In the last post, I ranted on why the Expo is good for China because China is so “misunderstood” (sounds kinda like a high schooler, no?). So today, I thought I would share why the Expo is good for Chinese people. Because just as people in the West may not get China, the Chinese certainly don’t get the rest of the world.
My boyfriend has a theory that if the U.S. and China ever get in a war (which believe it or not, some college-educated people are convinced there’s going to be some massive WW III kind of war between the U.S. and China soon) that the U.S. only needs two teams of people. First, send in the “blonde brigade” where heaps and heaps of blonde haired, blue eyed men and women (preferably Pamela Anderson types) parachute in, distracting and awing the Chinese. Then you send in the big, tough guys with guns. Problem Solved.
My point in that kind of silly anecdote is that, generally speaking, the Chinese probably have the most narrow-minded idea of America, and the rest of the world, of any other people in the world. I cannot recall the number of times I’ve had a conversation with a black friend, Chinese friend or any other person who isn’t caucasian where a Chinese person has almost refused to believe that they are from America. The common response is, “You can’t be American, you don’t have blonde hair.”
You can’t really blame them - all that makes it to China from American pop culture is Sex and City, Prison Break and the leftover bad pop music that doesn’t make the cut at home. But I hope the Expo is a good way for Chinese people to see countries, not just the U.S., in a new way and is a start to ending their misperceptions of the rest of the world.
I am also excited for Chinese people who get to go to the Expo because the majority of Chinese people will never be able to leave their country. One of the things I have come to appreciate and love is my blue passport with that gold eagle. It is so hard for the Chinese to get visas to Western countries, especially the U.S.. It’s also incredibly expensive. In 2006, the World Bank reported that the average annual salary in China was just more than $2,000. To put into perspective, a round trip ticket to the U.S. costs about that much (maybe $1,000 if you get a good deal). So no, your average Chinese person or family is not in the position to afford a trip aboard unless they save for a long, long time.
With the Expo, Chinese people are able to at least get a glimpse into the outside world. They can see traditional clothes from Europe and South America, they get to see Mexican art and they get to try foods from places they may have not known even existed. And for all the hype in China that’s been surrounding the event, I say let them be excited to see life and cultures from so many other countries. I remember how I felt when I finished the “Around the World” beer challenge at my favorite bar in Gainesville. I had tried beer from 30 different countries - I was proud, accomplished and cultured (and no this was not in one sitting)! So I really can’t roll my eyes when I see all these excited and curious people anxious to see as many countries as they can.
So, for the sake of the Chinese, and the sake of any American not of white skin and blonde hair, I hope that the Expo helps Chinese people understand the world and the people that live in it a little more. Hopefully after seeing the U.S. Pavilion and the many diverse faces that make up the country, they won’t be so quick to disagree with my Asian-looking friend when they say they’re American because they’re not a member of the blonde brigade.
May 11, 2010
May 10, 2010
Why I like the Expo (part 1)
I realize that the last post may have been a bit negative toward the Expo. And I do have other qualms with the “greenest world’s fair in history.” Taking into account the construction, noise pollution and transit to, from and through the city, it’s not all that green. But rather than continue to dig at China’s shining moment, which is finding itself short on visitors, I thought I would highlight some of the reasons why I think this Expo is good for China and for Chinese people.
As I continue living over here, reading foreign articles (and comments that people post on those articles), China is undoubtedly one of the most misunderstood places on Earth. Unless someone is living here or has abundant resources to know the way and life of China and its people, it’s hard to really understand what the landscape is like over here - politically, socially, economically, anyway really. Which is why I think its a good thing that China is hosting this Expo. I think giving a reason to foreigners to come see this Expo and essentially their country is a great opportunity for China.
While I don’t know just how many people will make the trek to China just to see an Expo, I can only hope that those who come to China, see the Expo and the Chinese Pavilion (with all the other pavilions of Chinese cities) and leave with a newer perspective of China. China’s an old place with a lot of history, and I think it is important for visitors of the expo to see that. And they do at the China Pavilion, albeit in the way the government wants it to be seen. But, at least they’re here, living in the culture and learning about the country from a first-hand experience.
