Back in the US

It has almost been a month since our last night in Beijing. Here in Rochester I have been asked by alot of people I know how the trip went. Every time a new person asks me how it was all that I can say is that it was "amazing" I don't think that many words could sum up our entire trip. So many amazing things happened and I don't know how to explain it all. The day after I arrived in Rochester my family and I went to Michigan to see my cousins. The change between here and Beijing was very drastic. When I arrived in Michigan I was so happy to see my family but at the same time I started to realize how much I was able to connect with the people from DC but also how much I enjoyed my stay in China. Living with 9 new people in a different country you would think would be a hard thing to adjust to. But I believe that was not the case with the DC and Rochester people. We all got together very well and started a long lasting relationship with each other that I believe will last a very long time.
During my stay in Michigan we stopped at a fruit stand, and another family that was there was speaking in Chinese, I was amazed that even though I had only been home for 3 days I have already been able to hear Chinese being used around me. When I told my mom that the people next to us were speaking Chinese she said "really, I didn't know". I think that this moment proved to me how much more I am going to achieve and how much more I am going to be able to learn in life knowing Chinese. I know that even the day before I left for China I would have been oblivious to the fact that the people next to me were speaking Chinese.
I would like to thank every one that contributed either in a large or a small way to bringing our group of 10 students to China. This opportunity for me would not have happened at all if it was not for this organization.
Thank you so much for believing that a teenager from Rochester Ny would be able to grow from being in China and for opening up my eyes to what I will be able to accomplish in my life.
-Julianna Turner

Chinese Orphanage

Chinese Orphanage

The students really enjoyed spending time with the children. Some of the infants were severely disabled. The State-run orphanage is run by private donors. Some of the children receive surgeries to correct their ailments before they are adopted. Others might have a short time on earth due to their disabilities. One organization affiliated with the orphanage is called "The Chinese Daughters Foundation." Our students showed their true colors by playing with the children, helping them exercise, and making them happy. We donated several bags of items that we thought the children could use (i.e. lotions, towels, shampoo, sponges, etc.). It was a great day. 

July 13: The Chinese Opera!

Although everyone was recovering from the exhausting and wondrous experience of the walk on the Great wall we "toughed it out." Once we slept in awhile, we were on our way to attend the Peking Opera. While we were there we were able to see the beginning of the process as well as the final product. Before viewing the show we got a brief tour of some of the most famous costumes and their story in the opera. Then we got to see the actors and actresses put on their "faces" and watch how intense, careful, and focused they are when getting into character. One correct stroke of make-up matters because it helps give a representation of the character. A line of red on the forehead could symbolize that the character is evil. It was really fascinating to see the things being put together and it made for great anticipation for the show. The show was exciting to watch, but upsetting because of lack of comprehension on our part, but with what Chinese we did learn we were able to pick up a few things here and there.

The Great Wall of China

Today was the Great Wall of China!!!!!!!!!!!!! (or Chang Cheng in Chinese)

Even though it was sweltering hot and it seemed like there was no end in sight, I can proudly say that we all made it up to the top! On the way down, most every one took a different way .Some went down a really cool slide that went all the way down the side of the mountain, some took the "ski lift" down, and some took the traditional grueling walk all the way down. The views that were in and around the Great Wall were beautiful. When you were taking a break and got the chance to look around it was mind blowing that you were standing on such an important piece of history. Once we were able to make it down and into an air conditioned bus we were surprised to find out that Paula was going to treat us to a delicious BBQ!!!! It was such a good surprise! The restaurant was at the base of the Great Wall and was beautiful all around. We were in the countryside and quite a nice change from the busy city of Beijing. Most importantly of all though was the bathrooms :) They had western styled toilets and were very very clean!!! At the restaurant we were able to meet the owner and learn about her organization. Which was practically an organization that helps preserve the countryside style and look in a way that is practical for the people that live there as well as the many tourists that come. This also allows there to be job opportunities for the local people so that they will not move away. We also found out that there were many opportunities for internships there. Today was absolutely amazing and tomorrow we get to SLEEP IN!!!! Something that we all desperately want!

July 11: Chinese Dance and Cheerleading

This morning we woke up, but not really sure how because we slept through 2 alarm clocks! But after breakfast we had out Chinese dance lessons. It's kind of like cheerleading, so it was pretty cool. Then we had class and went over the format for our midterms. Yes, sadly, we have to take midterms and they are coming up pretty quickly. Instead of having our third hour of class, though, we had a geography class to teach us about the Great Wall and some other really cool places in China. During the class we were able to use Google Earth and were able to take a look at home as well! In the afternoon we had Kongfu again and it went really well. We all seem to learn really fast at it and enjoy it a lot!

