Arrived In Atlanta Safely

After a 14-hour flight from Shanghai to Chicago, a 3-hour lay over in Chicago and a 2-hour flight to Atlanta, we all made it home safely. Other than being travel warn and a few of us having acquired colds, we were all still very excited about our trip but very happy to be home.

While taking the train from one terminal to another in Chicago, I found it interesting the observations that were being made now that we were back in the U.S. One of my traveling companions remarked how happy they were to see letters again, that it was nice to be able to read and understand the writing posted everywhere around them. Another remarked how nice it was to see American food that wasn't from McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, Pizza Hut or Star Bucks.

I was noticing how beautiful, crisp and clear everything was out side. It took me a little while to figure out that it was because there wasn't any smog. It made me realize how bad the pollution was in China. Now that I’m back in Atlanta, I see that our pollution and smog is not as bad as it is in China. However, I don’t know if that is anything to be happy about.

Leaving For Atlanta

Due to internet issues and technical difficulties, I've only been able to post information about days 1 - 10. Today is actually day 14 however and we are leaving for Atlanta in about an hour. So, I will let you know when we arrive in Atlanta and catch you up on days 11 - 14 over the next few days.

Sorry for the delay!

Day 10 - More About Zhongshan Mausoleum

Diane Vagnini, Instructor of English, is pictured above taking a photo along with other pictures.

Dianne wrote, "Today we explored Zhongshan Mountain National Park. Also known as Purple Mountain, the compound includes many attractions, including Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum and the Ming Tomb Ruins. The walkway leading to the Ming Tomb is called the Sacred Avenue. This avenue winds through a garden and is lined with stone warriors and animals that guard the path to the tomb. We actually started at the tomb, so we worked our way backwards. The warriors (huge, standing and holding big swords, boring in comparison) and animals are carved from a grayish color stone. They line the Sacred Avenue in groups of 4: one pair resting, the other standing guard. It is a spectacular view, gazing down at what appears to be an endless, enormous line of unicorns, horses, 2-hump camels, and lions.

Along the Sacred Avenue, we encountered a Chinese man and his 5 year-old (I’m guessing her age) daughter. She was the cutest thing wearing a floral dress, stockings, and sandals with a pink bow in her hair. When she first noticed us, she was very shy. She would examine us and then run behind her father. As we continued down the walkway, her confidence grew and she began to pose on and around the animals for us. During our visit to China, most of us have experienced what I can only describe as a “rock star” moment: Chinese who appear to be fascinated and excitedly pose for pictures with us. It was curious to watch the little girl’s attitude toward us go from timid curiosity to hamming it up for our cameras."

More About GPC Study Abroad

The good thing about meeting with our GPC study abroad students was that our GPC faculty got to discuss many things with them. It gave them a good idea of the students' experiences and situations while studying abroad.

Pictured above are a few faculty talking with Brian Reynolds, a GPC study abroad student in the lobby of the Grand Metro Hotel at Nanjing Normal University. Below is a short video interview with Fred Bounds, Associate Professor of Business/Computer Science discuss the study abroad experience.

Day 10 - Nanjing

Day 10 was another busy day. After arriving to Nanjing, on the overnight train from Xi’an that took about 14.5 hours, we checked into our hotel. We stayed at the Grand Metro Hotel on the campus of NanShiDa (Nanjing Normal University). Once we settled in and got breakfast we took off to Ming's Tomb and the Zhongshan Mausoleum for the rest of the day.

That evening we were able to meet up with some of our GPC study abroad students in the lobby of the hotel. We discussed their experiences in China, their majors and their futures. They were accompanied by Ming Her, a GPC study abroad faculty member. Afterwards a few of us went to a cafe to talk further with Ming and one of the students.

Pictured above are three GPC study abroad students. From left to right you have; Brian Reynolds, Elijah Luttrell and Danyis Toranzo. Brian is currently studying at Nanjing University, while Elijah and Danyis a currently studying at Nanjing Normal University.

