Robert Federici
Campell Heath
Jeanne Hinckley
Lee Kaufman
Kwok Lee
Caitlin Loureiro
Pamela Lutin
Averi Pakulis
Joe Relyea
Neil Routman
Ian Saratovsky
Jessica Schpero
Francis (Lee) Stevens
November 10, 2000
"While applying to China, my mind was blank when trying to envision this place. Now that Ihave been here for three months I have realized that the china term-broad is one of Union's gems. This place is a gold-mine for research, writing, art, culture, anything your head can conjur up. I wish there was a means to convey the experience that I've had on the opposite side of the world." -Ian Saratovsky '02
October 18, 2000
[In response to a question about what it feels like to be a celebrity in China] "China is such a new and different place. I think it's amazing how someone can function quite easily in a place that is so different (but not as different as I thought it would be). People are just people no matter how you look at it I guess. We all do pretty much the same things to function during the day, sleep at night and then a new day comes. It's pretty cool to be able to watch everything. But, of course,Ii am watched as well. I think the most extreme cases are when the Chinese people ask us to pose in their pictures. At the beginning it was amusing, now it just makes me feel a little strange, like some kind of object they can show off to their friends or something. What's strange is that Americans would never do that kind of thing. It's like Americans reject people who look and act different, but the Chinese (and I'm sure others) accept Americans. I haven't been able to let it all set in yet, but once this [term] has finished I'll be doing a lot of thinking when I get home. Today we visited the new campus of Nanjing Normal University. It seems the university has grown so much that they have recently added another campus to make room for all the students. Anyway, on the university campus there is a middle school. Some of us went to the middle school and were able to chat with some of the kids. The kids were mostly twelve years old and very bright. They could speakEenglish pretty well, even at their young age! So, immediately when the kids saw us they yelled and smiled and seemed so enthusiastic (to say the least). I don't think I could do justice to the intensity of their enthusiasm by describing it. We sat with them in small groups, they asked us questions like where we live, if we like the Backstreet Boys, things like that. Caitlin [Loureiro] was even asked if she likes butter! The time went by quickly with the kids. Quickly until the autographs started. Acouple kids asked fo us to sign our names in their workbooks. Well, a couple turned into about 30 - 40. Whatever the number, it was a lot of kids. All in all, I am very glad I got to experience such an interesting scenerio. It seems so strange to me that these people treat us as celebrities just because we happen to live in a western country. We look different, act different, and talk different--but they admire and respect us for that. What's interesting is that we, as westerners, had no choice. We were born just like they were born. The only difference is that we happened to be born in America while they happened to be born in China. They admire us for something that was completely out of our hands." -Jessica Schpero '02
October 6, 2000
[In response to questions asked by a reader of this site about shopping, bargaining, and handling money] "Shopping is a successful experience usually, but I think it depends on what you buy. In street markets they have little stands set up that sell fruit, vegetables, clothing, belts, CDs, and much more. It's really easy to buy from those places because you ask how much 'duoshao qian', then they tell you. And after that it is expected that you will bargin with them. Sometimes they even have calculators handy so they punch in their price, then they clear the number on the calculator and give it to the shopper to plug in the price s/he is willing to give. If they don't like the price and the shopper doesn't want to pay more, sometimes it works if the shopper walks away, because the person selling the item will run after the shopper and tell her/him the price is okay. Once you learn the numbers it's fun to bargain, because they have fun too (especially because they are bargaining with a foreigner).
"There are clothing stores, supermarkets, souvenir shops all around the city where we shop. We mostly shop in Nanjing or where we go on our excursions.
"Vendors usually do not speak any English, but speaking to them to get your point across is really easy after about 2 days of being here. It's a lot of pointing to things and saying 'yi ge' or one of those.