Personally, I think where America will have the toughest time in the next 50 years with Sino-American relations is the lack of misunderstanding of China. Americans don’t understand, I would say the majority of the government gets it wrong and the media just misses the mark. And I’ll be the first one to say that foreign media beats Chinese media on all levels, but there are still sometimes when I think news in China is painted in an unnecessarily negative light, and it’s quick to report any negative news in China yet fails to recognize the stories of opportunity and progress. I won’t deny that China has its faults - but what country or group of people doesn't?
I guess it kind of hit me tonight when I was at an event pertaining to the Expo. It was an event where a Swedish troupe of dancers and musicians were performing side-by-side with Chinese dancers. Initially, I was impressed and thought the event was a nice way to celebrate Swedish and Chinese relations, but I realized that my reactions didn’t scrape the surface for what this meant to other people. As I listened to another say how he was almost moved to tears seeing the merging of Swedish and Chinese culture, I realized that this is the kinds of positive collaborations and culture exchanges that make Expo a worthwhile venture. Sharing culture and experiences, like dance and music, is how to learn and appreciate another country - like China. Granted, it takes a lot more than song and dance to qualm political, economical and social issues, but at least its a first start to opening up and learning more about the other.
I doubt any NYAFC readers have been reading any Expo news, editorials or blogs, but for my own satisfaction, I wanted to share with you all one reason why I think the Expo is good for China and for foreigners who want to know China in a deeper way and hope that through Expo China becomes a little less misunderstood.
As I continue living over here, reading foreign articles (and comments that people post on those articles), China is undoubtedly one of the most misunderstood places on Earth. Unless someone is living here or has abundant resources to know the way and life of China and its people, it’s hard to really understand what the landscape is like over here - politically, socially, economically, anyway really. Which is why I think its a good thing that China is hosting this Expo. I think giving a reason to foreigners to come see this Expo and essentially their country is a great opportunity for China.
While I don’t know just how many people will make the trek to China just to see an Expo, I can only hope that those who come to China, see the Expo and the Chinese Pavilion (with all the other pavilions of Chinese cities) and leave with a newer perspective of China. China’s an old place with a lot of history, and I think it is important for visitors of the expo to see that. And they do at the China Pavilion, albeit in the way the government wants it to be seen. But, at least they’re here, living in the culture and learning about the country from a first-hand experience.
Personally, I think where America will have the toughest time in the next 50 years with Sino-American relations is the lack of misunderstanding of China. Americans don’t understand, I would say the majority of the government gets it wrong and the media just misses the mark. And I’ll be the first one to say that foreign media beats Chinese media on all levels, but there are still sometimes when I think news in China is painted in an unnecessarily negative light, and it’s quick to report any negative news in China yet fails to recognize the stories of opportunity and progress. I won’t deny that China has its faults - but what country or group of people doesn't?
I guess it kind of hit me tonight when I was at an event pertaining to the Expo. It was an event where a Swedish troupe of dancers and musicians were performing side-by-side with Chinese dancers. Initially, I was impressed and thought the event was a nice way to celebrate Swedish and Chinese relations, but I realized that my reactions didn’t scrape the surface for what this meant to other people. As I listened to another say how he was almost moved to tears seeing the merging of Swedish and Chinese culture, I realized that this is the kinds of positive collaborations and culture exchanges that make Expo a worthwhile venture. Sharing culture and experiences, like dance and music, is how to learn and appreciate another country - like China. Granted, it takes a lot more than song and dance to qualm political, economical and social issues, but at least its a first start to opening up and learning more about the other.
I doubt any NYAFC readers have been reading any Expo news, editorials or blogs, but for my own satisfaction, I wanted to share with you all one reason why I think the Expo is good for China and for foreigners who want to know China in a deeper way and hope that through Expo China becomes a little less misunderstood.
May 4, 2010
"Better city, better life" by the numbers.
Between leaving one job, starting a new one, leaving one city and moving back to another, the past month has been a bit of a whirlwind. And I realize it’s been a few weeks since I’ve posted, so I’m going to try to start May off right with a few more postings. So far, the new job has been going well. I’m staying busy for the most part editing (they prefer the term “polishing”) and rewriting Chinesey English stories for the Expo.
