Forbidden Flag

For some reason I love flags. Here is pictured the UVA flag in Beijing's Forbidden City. By this time the plainclothes policemen had lost interest and I felt safe in proudly swinging this fine emblem of Western pride.

Today we were lectured by a retired UVA professor named John Israel who spoke about China in general, with specific references to disparities between countryside and city. He gave us a slideshow that paired images of this disparity, for example Shanghai advertisements with oxen-powered ploughs in small villages. Apparently Roy Rogers said about the American Depression that it was the first time people drove to the poor house in cars. This is not the case in China, and it will apparently be a long time before these disparities even out.

In addition to the well-known issues of pollution, corruption and education, he told us that China faces a potentially massive AIDS situation as well. Despite the Premier's offer to provide all Chinese with anti-retroviral medications, the Chinese peasants still face bleak medical futures because of the inefficient distribution system and the inconvenience of obtaining these medications. For example, a peasant has to get a full-body checkup before receiving the medication, and the checkup apparently can cost half a year of wages. Furthermore, only 2 months of medication are distributed at a time. A couple of weeks ago we learned that something like 60% of Chinese still live in the countryside. This figure is worrying to the government because the countryside has traditionally been the breeding ground for discontent and the source of revolutionary power.

Pale Skin in China

While in Beijing, Sarah and the other Jefferson Scholars arrived in Shanghai, leaving us with a one day overlap before they returned to the USA on Monday. They concluded their three week tour of Japan, China, and Tibet by absorbing some of Shanghai's air pollution. Sarah's light skin and height attracted considerable praise wherever we went.

We are pictured at the campus' Mao statue, also the site of the bi-weekly "English Corner", where students practice English. Some students also like to roller-blade beside the statue. Interesting. We are going to observe the Communist Party celebrate its birthday on Sunday morning so there will be more to say with respect to Party matters later this weekend.

Today I had dinner with two Chinese friends whose motives for befriending me have yet to become clear. I have become slightly disillusioned by the phenomenon of fast-friendship, as it seems that most Chinese see dollar signs when they see Americans. Even friendship for the sake of friendship can easily be the desire to practice English in disguise. In China, speaking English means making money, and so one can easily attract a following if one is ready to offer English instruction. An American ex-patriot has told me that it takes a very long time to actually befriend native Chinese, and so I remain skeptical that most of my acquaintances here are looking for personal gain. Yet, at the same time I have to admit that I'm also looking out for my own financial future by coming to China in the first place. Nevertheless, it is harder as a foreigner to judge sincerity in this culture.

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

After driving about 45 minutes outside of downtown Beijing to see a section of the Great Wall, I was rather disappointed to overhear a middle-aged American lady ask her friend, "Which side is Mongolia?"

At long last, Moosedung resumes. We spent last week in Beijing seeing all of Beijing's famous sites in the style of "If it's Tuesday, this must be Belgium". Beijing is a very large city with lots of tourists, particularly Chinese domestic tourists come to see their esteemed capital. After taking the overnight train from Shanghai, we were led straight to Tiananmen Square by our tourguide. With the UVA flag waving majestically from a bamboo pole, we began parading across the large space brushing aside peddlers left, right and center. Suddenly a police van full of plainsclothes operatives zoomed across the square. It's driver said something quickly, pointed to the flag, and I reluctantly furled it. Plainsclothes police then tailed our group rather conspicuously for the duration of our tour of the Forbidden Palace, and finally became convinced of our peaceful intentions.

We saw lots of things very quickly in Beijing. Unfortunately, Mao's mausoleum has been closed for renovation and we were prevented from seeing his preserved body floating in formaldehyde. Perhaps these special treats are to be unveiled just before the Olympics. As China's capital city under five dynasties, Beijing has a much better selection of traditional sites than Shanghai. Beijing also has a well-deserved reputation for its famous Peking Duck. Well worth trying.

We enjoyed a morning in one of Beijing's more famous parks and observed the typical morning activities of Beijing's older generation. As one strolls around such parks in the early morning, one can find people excercising birds (by swinging their cages), practicing Taiji, ballroom dancing, playing Mahjong, practicing instruments, singing opera, and doing some sort of weird exercise that entails smacking one fist into the palm of the other hand while walking.

I was glad to get back to Shanghai, perhaps because it is most familiar, but not less because there are fewer tour groups. The weather has finally become sticky and oppressive. We have air-conditioned classrooms and bedrooms, but this is certainly not the time to go out and experience life in the rice paddies.

