CHINA
Country Overview:
"A land of contrasts, where ancient traditions meet rapid modernization, and delectable cuisine coexists with complex political realities."
My seven-year journey in China, from May 2013 to August 2020, was a whirlwind of experiences. I taught English, pursued my Master's in Politics & Foreign Policy at the prestigious Tsinghua University, and immersed myself in the media landscape at China Today and Xinhua News Agency. Beijing was my home base, but my travels painted a vibrant tapestry of China's diverse landscapes and cultures: the bustling metropolis of Shanghai, the historic city of Xi'an, the tropical paradise of Sanya, the unique blend of East and West in Macau and Hong Kong, and countless other destinations in between. From savoring the exquisite flavors of regional cuisines to navigating the intricacies of daily life under a distinct political system, China left an indelible mark on me.
Finals
This week and next are finals week as Spring semester at Tsinghua begins to wind down. Today was Children's Day in China, so I went to a middle school to help promote the startup English company by teaching one of the modules. One of the questions was how to resolve the issue of Brazil selling only half of its Olympic tickets. Kids were talking about stabilizing the government and finding an antidote to Zika. I was impressed to say the least. As summer creeps in, I plan to continue interning at Peking University, enroll in Chinese classes, as well as continue to work. Also working on getting more familiar with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. As everyone prepares to head home for the summer, I enjoy the prospect of a quiet campus with an eye on my goals.
After the rain
Not my photos, but Tsinghua was super pretty after the rain yesterday evening
Food + accident
Got into a car accident the other day. Some scrapes and a busted up knee, but I suppose I was due for one. Too long without a vehicular accident in Beijing gives me an almost uneasy feeling
Friend's band
My buddy plays in an "experimental noise" band (The Forbidden Zone) and going to see his shows despite the awful music is what friends do.
Teaching You - El Salvador - Volunteer Abroad Opportunities
I did this program in 2011 and it was amazing experience. Check out the site and see if it's something you might be interested in!
Packed
There are too many fucking people in China. Living and traveling is a hassle because the population has exceeded the capacity of its systems. These include car lanes, subway ticket machines, bank teller counters, restaurants, and the size of public transportation areas (subways themselves, bus stops, and train stations are usually full). Having traveled to Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Guangzhou over the past couple days, I am not inclined to domestically travel again anytime soon. It was such a hassle buyingtickets, waiting in line after line and then being shoved into a train/subway. Perhaps it's my fault for not flying, but for as convenient as China promotes it's high speed rails to be, it's clear government officials don't use them themselves.
With that said, I think the bigger contributor to the mess is Chinese people. Hong Kong is physically smaller and crammed full of people, but they wait for traffic lights, queue, apologize if they bump into you, and generally respect the rules of public space. Upon my arrival into Shenzhen customs, people were pushing, running to the immigration lines, and arguing. Again, I understand that Shenzhen is the main port in which to transport goods bought in HK and inevitably will be busy, but the behavior was beyond unnecessary.
On one hand, it was super cool to see some of the major cities in the south of China. However, doing so reinforced my negative thoughts and opinions about Chinese people. It was a zoo and it absolutely didn't need to be. Traveling anyway besides a plane was an experience, and one that I will work to avoid again at all costs.
Guangzhou 3
Visited a temple in Guangzhou this afternoon and felt a little guilty taking pictures. Chinese people usually never take pictures of temples. I loved Guangzhou. It has a nice mix of a new and modern downtown, as well as a traditional sort of feel. With a population of 13 million, it really didn't feel like it. No one honked their horns, no traffic pile ups, not a lot of electric scooters or bicycles, and the atmosphere felt more welcoming. There were significantly more trees and greenery probably due to the higher quantities of rain, but as such, and with its proximity to the ocean, it was humid and hot. I couldn't imagine what it would be like in the summer. However, only after 2 days here, it's looking like an option after graduation. Although Beijing is the epicenter of politics for China, living there after graduation frankly seems undoable. I need a change and Shenzhen and Guangzhou were options to begin with, but this trip has moved them higher up the list. The food was terrific, both smaller populations than Beijing, cleaner air, closer to the ocean - which means better seafood and easier hubs for trips to Southeast Asia, and a warmer atmosphere. I think I liked Guangzhou so much because it didn't feel like China at all. To clarify, I wan't reminded that I was in China with every exchange. For example, people spit in napkins and then threw them away, compared to just spitting on the ground. People were also more interested in talking, whereas in Beijing, everyone is solely focused on their own life.