Dianne Skawski:
After two energizing days in the schools, last night our
young charges went home with Chinese families. For the
chaperones on the trip it was an opportunity to have a
relaxing dinner with our Chinese counterparts and to continue
discussing the mutual goals of our program. We were also
joined by Mr. Bi and Mr. Tian’s sons, who were enthusiastic
participants at dinner. Seeing these young boys enjoying
a special meal reminded us how important is it for us
to promote dialogue between our children.
Following dinner we adjourned to Green Lake Park for some
night tea. We enjoyed more discussions about our work,
Bill Gates (!), and the local customs, music and history
as we sipped an excellent aged Pu’er tea. This morning
we welcomed back our own students, whose energy and stories
certainly validate the work we’ve put into the Asian
American Cultural Exchange. As for the rest of the day,
we’ll let Jordan from Brattleboro fill you in…..
Jordan Peeples:
Today was the first day on the trip that I woke up in
a home, rather than a hotel. The morning routine for the
Chinese family I stayed with, the Chens, was surprisingly
similar to my own morning routine. We woke up to the radio,
brushed our teeth, and got dressed, but instead of having
cereal we had delicious rice noodles which are a traditional
(but less common than steamed bread) Chinese breakfast.
Their home was probably
more “western” style than my own, with its
clean wooden floors, TV and stereo system, and modern
kitchen. After breakfast, Jin Jie, my host student, accompanied
me in the back seat of his mother’s American car
(which was made in China) as she drove us through the
modern streets of North Kunming to the Lotus Hotel in
West Kunming. At the hotel Jin Jie met his friend (Gus’s
host student) and they told us they wanted to stay with
us so they could skip their first class. It finally came
time for Jin Jie to leave so I said goodbye and thanked
him and his mother for their gracious hospitality especially
since they had given me far beyond what I could comfortably
accept and had offered even much more than what I had
expected (for example, Jin Jie told me “If there
is anything you like in my house, anything at all, I would
like you to have it.”)
My last hours with Jin Jie taught me that despite our
significant differences (schooling, work ethic, and expectations)
Chinese and American teenagers are, at the core, the same;
they struggle to meet the expectations set by society
and their parents, they fantasize about skipping school,
and when it comes down to it, there is nothing they would
rather do than spend the day with their close friends.
After the Chinese students’ departure we (the AACE
group) left for the Western Hills, a meeting place for
two of China’s most influential and traditional
religions: Buddhism, and Taoism. An ancient and steep
staircase winds up the side of a small mountain; with
extraordinary shrines to the gods of these two religions
housed in temples with precisely curved traditional roofs,
to meet a modern cable car at the top of the mountain.
I found the Western Hills very beautiful with its varied
landscape (even tunnels), stunning views of Kunming, and
especially the colorful and intricately carved gods which
were similar to Hindu gods with their imposing (almost
demonic to the Western Christian influenced mind) attributes
and expressions. To me the representations of the gods
suggested that they should be respected, obeyed, and feared.
I had no knowledge about these religions but my visit
to these shrines sparked an interest in them that I am
eager to satisfy.
The stops along the path
were not limited to shrines; they included a temple that
was devoted to famous and/ or prominent visitors to the
hills rather than to gods. The bottom and top of the path
was lined with vendors. These features, as well as the
cable car, to me, represent the different worlds of China.
The site is obviously traditional but it doesn’t
appear to be in use. The vendors and pay bathroom indicate
that it is used not only for culture but also for business.
It seems that it is a profitable relic of old China, a
museum, but it also shows me that the Chinese people value
their traditional culture and are willing and eager to
protect it. China isn’t going to stand by and watch
high rise buildings completely take over its traditional
buildings. It will promote both growth and preservation.
The next items on our agenda after the Hills and lunch
were to take care of money exchanging and visit Green
Lake Park. For the first time since my arrival I was too
full to eat since my host family filled me up with enormous
servings of delicious foods; they told me that China’s
past has had widespread starvation so the way of welcoming
a guest is to feed them and celebrate this prosperous
day and age.