Old Chinese Men

Throughout Shanghai, a careful people-watcher will notice that older men love to strike poses on the side of the street. This phenomenon is particularly visible on a Saturday morning between 8am and 9am as all of Shanghai's retired men escape the confinement of their apartments and stride down the street until they find a good perch, whereupon the goal seems to be to stand as quietly and majestically as possible for about thirty minutes.

After people-watching, I joined a group of students headed towards an enormous fabric market. The girls got fitted for traditional qi pao's (the long silk dresses) and then we went for a surprisingly enjoyable lunch. After a long nap, my roommate Ryan, myself, and several friends soaked in a bit of Shanghai's jazz scene. The evening culminated with the arrival of Sugar Mama, a back up singer for Tina Turner back in the day. Sugar Mama's not insignificant figure and her powerful voice aroused significant admiration amongst our Chinese companions.

West Meets West

The Western Hemisphere met the Western Hemisphere today in the Ritz Carlton's famous Western Grocery Store. Edward Bennett and I needed cheese, port, and coffee. After dropping by the cloth market and continuing our spending spree on tailor-made clothes, we headed for the safe haven that tantalized us with rumors of milk products and aperitifs.

Along the way we learned that many visitors to Shanghai never actually leave the confines of this sprawling hotel complex. Indeed, the Ritz has its own Starbucks, its own pharmacy, Shanghai's only Western grocery store, and God alone knows what else. In every direction, long formations of Americans paraded from their buses to the safety of quality-controlled bars with air-conditioning. And every one of these good old boys sported a large Starbucks drink as their exposed chubby legs reflected the shimmering night lights of the bustling mothership that is this hotel.

With a small picnic in hand, we taxiied to the Bund (Shanghai's old financial district by the water), enjoyed our first course, and I saw Shanghai's nighttime skyline for the first time. A group of four Chinese college students admired our picturesque spread on one of the stone benches and probably thought that we would be an easy target for tea-racketeering. Fortunately, I surprised them with language skills and they realized, of course, that we were in fact old China hands. They had seen Gone with the Wind so I took the opportunity to explain to them how America's plantation life continues to thrive, and that slavse labor was paying for our trip to China.

We then strolled along the large Huangpu River through the crowd of beggars and lovers to our destination, "M on the Bund", recommended by the Venerable Doc. Shurmer. Seated on the terrace, we both reflected that the evening had so far been our most enjoyable in Shanghai. And then we realized that our evening had approximately nothing to do with the Orient. We drank Australian wine, ate Australian lamb, dined in a European colonial building, looked out upon a European trading city built in the style of the West, our delicious bread and cheese had come directly from Europe to the Ritz, and we were both, of course, Americans. I know what you're thinking and I took the liberty of asking - no, they didn't have a single pair of chopsticks in the establishment.

Our waiter, however, provided the tipping point- a Scotsman! On a whim, I asked him his family name. Yes, he was of the clan Fraser from Inverness. Yes, he was a distant cousin of myself and even Edward (whose Grandmother was a Fraser)! Yes, his brother is the current Clan Chief of my people! Yes, this fellow lives in our ancestral home. Yes, he and his brother have just launched the Fraser Clan's new line of Scotch Whisky - "The Old Fox" - in memory of our common ancestor Simon Fraser (the last to be executed at the Tower of London). Shanghai, of all places.

There is much to be said for the colonial approach to Shanghai. Let alone the fact that our dinner cost approximately sixty times the amount that a meal on the street would cost (don't worry Mom - dinner was still reasonable). Order tailored clothes in the morning, dine on lamb in the evening, and speak a little Chinese to the cab driver on the way back to the dormitory.

American Culture for All Chinese!

As I found out today, technologically capable Chinese have full access to American culture. With the help of a website called baidu.com and the lack of copyright enforcement, I have learned how to instantly access everything. Yes, everything. Every American movie, TV show, song, MP3, etc. Over here, a single website can instantly give you access to movies as yet unreleased in the U.S.A.

This phenomenon confused me a bit. On the one hand my computer gets blocked if I search "Falungong Practioner", and on the other I can have access to every vice or virtue of American society within five seconds. Edward's roommate, officially known as Leo Claudius Nimbus (see Edward's Blog - sericus.blogspot.com - for the full story) introduced me to these wonders on his laptop with gleeful joy. He asked me if I knew what "Bit Torrent" meant. Edward and I began explaining about the etymology bits of data and torrents of rain, but he interrupted us excitedly saying: "No, no, no, it means --- unlimited access to American culture!!!" Apparently he back to his parents' home every weekend, as does every normal Chinese college student, and watches American movies on his laptop. And yet the government only officially allows twenty American movies to be introduced to China every year.

