jweiss15

[jweiss15]

反思

Direct spew of thoughts：

我三年以前参加了一个跟这个项目很像的另外一个项目，来了南京留学了六个星期。因此，我对这样的留学经验有一点熟悉。根据一个常常给留学生的调查，每个人的经历会一如一种云霄飞车。我认为我在南京的经历跟这个云霄飞车很像，但是这次来中国是不一样的。在中国的时候，之所以我感情的改变没有在南京那么大，我认为主要的原因在于我已经在这个云霄飞车上坐到了最后一部分（比较习惯日常生活的部分）。我固然没有对中文以及中国文化有深入了解，可是我觉得我的感情和情绪很稳定。由于我从小总是就对在生活上发生的事情持很开放的态度，因此我觉得去国外留学很适合我。另外一个原因在于我现在没有以前的“神奇”感到因为当时是我第一次自己去国外学习和生活。因此，我能从一个比较稳定，普遍生活的角度来分析我的经历。然而，这个项目当然有以前的项目没有的两个因素：自由以及责任。

由于我现在不但更成熟，而且在这个项目下有更多在学习上的机会，因此我认为我获得更丰富的经历，更深入的成就感。除了独立生活以外（包括吃饭、整理宿舍、买在日常生活需要的产品、管理时间！），我们也把握好了很多跟当地中国人，特别是陌生人，交流的机会。我们甚至自己安排好了去南京的活动。买了高铁票，租了公寓，不可思议！这些经历使我变得更独立和勇敢，也使我的“舒服的范围”变得广一点。由于老师们对我们有跟中国人交流的要求，尤其是我们的采访要求，因此我们有机会更深入地了解中国人的看法和思想。我认为我现在的中文水平足以从这种对话得到很多利益，发展我对中国的了解。但是 因为我们的主要目的就是提高我们的中文水平，我们在上海没有我希望的那么多机会出去跟中国人自然地交流，观察他们的日常生活（除了我们的寄宿家庭活动以外！）。然而，我们的经历不少，所以我还很满意。

至于学习中文，我认为我最容易学会在日常生活需要用的词。但是因为我们现在的中文课很重视更正式的词和语法，所以我感到我的中文水平现在更慢慢地进步，而且在学习上我感到有一点不满意。然而，我写文章以及有的时候给口头报告以后发现我来上海以前当然不会给如此不错的报告。尽管我还觉得我们最大的语言进步就是在教室里，我向我的同学们、小老师、亲戚、 其他朋友以及中国人学得不少。再说，我很喜欢这个项目的同学。我交了几个好朋友，而跟大家过了很开心，也很难过的时间。我期待将来在美国再看到他们。

除了我受不了的天气以外，我没有遇到别的很大的困难。在跟中国人沟通上，我只有几次遇到了小问题。跟年龄比较大的中国人说话的时候，他们偶尔不太了解我们的中文水平到底是多高，因此我难以明白他们的意思。而且，这让他们很惘然，然后他们说的话意味着我的中文水平很差，不能了解他们，甚至意味着我有一点笨。我已经熟悉这种情况，可是这也不单说明我的中文还不足以跟有的当地中国人顺利地交流，而且启迪我继续努力学以及练习说中文。

至于我的家庭，我很高兴我现在更了解我的妈妈和别亲戚来自的地方。之所以她对现代的中国没有以前的中国那么了解，主要的原因在于她好久没来中国。因此，我也有机会回家以后跟她分享我的经历。太感谢你了，王老师，当我的老师和帮助提供这个项目。你是在我的生活中最好的老师之一，我很羡慕你的弗大以及将来的学生。我也认为凡是小老师都向你学了很多。希望你将来在加拿大成功，也很高兴！你新的大学很幸运找到了你！

See you soon, 中国！

✌🏽

[jweiss15]

Thanks for an incredible Summer <3

[jweiss15]

[jweiss15]

[jweiss15]