Brian just graduated from GPC with degrees in Foreign Languages and Business Administration. He will be headed to Arizona in the fall to complete his bachelor degree. Elijah has been at GPC for a year and is planning on changing his major to Foreign Languages when he gets back. After getting his associate degreee, at GPC, he plans, to go to GSU, to finish his bachelor degree in Chinese. Danyis has also been at GPC for a year and is majoring in Business Administration. Once she has her associate degree, she also plans on finishing her bachelor at GSU.

Below is a short video interview with Danyis Toranzo.

Day 9 - Xi'an/Nanjing

Before leaving Xi'an on an overnight train to Nanjing, we ventured out to the country side to visit with a few peasant painters. Ding Jitang, the peasant painter we met the day before, joined us on our bus ride out to Huxian. We were lucky because we got to see and meet some of the painters working on the walls that lined the street leading into the small town. Some of these artist, along with the others we were originally suppose to meet, were students of Ding Jitang.

Pictured above is Dr. Crystal Garrett, Professor of Political Science, totally captivated by and taking pictures of the peasant painters' artwork. Also shown are a few other wall works of art, a painter at work and me with Pan Xiaoling. She was one of the peasant painters we met with and famous student of Ding Jitang. We met with her, at her studio and gallery located in her home.

For more of a personal reflection, Crystal wrote, "While we traveled to Huxian, a small town of village painters, we were pleasantly surprised to see paintings on the walls that lined the road leading the village. The paintings were passionate with vivid colors like yellow, orange, pink, purple, and blue to express the painters’ feelings. Expressing feelings openly is unacceptable in the Chinese culture as they are taught to conceal their feelings and save face. However, as we studied the paintings, we realized that artists’ feelings spoke loud and clear.

When we arrived at a painter’s house, we viewed artwork created by art teachers and their students. The students tended to mimic their teachers’ work without deviation. Both works were similar to each other as though the student has to pass a test to duplicate the teacher’s work. The copies were intriguing to compare.

Most of the painters seem to capture their culture by animating Chinese workers in their daily lives. One painting in particular captured the struggles of a poor Chinese family; it revealed a family selling food in the snow with no shoes and tattered clothes. The artists used muted tones such as dark blue, light blue and black to elicit a feeling of sadness and desperation and white snow to give the viewer a sudden chill of pain and empathy for the family. In some ways you felt like you were there; it was quite emotional to see.

On the other hand, a brighter painting of pink, purple and yellow showed twenty small children with smiling faces and rosy cheeks playing in the park, riding bikes and playing games. This painting put a smile on your face because it expressed joy, happiness and peace. Most people like to see children having fun. Both canvases were filled with joy and pain.

After looking at many paintings, that revealed not only extreme passion and deep emotion but also an expression of social, political and ideological feelings of the past, present and future, I realized that we all have similar lives but live in different places and express our ideas differently."

The Great Mosque of Xi’an

Fred Bounds, Associate Professor of Business/Computer Science is pictured to the left at the Great Mosque.

Fred writes, “After breakfast we walked from our hotel to the Great Mosque. It was built during the Tang dynasty, as were others in other major cities. Centrally located inside the city walls, it is west of the iconic Bell Tower and Drum Tower.

We approached the Mosque by entering a web of narrow alleys, lined on both sides by vendors selling an abundant variety of items both beautiful and bizarre, but always interesting. It evoked images one has of the teeming, noisy bazaars symbolic of Muslim cities in North Africa. The merchants, as expected, were assertive in their sales pitches but not aggressive or overbearing. I think our group found that a welcome change from other venues.

The Mosque was built for the Hui Muslims, one of modern China’s fifty-plus recognized minority groups. The structure itself, however, is unlike any one would see say in the Middle East, and so is distinctly Chinese.

Although we were not allowed to enter the area where the faithful gathered, we wandered around the complex of small pagodas that periodically interrupted a series and of delightful courtyards with trees, shrubs, and singing birds. I wished we had such a place back home, convenient to where I live. I would go there to read, think and of course look at the birds.”

Day 8 – Xi’an

We started off the day with breakfast and then visiting sites with in Xi’an’s city wall. First, we stopped briefly outside of the Drum Tower. Then we proceeded to the entrance of The Bazaar, which is located within the Muslim district of Xi’an. After getting instructions not to shop and proceed directly to go to the center of The Bazaar to where the Great Mosque is located, we did so and enter the Mosque. There we got a brief history of the Mosque and were instructed to browse the Mosque and then go shopping in The Bazaar. We were to meet up back at the entrance of The Bazaar at a certain time.