What is this Expo you ask? Well, it’s the newer, hipper way of calling it a World’s Fair... And yes, there are still World’s Fairs. Of course, this Expo has been the talk of China ever since the Beijing Olympics. The Chinese in Shanghai love it, while the rest don’t really know what it is. And the foreigners here take it for what it is: multibillion dollar PR scheme.
I can’t really bash the Expo, seeings how my move back to Shanghai and new job were centered around Shanghai’s shinning six-month shindig. But this venture is costing China from $4 billion to 45 billion dollars. Reports vary depending on the inclusion of infrastructure costs in and around Shanghai. CS Monitor did a helpful break down here. Yet, China still faces a lot of other problems. They’re not spending billions of dollars on the drought, food safety and control, education initiatives or implementing proper building codes.
What has been even more shocking to me reading all these news reports about this expo is that of the 70 million expected to come to the Expo, less than 10 percent are from outside of China. So the vast majority of these visitors will be from China. I have a hard time understanding why all this money has been pumped into Shanghai when its just going to be all these people from cities here in China going to the event. Most cities, even second tier cities, are not even close to being as developed as Shanghai. Case and point, Nanjing’s second subway line just recently opened while Shanghai has 13 and counting. When these people from these other Chinese cities come to Shanghai to see just how developed it is, wouldn’t you think that they would be a little upset that this money was spent on frivolities (like brand new taxis with leather seats for one)?
Sure, not all the money spent on the Expo covered extravagances. With 18+ million people, infrastructure needed to be improved. And I will concede that I don’t know where the money to pay for this Expo has come from. Maybe its been from the municipal government, in which case they have no obligation to spend that money on anyone but themselves. But I’m not sure the city of Shanghai is making $40 billion in profits to afford this new kind of luxury.
I guess I just find this whole idea of spending billions on the Expo as really backward. It seems as if China has spent all this money just to show off to its own people its arrival into the “developed world.” Wouldn’t improving water quality so that people can actually drink tap water be a better sign of a “better life?” Wouldn’t improved and enforced building codes in cities be a sign of real economic development? And wouldn’t being able to go to a restaurant without the fear of tainted chopsticks, recycled cooking oil or cardboard meat be a real draw for tourists to China?
Don't get me wrong - I think there are some positive things with this Expo (which I will address in the next post). And maybe the Chinese who make their way to the Expo will leave hoping that their city may one day be as developed as Shanghai. I would certainly like to know, and I hope I get a chance to find out. But while Shanghai may now be a “better city,” for the rest of China, it’s not really a “better life.”
What is this Expo you ask? Well, it’s the newer, hipper way of calling it a World’s Fair... And yes, there are still World’s Fairs. Of course, this Expo has been the talk of China ever since the Beijing Olympics. The Chinese in Shanghai love it, while the rest don’t really know what it is. And the foreigners here take it for what it is: multibillion dollar PR scheme.
I can’t really bash the Expo, seeings how my move back to Shanghai and new job were centered around Shanghai’s shinning six-month shindig. But this venture is costing China from $4 billion to 45 billion dollars. Reports vary depending on the inclusion of infrastructure costs in and around Shanghai. CS Monitor did a helpful break down here. Yet, China still faces a lot of other problems. They’re not spending billions of dollars on the drought, food safety and control, education initiatives or implementing proper building codes.
What has been even more shocking to me reading all these news reports about this expo is that of the 70 million expected to come to the Expo, less than 10 percent are from outside of China. So the vast majority of these visitors will be from China. I have a hard time understanding why all this money has been pumped into Shanghai when its just going to be all these people from cities here in China going to the event. Most cities, even second tier cities, are not even close to being as developed as Shanghai. Case and point, Nanjing’s second subway line just recently opened while Shanghai has 13 and counting. When these people from these other Chinese cities come to Shanghai to see just how developed it is, wouldn’t you think that they would be a little upset that this money was spent on frivolities (like brand new taxis with leather seats for one)?
Sure, not all the money spent on the Expo covered extravagances. With 18+ million people, infrastructure needed to be improved. And I will concede that I don’t know where the money to pay for this Expo has come from. Maybe its been from the municipal government, in which case they have no obligation to spend that money on anyone but themselves. But I’m not sure the city of Shanghai is making $40 billion in profits to afford this new kind of luxury.
