Quirks...a post by Carrie

Top 4 Quirky Things about China:

1. Couples often wear matching outfits

2. Using umbrellas in the sunshine

3. Squat toilets

4. Corn-flavored ice cream popsicles

These are just a few of the interesting observations that I've made since I've arrived.  While some of them, or perhaps all of them, may be shocking to non-Chinese people, I really enjoy testing the idea of what is considered normal.  “Normal” is often misconstrued as being the way we do things, and so anything that doesn't fit within that paradigm is judged as strange or abnormal.  We take for granted the way we were raised and use it to judge other cultures.  It's important to realize though that each culture has it's own view of normality and sometimes we need to step back and remember our own quirkiness.  American culture is just as strange from an outsider's perspective. 

4 Quirky Things about America that We Think are Normal but Wouldn't be Normal to a Chinese Person

1. Drinking beverages from enormous cups

2. Our obsession with tanning and being tan, which is unhealthy and related to being a peasant.

3. Using western toilets, which are harder to clean and less sanitary since you have to sit on them (though they are growing in popularity)

4. Driving everywhere!

These cultural differences are what make traveling so interesting.  Being here allows us to reevaluate our own culture from a different perspective and stretch our comfort levels.  As for the matching couples, I find it cute.  They always seem to be smiling and enjoying themselves, which makes me smile too.  Having tried out my umbrella one sunny afternoon, I've come to the conclusion that it really is helpful and makes the 90 degree weather much more bearable.  Now I don't leave the hotel without it, unless of course I'm wearing my new floppy hat that I purchased from a street vendor. After conquering my initial fear of the squat toilet and actually using one, it's really not so hard.  Given the choice, I'd still prefer a western toilet because it's what I'm most used to, but using a squat toilet isn't the end of the world.  As for the buttery, corn-on-the- cob flavored popsicle, the jury is still out on that one.  It's not a taste for everyone, but I kind of liked it.

English corner...posted by Caitlyn

At Xiamen, I started going to this event called "English Corner" every Tuesday and Friday at 8pm, next to the Lu Xun statue. Students (and anyone really) come to practice their English. Milano and Eric went too, and we had three giant crowds surrounding each of us. Well, it was like a dozen people each and others wandering around and in other groups. I had two high school students talk to me about the movie "Inception" and ask how relaxing American college life is—as in going to lots of parties and having little homework. Compared to the stringent Chinese high schools, American colleges are on eternal spring breaks. The same two students (one boy and one girl) tried to tell me some Chinese history and myths after I said I did not know much about China. One I remember was a story about how a man and a really long beard and it fell off and made the world or land. I probably lost something in translation. The girl had also seen a lot of American movies, and we talked about that movie "The Proposal" with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, but neither of us could remember the title at the time. We both thought the movie was funny, though. All the students that talked to me had "English names" (names that they chose or were chosen for them when they began to study English) but I can hardly remember any of them because I talked to so many people.
They all seemed to be very knowledgeable about the politics and history of the United States, often more so than Americans I know. This one guy was asked me, "New York is blue state, yes?" and this other guy watched the show "Boston Legal" and knew terms like civil court, criminal court, attorney, prosecution, defendant, and plaintiff. He asked very intelligent questions about juries, judges, and trial procedure. I also was asked if I thought Republicans and Democrats were hypocritical, because most Republicans are pro-life but pro-death penalty and most Democrats are pro-choice but anti-death penalty. One really wanted to know where Minnesota was (geographically speaking) because he had a teacher that lived there. And they also wanted to know why my city was named Buffalo but we have no buffalo (it’s a good point). Then we were talking about the US economy, the housing bubble, what newspapers I read ("New York Times or Washington Post"?), the yuan-dollar exchange rate, illegal immigration (in the US), Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Bush, Obama, books, Christianity, conservatives, liberals...I’m usually there for a good 3 hours, 8pm-11pm. Some people would have to leave every hour but then others would show up. The Boston Legal guy (William, I think his name was) had great English and he also spoke French, I found out, when his friend from France that worked in the Xiamen physics department showed up.
Actually, most of them had pretty good English, even the high school students. I told them it was impressive that they spoke so well because English and Chinese have very little in common, and my Chinese is terrible. Apparently they start learning English in kindergarten. I said maybe we (Americans) should all have to learn Chinese too so it is fair. They thought that was funny. This one older man who came said he doesn't think it's worth it to make ALL Chinese students learn English, because many of them don't end up needing it for their work and don't bother practicing anymore and forget it. I said more Americans should learn other languages but they get lazy because of the "Everyone speaks/should speak English" attitude. They agreed with that, especially the French guy.

