Whether people think first of the devastating effects of the earthquake in Sichuan province or the synchronized pageantry of the Beijing Olympics, China has had the world’s attention this summer.
While many Americans could only marvel at the spectacle and contemplate cultural differences during commercial breaks, 10 students spent five weeks learning firsthand about China and its complexities.
Chair Roger Pieroni, associate professor of foreign languages, and Wes Milner, associate professor of political science, led those students as they experienced many interpretations of the typical Chinese lifestyle.
Based at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, the group lived in an international residence hall for much of its stay. While junior Ashley Krutz praised the natural beauty of the campus in a city known as a scenic getaway, trees and greenery were not the only notable sights.
A statue of the revolutionary leader Mao Zedong adorned the front lawn, and Krutz said the public used the campus while students were on summer recess.
“If you got up early enough, you would see people out there doing their daily exercise,” she said.
But even the sleepiest students did not have to go far to interact with Chinese citizens daily.
In the classroom, the teachers were Zhejiang faculty. Enrolled in courses on Chinese political economy, modern Chinese history and Mandarin, students were able to learn from teachers who had personally witnessed such historic events as the Cultural Revolution.
“[Zhejiang] is extremely well-respected,” Milner said. “We relied largely on the expertise of the Chinese faculty.”
Senior Chelsea Button said the professors were not only knowledgeable but friendly and accustomed to teaching many English-speaking students. Classes were intensive, though they were not without their lighthearted moments.
Button said Chinese desks were small by American standards, and she laughed while recounting UE students’ struggles to sit comfortably in them.
The program incorporated a number of academic elements, but one of the first lessons learned was about—believe it or not—the Chinese sanitation system. One thing everyone found out was that toilets are called squatters.
“They were basically holes in the ground,” Krutz said.
And while this may sound yucky as well as unsanitary, Button said the squatters were often more hygienic than westernized toilets.
“You definitely learn that Chinese toilets are the ones to use,” she said.
While any visitor to a new country might be inclined to criticize such quirks, the students took it all in stride. Button emphasized the importance of an open mind.
“First and foremost, don’t expect American anything—you can’t go to the football stadium and expect to get a hot dog,” she said.
This statement rang true during the students’ 10-day study tour following the Hangzhou portion of the trip. On “Snack Street” in Shanghai, students tried samples of unconventional foods, such as sea snake and scorpion.
“[The street] had everything you could possibly imagine on a stick,” Krutz said.
Eating a deep-fried scorpion is a vivid memory for Krutz. Others also dared to try the local delicacy to the delight of the less adventurous.
“You just stop and you’re like, ‘I can’t do this anymore,’ but everyone cheered us on,” she said.
The Shanghai and Beijing markets also gave students the chance to try out their much-practiced Mandarin. While the language is difficult, even basic skills proved useful during negotiations with vendors on the streets of Shanghai.
“[Vendors] had a little more respect for you once you knew the Chinese numbers,” Krutz said. “You’d buy things you’d never think you would buy, just to see how low you could get it.”
Though their shopping successes were a high point, students also spent time observing the less glamorous parts of Chinese society. During their time in Shanghai, they went to Hutong, a more traditional urban neighborhood.
“You see these huge skyscrapers, and you’re in these squalid communities literally in the shadows of the city,” Milner said. “It’s good for [students] to see the good, bad and ugly of globalization.”
The Chinese government still tries to maintain the country’s image by camouflaging its less affluent areas.
“It was interesting to see that in a lot of places, they use really big walls to hide construction and dilapidated housing,” Button said.
The group found that governmental control of everyday affairs also extends to personal expression and Internet usage.
Chinese students practicing English with Krutz told her that criticism of the government is unacceptable, and Button recounted how sending e-mails became a sluggish process because of government censorship of web sites.
“I started to value my freedom—you could not go anywhere without seeing some kind of military presence,” Krutz said.