I found the Great Mosque very interesting, ornate and beautiful. It was different from any other Mosque I have ever seen. It definitely has a strong Chinese influence. There were depictions of dragons and other mythological creatures, which I found interesting because usually the followers of Islam do not believe in replicating life in art.

After that I spent most of my shopping time in The Bazaar at a peasant painter’s shop/gallery. Ding Jitang is an artist, a friend of the Krebs and owned the gallery. I thought his works were amazing! He had collections of wood cut prints and paintings.

During the afternoon, after lunch at a hotel restaurant, we went to visit a jade factory and then the Shaanxi Historical Museum.

The jade pieces were very beautiful but out of my price league. There was even a section in the stop area for museum quality pieces. Since I thought the regular area was expensive, I don’t even know why I walked in there. It was very nice to look at all of the exquisite pieces however.

As for the museum, it was small but nice. I did liked that it had a few interactive exhibits with video presentations, digital maps and diagrams. The grounds and courtyard were also nice and relaxing.

Debra's Departure on Day 8

Debra Denzer, Director of Center for International Education, could only come for half of the trip to China and left us on day eight. She is picture above from left to right; in Tian'anmen Square with the Krebs, Heather Lucas and me, at the Great Wall with the group, and then at Jiaotong University with Dr. Crystal Garrett and Dr. Neal McCrllis listening to Liang Li, Vice Director of International Cooperation & Exchanges, point out the layout of the campus. Below are some departing words from Debra.

Debra wrote, "I’m packing to leave the group tomorrow and am really sorry to break short my part in this experience. It took a great deal of effort, cooperation, encouragement, and advocacy for us to bring this dream to fruition. I am sorry that I won’t be here to see the final days and experiences of the group. It has been a wonderful time of learning and each person has brought his/her gifts to the group. Some make us laugh, some make us think, some keep us on time, some give us courage. Together we have been a community and this is a wonderful by product of the program. I have really enjoyed getting to know each person and hope that they will continue to write in the blog and that they will share the understanding and amazement and curiosity that has been inspired by this glimpse of China. I’ve learned a lot and thank everyone."

Day 7 In Xi’an – Jiaotong University

In the afternoon, we visited Jiaotong University a “top ten” university in China. It has a large and beautiful campus. The students we met with were very enthusiastic, friendly and informative.

We were invited to meet with Liang Li, Vice Director of International Cooperation & Exchanges, along with a few students. After a short video promoting the university and its history, we were able to ask questions. The questions ranged from exchange programs to international students to library programs. After this the students, a group of management graduate students, showed us around the campus while answering and asking questions. We discussed their undergraduate degrees and their plans for the future after they get there graduate degrees. We also discussed their interest outside of school, even though they study a lot and work very hard. They wanted to know what we did, how we liked China and where all have we been?

Pictured above and left you will see an image of the students taking us around the campus and then a group photo, of all of us with the students.

Below is a short video of an interview I did with one of the students. Her english name is Jasmine.

Day 7 In Xi’an – Terra Cotta Warriors

We spent the morning at the amazing Terra Cotta Warriors museum and historical site. This was a favorite stop for many but I don’t think any of us were as happy and enthusiastic about seeing the Terra Cotta Warriors as our own Heather Lucas, Instructor of History at GPC.

She is pictured above doing an interview with me. She has also written about emperor Qin Shihuang and the Terra Cotta Warriors below. If you would like to see a video of the brief interview, it is located at the bottom of this post.

Heather writes, “We visited the Terra Cotta Warriors who guard the tomb of China’s first emperor Qin Shihuang. The site consists of about 10,000 statues – both soldiers and horses. Each statue is different because they were modeled after individual members of the emperor’s army.

Unfortunately, the Qin emperor’s burial grounds were raided and ransacked soon after his death. Shihuang might have been a successful at unifying a war torn region, but making friends was not high on his list of priorities.