I thought the lake was going to be a boring lake that
was only talked so highly of by the Kunming citizens because
they are surrounded by a crowded pavement and cement governed
city. I was happily proved wrong when my group of Tiffany
, Asya, and I walked through the pleasant and peaceful
park stopping to listen or gaze at street musicians played
enrapturing traditional music, performances of comedic
plays, exotic statues and flower beds (some with stone
animals), and other interesting people.
Jin Jie had told me the
park was famous for its sea gulls which puzzled me because
I had not seen any in the park (I later spotted one) but
I was soon to find out why. The lake was always there,
but in the past was less beautiful; it’s water level
would fluctuate and sometimes it would become totally
dry, but modern technology solved this problem with manmade
water transportation systems feeding water to the lake
from nearby rivers. Some seagulls began to notice the
park and in turn a retired revolutionary, Mr. Wu, noticed
the seagulls. Despite having attended university Mr. Wu
was a struggling peasant in 1985. The retired Mr. Wu was
so fascinated by the seagulls that he spent half of his
life savings, around 300 Yuan on bread to feed to the
birds. He drew more and more seagulls to the park, so
many that it is now known for its seagulls (who are loved
by the park goers) and there is a monument to his memory.
I found out that the seagulls will arrive later in the
year, most of them are still in Siberia one of their seasonal
homes. Stories like this one are common in China. Everything
has a story to it; whether it is mythological or factual
it describes how or why something is the way it is. The
Chinese find an interesting and usually virtuous story
for everything. When children learn these they are not
only enlightened on the various subject, but are taught
a quick and candid lesson on how to behave (such as how
Mr. Wu gave up half of his life savings to help the creatures
that he loved). The story also perfectly exemplifies the
Chinese love of tranquility and the satisfaction they
attain through the simplest of activities. Throughout
the park old people can be seen listening or participating
in calming (and in some places energetic) songs, practicing
Tai Chi, or contently flying a kite with an expression
of focused enchantment on their faces. From my observations
the Chinese are deeply spiritual and revere their past.
After Green Lake Park and dinner we went shopping. Mrs.
Skawski took Gus, Tiffany, and me exploring through the
alleys (don’t worry they weren’t dangerous,
China is very different from America). Instead of shopping
for shoes or American style clothing we shopped for native
fruits such as the tamarind and a mysterious giant pink
fruit that resembles a kiwi inside. The dark skinny streets
were packed with local Kunming people and the language
I heard was the local dialect instead of the common Mandarin.
They were shopping for or selling small daily life goods
such as utensils, bags, and school supplies. There were
also vendors selling delicious LOOKING street food (it
is a word in my personal dictionary.) Ah, street food,
my favorite subject; Tiffany and I were stunned and excited
by the amazing smelling exotic foods being prepared before
us such as grilled dough filled with local fruits and
topped with dessert syrup, steamed dumplings and doughnut
like breads filled with unknown but tempting meats and
vegetables, and kebabs holding who knows what kinds of
meat. The street was like a party with its energetic bargaining,
children playing throughout the crowd, and radios blaring
music and speeches filled with energetic fervor. Mrs.
Skawski, Gus, Tiffany, and I all agreed that rather than
searching for familiar and comfortable surroundings (we
have done much of this especially our American clothes
shopping) exploring streets like these are the perfect
way to experience a new culture. When we got back to the
hotel we, along with some of our classmates sampled the
fruits and agreed that the tamarind was very good but
the gigantic Kiwi seemed a bit bland.
Today was another interesting day exploring China for
me. I’d have to say that I most enjoyed the street
exploration. It is much simpler than traveling out to
the tourist sites, and puts you right in the culture.
The tourist site are exciting to see and give a great
sense of the history of China, but I find great satisfaction
in immersing myself with these incredible people. It may
be less clean or organized than the US, but it is a valuable
and exciting experience.
Kunming aerial view from the top of the
Western Hills
Mary Greene, program director, enjoys her view.
This sign could mean "careful don't fall", but
Mr. Perrin's pod thinks it means, "no bad dancing".
A tall office building sits on the skyline above ancient
Green Lakes Park.