Yesterday Leo Claudius Nimbus explained why we have always received free watermelon after every meal. Apparently the unsaid arrangment is that the restaurant gives you fruit instead of giving you a receipt. This way, the restaurant avoids paying taxes and customers get fruit.

I'll share another interesting Chinese oddity. On the bus ride to Hangzhou last weekend we asked our tourguide why every farmhouse had one of two types of towers rising above the second floor. Well, it's rather obvious. If the family's child (remember, China's one child policy) is male, the tower gets to be pointed. If the family's child is female, the tower's roof is flat. Just like the earth.

Musings

It seems I have no picture today. Thus I will take this opportunity to reflect on some of my general impressions from China after having been here nearly three weeks. I must first admit that three weeks cannot do justice to even a small district of Shanghai, let alone China. Furthermore, I understand that Shanghai is in fact very different from the rest of China.

Nevertheless, I think I can safely say this is a godless country. There are, I here, millions of Christians, as well as Buddhists, Muslims, Daoists, etc, but I have yet to meet one personally. I keep intending to make it to a Church and perhaps I will this Sunday. This will no doubt become a later entry as there are sure to be interesting observations. But what does this mean? It's hard to say. You meet the same kinds of people as you do in the United States - friendly people, ethical people, mean people, fair people, kind people, etc. Most college students actually are required to read the bible, but apparently it is read academically and not for evangelical purposes.

China's cultural revolution of the late 1960's and early 1970's seems to have wiped out most of the traditional aspects of China that have made it so appealing to Westerners in the past. In fact, I think China is going to have to reinvent its old customs and traditions if it is going to become a major tourist destination. Cheap clothes and chopsticks can only arouse so much interest. Of course the economic incentives for business and trade remain, but these have little to do with the China we have all mused about. Perhaps I am seventy-five years too late in getting here.

I heard today that Confucianism, or at least Confucius' works, are "hot" right now. That is, they are the thing to be reading. Edward Bennett's roommate here (who is Chinese) believes the government is trying to legitimize itself with the new generation by superficially appealing to Confucianism. They're going to have to do something, because statues of Mao can only arouse so much enthusiasm in people who have no tangible connection to their history.

Things are going to happen here in the future. It was only 18 years ago that China used military force to suppress mass demonstrations of millions of people. Perhaps the spark will come from objections over internet monitoring, or similar filtering of information sources. Perhaps there will be no fighting, perhaps there could be another revolution. The question at hand, I believe, is whether the current government has control of the vast economic investments flowing in from other countries. I'll ask this question to one of our UVA economics professors whose specialty is China and get back to you.

Most of the people are great and they get by on modest lifestyles. But it just takes one visit to the mega grocery store to feel like a meaningless sardine.

Gao Kao

Here are Chinese students coming out of day two of the three day college entrance examination called the gao kao. The pressure is on for this test because it basically determines where a student will go to college, and ultimately how good their career prospects will be. The parents wait anxiously outside the gate to whisk their children away for lunch. You can see one older man fanning his daughter as they walk away.

Apparently Chinese parents are so concerned about this test that the Chinese high school experience is devoted to preparation for this test. Parents get private tutors for children or send their children to after-school schools in order to be competitive. Apparently 10 million or so Chinese students took the test this week, and while most will be able to go to some college, only a small percentage can go to the best colleges.

If you perform badly, you can retake the test the following year, but that's not exactly convenient. Each province administrates its own gao kao, and students qualify to attend colleges within that same province. The system has some inequality because students from poor provinces must outperform students from well-developed provinces in order to place into good colleges.

It seems like the US may be moving in this direction as the College Board grows ever more powerful and as US competition increases. The downsides are the lack of traditional adolescent experiences, parental pressure, and the need to select four potential majors before taking the test.

An Historic Moment

UVA's (departing - hmm) Provost Gene Block and International Affairs mogul Leigh Grossman arrived in Shanghai last night for this morning's breathtakingly well-organized and completely un-awkward opening of UVA's new Center at East China Normal University (where I am right now). After flying some odd 10,000 miles, the UVA delegates graciously spent five minutes with us students before being whisked off by ECNU's president and the University's party secretary for tours of the vicinity, etc.

Fortunately, several patriotic students saved the occasion with flags, school ties, and auspicious (red-colored) shirts. We are featured marching along the lane as bewildered Chinese students assume that Gene Block is George Bush. Coincidentally, perhaps arranged by the party secretary, processional marching music played over the loud speakers as we made our way from the press room to the future UVA in Shanghai Center.