July 10th: The Forbidden City and Clocks

Today was the Forbidden City, it was really neat. While at the Forbidden City we found out a lot of interesting things like how the Emperor had 27 Concubines and an Empress. We also found out that the Emperor and Empress had two separate rooms that were across from each other. At one point in time the Emperor ended up leaving the Forbidden City for one of his concubines and when he eventually left the city he caught smallpox and died. Before the Emperor had died he found an interest in clocks because he was introduced to them by a Westerner. His clocks are now in a museum but in total he had about 999,000 clocks. Also at the Forbidden City we got to look through the Imperial gardens. When we were there we sat down to take a break and a person just started to draw Lyla's (Yi Li's) picture on a plate and it turned out to look just like her. It was so cool because he only did it in about 2 minutes.

July 9: Coca Cola Sneak Preview

Today we had a full schedule. There was breakfast in the morning, then a dance class that showcased traditional Chinese dance. In this type of dance we have round pieces of fabric in our hands, that we twist and turn throughout the dance. After dance class we had our regular classes, lunch and then a great trip to Coca-Cola's offices. At the meeting we met alot of the interns that were currently working with the Olympics since Coca-Cola is a big sponsor of the games. We were able to see the new and upcomming commercials that were made for the games. So we can't wait to come home and see them on the TV. The interns were very cool and told us alot about the colleges that they went to (Middleburry and Penn State) and being a college student in Beijing. This was deffinitly the best meeting that we have had so far. They really knew how to talk to a group of teenagers instead of a focus group, and then once we got home we did our homework/studying and some went outside to play Basketball/ Soccer.

July 7th: Duck and Acrobats

After class today, we had a brief meeting with a Kodak representative who talked about their sponsorship with the Beijing Olypmics. After that we went with Ted as well as the Kodak Representative and got to see the inside of the Olympic venue (which was a very prestigous and wonderful experience for us as only a selected few and people with permission were able to actually go inside and check out the Bird's Nest and all the other buildings and towers built by people outside of Beijing who have been working on the venue for 3 years nonstop. We even got to talk to some of the workers and took pictures with them. They said that they've been working for 3 years on the venue for the Olympic and they're from all over China who've come from the rural parts just to work on it.

 

After visiting the Olympic venue we went out for dinner and enjoyed it at a very nice restaurant where we got to experience our first Peking duck! Everyone loved and enjoyed it.

 

After dinner we got to see an ACROBATIC SHOW! It was just amazing! We've never seen so many painful positions that come out so graceful as the ones that we've seen today. In one of the acts they had as much as 12 people on one single bike that a single person peddled from underneath all those people. We saw another act where a woman supported 4 people on a stick that was placed on her chin, it was just astounding! We were also fortunate enough to see plate spinners and a huge wheel where two males were spinning around in what seemed like a hamster cage that were suspended in the air, connected together and spun. Can't wait to see what's more in store for us.

July 6th

Sunday! We have finally started to get used to the schedule here that it was sort of wierd that we had a free day today. We all slept in till about 10:30 and then after a brief lunch, we all headed out to a small bakery across the street from our dorm and basically bought up the entire store as everything was under a dollar and everything looked so good that we all thought that it was fake!

 

Today we were finally able to get some internet connection as Mike and Ted were nice enough to give us laptops that we set up with internet connections. We all scrambled behind each other to get just a couple of minutes on the laptops so that we could get in contact with the outside world and see what was going on with our families and tell them about our adventures here. 

 

After lunch, we went to a street with a lot of stores and we stayed there till about 5 o'clock., we headed back, had dinner, relaxed, went on the computer and went to bed.

July 5th - Palace of Discovery

Another interesting and fun-filled day in Beijing. What was different though was that we didn't have classes today. No weekend classes! We all ate breakfast at our regular time, which was around 7:00 and then went back to our dorms and prepared to go to the Summer Palace. We took a rented bus and arrived at the Summer Palace after 40 minutes. We saw amazing buildings and walked around a little bit with our tour guide, who was really nice and spoke very good English. The gates of the Summer Palace were just amazing and just the culture and the people amazed us. We walked down a corridor that held 4,000 paintings and climbed all the way to the top of the Palace where the Emperor stayed at. Of course we had fun along the way and bonded more over the experience. What was great and truly amazing about today was the fact that we got to take a boat back into the city on the same route that the Emperor took when his family and himself headed back from the Summer Palace. On the boat ride back, we were able to interact with some people on the boat, practice what little Mandarin we learned and waved to people from the boat. All in all, another wonderful day that we fully enjoyed!