The terra cotta army was originally created about 210 B.C.E. to protect the emperor in his afterlife. He wanted to show his strength and power. Shihuang’s living army got lucky. He decided to reproduce soldiers in terra cotta but originally wanted to sacrifice his own men for burial.

No one knows for sure, but rumors claim Shihuang’s body is buried nearby under a gigantic mound. Inside the mound there are supposed to be a river of mercury and other spectacular treasures.

Much of this information was forgotten or ignored until the 1970’s when a group of farmers digging a well unearthed pieces of the terra cotta soldiers. Excavation of the site began soon afterwards. The soldiers were originally very ornate and beautifully painted. After the warriors were uncover the paint oxidized, so most of the color is ancient history too.

The Chinese have recently accepted technology and aid from other countries to protect the warriors that have not yet been excavated. Now the Chinese can continue to preserve an important site demonstrating the glories of ancient Chinese kingdoms.”

Day 6 – Luoyang/Xi’an

We are still running around like crazy but having a blast. I wanted to give you an idea of what our days have been like and then let you hear from Debra Denzer with a detailed account of day six.

We are up and at breakfast between 6:30-7:00 most days and on the road no later than 9:00, sometimes earlier. Our days are divided among activities, usually including two or three major destinations and three different meals. Sometimes we will fit in on or two small destinations, if possible. We frequently do not finish the day until 10 p.m. or later and are exhausted. However, with the excitement of everything and not wanting to miss anything, we are up and at them the next morning ready to go.

Debra wrote, “Today began with breakfast in Luoyang, an old capital city in Henan province that is perhaps best known to foreigners for its proximity to famous Buddhist sites. Then we visited Longmen (Dragon Gate) Grottoes. These carvings truly defy description, ranging in size from a couple of inches to massive statues carved into the hillside. There is a long walk along the river before you reach the carvings. What was a rustic pastoral place when I first visited in 1980 has become a well developed tourist site complete the landscaping, paved roads, ice-cream and souvenir shops. But even the presence of these cannot take away the majesty of the site. We have all agreed that we know much too little about Buddhism and Daoism to fully appreciate these treasures and a couple will work to increase that background.

After lunch we began our trek to Xian, traveling over highways, well paved, well marked and cutting through some of the most beautiful country we’ve seen. On one side or the other we saw the terraced landscape of farmers making use of the hillsides and on the other the plains as they creep up to the edges of the hills. Then suddenly as we near Xian, we began to see the mountains and we know we are approaching a totally new landscape.

The bus ride itself, though dreaded, turns out to be a great time to learn more from Ed and Sylvia Krebs about the life and history of the area, more about each other, and a chance to put our feet up. Two stops along the way make the trip (5 hours) very easy to bear and we all enjoyed the opportunity to stop and shop at a China Highway Rest Stop and Shop, which exceeded anything we’re used to on the highways in the U.S. A large, very clean, well-stocked, and well-organized store of snacks (which none of us can resist surveying and then eating!) The trip was made even more fun by a game of “Something that would never happen in China” in which we joked about the idiosyncrasies of our participants and some of the observations we’ve made about Chinese society. The game was thought up and lead by Dr. Crystal Garrett, Professor of Political Science.

Tonight we split up and ate at different restaurants. I joined a group going to De Fa Chang Jiao Zi Guan, the famous dumpling house. While ordering was an incredible challenge and we almost gave up, we ended up with a truly delightful meal of a variety of dumplings, some stuffed with seafood, others meat, vegetables, and each hand shaped in a different way. Our colleagues ate with Ed and Sylvia, at a Muslim Restaurant, where they enjoyed some sort of lamb stew. According to Kathy Jordan, Assistant Director of Marketing and PR - Design Services, it was amazing and her favorite meal thus far in China.

It was interesting to learn that 8% of the population in Xian is Muslim. On Tuesday we will visit the largest mosque in the city.”

Three Challenges Facing The Chinese People Today

Debra Denzer, Director of Center for International Education, is pictured above at the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang.

Debra wrote, “Sunday morning we were on our way to visit the Longmen Grottoes but on the way we were traveling through Luoyang and getting a short lecture from our guide, Donny who talked to us about the three being challenges facing the Chinese people today: Health care, education, and real estate.

