 animal statues (half of them resting “off duty” and half of them standing “on duty”). I was surprised that the path was as long as it was, but after seeing the Great Wall earlier, I shouldn’t have been surprised by the acomplishment. After so much walking, I was getting ready to ride on one of the surrounding golf carts. Our last stop of the day took us to another traditional Chinese restaurant, but this time, a dinner show was provided. The show started some 10 minutes after we were done eating, the show began with a gal singing at the top of her lungs to traditional Chinese music—her facial expressions were rather disturbing because she looked like she was going to kill someone. After several other performances the highlight of the night took place. I was involuntarily volunteered to go up on stage for a performance with a man dressed in a clown suit carrying a blow gun. After a sketchy introduction of myself on stage (since I didn’t speak or even understand Chinese) I was instructed to hold a balloon for the performer to shoot. After that, I was told to hold the next balloon with my teeth and stand very still. What’s really interesting is that the performer missed the balloon the first time he took the shot with me having the balloon in my teeth. Lastly, he had me put a balloon between my legs and had another audience member come on stage and shake a rattle in front of the balloon—why? The performer took the shot blindfolded. All in all, that was certainly an experience I’ll not soon forget and I’m pretty sure it will show up on Youtube when we get back to the US thanks to Stewart.
June 5, 2009ArrivalPosted by Alex MutschlerWell, the plane ride from Cedar Rapids to Chicago was everything I could hope for on my first plane ride...Joe was even nice enough to switch me seats so I could look out the window!! O'Hare International Airport was really spectacular--lots of people and tons of different venues for various products. The biggest drawback I experienced on the trip was the sheer amount of noise there actually is on a jetliner (granted we were traveling at 550 mph). What really ruined the trip over was the fact that we ate a meal 20 minutes before landing--and it was a rather rough landing to say the least (several people had to use their barf bags...thank God I didn't). Although I didn't get a chance to sit right next to the window, Huang Shuai was kind enough to take some photos while we were up in the air; we introduced ourselves and exchanged email addresses. Huang agreed to send me copies of the pictures he'd taken from the plane. All in all, spending 14 hours on a plane was much more cumbersome than I had originally imagined...I'm not really looking forward to another 13 hour flight back the Chicago in 3 weeks, so I'll really have to enjoy myself over here.
May 31, 2009Before I leave--feelings and anticipationPosted by Alex MutschlerFor the second time in my life I'll be leaving the US with Chris Schrage and thus far I'm merely trying to keep an open mind of all that's to be experienced with this program. I'm rather excited to finally fly somewhere (ironically my first time ever on a plane and I'll be on board for some 13 hours!!). Thus far however, I believe my thoughts and emotions are on a roller coaster ride....the fear and anxiety beforehand, and the enjoyment of the trip.
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China DiariesKellyChina TourSamanthaNickStewartJoeAlexFaculty MembersChristineGordonDavidMap of ChinaJune 23, 2009The Last Day...June 23rdJune 22, 2009Nearing the End...June 22ndJune 20, 2009Dalian...June 20thJune 19, 2009Pressure is BuildingJune 16, 2009Dalian...The Journey ContinuesJune 13, 2009June 12-13th...Our first week in DalianJune 12, 2009Dalian...the Adventure ContinuesJune 10, 2009Monday & Tuesday...Class has Begun!!June 9, 2009Dalian...our 2 week destinationJune 8, 2009Last day in Beijing...Dalian here we come!June 8, 2009First full day in BeijingJune 5, 2009ArrivalMay 31, 2009Before I leave--feelings and anticipationSyndicate this site (XML) |
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Well the train ride itself from Beijing to Dalian was rather uneventful once we were on the train. Our arrival in Dalian was rather hectic because we arrived 15 minutes ahead of schedule and were unsure of where exactly to go in order to meet with our Dalian welcomers. 