Happy July 4th in China!

Since today was the 4th of July, we were able to celebrate it in the afternoon. After a morning of fun/interesting Chinese classes with Wang laoshi and Pan laoshi, we had our usual lunch and got on another rented bus and headed out to celebrate the 4th of July at the International School of Beijing. It was like being back home again, well sort of. Everything was pretty fancy (well a school worth $22,000 dollars a year gives you some perks) and there were food stands from different companies like McDonald's and Papa John's. They even hired a band to play and just so many things to do and eat. Unfortunately due to the rain, the fireworks were cancelled. However, we still had a fun time nonetheless and enjoyed each other's company. It was one of our more relaxed days since we've been here and I feel that we're going to get very few of these chill days so we enjoyed today as much as we could. Everyone's having a great time and we are each figuring out each other's personalities and establishing new relationships with each other. We can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring for us! 

- Liann

Corporate Connections

The students were treated to lunch by Greg Gilligan, the Head of Government Relations for McDonald's in China. This briefing was fascinating and delicious. It focused on how McDonald's is marketing and expanding their image and store chain in China. Mr. Gilligan has lived in China for almost 12 years. He gave students a lot of great advice about pursuing careers in China and honing their language skills. He also had McDonald's food delivered to our school for our meeting. 

The Great Wall of China

The climb up the wall took about an hour and included hundreds of steps. Our group had quite a work out. "The Chinese say that you are not a true man or woman until you have climbed the Great Wall." Our Chinese scholars all successfully completed this rite of passage. 

The weather was perfect for our trip to the Great Wall. We took a two hour bus ride from Beijing before arriving at the Wall. The part of the Wall we visited was more natural and less commercialized than some 

other parts of the Wall. We had to be careful climbing because each step is at varying heights because the wall is built on the precipice. The view from the mountain top was extraordinary!

A Village Near the Great Wall

After we visited the Great Wall, we were invited to a small village in the shadow of the Wall. A wealthy family has bought some of the property around the village, including a school house. They have converted the school house into a restaurant. We were invited to eat barbeque. This was a unique fusion of cultures. It shows how the face of China is changing. The villagers were all "hao ke" (extremely hospitable).  

Kung Fu

This picture depicts the students participating in a Kung Fu class.  I would not want to meet our teacher, Master Li, in a dark alley.  He showcased some of his skills for our students during break and after class.  We all had a healthy work out.  The students are looking forward to learning more about Chinese Martial Arts.

I hope all is well on the home front.  Our Chinese Scholars continue to expand their perceptions of the world.

- Jay

Delicious Foods

The students were invited to taste some local delicacies.  Some of the dishes included Peking Duck, Pigs Feet, and Pumkin French Fries.  There were plenty of delicious alternatives for our vegetarians.  All dietary restrictions were carefully considered.  Originally we were seated at a long oblong table, but the students requested to sit together in the red velvet donut-shaped booth.  From the picture, you can tell we are a close knit bunch.

The Nest

This picture was taken at the Olympic Green.  You can see both the Stadium (a.k.a. The Nest) and the Water Cube in the background.  These buildings include two of the venues for the Olympics.  Ted, our guide, mentioned that so much steel was used to build this structure that the total world supply of steel was noticeably impacted.  The Bejingers are extremely proud of their opportunity to host these games.  You cannot set foot in the streets without being reminded that the Olympics are drawing near.  We were so fortunate to have a tour of these facilities because security is tight.  Wallace Bao, the Kodak Representative, gave us a thorough overview.  Kodak and Coke are the two biggest US sponsors of the games.

Food, Smog, and Rain!

Hey it's me, Lyla, and as for my time here in China- it's been totally crazy, fun, and as you know, super busy; as well as completely foreign! 

China is so different and yet still so the same. The fashion here is AMAZING, the traffic laws are practically nonexistent ( as in like I'm talking taxis hitting old ladies- pedestrians do NOT get the right of way, and the sporadic car driving down the sidewalk, etc.). The food is extremely different- they did not kid when they said it wasn't like American Chinese food- but I am being fairly nourished and we eat a lot here.