Health care is very expensive and people in the city may be able to afford insurance but people in the village are often too poor to afford medical care for illnesses and diseases. As an attempt to help resolve this problem currently there is a system of “family public account” into which family members can make deposits to cover the medical costs of someone in the family when they become ill.

Education is a challenge. Education is not free but is mandated. 9 years of school. Punishment for truancy doesn’t help if they can’t afford it. Furthermore not every village has a school and children may have to travel as much as 2-3 hours. Currently China tries to fix this problem by offering free education in the villages and by developing “boarding schools” where students can live and go to school, the cost of which is covered by a combination of family/government/school.

Real estate is the third problem. House prices are very expensive. People sometimes work 20-30 years to pay for their home. Even then the land still belongs to the government. In village and countryside, people are assigned by government to particular land for an agreement of 100-150 years.

So it seems that people in China face the same difficulties that Americans do—concern over healthcare access and cost, education access, and home ownership.”

Architecture and People

Pictured to the left is Betty Molloy, Assistant Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs, at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. She is standing on the sacred stone where only the emperor was allowed to stand for speaking and prayer. Now people are allowed to stand there and like to do so for good luck.

Betty wrote, “Beijing was impressive. The buildings range from the traditional to the modern. I never thought I would find myself standing in Tian’anmen Square. Is so vast that even with all the people it doesn’t look crowded. The square, the Forbidden City, and the Great Wall are all so vast and beautiful. Some of the newer buildings are of unusual shapes. An architect would love being here. The ring roads (and there are six of them) are 14 lanes wide. I feel that crossing streets here is a matter of taking your life in your hands. It does not seem that pedestrians have the right of way in Beijing.

I have been most impressed by the people here. They have been friendly and have gone out of their way to welcome us. The first person I met was on the plane. Li told me about her adjustment to living, studying, and working in the U.S. She found North Carolina to be filled with vast open spaces and getting around to buy groceries to be difficult without a car. Before we arrived in Beijing, Li gave me information on what to expect in China because she wanted me to enjoy my visit. The friendliness of the Chinese people continued once we arrived in Beijing. When we rode the subway, two individuals insisted that we take their seats.

Later in Luoyang, after eating Chinese food for five days straight, four of us wanted to find a hamburger or pizza. One of the men working in our hotel offered to lead four of us to a place to find American food. He provided us with umbrellas and walked ahead of us in the rain. He tried to take us to a restaurant that served pizza but that did not work out. So, we ended up at McDonalds. The chicken at McDonalds in China is VERY spicy (HOT).

I am learning so much but have very little time to record it all.”

Architecture In China

English Professor, Carole Creekmore is pictured at the Great Wall of China.

Carole writes , "One of the most impressive finds for me in China is the architecture. Of course the Great Wall, Longmen Caves, Imperial Palace, and other historic sites are almost unbelievably impressive, but I especially enjoy noting architectural variety when I travel, always looking for examples to share in Humanities classes. I was first struck by the juxtaposition of historical and modern constructions. A colorful and traditional pagoda might sit next to a more sleek and modern skyscraper. China impresses me with its ability to preserve and value the ancient along with welcoming the new. The size of structures also seem to echo the surrounding landscape. At a Buddhist temple, an enormous gate and statue of a warrior are facing tall, craggy mountains as equals. At the same temple, I could find perfect miniatures to scale, suitable to fitting snugly in the palm of the hand.

But the most exciting architectural site to me has been the structures being finished for the upcoming Olympics. Before we left home, I watched a TV special about the construction of the "Bird's Nest," the signature building for the Olympics - and for years to come. This will likely be Beijing's equivalent of the Eiffel Tower to Paris as a city symbol. Beijing and cities around it are filled with modern buildings, many reflecting cutting edge architectural styles and variety. One explanation on the TV special is the fact that China is open to new and innovative styles of architecture. Architects throughout the world find the country with its vast available work force and support ready and willing to encourage and accept the new and innovative. The epitome of this attitude is to expressed in the Olympics buildings.

Standing alone and reflecting in its own glory is a silver building with the top several stories constructed into the shape of the Olympic flame, extending above and beyond the building itself. This silver tower has enormous screens several stories high located on each side. They will be projecting constant images, effectively incorporating technology into the surface of the structure itself.