I guess I just find this whole idea of spending billions on the Expo as really backward. It seems as if China has spent all this money just to show off to its own people its arrival into the “developed world.” Wouldn’t improving water quality so that people can actually drink tap water be a better sign of a “better life?” Wouldn’t improved and enforced building codes in cities be a sign of real economic development? And wouldn’t being able to go to a restaurant without the fear of tainted chopsticks, recycled cooking oil or cardboard meat be a real draw for tourists to China?
Don't get me wrong - I think there are some positive things with this Expo (which I will address in the next post). And maybe the Chinese who make their way to the Expo will leave hoping that their city may one day be as developed as Shanghai. I would certainly like to know, and I hope I get a chance to find out. But while Shanghai may now be a “better city,” for the rest of China, it’s not really a “better life.”
Apr 12, 2010
House Hunting 2.0 – Shanghai Style
Well I didn’t think it would happen so soon – finding a new apartment in Shanghai. And I don’t know why, but the days leading up to going to Shanghai, with the sole purpose to find a new residence, I was really looking forward to it. But as I was on the train to Shanghai that Friday afternoon, I realized I what a daunting task I had waiting for me. Would I be able to communicate in English? Would I have to try out my shoddy Chinese skills? Would I be able to find something with a tight budget, that was suitable for me and relatively close to work in two days? I was already anxious and I hadn’t even left the Nanjing train station.
I knew I wanted to live alone. I’m ready for a change and to be officially “on my own.” Not that having a roommate hasn’t been nice in Nanjing, but I have plenty of friends still in Shanghai, I know my way around and I am just ready to just have a place of my own. So now that I’m done with the self-reflection and justification to living roommateless I can write about the most tiring day I’ve had in quite a while.
When I got off the train in Shanghai I knew that the next 24 hours would be intense, that I would need to ask the right questions, inspect the nooks and crannies and be aggressive in what I wanted. So there I was with the first agent and the promising first apartment she took me to. The tenet had just moved out and the landlord was installing new floors and completely repainting the place. The appliances were new, the kitchen was nice, the furniture was alright and the bathroom was a dream (compared to my bathroom in Nanjing). “Wow,” I thought, “this’ll be a good day!”
I was wrong. For the next three hours I saw 7 more places that were ALL duds. Whether it was old, crummy Chinese furniture, a place where I had to walk through someone else’s kitchen to get to my room, dingy studios or furniture-less apartments, I was getting very discouraged throughout the day. After a refreshing cup of coffee, I set out again. This time I would try to do as a local does – I went to a local agency.
I decided to brave trying a local agent, who may or may not speak English. Much to my and the agents’ surprise, I was able to communicate in Chinese telling them what I wanted, how much I wanted to spend and where I wanted to live. You never really know your language abilities until your in a situation where you’re forced to actually use them. I couldn’t believe I was able to hold the conversation I was with the agent. Sure, it wasn’t super philosophical, but I was able to tell him what I liked about Shanghai and Nanjing, where all I had traveled to and my impressions of the apartments as he showed them to me. This may have been the push I needed to really learn more Chinese.
Anyways, he showed me about four more places, all of which were either too expensive or were too old. Walking to my friend’s apartment where I was staying for the night, I was starting to feel discouraged. Of the 13 places I saw that day, only three were really standing out to me, two of which were too expensive and the other I was a bit worried about noise. That night I thought about my apartment shopping experience. If you see a place here, you need to be quick. And I kept thinking of the first apartment I went to. It was clean, it had lots of new things – fridge, water heater, washing machine, floors and coat (or two) of paint. Best of all, it was in my price range (unlike the other ones I liked). I decided that night I needed to pounce. I didn’t want to settle for second choice like I did in Nanjing.
So the next morning I met with the first agent to set out again to house hunt. I looked at one more apartment, still out of my price range, and told her I was done. I wanted the first. I couldn’t believe I was going for the first place I saw, but I felt good about it. It is located about 2 minutes from the subway line to work, has four of my favorite restaurants in Shanghai within 10 minutes walking and the landlord speaks English. The one down side is that it is right above about 3 or 4 bars, albeit they are pretty lame “Chinesey” bars. But, this is China. There is going to be noise anywhere I go. And my working hours are going to be such that I don’t come home until about 10 or 11 p.m. anyway. Hopefully I’ll be getting home and going to bed around the time the party is subsiding. And at least I’ll be able to sleep in if I lose sleep over it.