"The money is easy to figure out because the exchange rate is about 8 kuai or yuan to one dollar. So, pretty much if you buy anything it's really cheap. One of my favorite things to eat here is a 'baozi' or steamed bun with vegetable or meat inside. It costs 1/2 of one kuai. That's about a sixteenth of a dollar. Pretty cool. And the food here is awesome. There are so many different tastes and smells here. The best thing to do is not to figure out what you are ordering, just point to the Chinese character that looks good to you and let it go from there. Or just learn the simple words for chicken, vegetable, soup, etc. and you can order it but it probably won't be what you expected. Nothing ever is what you expect here! But, that's a good thing--one of the best things about China is that nothing is as you would expect it to be. Yes, western numbers are on the bills.
"I also want to make a few comments to those people thinking of going to China next year. It's a lot easier to get around and survive this place than most Westerners think it is. Just like what I was saying before, it's not what you would expect here. I mean, China is growing and modernizing so fast that as of right now, Nanjing really has anything you would need to get by. For instance, grocery stores sell Pantene Pro-V shampoo, Nivea lotion, watermelons, Tide laundry detergent, toilet paper, etc. A couple of us even went to the department store and bought speakers to attach to our CD players--pretty cushy living for how I envisioned my time in China!
"If anyone has more questions, you can email me directly at schperoj@hotmail.com" --Jess Schpero '02
October 4, 2000
[On Teaching] "Pam, Jeanne, Joe, and I are now officially college professors. We are each teaching two English classes to Chinese college students at the new campus of Nanjing Normal University, about a 25 minute ride from our campus. We were a little nervous on our first day, not having any idea what to expect. We each walked toward our classrooms as the students leaned out of the windows, staring, talking, and laughing at the sight of us. I walked into my classroom to the applause of the students--very surprising.
"The students and I were both a little quiet at first, but as the class went on we became more comfortable. They asked me many questions about US culture, and I asked them about their lives in China. They were interested in US families, schools, perception of China, dating, guns, drugs, and music.
"The purpose of the classes is not to teach English grammar or literature, but to have the students practice speaking English. You might question the qualifications of 4 college students to be teaching college courses, but our value lies in our ability to speak English and only English, and in our experience in US culture. The learning is occurring in both directions, we are learning just as much from the students as they are from us. I'm looking forward to my next class--I only hope that the students don't continue asking me to perform a song and dance for them. :) " -Averi Pakulis '02
October 3, 2000
"Being in China is an experience I'll never forget. I love the people, the food, the restaurant spitting, the pushy people, the near-death experiences riding a bike in the streets, and most of all, the stares you get because you look different! Besides all that, I've learned a lot from classes and meeting other people in the streets. Since I've been in China, my Chinese listening and speaking skills have improved drastically. I can now carry on a decent conversation with someone, but that's only because I force myself to speak mandarin every chance I get. I guess the only way to learn a foreign language is to apply yourself. I hope some day I can speak fluently and comprehend everything I see and hear! That way I wouldn't have to bug Prof. Ferry all the time!!" -Kwok Lee '02
October 3, 2000
"China has truly been an adventure thus far. Learning how to deal with the differences of the Chinese culture as compared to the US has been a struggle at times, but also very fun. It gives me a much better appreciation for everything I have but allows me to experience a different way of life. China has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. Learning about a new culture by immersing myself into their society has been better than I could have ever imagined. It's given me a strong appreciation for what I have but also allows me to have a much greater respect of the people and culture of China." -Robert Federici '02
October 3, 2000
"Deciding to go to China for a term abroad was one of the more difficult decisions I've had to make in my life. Now that I'm here I realize that it was one of the best decisions I've made. Adjusting to an entirely different culture was difficult at first but very rewarding now that I have a better understanding of the customs of the Chinese people." -Robert Federici '02
October 3, 2000