The structure near this building is the most impressive in its originality. It gives the appearance of being an enormous silver-ribbon laced bird's nest. Thus the nickname. Its size is almost unimaginable, but the tiny workers on top of it make its massive but airy size and proportion all the more impressive. Designed internationally, it is a future wonder-of-the world. It is not only immediately recognizable as identified with Beijing, but also as an architectural landmark. I can't help but wonder what and where will be the next building to challenge this one."

Day 5 - Luoyang

I don't know if any of you have ever taken an overnight sleeper train. If you haven't, I definitely think it is something everyone should experience at least once in there lifetime. If you have ever read any of the “Harry Potter” series, you could relate it to a trip on the Hogwart Express. The only difference would be that we had four bunks to each compartment instead of seats and a dinning car. Other than that, it was pretty comparable with passengers visiting each other in their compartments and vendors pushing trolleys of food down the corridors for sale. Then instead of prefects, we had attendants patrolling the corridors.

Anyway, after experiencing the delightful 10.5 hours train ride we finally arrived in Luoyang. Once we had checked in to the hotel and had breakfast we were off to start our day at the Gongyi Caves. These were magnificent grottos with Buddhist carvings and statues. Then we went to the Shaolin Temple to learn more about the Buddhist monks and the art of Ku Fu fighting.

More About Beijing

Pictured above are Ken Johnson, Associate Professor of English, at the Great Wall and Peggy Helm, Spanish Instructor, with a little girl we met in Beijing. Below are there additional comments about our time in Beijing.

Ken writes, "I've been surprised that I haven't been as surprised as I expected at what I've seen in Beijing. People are people, commerce is commerce, daily routines are daily routines. However, on the last night in Beijing, just an hour before leaving the city, I discovered something that startled me and showed me that I am in a new and different environment: I couldn't mail some postcards at the Beijing railroad station. No post office stations or drop boxes were evident. I couldn't have guessed that one of the most basic services of modern humans wouldn't be available at a 21st-century railroad station. "

Peggy writes, "So far this has been an incredible experience! I love the way people; especially the more mature ones are out in the parks every morning doing tai chi to music from a boom box, playing badminton, balancing a super duper yoyo on a string, walking their dogs, riding on bicycles, etc. It is definitely an active society for the Chinese baby boomers and I've been inspired to go back home and do the same!!

I enjoy communicating without knowing much Chinese. Sign language and smiles seem to work o.k. People are basically the same all over the world."

Day 4 - Beijing/Luoyang

Yesterday was another action packed day and our last in Beijing.

We spent the morning at the Temple of Heaven. In the afternoon, we took a pedicab tour that ended at Drum Tour. After that it was a visit to Song Qingling guju. Then we ended the day by taking an overnight sleeper train to Luoyang.

Below are comments from Deb Homer, Interim Dean of Student Services, about the day.

"One of the major sites to visit in Beijing is the Temple of Heaven. We visited what is now a very large park as well as the temple on Friday. It was built as a place of worship for the emperor to pray for a successful harvest throughout China. The area surrounding the temple has become a popular place for retirees to spend their days playing games, exercising, singing, dancing and visiting. While the temple is magnificent, I was drawn to this microcosm of Chinese society. They were so joyful and having fun with their friends. When we walked up, some stared at us curiously while others said hello. One older man was sitting on a bench with a little bird on his finger. He had rigged a small leash so it could not fly off, and it was chirping away. He motioned for us to come over. His goal was for us to take his photo with the bird and give him a few yuan in return. Kathy went over and sat next to him. He put the bird on her finger and posed for many pictures which we gladly paid him for. In another area a group was playing what seemed like folk music and several women were dancing. Everyone was clapping a having a good time.

We have also experienced young people striking up conversations in English. They often say they want to practice. Usually they are very good conversationalists as well. Our guide in Beijing is a young woman named Lee Chi. She has shared so much of her life with us. We've peppered her with all sorts of questions. When we had to say goodbye to her, we all gave her a big hug. It is so gratifying to have these types of interchanges, and they will make this trip memorable for a long time to come. So for me, the best part of China has been meeting the people."