I Wasn't Ready

On my phone getting ready to take off from Shanghai to Vancouver. Pictures to come later when 网络来了. In short, a lot of feels and reluctance to leave China and all my new friends, but since 3 years ago in Nanjing, I've become more comfortable and in awe of how small the world is becoming and how possible it is for us to see each other again when we want to. But rewind to the beginning of last and this week. It was a bit rough juggling our final week of classes, presentations, and exams with our final research project. However, in the end they were passed with flying colors, and I ended up writing a ~3500 character essay about the history and influence of 红歌(Chinese political music) in China's government and general population. I'm very proud of this work and never thought I would have ever written a research essay of this length (I've heard about the term papers the year long graduate programs require 😬😬😬 probably won't be writing those 😂). After turning it in at the end of the week on Thursday, Jiajun (bless I'll get to see him back at Yale) and I took the subway into the city (xi tian di) to have lunch with another Yale student doing a bio internship in Shanghai who was going back to the US that day (now it's our turn) and to take some (pretty cool) pictures in a 现代化 office building. We then went to the Propaganda Museum, which was in a very 黑暗 place... but still incredibly 丰富 and interesting. Didn't have enough time to finish through the history, but I got see a lot of Western oriented propaganda both in periods of criticism and support of the US/England. Afterwards, everyone head back to start getting ready for the student performances we were having that night, but on the subway home I got off midway to meet up with Yuyu from AIESEC in Brussels ULB again 🙏🏼. The performance night was fantastic. 2 student MCs who but a lot of time in preparing, huge amount of hysterical teacher participation, and a lot of support from everyone for the students who went on stage. I played guitar in three acts, including an English/Chinese mashup (including...Xiaopingguo! 🍎🍎🍎) The end was very emotional - one of the teachers put together a very moving movie about our 2 months together in Shanghai, and after one of the teachers broke down in tears, nobody could say a word anymore. I really came to appreciate the community between the students and the teachers after that moment, and I'm really glad I selected a smaller program that could really easily foster that kind of environment. Yesterday morning a group of us got brunch at a Western restaurant - pretty good potatoes and spinach mushroom chicken omelette. Took care of some going back to US chores and required reflections/feedback for the program, and then went to our farewell dinner. No videos, but we spent maybe 6 hours with each other and the teachers making the most of our last few hours together. I had a really heartfelt conversation with one of the teachers last night...I'm going to miss them a lot 😢. This morning I had to say goodbye to my closest friends 😭😭😭 , run some more errands, and have a Japanese style （点心？）hot pot lunch with my uncle with whom I spent my first week in Shanghai. The last few days have been packed full with activities and outings, so I had no time to sit back and think about how I felt about this whole program and its quickly approaching end. We all left so quickly, and I feel like I did not get a satisfactory closure with everyone I wanted. But like I said at first, continuing to keep in touch is extremely easy. I think also I am partially numbed to the magical feelings of study abroad since experiencing NSLIY. Not necessarily a bad thing - maybe a sign of wisdom and experience 以及稳定的情感 (yet I lack both, so who I am I kidding 😂). We all wrote reflections in Chinese - and mine was a spew all my thoughts as I thought them, so I'll post that after I get home home 👌🏼 Still feeling a lot of separation denial/anxiety/pain/??? (I forgot some English with this language pledge) but I know this feeling will quickly fade when our hectic Sophomore year begins. This Summer was one for the books, and I'll be looking back next time I'm in China. Next stop, exploring 10 hours (now maybe 8 with these mad delays) of Vancouver with "the 黄 and only!" from NSLIY Hangzhou 2014 and AIESEC Seattle ❤️ ✌🏼

[jweiss15]

Quick Round of Interviews

Quick update, kind of awkward to describe, but I though it was hilarious.

On our way home, Taylor and I couldn’t find any xiaohuangche, so we while we were walking, 2 students from Hangzhou University stopped us and asked if we they could interview us. Sure! They began asking us (in Chinese after they realized the waiguoren could speak it) what we wished everyone would share and what we would share with everyone. Very vague questions, which were followed by “would you also share your shuai (handsomeness)?” We were confused, but agreed and continued. Between the next few questions and answers, she said to me several times 你好帅 and proceeded to laugh and hide behind her show’s printed logo. I had a throwback to Middle School, and her last question was what I thought a pretty Chinese girl looked like 😂😂😂. I just described Taylor 😂 After we told her Americans usually found tanner skin more attractive, she jokingly said “Oh I should be more tan then.” After they walked away I overheard her continuing to fangirl 😂 Moral of the story: Prom as a concept is lacking in China.