I feel like I'm always eating as a matter of fact. And yes, the smog is so thick that there is not even a horizon line on most days and the sun here is the average moon shine in glare although somehow the sun still is fryingly bright and strong. I even took a picture out of my dorm room window on the rare day so far that I can see the horizon line to celebrate the elusive visibility lol!  I'll show you the pictures when I get back- I've already taken tons and we are only one week in (approx.)

I would upload them on the the computer if I had that kind of talent ( I clearly don't- I would probably just break something) but I'll ask for help because I want to send them back home to you guys and put them up onto my facebook as well. Everyone says that this year has had entirely odd weather for Beijing.... it has actually rained more than it has been sunny- and I'm talking SHEETS of rain at that. Needless to say I am now accustomed to getting periodically soaked/drenched. Till next time! 

Yi Li!

Jet Lag Wearing Off

The jet lag is finally starting to wear off and we were able to stay up later. We started off our day with our newly found routine and went to breakfast. It was easier today with breakfast because both of our teachers were there and we didn't have to play mime and break our backs trying to communicate with body language. After breakfast we had our first full classes. they were surprisingly short and very interesting. We are learning a lot in every class and we can already tell that we are more confident in Chinese. Then after lunch, we went to the Beijing museum which was HUGE! In order to get there we had our first experience with the Beijing subway. The subway was surprisingly clean & very smooth when you rode them. We were thoroughly impressed (much better than DC & Rochester subways).

 

In the museum we saw wonderful exhibits and met very interesting people who were very interested in us. We were also able to make zodiac signs with these Chinese brushes. We also went to one of the most popular shopping mall in Beijing (It had 80 floors)! The first floor was filled with gorgeous shoes, makeup and the rest were clothing stores. On the 8th floor there was all of the food restaurants. People were able to bargain and find some cheaper stores. After a long day of fun we arrived back at the dormitories at 9:30 and decided to have a fashion show of all the things we bought. ALL of the clothes that we bought fit us all very well and we all walked down the "run way" (our hallway) for our camera. Tomorrow were going to the embassy, so it'll be another promising day.

 

Zaijian!

Commercialism and Bargaining

Today was so amazing! 

Today we went to the Commercial Office in the American Embassy. We talked with Ted & Mark A. Lewis, who is a standards officer in the commercial department. We discussed China's growth, piracy, importing, and exporting. We talked about so many things. Once we finished talking we took a tour of the office and viewed the CCTV Towers from the board room. A brief discussion with Mr. Kaiser Kuo took place within the same building. We discussed Tibet, piracy, music and China's expansion over the past few years. Mr. Kuo also told us about his life as a 'rockstar'. We went to the Silk Market where we each had our own adventures both individually and as a group and bargained prices, some were more successful than others. We had dinner at a restaurant with many of the people who made this trip possible and it was just another great experience to add onto our list of great experiences.

Breakfast Barriers

Due to the "big" time difference, everyone's body clock was off, with time varying from 2 am to 5 am. Breakfast time was definitely a wake-up call that we were no longer in the US. We and the cook were unable to communicate because of the language barrier and it was both comical and frustrating. Everyone sat at the table puzzled, not knowing what to eat because of our dietary needs. The cook on the other hand was puzzled as well because she couldn't figure out why we weren't eating. After the semi-catastrophe we met our new exciting teachers, Pan laoshi and Wang laoshi. Class was only an hour but it was really fun and intriguing, and everyone now knows how to say "I'm an American." It's really helpful to use when citizens try to hold conversations with us in the streets.

 

We also visited a park nearby, which was filled with amazing things. It seems like wherever we go, no matter where we go something is always happening here. There was so much going on in the park. There was shadow boxing, tai chi, and jianzi (a type of bean bag toss). Most of the groups that were doing activities and exercising were older groups of people who had retired and just wanted to keep limber and flexible. They would just gather together in the morning and perform different types of exercises that were quite beautiful to watch. All in all, today was just another amazing day in China. One of many.

 

Liann :)

1st Day: From a Student's Perspective

Today was an experience that we will never forget. Although we were suffering from severe jet-lag we still managed to find a surge of energy due to the sights and excitement. Immediately, when we got here we were welcomed with open arms by the Chinese people. They were extremely polite and smiled even though we had unfamiliar faces and only knew a few of the basics. We also met Chen laoshi, who took us to the No.2 High School and gave us a tour of some of the neighboring department schools.