Day 3 In Beijing

This post is going to be all about the photos. Day three was very educational and action packed!

We started our day with a hike on the Great Wall. Then we visited a Cloisonné Factory where we learned about the process of producing cloisonné works of art and its history in the region. After that, it was a quick stop by the site of the upcoming 2008 Olympics. And we finished the day by attending an evening performance of Chinese Acrobats.

More About Day 2

We are actually on day five and loving it! However, due to a few internect connectivity issues, I haven't been able to post for a few days. So, below are few more words and details about day 2, in Beijing, from Dr. Catherine Carter, Professor of Biology and Teresa Adams, Associate Professor of Business.

Catherine said, "Before actually visiting Qinghua University which was first established in 1911, we walked through out what was originally the Royal Gardens of the Emperor. A waterway had been diverted by canals to form a network of ponds and streams. Walkways followed the edges of the water and bridges arched over them.

Statues such as one of Confucius decorated the area as well as flowers. One garden, being admired by both students and older visitors, contained rose bushes that were particularly aromatic. As we neared the campus buildings the park theme continued. A building of typical ancient Chinese architecture, built in the 1600’s, was the office of the school president. The student guides pointed out a more modern building – an auditorium at which many dignitaries had spoken such as former presidents Clinton and Bush, as well as, Bill Gates."

Teresa said, "An interesting interaction occurred with students today at Qinghua University. Though China is one of the most populous planets on the world, less than 10% of students in China have the opportunity to attend university.

A University such as Qinghua is extremely difficult to get into as it is considered one of China’s better universities. Students described the stress of studying to achieve high test scores on their college entrance exams. Students pursuing degrees in Economics and Engineering require the highest test score for acceptance into Qinghua University.

Some things are universal on a college campus …. coffee shops, computers, textbooks, and of course Internet access. Students can access the internet from dorms and classrooms with the exception of Freshman. The Interent access of Freshman is limited for fear they spend more time playing games than studying for exams.

In thinking of my discussion regarding being a college student in China, I couldn’t resist asking the deep philosophical question I am certain all my students would want me to ask ….. “Do Chinese students facebook?” The response was a quick and resolute... “of course we do!”

Arrival; Days 1 and 2

After a flight from Atlanta to D.C. and then a 13.5 hour flight to Beijing, we finally arrived in China. It was around 2 am Tuesday morning your time and about 2 pm Tuesday here. The flight was long but not that bad. Believe it our not, we actually met a GPC student on the flight that was on her way home to China for the summer.

It has been interesting being the foreigners. People have been pretty nice to us. We've had children and parents approach us to speak with us in English and sometimes have there pictures taken with us. Some just say "Hello" or "Welcome", others ask us "How are you doing" or "Where are you from?"

Between meeting people on the plane and meeting people in the streets, I've been talking about GPC and our faculty/staff trip quite a bit over the last two days. They seem pretty excited to to talk with us and to hear why we are here.

The following is a letter from Debra Denzer, the director of the Center for International Education at GPC, with more details.

"Dear Friends,

If you can imagine, after traveling 20 hours from Atlanta to Beijing, our group cheerfully passed through customs to meet our Beijing guide and van outside the new Beijing Airport. If you saw the New York Times article a couple weeks ago, you saw the photos of this beautiful new facility. Driving on the highway from the airport to our hotel, I was deeply impressed with a China I didn’t recognize from 27 years ago. New highways, new cars, landscaping, tall neat buildings.

At our hotel, the lessons began. Keys that open the door are also used as key controls for the light switch (the electricity is off until turned on). Dinner in the hotel restaurant (and breakfast today (Wednesday) included both familiar looking and previously unfamiliar dishes. Everyone worked with chopsticks, some more successfully than others. After dinner, the group explored the surrounding areas, discovering how to use a “web-bar” (internet café), decipher labels to buy hair gel, and enjoyed the evening life in the park—children roller-skating on skates that light up, people playing badminton, impromptu musicians—including the “er hu” and finding a spot to enjoy a beer and watching the evening activities. We were humbled by the experience of being a foreigner (Caucasian and African American in an Asian society) and the inability to read signs, billboards, and advertisements. Amongst this, the group developed a sense of togetherness and team effort.