Anyway. I’m relieved I found a good apartment in Shanghai. It’s going to be an adventure moving, but with a good place to call home, I’m looking forward even more to this move to Shanghai. When I move in and get it settled I’ll put up some pictures, since I have figured out how to do that on the blog now. And I hope now that I’m living in Shanghai that some of you will come visit me! :-)
I knew I wanted to live alone. I’m ready for a change and to be officially “on my own.” Not that having a roommate hasn’t been nice in Nanjing, but I have plenty of friends still in Shanghai, I know my way around and I am just ready to just have a place of my own. So now that I’m done with the self-reflection and justification to living roommateless I can write about the most tiring day I’ve had in quite a while.
When I got off the train in Shanghai I knew that the next 24 hours would be intense, that I would need to ask the right questions, inspect the nooks and crannies and be aggressive in what I wanted. So there I was with the first agent and the promising first apartment she took me to. The tenet had just moved out and the landlord was installing new floors and completely repainting the place. The appliances were new, the kitchen was nice, the furniture was alright and the bathroom was a dream (compared to my bathroom in Nanjing). “Wow,” I thought, “this’ll be a good day!”
I was wrong. For the next three hours I saw 7 more places that were ALL duds. Whether it was old, crummy Chinese furniture, a place where I had to walk through someone else’s kitchen to get to my room, dingy studios or furniture-less apartments, I was getting very discouraged throughout the day. After a refreshing cup of coffee, I set out again. This time I would try to do as a local does – I went to a local agency.
I decided to brave trying a local agent, who may or may not speak English. Much to my and the agents’ surprise, I was able to communicate in Chinese telling them what I wanted, how much I wanted to spend and where I wanted to live. You never really know your language abilities until your in a situation where you’re forced to actually use them. I couldn’t believe I was able to hold the conversation I was with the agent. Sure, it wasn’t super philosophical, but I was able to tell him what I liked about Shanghai and Nanjing, where all I had traveled to and my impressions of the apartments as he showed them to me. This may have been the push I needed to really learn more Chinese.
Anyways, he showed me about four more places, all of which were either too expensive or were too old. Walking to my friend’s apartment where I was staying for the night, I was starting to feel discouraged. Of the 13 places I saw that day, only three were really standing out to me, two of which were too expensive and the other I was a bit worried about noise. That night I thought about my apartment shopping experience. If you see a place here, you need to be quick. And I kept thinking of the first apartment I went to. It was clean, it had lots of new things – fridge, water heater, washing machine, floors and coat (or two) of paint. Best of all, it was in my price range (unlike the other ones I liked). I decided that night I needed to pounce. I didn’t want to settle for second choice like I did in Nanjing.
So the next morning I met with the first agent to set out again to house hunt. I looked at one more apartment, still out of my price range, and told her I was done. I wanted the first. I couldn’t believe I was going for the first place I saw, but I felt good about it. It is located about 2 minutes from the subway line to work, has four of my favorite restaurants in Shanghai within 10 minutes walking and the landlord speaks English. The one down side is that it is right above about 3 or 4 bars, albeit they are pretty lame “Chinesey” bars. But, this is China. There is going to be noise anywhere I go. And my working hours are going to be such that I don’t come home until about 10 or 11 p.m. anyway. Hopefully I’ll be getting home and going to bed around the time the party is subsiding. And at least I’ll be able to sleep in if I lose sleep over it.
Anyway. I’m relieved I found a good apartment in Shanghai. It’s going to be an adventure moving, but with a good place to call home, I’m looking forward even more to this move to Shanghai. When I move in and get it settled I’ll put up some pictures, since I have figured out how to do that on the blog now. And I hope now that I’m living in Shanghai that some of you will come visit me! :-)
Apr 9, 2010
Nanjing memories
As excited as I am to be moving back to Shanghai, I will really miss Nanjing. I have met some great people here and have built some strong friendships. I’m not sure that I’ll ever find a Chinese family who will look out for me like Ellen and her parents. And while her stickers aren’t my cup of tea, my roommate has been another definite blessing in getting settled in Nanjing. All my coworkers have been wonderful as well and I really hope that I made positive contributions in my 8 months at the job. Oh, and there’s the boyfriend – another perk. Life in Nanjing has been pretty good.