 

After the tour, we had dinner, which was our first taste of authentic Chinese food, which we all ended up enjoying. We found that the food here is much healthier and very fulfilling. When dinner was over we all immediately became one with our beds and for those who stayed awake, we discovered the many shops that Beijing has to offer including a clothing boutique, bakery, and a McDonald's that serves duck sandwich as one of the meals. This was definitely a long and joyous experience. And it's only the FIRST DAY!

Putting Language to Work

Good Morning and Evening to all!

So far everything is going smoothly.

1.) Yesterday we had our regular Chinese classes from 9 to 12 am. We have two good Chinese teachers here who are getting along with the students very well. The students think the teachers are awesome! We have suggested that after the morning classes, the teachers eat lunch with the students to develop the social Chinese language as well as the academic language.

2.) In the afternoon we went to the Capital Museum which contains exhibits regarding Beijing's history and Chinese culture. We had a great time there to see the treasures.  The students also took an arts and craft class.  The class allowed them to do some traditional ink rubbings and Chinese paintings.

3.) In the evening we went to the most commercial place which is XI DAN located in downtown Bejing. Our kids are amazing!  They went to the huge shopping center and also to the vendors on the street to bargain and purchase all kinds of stuff. All of them got really good deals.  For instance, Lila bought a cute shirt for 19 yuan which is 2 or 3 dollars. They all put their negotiation skills to work.

4.) The most fun activity of the day was when we got back, we had a fabulous, top of the line fashion show in the hallway of our dormitory.  No need to feel left out - we got it all down on tape.

5.) Yesterday Jay and I discussed the many talents of our students. They all have outstanding personalities and also each of them has their own strength.  We are planning to have a talent show which is not only connected to their Chinese language studies, but also highlights their talents.  For example Joseph Boone plays the drums so we want to introduce him to traditional Chinese drums and request that he performs for us.

6.) Internet access is still limited.  Alan Chen continues to look into installing a modem into Jay's dorm room so that the students can continue to send emails back home and continue the blog project.  We only have the one laptop for twelve people to use.  It would be helpful to have more.

So far we are having a blast!  Everything is running according to plan.
Maggie & Jay

We Arrived in China!

Dear Colleagues:

All is good. I am able to access the Internet from the office near the students' classrooms. In fact I can hear the students talk as I am writing to you. Their classes are progressing nicely. The students have about an hour between the time they finish breakfast and attend classes. Today the students used this time to prepare for class. 

Yesterday Maggie and I accompanied the students to change money at the bank on the first floor of our dormitory. 

We took a field trip to Jing Shan Park. This is the highest point in the city. From the Buddhist Temple located on the hill in the park you can view the Forbidden City. The smog made visibility challenging; still, the students were mesmerized. 

I hope all is well back home. More to follow.



Jay

US-China Relations DC Briefing

Hey it's Lyla! 

Today was our second day in D.C. and it was absolutely GREAT but I am totally exhausted as our schedule was non-stop. We visited several think-tanks this morning, went to a delicious Chinese lunch, and met with one of Senator Obama's advisors who told us even more about China. It was really hot all day but early evening it started pouring. We fortunately had gotten back inside before the rain started and had just returned to the hotel from the Chinese Embassy!!!! We got free shirts too and took tons of pictures! It has been a fun experience and we're not even in China yet...... can't wait; we're all really excited!   -- Lyla

Hey it's Daniel!

So far we have met our other members who will be going with us to China. Today we had the chance to meet, listen, and talk to government advisors and officials. I had plenty of my questions answered. I was slightly surprised as I was expecting the classic political diluted truth to my questions. There were plenty of questions answered truthfully or with a good poker face. I had one advisor talk briefly about the outsourcing to China and he kinda slightly offended me when talking about Rochester. I mean come on we're on the rust belt, we're the ones being affected by it...his sentiments were less then reasonable..in any manner first two days on the trip have gone well. Below are some pictures of our group during these hot, but amazing days in DC. -- Daniel

Students Prepare to Travel

Students from the District of Columbia Public Schools and Rochester City School District are teaming up in an amazing opportunity of cross-cultural exchange by traveling together to Beijing, China for a month-long language instruction program. 

This blog is meant to be a live, on-going record of students' observations and questions throughout their travels and will continue to serve as a connective resource and tool for parents, teachers, and other students to monitor their progress and engage in their stories. 

Enjoy! Xie xie!