"China has been everythings I never expected it to be. I am so happy to be here and I'm having the best time. This past weekend we took a boat trip down the Yangtze River. After sitting in the airport for hours not knowing when our flight was going to leave, we finally arrived at our boat and, after expecting the worst accomodations, found that everything about the boat was amazing. Our 3-day boat ride took us to areas which will be flooded by 2003. The lands were beautiful and I can't believe they only have a few years left to be seen [because of the construction of the Three Gorges Dam]. We were really lucky to get the chance to see them. Now we are on the plane back to Nanjing. As each day goes by I can't help but wish the time would last longer. I am having such a great time here that I am going to be sad to leave." -Jeanne Hinckley '02
October 1, 2000
"Unknown to many foreigners, there exists here a wonderful culinary delight we call "meat on a stick." It consists of a non-vegetarian product, dipped in oil. Then it's placed over an open flame, and seasonsed with three different exotic spices. A patron received a handful of sticks for about one Yuan or $0.12 US. Depending on the texture of the meat, a foreigner eats about three-quarters of the sticks." -Lee Stevens '01
September 29, 2000
"If I could understand the language this trip would be even better. Yet even without the language this place is still the most exciting experience." -Joe Relyea '01
September 29, 2000
"There's non 5-second rule in China." [In reference to food dropping on the floor]-Caitlin Loureiro '02
September 29, 2000
"Sometime Tuesday afternoon (2nd week in September) I got a call from an unknown, strange-sounding school principal, asking me to come to his school Thursday afternoon and talk about America. Interested in seeing a Chinese school and meeting some Chinese, I jumped at the chance. Well, Thursday came along and my roommate Joe and I met two of the school girls who escorted us to the school to give the speech. It wasn't what I expected at all. I walked in past a sign announcing my lecture and time. Then, I was shown to a room full of about 60 Chinese students eager to hear me speak about America. Thinking it would be an open discussion, with the students mostly asking questions, my heart raced as Joe and I stood there, microphone in hand, videotape rolling, looking blankly into the crowd and wondering what to say. Well, we did end up making it through, giving what I believe to be a bit of a sketchy speech. But the Chinese students and faculty loved it. Realizing English is only a second language to them, our coming in and talking even with our lack of preparation they enjoyed the talk. We were paid handsomely by Chinese standards, and it was a great experience" -Lee Stevens '01
September 22, 2000
"Chinese traditions are so different than the US, for one, they do not allow their people to write with their left hand. When studying outside one afternoon, a small family crowded around me with curiousity. Being a left- handed person, the father ripped my pen out of my hand and placed it in my right. This repeated itself several times until we both got so frustrated- he stalked off in despair. Even teachers take a second quizzical look as I am writing characters in class. One even corrected me until I made it very clear I write with my left hand- and left hand only!" -Pam Lutin '02
September 20, 2000
"A bike ride in China cannot be completely captured through words. To fully understand it, you have to physically experience it. One of my more interesting experiences on the bike was when, after dodging what seemed to be thousands of bikes, people, babies on the backs of bikes, street shops, and buses, I accidently hit a road worker's shovel. The shovel was knocked to the ground, but the man didn't seem to care, as if it happens to him all of the time. That's something you just can't get in the US. China is constant entertainment!" -Jess Schpero '02
September 18, 2000
"China is unlike any place I have ever traveled to before. Every few hundred feet you encounter a new smell, sound, color, and dish. After only one week here my sense are over-stimulated. I think I'm starting to fall in love with China." -Ian Saratovsky '02
"This trip to China is proving to be an invaluable learning experience for me. Not only am I learning a new language that is spoken by one-fifth of the world, but I am meeting a ton of new people. I am being taught by Chinese students, African students, European students and Union students. Traveling to China is teaching me how to communicate with people in cases where verbal communication is not possible." -Ian Saratovsky '02
The food here is absolutely amazing. After spending two weeks here I have not eaten the same dish twice. At every corner there is a street-stall selling a different type of dumpling, steamed bun, or noodle-dish. All this food and it's all exteremly cheap. The most expensive meal has cost us about $5 per person." -Ian Saratovsky '02