Post about the Hakka Tulou by Emily (photos by others)

 

For me, one of the more fascinating aspects of architecture is its capacity not only to shape space but also those inhabiting the space. In the case of family dwellings, this aptitude implies a possibility for the architecture of the home to both describe values concerning the family, and to (de)construct the family's interpersonal relations. To cite a close-to-home (for the reader) example, the initial appeal of Frank Lloyd Wright's prairie homes (of which Buffalo's Darwin Martin House is a particularly exquisite example) was derived not from their formal sensibilities, but their perceived ability to save the traditional family in an age of increasing social change by means of sheltering cantilevers and spaces for family time unbroken by excessive walls.

I have been thinking more on this relation between built and familial structure in light of visiting the tulou. The tulou, found primarily in Fujian province, are massive, multi-storied circular or rectangular dwellings constructed out of loam. Traditionally, each tulou would house many interrelated families in apartment-like spaces that encircle a shared courtyard. While the form of the tulou may be seen as a practical response to the problem of self-and-family-preservation, I think the architecture of the tulou is also certainly conceptually suggestive in terms of its relation to traditional Chinese family architecture. In that the tulou is primarily shared space, this lends itself to the creation of filial bonds between familial inhabitants. The classical Chinese philosopher Kongzi (Confucius), whose thought is deeply embedded in even contemporary Chinese society, said "... that filial piety and respect for elders constitute the root of Goodness" (Analects, 1.2) and serve as the necessary root of the best possible society. The multi-family, communally-centered design of the tulou may be seen as both an expression of this traditional moral imperative toward dutiful family relations, and a means by which they are developed.

In the contemporary United States we frequently hear (or voice) outcry about "the destruction of the family" and "the erosion of traditional family values". One of the few things this societal malaise is not linked to is the architecture of the typical American, middle-class home. But consider - the driving force behind American home architecture is isolation. Thus the development of the suburb ("let's get away from all these other families, including those related to ours") and the design of the home as a series of boxes that allow and perhaps even encourage the separation of family members from one another. Perhaps if we wish to construct stronger family and even societal relations we should consider the tulou and the influence of home architecture.

Thoughts about the Buddhist Temple by Milano

The Buddhist Temple was great. Waking up at 350 AM to attend the morning prayer was worth the interrupted sleep.  It was my second favorite experience thus far since we have been in China. The first was climbing the mountain. The prayer ceremony lasted for what felt to be about an hour. I was unsure because I did not have a watch, but time was no worry as the event was enjoyable.
 The ceremony proved to be mesmerizing, surely because the Buddhist prayer ceremony was a foreign concept to me. I never witnessed anything Buddhist like before. My pre conceived notions of Buddhist life where, that the majority of their time was spent meditating and doing menial chores, which served to sustain their lives. To me the event was a rare phenomenon that one must get on camera but since the temple did not allow cameras in the temple, I’m assuming for sacred reasons, I was only able to capture the event in writing.  It seemed to me as if there were about 50 or 60 monks, give or take, participating in the ceremony.  They chanted this beautiful humming sound, which we would later find out was an Indian language. The monks all had yellow/ orange robs on. A minority of them had brown sashes which served to signify their rank as acknowledged Buddhists. There was one monk who wore a red sash. This monk was described to us as being the commander of ceremonies, a position which he holds for 3 years.
We ate breakfast with the monks after the prayer. When we arrived at the place for breakfast they had the tables set for breakfast. About halfway during the ceremony about half to a third of the monks had taken leave, I assumed they left for the breakfast preparations. A few monks walked around with buckets of food, ladles, and rolls on hotel pans, which they served to us.  I had my morning staple—soy-bean milk—in one bowl, a variety of vegetables in another, and the dreaded rice porridge which I had been avoiding since day one after having discovered its flavorless taste.
After having eaten breakfast, we meet with the chancellor of the Buddhist Temple. Apparently the temple also doubled as a school for training potential Buddhist monks and for educating them in various fields. At the meeting we talked about the Buddhist school and its students whom were also monks, some aspects of the Morning Prayer Ceremony, and of the Buddhist principals. It was interesting to hear the Buddhist principals straight from the Chancellor. Usually I learned about them through texts, and by the reading on Chinese Buddhism that Dr. Forest had given us days prior. I rather enjoyed the perception of the Buddhist Way as being the conquering of emotion rather than an ambiguous conception of the separation of desire for worldly things.  For me the Buddhist goal became re-defined as being: to achieve a full self consciousness in order to control emotions.
This was definitely a life experience that I feel as though I gained enlightenment from. For the very least self control and self awareness was stressed in my mind as being important virtues

