China Trip

My wonderful journey into Chinese Culture...

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One of my very last experiences in China was my trip to Fuzhou, which is located in South China, across the water from Taiwan. This required a domestic flight out of Shandong province and a short stay with one of my friend’s relatives for about a week. I selected this experience as a continuance of my learning of different cultures and language within China, making it astonishingly obvious that China is ONE HUGE country. From the landscape, to the weather (it was much, much hotter), to the behaviors and customs, Fuzhou was both beautiful and drastically different than the populous cities of the North.

The air pollution was much lower, considering the number of people and continuous traffic in the area I stayed. My global perspective was opened to accept that so many differences exist within this country, even though in my mind, I knew I hadn’t left China. This country felt more like a small planet of its own and served as a wonderful example of how life really is outside of the US (and outside of China, as well).

My special “aha moment” was simply learning how to live with a local family in Fuzhou. The family traditions of keeping their parents close was evident in the apartment next door, specially rented just to house the family’s in laws. We also sat and enjoyed dinner “as a family”, even if we were eating out in a restaurant. They really went out of their way to be amazing hosts to us 3 girls staying there, even though for a short time, by offering us an enjoyable short study tour of their city, the countryside and experiencing what it’s like to be a part of their family. This overall experience in Fuzhou made me feel like I was leaving where I belonged and not the other way around. I have learned to keep an open mind, to do my research and practice what I have learned with the people around me. I continue to tell stories and share my experiences about China to others, as a way to bridge the gap of ignorance. I will never forget my time in China.

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Education is super important in China and a lot of emphasis is placed on the education of their culture and history. You will find a lot of museums, parks, temples, schools and other places that are deeply rich in all things China. I thought it was quite interesting that you could go just about anywhere and learn about something that happened years ago or be educated in the foundations of the academics (like Confucianism).

There were quite a few places in Laoshan, especially, that I enjoyed the most. This area was not very far from Qingdao, where I stayed, and consisted of just a short bus ride of about 20-30 min. I had the opportunity to meet with the students of a local primary school and also (much later) had the chance to be guest at the home of the principal’s family. I selected this experience among the many to be very special because I found myself doing homework and preparing myself for the day ahead in terms of being able to understand the significance of some the places I went to, to the people of Laoshan.

Education in general is a major global issue, where some places have amazing educational needs met versus places where education is almost unheard of due to certain circumstances. That said, I had many meaningful moments in Laoshan, and I was able to really compare the level of schooling to that in the US. The school I visited had classes in Chinese classical music, martial arts, paper cutting, 3-D printing, marine biology and so much more. And this was just a primary school, may I add. Normally this would be the equivalent of private schooling in the US and not normally considered as important as math or science. The importance of these classes really teach the students Chinese culture and that it holds high significance in their lives.

This experience challenged my current view of how education should be handled and I look forward to discussing about these topics to my local student council or voting on these issues if the moment presents itself. I don’t believe the US is using the education system to its potential (and I’m talking about public schools), which is really tragic because this is where our children learn first about America’s history and culture.

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The study tour we had at the end of our program was the most significant in terms of really viewing the vast differences in culture, language and people within just one province (China is made up of many). Shandong province had a lot to offer and showed us how little we really knew by just staying in Qingdao. The main focus on Mandarin was not enough, as the locals of every city spoke their own dialect, making it harder for us to understand but also realizing that our education fell short and required much more dedication on my part to be better equipped for survival depending on the area.

I selected this experience because of how much impact it had on me. I have a new approach to how I would handle being in China, especially in other cities besides Qingdao or Beijing. Since a lot of business is conducted in places like Shanghai or Hong Kong, having the prior knowledge of what to expect and how to prepare (like learning to understand Shanghainese or Cantonese) gives me an advantage that others may not have.