So I thought that I would post a few pictures (which I’ve said I was going to do for a while now) of my time in Nanjing. From the dinosaur botanical gardens, to shopping excursions at Ikea, workplace mishaps and all the other highlights of my time here, I have fond memories of Nanjing.
So I thought that I would post a few pictures (which I’ve said I was going to do for a while now) of my time in Nanjing. From the dinosaur botanical gardens, to shopping excursions at Ikea, workplace mishaps and all the other highlights of my time here, I have fond memories of Nanjing.
Apr 8, 2010
Cute Poop
In our latest conversation I felt like I could have been in a sitcom. Among other things, we were talking about my Chinese name, Shi Meng Rui, and how she thinks my surname, or last name, Shi is not very pleasant sounding. “Really? Why is that?” I asked.
She proceeded to tell me that “shi” had a funny meaning. And then she drew a picture of “shi baba,” known more commonly to English speakers as poop. It was a little cartoonish pile of poop complete with a smiley face. She said “shi” by itself is still the poop, but not quite such a nice way to say it. She told me that Chinese children and young people love “shi baba.” It is “so lovely” she repeated over and over.
Side note: The Chinese love the phrase “so lovely.” It is the equivalent of girls calling everything cute. Actually the Chinese word they use is “ke ai,” which I learned as cute in my brief Chinese studies. Instead, Chinese people say “lovely.” “Your hair is so lovely.” “That stuffed animal is so lovely.” “That pile of cartoon poop is so lovely.” You get the picture.
So I try to explain to Ellen that in the U.S., this is not so “lovely” or cute. As I told her that poop and fecal matter, even in cartoon form, was not a source of “cuteness” in the U.S., her face fell in disappointment. Sorry Ellen. So then I get the bright idea to ask her if she knows the English word for “shi baba,” and with a straight face she replies “Sh*t.”
I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Here was this sweet Chinese girl saying sh*t. Where did she learn this? Why of all words did she say this word? I quickly told her that she shouldn’t say that word around other English speakers, which she already seemed to know. Apparently she said she had heard it in American movies. “You know,” she says, “when the sh*t hits the fan.” Oh Ellen, you are priceless.
Aside from the foul language, I don’t really get what is so cute about “shi baba.” It is most definitely yet another cultural difference. And now I know that my surname, if said incorrectly, can mean poop – the real meaning is history. I can only imagine the jokes I would have endured in school if I had a last name that sounded similar to “poop.”
Apr 7, 2010
School days.
In the final days here in Nanjing, I’ve been asked to give a presentation to some of the high schoolers in our program about “extracurriculars in the U.S.” Since I was a pretty “well-rounded” student, at least in high school, I feel pretty good about this presentation – except that it has to last for an hour and a half! An hour and a half on extracurriculars? This is going to be a stretch. So I thought, while preparing for my presentation on Thursday, that I would share some of the differences in the education systems here on NYAFC.
Doing this assignment I realized that I have to start from the very beginning. Most of these students have no idea what an extracurricular activity even is. School rules these kids’ lives over here. When their not listening to the teacher lecture during the school day, they are spending almost every waking hour studying. In my opinion, and in the opinion of most of my friends who are teachers here, there is a lot that could be improved with the Chinese education system. Many aspects of the education system in China are vastly different than the U.S.’s and, I would guess, most “Western” education systems.
First of all, most teachers teach by solely lectured-based classes. Sure, this sounds familiar. We’ve all had a class where the teacher lectured during the entire class. Not to interesting, huh? Well, imagine going to school every day and in every class your teacher was just spouting information at you. And forget about asking a question or questioning what the teacher is telling you – teacher is always right no matter what. Teachers sometimes seem to just go on and on and on without interruption and without really making sure that the students comprehend the information that their giving the students.
But how can they make sure their classes understand when there are typically 60+ students in a class? I used to think that my classes in high school of 30 were hard to deal with, but these students are sharing the classroom with 60 other students. With 1.3 billion people and growing, its not surprising that class sizes are out of control. But, I can’t imagine how hard it must be to be one of 60 in a class.
