1. What did you learn about yourself on this trip?
Home is, and always will be, my fountain of
inspiration. I learned so much about myself on this trip: I realized that I
really enjoy being a teacher, that I want to further my calligraphy studies,
that I want to read more Chinese classics, and so on.
2. What challenged you about living with a host family? What
did you learn from living with a host family?
Observing students’ homestay experience
convinced me that in order to truly gain an insight into another culture, it is
so important to go beyond mere sightseeing when traveling in a foreign country. Although
homestay was a challenge for many students, they embraced these challenges as valuable opportunities to
grow. I do believe that in the end, both American and Chinese students learned
a lot from their host siblings and emerged from the homestay experiences more
receptive, tolerant, and cooperative.
3. How would you compare the four schools we visited in
China?
Each school has its distinct characteristics,
and their differences, represented in their campuses, curricula, students, etc., are the results of geographical locations, history,
and nationality. S was the most beautiful, most prestigious, most
historical and most academic. I campus was also very studious, yet the students seem less privileged.
Because it is a boarding school, students also seem more social. D is an
international school based on I. It feels like an American school. While some of
our students loved it,
others felt it was exclusive and isolated. X was the only rural school we visited.
Although the facilities are less modern, we received the most attention there because American visitors
were so rare to the school.
4. What surprises / cultural differences challenged you to think about your own biases?
4. What surprises / cultural differences challenged you to think about your own biases?
I regret
a lot that I did not communicate to our participants the importance of being indirect, reserved, and face-saving in
China. My bias was that when in China,
we could still act “American,” but I was wrong. One day in S, while S teachers were listening and watching, our crew loudly complained about a certain thing
about S. Although that certain thing was unpleasant, it was not the fault of
those teachers who were listening, and I felt so embarrassed that we displayed
our discontent noisily. After all, the teachers had organized everything for our stay in S, be
it lodging, food, transportation, or even clothing. As guests taking advantage of their
hospitality, we
could have been more thoughtful and considerate. In other words, when in China, be less blunt like the American,
but more reserved like the Chinese. We certainly should discuss the negative
experiences among ourselves, and we did, but we should not have done that in
front of our Chinese hosts, because we were guests by all definitions of the
word.
5. What did you find in common
between "your" culture and Chinese culture?
Despite
the seeming differences, I believe that American and Chinese cultures share a
lot in common as well. For example, the quest for school success (and success in general) is a shared
craze in China and America. Even in prestigious schools like our own and S, students have enormous pressure. Another
example is that etiquette goes a long way both in America and in China. One of
the host mothers had only good things to say about her host son because she so
appreciated the American boy’s politeness and gratefulness. Similarly, when a
Chinese student did not behave graciously or responsibly as a host, no Chinese
or American respected him.
6. What Chinese words/phrases did you learn on the trip /
from your host siblings?
I
learned some Chinese slangs myself too: 酱紫 = 这样子啊；吐槽 = 太没道理了。I
found that the students’ favorite ones are, of course, 高富帅
and 百富美.
These were also the easiest words for them to remember.
7. What did you learn about Chinese culture (family
relationships, family values, school culture, social interaction, Confucianism,
history, etiquette, etc.)?
From
talking with families, friends, and colleagues in China, I witnessed a sizable
force for the revival of
Confucianism in China.
This revival includes the establishment of private schools that dedicate
themselves to teaching Confucian classics, the emergence of artists who promote
calligraphy and Chinese painting, the growing popularity of activists from all
walks of life who travel across the country to spread the idea of Confucian philosophy
to common folks. I was deeply impressed and inspired by this burgeoning
cultural renewal.
8. How do you think you can help raise international and multi-cultural awareness at school?
8. How do you think you can help raise international and multi-cultural awareness at school?
Immediately upon my return to New York, I made a plan for
teaching 《弟子规》(Rules for the Young), a
Confucian classic for the young, to my students at school. The initial response
I have received thus far has been so amazing and encouraging. Your interest will
motivate me to carry on a mission that is extremely important to me: help more
American know about Chinese culture and values, and help more Chinese know more
about Western values, through my words and deeds.
9. How do you think you can contribute to global
collaboration in the future (in your studies, work, humanitarian work,
environmental conservation, economic development, cultural exchange, etc.)?
This trip helped me realize that in order to contribute
something to global collaboration, I have yet to learn much, much more about
the most profound of Chinese culture and the most diverse of American culture. I
have started with reading “四书”(The Four Books),
the canon of Confucianism. My
goal is to be well-versed in both
Chinese and American cultural and intellectual traditions. It is a challenging, but a most worthy, goal.
10. What was the best/most fun moment on the trip?
The most fun moment was certainly learning “Gucci Gucci” rap on the bus. The most special moment
was visiting L’s home and witnessing their graciousness and kindness. Thank you
everyone for these and other beautiful memories.