The global issue of simply not knowing is the case for many of us when traveling, especially into a foreign country. Just like you would research where to stay, how to maneuver around or where to eat when traveling within the country, you have to place special attention to culture and language more than ever. Simple things like asking directions isn’t enough if you can’t understand how they are given. Take the time to do your research and then apply it when you get here in a series of trial and errors.

Mistakes are also lessons too. I remember asking for directions in Jinan to where the store was and getting an answer where I had no idea what he said. Using context clues and the general direction he was looking and pointing to send me on my way. I also learned to ask “at least 5 people” as a general rule of thumb. In Chinese culture, in order to save face, you may just get bad directions rather than an “I don’t know”, so definitely ask more than one person to be safe.

This study tour enhanced my awareness and knowledge of Chinese culture in a hands-on kind of way. I definitely learned quite a few lessons that I can apply anytime I travel abroad, not just into China.

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5 apps to help you beat Beijing pollution

Great apps for Beijing's smog

A helpful link to apps for pollution monitoring!!

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The city I spent the most amount of time was in Qingdao, and also the city I was assigned to attend school during the week at Ocean University of China. My courses were “Overseas Study in China”, “Practical Reading & Writing” and “Engaging Chinese Culture”. These classes were completely in Mandarin except for when we taught American culture to a selected group of local graduate students learning English.

I selected to continue with my journey at destination #2: Qingdao. This city is located in the Northeastern part of China, directly across the water from North/South Korea border, and it was beautiful. This city was less polluted than Beijing since it was near the coast and the temperatures were mild for the Summer (cool breeze, low heat). I had to learn many things while living in Qingdao, like learning how to read the bus stops. Trust me, it does take some time getting used to where the bus is headed next, which buses connect, run times and fee to board. But once you get it down, its like blinking and breathing. The food was also different than Beijing, more seafood than anything else with the exception of some amazing local restaurants that served treats, salads, foreign cuisine (Japanese & Korean) and cheap street food vendors.

The issues with pollution were MAJOR and we had to keep track of the daily amount through helpful apps. This is mind, we always carried our masks just in case but it was never a real concern in Qingdao except for a handful of times. That isn’t the case for other surrounding areas.

My most meaningful moment was learning the proper etiquettes for eating. I didn’t realize there were so many rules, including seat assignments, how much to order, pouring of drinks (youngest at the table is assigned this task) and others. Being the oldest in the group (besides our professor and teacher assistants), I had to get used to being served which was kind of uncomfortable at times but I understood the meaning behind it. Although this moments were meaningful, they also challenged how I was raised, to treat others equally. This sort of caste system was important in Chinese culture and took an open mindset to not take offense.

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Welcome to BEIJING! The first of many cities to visit while I was in China, but the first impression I had of what was to be the next two months or so of my entire journey. You see, I was selected to be a part of a small group of USF students for the chance to study abroad in China, take 3 courses in Mandarin and tour Shandong Province. The first stop was the wonderful city of Beijing. The countries main capital, rich with history, people and businesses, where I was to stay for approx. a week touring the main attractions.

I chose to start with this city as it was the my initial contact into a foreign country outside of America and the first attempt to try new things, challenge my Mandarin, and achieve cultural understanding.

Under the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, this first step falls under Goal #17- Partnership for the Goals, as this entire trip would not be possible without pre-arrangements with the University of South Florida in the US and Ocean University of China.

My awareness of culture very different from my own was a new global perspective I never experienced before, especially not like this, completely emersed into a whole new world. Like Alice falling into Wonderland, I was both curious and fearful of everything I had to try for the first time. I had to learn modest behavior, a community approach, formal and informal language, Chinese mannerisms, significant history and so much more.

Everything for the first time in China was meaningful as it laid the foundation for how I was to survive. From riding the subway (and how to not get lost) to ordering food to doing my own laundry. Everyday tasks were challenges and small victories (with some losses).

My view of how I saw the world was so narrow, especialy since I had never left the US before and all I knew was a mix American culture and my Spanish background. This experience was forever etched into my soul and every moment a lesson learned.