January 2008
Study Abroad Journal, Part 1:
Life in China

China changes you. I don’t know how else to describe my experience thus far. I think about how I spent Christmas Break packing and repacking, preparing myself, or so I thought, and anxiously waiting for the day of my departure. Now I know that no amount of preparation can prepare you for China because one cannot anticipate what China is like from reading about it or hearing descriptions from other people. At first upon arrival, I was so exhilarated to finally be here, after all of my planning… and a very long plane ride, for that matter. Everything was so exotic and enchanting at first, and I was so excited to be on this ‘adventure.’ However, I see now that it’s not an adventure in the idealized sense, but rather an experience that will challenge you in every way and you have a choice to make: you will either remain the same – learning nothing, or you will open yourself to new knowledge about yourself and life in general. There are things about life in China that are neither glamorous nor ‘fun,’ but I think that this experience teaches a person patience and also enables them to see that there is more than one way to do something. The food here, for example, is nothing like the so-called Chinese food that is so popular in the US. Sometimes it’s wonderful, sometimes not, and there are often ‘surprises’ that you have to spit out. I’ve already sampled some of Beijing’s signature cuisine: fresh, long noodles, dumplings, and steamed stuffed breads, among other things. Noodles in the States have nothing on the noodles here.

An old neighborhood ("hutong")

China has already changed me. I am already more patient than I have ever been, and I am braver in the sense that I will try new foods and experiences that I would have never seen myself doing before. I have become more independent than I would have ever thought. Even though I don’t speak Mandarin, I still venture out in search of adventure in the streets of Beijing. People here, although they most often do not speak English, are helpful and friendly, even though they stare at me because I am a “Meiguoren”  (American). Being here is not like going on vacation to a touristy destination, but rather its real life in a whole new way. By far the most difficult component of life in Beijing is the language barrier, which is formidable to say the least. It’s not like going to a country where the language might be different but the letters are the same. Here, I can’t make out anything – it looks like pictures and scribbles to me. Studying Mandarin is also a hefty task, but studying the language gives you a deeper appreciation for the culture and the people that speak the language. I cannot describe China in words because it is not made up of words but rather experiences. I finally fully appreciated the fact that I am in China as I was standing in front of the Forbidden City in Tiananmen Square and so many Chinese people were taking pictures of me, and with me, because they typically don’t see non-Chinese people in some parts of China. Along with my fellow American students here, I have become an unwilling ‘celebrity’ in a sense because I cannot go anywhere without drawing lots of attention or stares and whispers. It’s a shock a first, to be sure.

Me at Tiananmen Square in front of the Forbidden City

Despite the sometimes awkward attention I receive here, the Beijing Center for Chinese Studies is a great place to be and a wonderful place to study. I won’t deny that Chinese classes are challenging, but the program is unique because I am not simply taking classes abroad that are just like the classes at home, but rather I am studying China in China. All of my classes pertain to China and are taught by Chinese scholars. I love to learn from these people – their insights and perspectives are so different from what I hear at home, and yet some times are very much the same. Next week we depart for our major academic trip of the semester, the “Minority Culture Trip.” In the Spring semester, TBC takes all of its students to Yunnan Province, which is home to many of China’s diverse minority groups. I am taking a class on these minority groups, and as an anthropology major, I am so excited to experience the cultural diversity and also to spend Chinese New Year and Spring Festival (and my birthday!) there. The people of Yunnan all have different ethnic backgrounds, traditions, and customs, and we will have the chance to participate in various activities like dances, singing competitions, craft making, and sports. We will also visit various cultural and historical sites like temples, monasteries, and natural wonders. I am especially excited for the village home-stays, during which I will have the chance to stay in the homes of local villagers. Yunnan, which is in the southernmost reaches of China, will be a nice change from the Beijing weather, which is just as cold as Buffalo, only a lot less snow and a lot drier air. The walk to class every morning wakes you up, that’s for sure, and I’ve learned that here in Beijing, long underwear is the most valuable clothing you can own. As for classes, I have Mandarin three days a week because learning Chinese requires a lot of time and dedication. I have other classes that pertain to Chinese religion and culture, and I’m also in a research seminar – my topic is autism in China. I’m investigating the ‘status,’ so-to-speak, of autism here in China and how the Chinese perceive autism and how they deal with autism in terms of therapy and treatment, etc. I have already visited some sites and I am setting up more visits and also some interviews; this research project is giving me a unique field-work experience that really puts the principles of my major into action. Of course, this entire program itself gives me the chance to ‘live my major’ in the sense that I am being fully immersed into Chinese culture. I feel like I’ve learned so much about China already in the past 3 weeks, but my learning here is only just beginning.


A street in Beijing