Probably the starkest contrast, however, is the way students learn here. With teachers regurgitating the textbook and hours on end spent rereading what their teacher just taught, there is a huge emphasis of rote memorization. They, like their teachers, focus on regurgitating information come test time. This kind of setting is incredibly limiting. They learn no problem solving skills, no critical thinking skills and no research skills, just to name a few. Looking back on my years of high school, class discussions, group projects and research papers (I know, I’m a nerd) were what I enjoyed most. Sure, I had to slave away learning and memorizing Calculus formulas, but I also had a balance of fun parts too.
Another questionable part of the Chinese education system is the Gao Kao, China’s university entrance exam. I could (and maybe should) write an entire post on just the Gao Kao alone – it is that big of a deal here. To put it into perspective, there are 4,352 colleges, universities and junior colleges in the U.S.. There are around 400 universities in China. Considering there are literally millions of students who apply to China’s universities, competition to get a spot in one of these schools is tough, to say the least. And their main way in is a high score on the Gao Kao. Students prepare for years for the Gao Kao and, rightfully so, is a source of incredible stress for Chinese students. And it is the main reason why students spend so much time studying and are not involved in extracurricular activities.
I could go on, but then this post would be entirely too long. Working in the “education area” of China has been an incredibly rewarding experience. With a mom for a teacher, I am a proponent for education and think it is probably the most important thing for young people. I love watching people and seeing these students hard at work is really inspiring. Sure, I had to work hard in high school, but these kids have a lot against them. Maybe an extracurricular activity or two would help lighten them up.
Doing this assignment I realized that I have to start from the very beginning. Most of these students have no idea what an extracurricular activity even is. School rules these kids’ lives over here. When their not listening to the teacher lecture during the school day, they are spending almost every waking hour studying. In my opinion, and in the opinion of most of my friends who are teachers here, there is a lot that could be improved with the Chinese education system. Many aspects of the education system in China are vastly different than the U.S.’s and, I would guess, most “Western” education systems.
First of all, most teachers teach by solely lectured-based classes. Sure, this sounds familiar. We’ve all had a class where the teacher lectured during the entire class. Not to interesting, huh? Well, imagine going to school every day and in every class your teacher was just spouting information at you. And forget about asking a question or questioning what the teacher is telling you – teacher is always right no matter what. Teachers sometimes seem to just go on and on and on without interruption and without really making sure that the students comprehend the information that their giving the students.
But how can they make sure their classes understand when there are typically 60+ students in a class? I used to think that my classes in high school of 30 were hard to deal with, but these students are sharing the classroom with 60 other students. With 1.3 billion people and growing, its not surprising that class sizes are out of control. But, I can’t imagine how hard it must be to be one of 60 in a class.
Probably the starkest contrast, however, is the way students learn here. With teachers regurgitating the textbook and hours on end spent rereading what their teacher just taught, there is a huge emphasis of rote memorization. They, like their teachers, focus on regurgitating information come test time. This kind of setting is incredibly limiting. They learn no problem solving skills, no critical thinking skills and no research skills, just to name a few. Looking back on my years of high school, class discussions, group projects and research papers (I know, I’m a nerd) were what I enjoyed most. Sure, I had to slave away learning and memorizing Calculus formulas, but I also had a balance of fun parts too.
Another questionable part of the Chinese education system is the Gao Kao, China’s university entrance exam. I could (and maybe should) write an entire post on just the Gao Kao alone – it is that big of a deal here. To put it into perspective, there are 4,352 colleges, universities and junior colleges in the U.S.. There are around 400 universities in China. Considering there are literally millions of students who apply to China’s universities, competition to get a spot in one of these schools is tough, to say the least. And their main way in is a high score on the Gao Kao. Students prepare for years for the Gao Kao and, rightfully so, is a source of incredible stress for Chinese students. And it is the main reason why students spend so much time studying and are not involved in extracurricular activities.
I could go on, but then this post would be entirely too long. Working in the “education area” of China has been an incredibly rewarding experience. With a mom for a teacher, I am a proponent for education and think it is probably the most important thing for young people. I love watching people and seeing these students hard at work is really inspiring. Sure, I had to work hard in high school, but these kids have a lot against them. Maybe an extracurricular activity or two would help lighten them up.
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