First night in the hotel brought questions: what’s the voltage? Do I need an adapter? A transformer? Why did the phone ring during the night (in everyone’s room at different times?) How do you say “toilet paper” in Chinese? Where can we get the best deal on phone cards? Where can we buy stamps? (We’ll answer these in future blogs.)

Day One

Personal reflection: At 6:00 a.m. already up and showered, I took a walk down the avenue out front of the hotel and was delighted to discover the China I remembered: elders doing Tai Chi, children walking to school with their backpacks (and staring a little more subtly than before at the foreigner,) vendors preparing fried bread, I am going to summarize because you cannot begin to imagine how packed our day was, how much we learned, what we shared together and individually).
Tienman Square, which we learned is the largest square in the world and the setting of many historical events in China, was packed with visitors, Chinese and foreign alike. Hawkers tried to sell souvenirs but we learned to bargain shamelessly if we really wanted to buy something. The air was as hazy and polluted as we expected to see so there was no looking into the distance, but the scene before us was completely mesmerizing. The portrait of Mao overlooking the square is unchanged (and unchanging) though the report of the young people of his role in China has changed from the generation before.

We followed our China Bridge leaders through the Forbidden City (home of the Emperor). We were overwhelmed by the sheer size of the Forbidden City, 170 acres. The attention to the details of the architecture, the millions of laborers that it took to build. It felt almost like a religious experience—the spectacularness of the place was awesome.

It was fascinating to see it with other Chinese tourists from all over China, many of whom appeared to be seeing it for the first time. Many of them seemed to find us as interesting as we found China on this first day. The whole scope is hard to imagine without being there and hard to absorb even when you are there. Some particularly liked the more intimate areas of rock formations and pine trees, enclosed within areas. The degree of details in all of the architecture (every ceiling beam, hall way, door was detailed with hand painted designs and gold). We learned that the Forbidden City took 16 years to build---inconceivable except in a country where the number of laborers is unlimited.

This afternoon we visited Qinghua Daxue where we were guided by four students (one engineering grad student, an English junior, one Chinese sophomore, one economic freshman from Hong Kong). This visit deserves its own entry, and we’ll try to get to that tomorrow.

I’ve left off our meals today, which were also learning/adaptation experiences worthy of entries.

But now, we’ve been up and on the go for more than 12 hours and so will sign off. Ming tien, jian."

8 Hours Left Until Departure

I'm so excited; I'm still up at 1 am! I don't think I'm going to sleep until I get on the plane. This shouldn't be too bad because I think it will help with the 12 hours time difference between here and Beijing.

Just to give you a little more information about the trip, we will be visiting five cities over the two weeks we are in China. I feel like we are doing the “Amazing Race”. These cities are Beijing, Luoyang, Xi’an, Nanjing and Shanghai. Some of the sites we will be visiting are Tian’anmen Square, the Great Wall, the Temple of Heaven, the Gongyi Caves, the Terra Cotta Warriors, the Ming Tomb and the Shanghai Museum, along with Capital Normal University, Xi’an Jiaotong University and Nanjing Normal University.

The next time I post, we will be in Beijing!

3 Days To Go

I'm excited and running around like mad trying to get ready for departure! However, I thought you might like to know more about our trip. So, below are some words from Debra Denzer, the director of the Center for International Education at GPC.

"This two week faculty/staff development seminar to the People’s Republic of China will focus on the incredible juxtaposition of the ancient and modern in 21st century China. As the oldest continuous world culture, China offers unparalleled examples of the development of human civilization. As a 21st century nation, it also embodies the opportunities and challenges of a growing economic giant. The program is designed as an introduction for non-expert faculty/staff who are committed to increasing their hands-on knowledge and understanding in order to pass that on to our students through curriculum, co-curriculum, and cross-cultural understanding. The itinerary includes visits to both ancient and modern sites and to universities with which there are potential and existing partnerships. A highlight of the program is a visit to Nanjing Normal University while GPC students are on campus for the summer study abroad program."

4 Days Until We Depart

The count down has begun. We have 4 days until we leave for China. I can't wait! There will be 14 GPC faculty and staff members departing Monday morning for China.