A post about food from Carrie

Food

For me, food is a way to really experience other cultures.  When I think back on various trips I’ve taken, it’s always a memory of tasting a new dish or sharing a meal with friends that pops into my head.  Famous buildings and landmarks blur together in my mind, while the salty, sweet, or spicy flavors of the foods I tried remain clear and distinct.  Having visited a fair share of Chinese restaurants prior to coming here, I expected to eat a lot of rice with chunks of meat drowning in various sauces.  The reality is quite different. 

We have breakfast every morning near the hotel, usually at 7:45 or 8:00am.  Luckily it’s buffet-style, so everyone is free to choose what they want.  Numerous chafing dishes full of salty, cooked vegetables are intermixed with others full of dried salty fish and “Steams the maize,” a chewy rendition of corn-on-the-cob.  There are also hard-boiled eggs, which seem to be popular with our group.  On the next table are pots of rice porridge and other oatmeal-like gruel.  I really enjoy the rice porridge, especially with a little sugar to sweeten it up.  Drinks range from coffee and tea to orange juice and soy milk and are served in miniscule glasses by American standards. 

Lunch usually takes place at the student cafeteria.  On a scale of 1 to 10 for scariness, our first lunch rated about an 11.  Various numbered stands lined two of the walls, some with pictures of their offerings and others with only Chinese characters listing the food they served.  That day was particularly crowded and we struggled to understand how to even pay for what we wanted since everyone else was using their student cards.  Somehow we figured it out though and no one went hungry.  We’ve gone back almost every day and now I question what we were ever worried about.  I always go back to the same stand and now the woman there already knows what I want:  a plate of thick noodles with beef and cabbage, just a little spicy.  What’s most amazing are the prices.  A plate of dumplings in only 4RMB, not even a dollar.  Noodle dishes range from 7 to 9RMB, or about $1.10-$1.50, and they’re big enough to split between two people!  I’m really going to miss the prices.

Dinner is the most adventurous of the meals.  Many times Dr. Forest’s Chinese students accompany us, which is helpful since they know what’s good.  It’s hard to rely on pictures alone, and the translations are sometimes unintelligible.  Today’s menu included delightful options such as Saliva Beef, Mermaid, Moo Meat, and Drunken Fish.  Most of the names were so crazy I can’t even remember them.  My favorite dinner so far was in the Sichuan style, which is generally spicy.  At dinner we order a sampling of dishes to share.  The tables usually come equipped with a Lazy Susan so everyone at the table can try everything without too much hassle.  This is important because the plates are usually the size of a saucer, so it’s difficult to load on too much food.  We usually get some type of tofu dish, eggplant, several meat dishes, and vegetables, as well as a big bowl of rice.

Overall, I’ve been pretty satisfied with the food.  Some people miss Western food more than others, but there are a handful of Western restaurants (KFC, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut) right near campus, plus a convenience store selling ice cream and candy, that offer options when a craving strikes. 