While the Chinese themselves have proven remarkably informal, I fear our own UVA diplomats needed to spend a little more time preparing their own remarks and at least being able to say hello in Chinese. Highlights from the ceremony include an ECNU official reading Leigh Grossman's biography off the internet, particularly his vivid description of her newest book, Controlling Infectious Diseases in Daycare Centers.

A lesson to us all: always carry an American Flag with you. Bamboo poles and foreign flags can be obtained along the way. Another lesson: prepare formal remarks ahead of time.

Xitang: A River Town

上有天堂，下有西塘；不去一趟，实在冤枉。

"Above there is paradise, below there is Xitang; To not go one time, would be very wrong."

We have returned safely from our weekend trip to Hangzhou City and Xitang, both between 2 and 3 hours from our base of operations in Shanghai. Apparently there are numerous such river towns in China, but this one is particularly known. The streets are tiny and there are lots of quality bridges spanning the small rivers. The locals all have road level stores selling knock-offs, beverages, and little odds and ends. I can't say it's paradise on earth. The interesting part is watching the locals go about their daily lives in an old-fashioned setting. The trip inspired me to plan a future boat voyage exploring the waterways of the Yangtze River delta.

Hangzhou is known as China's most beautiful city, as it surrounds a large lake and sits at the base of the mountains. Six of us hired a boatman to row us across the lake Saturday night and we were able to enjoy the many temples lit up like Christmas trees around the lake.

We also visited a tea plantation and sat through a thirty minute lecture/advertisement of green tea's countless healing qualities (you'll lose weight, you won't get cancer, you won't age, it helps digestion, it tightens your skin, it can steam your eyes- see the video link below, and it's all available for sale in four varieties, how much do you all want to buy? Yes, we were suckered into buying a whole boatload of the stuff but it was enjoyable.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=YH_QQyvHNWE

What a Confusing Place

It appears the internet police have begun blocking my access to the blog. Fortunately, they have not been thorough enough, although I can no longer access the internet on my own laptop and must now use my roommates. Nevertheless, the cause of freedom demands that I carry forward the noble cause that is Moosedung.

Today two friends and I travelled to one of Shanghai's famous tailor-made clothing districts in search of cheap suits, jackets, and qi pai's. We found all of this and more, although our bargaining skills are apparently quite poor. We failed to actually get fitted for anything because we realized we were not getting fair price quotes. However, we shall certainly return, and we shall prevail, perhaps with the help of a native Shanghainese.

In these places you can get everything from tailor-made tuxedos to corduroy jackets to silk ties, but of course the bargaining process is quite draining and rather perplexing at first.

After this outing, Colin (of racketeering fame) and I took off on foot through the neighboring district. In fact, we were apparently the first white men ever to have discovered this remote district of Shanghai, or so it appeared. With the backdrop of new skyscrapers, this district featured the medieval-looking streets of older Shanghai and lots of little shops beside the road. With cheap cigars in our mouths, Chinese 750ml beers in our hands, and the all-powerful American Dollar in our pockets, we blazed a trail through a fascinating melee of fish mongers, chicken mongers, fruits stands, frog-salesmen, and mongers of all other animals known to the Orient.

Colin braved a large portion of jiaozi's (dumplings) and his stomach-fate is yet to be determined, though he swears I missed the best meal he's had yet in Shanghai. We feasted on man tou's and finally emerged on the other side of the market as changed men.

This city is incredibly perplexing for being so schizophrenic. You step off the main drag and your in the nineteenth century. The police monitor your internet browsing and yet everyone is generally very gracious. Many things to ponder.

Loose in the Kitchen

Wang Laoshi introduced us to China's aboriginal culinary arts today as we made sugary tomatoes, vinegar cucumber, and soy sauce eggs in our weekly cooking class. They were all very tasty and naturally healthy. We are pictured in the kitchen of the LiWa Cafeteria.

Taiji Boxing

Just glance at me, I am looking more than a little bit Chinese after nearly two weeks. Yesterday was our first Taiji lesson with Huang Laoshi, one of the Chinese language teachers who also studies Taiji. This is harder than it looks. It's not exactly what I was hoping for when I saw "Taiji boxing" on the sign-up sheet, but still, I am glad to be able to exercise with such a good looking group of people, even if I won't get the opportunity to fight with them.