Thoughts on China and Catholicism

      One of the most interesting facets of our trip thus far has been to examine the role Christianity currently plays in China. On Sunday, we were able to attend a Catholic Mass held in English at a local Church on the nearby island of Gulang-Yu. The Church was humble but nice and a large projector screen was placed adjacent to the alter to provide the English translations of the prayers and lyrics for the songs. Overall, the actual mass was very similar to a normal American mass and the english spoken by both Father Chen and the lectors was quite good and easy to understand. The church at Gulang-Yu also had a very lively folk group that performed the music for the mass and it was apparent how much passion they had by the fact that at least three to four full verses of every song were performed. In addition, the folk group performed a musical recitation of the ‘Our Father’ and other prayers throughout the ceremony as well. After the mass, we met with Fr. Chen and some of the parishioners who were celebrating the baptism of their first child.
            On Wednesday morning we were able to meet with Father Chen to discuss Chinese Catholicism and his experience as being part of a Christian minority that amounts to only about 1% of the total population. After also being briefly introduced to the Bishop of Fujian Province, Father Chen provided some insight into the state of Christianity in China by discussing the history of Chinese Catholicism and the effect that the communist revolution had on the church. The development of the state-approved Patriotic Church and its relations with both the Holy See and the underground Chinese Catholic Church was very fascinating to me. Because of the revolution, the Church’s development in China is very unique and has been filled with a number of ups and downs. Fr. Chen stressed that while the two groups now have very cordial relations, there are still some difficulties that arise when the Patriotic Church puts its own agenda ahead of the official Church. Another interesting aspect that we discussed with Fr. Chen was the intermingling of Confucian principles with Christianity. Confucianism really has become so intertwined in and integral to Chinese culture and society so it was interesting to hear the ways in which they overlap and in how Confucian teachings can manifest themselves in Christianity. When I originally had thought of China, I did not see the country as having any sort of relationship to Christianity. However, I now know some of the religious history here and how the church is growing and evolving along with the rest of China.

Emily blogs about the Temple

Here is a post from Emily M.
On a particularly glorious and smog-free Monday morning, we visited
Nanputuo Temple. But the word "temple" is perhaps misleading.Nanputuo
is not a single building - a "temple" in the sense of the prototypical
Western Judeo-Christian singular and self-contained house of worship -
but rather is an expansive, multi-structured, religious complex. And
beyond, of course, its materially sensuous and delightful polychrome
ornament, it is the spatial complexity of this place which I find the
most intriguing.
Again, my naming of this place as a "religious complex" is perhaps
misleading. The reality of this space in terms of their
sacred/secular-ness seems to be too multilayered to simply term it
religious. For instance, when you first enter Nanputuo, it is into a
broad multi-tiered courtyard, and when I visited Tuesday morning
(early - the jet lag has not fully worn off) the courtyard served as a
stage for everything from the faithful ritualistic burning incense to
a man using a railing as a support for pushups. And yet, these
sacred-secular activities did not at all seem diametrically
oppositional - like the shady and lit sides of a hill. For what else
is exercise but a devotional ritual?
Beyond the courtyard lies an elaborate arrangement of functionally
separated structures - imposing gilded statues of heavenly worthies, a
niche dedicated to a Bodhisattva who acts as an emissary for the
damned, an elevated rotunda where divination is practiced, and much
more. And even beyond these are a series of enmeshed paths up the
mountain, bejeweled with more monuments and collections of personal
offerings.
Moving through the complex-ity of spaces, it occurred to me that at
Nanputuo Temple the religious experience may not be focused in a
singular space (as Christianity is - you arrive at church, have your
spiritual experience, then leave) but rather might be tied into this
movement through successive, layered spaces. It's a theory. I
currently do not know enough about the tenets of Buddhism to ground my
claims. However, we are attending a ceremony at the Temple tomorrow
morning, and doing some reading on Buddhism currently. Hopefully, I
will soon have a deeper understanding of the role of Nanputuo Temple's
architecture in its spiritual function.