Last night another language student and I discovered where all of Shanghai's three Latin Americans hang out, a bar called Mural that was hosting a Salsa band from Puerto Rico. My confidence remained high after seeing the limited dancing abilities of the Chinese men in attendance.

Jefferson Prevails!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n03hSaZro3I

Today I went on another thrilling bike road through the neighboring vicinities of Shanghai. The most remarkable aspect is the immense diversity of people and lifestyles. Within the same block, there is a luxury 20 story apartment building and an old shack with a dozen people sitting out front. Of course the entire city is grungy but you get used to it. Construction looms everywhere as the older two and three story neighborhoods become 20 story apartment buildings.

I watched a man fishing in one of the many inner-city canals using a very clever net. I had forgotten to bring my camera. The net was supported by six long bamboo poles sitting on the bottom of the canal. When he wanted to haul in the large circular net he pulled on a long string that levered up the entire contraption so that he could see whether he had anything in it. Being a Sunday afternoon, about twenty old men stood watching him idly. In my athletic shoes, shorts, and UVA t-shirt I got a lot of stares and felt more than slightly uncomfortable as they spoke rapidly in Shanghainese.

Racketeering on Nanjing Lu

Here is my buddy Colin with Chinese racketeers.

Today Edward Bennett and I taxied to the Bund again in search of authentic antiques, the Chopsticks Store, and a good meal. Nanjing Lu is a pedestrian mall connecting the large People's Park to the Huangpu River and the historic buildings, and it is filled with shopping opportunities for tourists. On the way there, our cab driver displayed a remarkably ignorant understanding of street addresses, taking us first to the wrong end of Nanjing Road and then passing our destination before we got him to stop and let us out. I suspect that the fellow was looking for a way to make a few extra kuai by driving us a longer distance.

We dined briefly on Cantonese style dumplings and negotiated our way to the Chopsticks store. Chopsticks stores are notoriously difficult to pinpoint because they tend to be rather long and narrow. Finally, we left with a couple of pairs of low quality chopsticks and decided to save our big money for something more applicable to Western life.

About every 30 seconds one of Shanghai's many transients from Anhui Province would come up to us trying to attract our attention into out-of-the-way shops that sell cheap watches, DVD's, shoes, clothes, massages, hashish, and other unmentionables (please let me know if anyone needs any watches or DVD's). I nearly lost my voice today dealing with these persistant but ultimately friendly people. I managed to repeatedly throw them for a loop by pre-empting their offers, instead offering to sell them my watch for 1,000 rmb. Edward, not as gifted in the Chinese language, merely waved plastic cards from his wallet saying, "Would you like to buy IP card?" They quickly learned we were old China hands.

Before dinner, we met up with Colin, who seems to attract solicitations even more than Edward and me. Colin had been befriended by three Chinese youths who "happened" to know a good place to go for tea and the traditional "tea ceremony". I will try to get him to post the entire story in length as a comment to this entry, as it is rather amusing when told by him. The above picture is of another group of Chinese who wanted to go out to dinner with Colin. Fortunately, he had his wits about himself.

Ming Dynasty Painting Example

Exotic Dining

Today we were befriended by a Chinese student from Canton who ended up coming to dinner with us. We had been at the Shanghai Museum and then strolled down Nanjing Road to "the Bund", the Shanghai's financial district during colonial times.

Our friend offered to order for us and we ended up with a rather interesting meal. The first dish was roasted squid, followed by a light turnip and jellyfish salad. The waiter then brought out a massive bowl of congealed-blood soup, perhaps more accurately described as blood-jelly soup. As we introduced our Chinese friend to the art of making Yo Mamma jokes, we received dishes of entire salted fish and chicken feet. Being a little less than enthusiastic about filling up on this fare, we were fortunate that pigs fit (heavy on the feet part) emerged next from the kitchen. And of course, we concluded with watermelon.

The waiter cheated us slightly by approaching us while our fluent Chinese friend was away and asking us what kind of tea we preferred. We then ended up with apparently the most expensive tea at 49 rmb, though this is really only about $7.

The museum was very interesting, notably containing exhibits in jade, ancient bronze, all dynasties of painting, and wooden furniture. I decided to focus on just a couple of exhibits and quite enjoyed the Ming Dynasty paintings. The landscapes are remarkably aesthetic. However, I was disappointed with their use of perspective when it came to drawing in people and structures. Hopefully you can make out an example from the posted photo.

Rocks seem to be very important to the Chinese. For example, they like to feature special rocks in gardens. If anyone has any ideas about this, let me know. They are also dominant in these paintings.