I also interviewed 2 people in our local instrument store and found that I can rent a guitar for 50 kuai/day if our teachers can’t find one for our “China night” next week. Also may take one Guzheng lesson next week if I have time - may be the only opportunity in my life to play this instrument!

✌🏽

[jweiss15]

[jweiss15]

New Host Family? And Music in Politics

On Saturday we had a great opportunity to spend the day with a "host family." Some groups (of 2/3 students) did not have as involved and entertaining families as we did, so I again (since Nanjing) was very lucky to placed with Gu shushu and ayi! All 4 generations of their family were home, so it was a very lively and fun environment. We played cards, ate a spectacular dinner that they prepared, walked around in the scorching hot local ancient neighborhood, and made dumplings!! We talked about a lot of things, including despite 'everything' in China being seemingly much cheaper than the US counterparts, houses and cars (neither of which exchange students usually have to encounter) are much more expensive. The primary reason for this seems to simply be overpopulation. After coming home with boxes upon boxes of dumplings that we cooked yesterday, I had the chance to meet with a dear AIESECER whom I met in Belgium a few months ago at their international conference. We went to a Mongolian restaurant for dinner, and she even brought Belgian chocolates for when I hopefully see her again next week! This is our last week of class （but we still have presentations and activities all of next week), so in addition to keeping up with this course's most difficult lessons, we are (supposed to be) also writing our final independent research papers and presentations, which are due next week. My topic is the role of music in the Chinese government, especially from the Mao era to now. I already interviewed a Fudan professor, who gave some interesting perspectives as one who lived through the cultural revolution listening to "red songs" and the like. Possibly more to come on this later. As we are nearing the final stretch, I am anticipating the feelings of withdrawal - I don't want to go home 😭 back to college responsibilities...hoping for similar opportunities like this one in the near future! ✌🏼

[jweiss15]

[jweiss15]

3 years later!

[jweiss15]

[jweiss15]

[jweiss15]

Leg Day

Just came back from Nanjing - one of best weekends I’ve had this Summer so far!! I studied abroad in Nanjing 3 years ago for 6 weeks with NSLIY, so this was a very nostalgic experience.

I went on Friday after class with my classmates Varun and Emily and a local friend Steven from Shanghai whom I met 9 years ago (unimportant backstory 😂). We took the gaotie - about an hour and a half - and stayed in a very nice airbnb apartment - only $15 per night per person for the 4 of us. The first night Steven treated us to his favorite noodle restaurant chain near Xinjieko, and then we went to Fuzimiao. I recognized many places and relived the bittersweet memories...not much has changed since 3 years ago, but it was still fun to relearn the history of the area with new friends! Steven is transferring from Shanghai to Purdue next year, so we stayed up until 2:30am while Varun helped him make phone calls about transferring credits.

Saturday we woke up around 11, ate breakfast at 85oC bakery, and then went to the Nanjing Massacre and subsequent WWII Museums. They are both free to the public and very moving, recounting the events of the “The rape of Nanjing.” Leading to WWII, Japan invaded Nanjing and raped and killed hundreds of thousands of citizens. There were many pictures and testimonials from survivors that expressed how awful and terrifying the Japanese occupation was. The most moving aspect was the overarching theme of peace, not anger and desire for revenge against the Japanese. “What we remember is history, not hatred.” In fact, the entire memorial/museum is built in the shape of the Ark of Peace. There were a surprising amount of Westerners, especially Americans, at the time who stayed behind in Nanjing to help the with protection and recovery efforts. Many local Chinese revered some of these Westerners and even praised them as “living Buddhas,” especially John Rabe - evidence of early support and exchange between the US and China. There were also many photos that came from the Yale School of Divinity (represent).

We then pa’ed ZIJINSHAN - one of my most memorable activities 3 years ago. We revisited many of the attractions at the base of mountain, including Zhong shan ling and the Ming Mausoleum, and then began a very disorganized climb to the highest point of the mountain. We began as the commercial portion of the mountain closed (5:30pm) and got to the top about an hour and a half later. I felt like I definitely recognized some parts of our ascent, but I’m not sure whether it was just stereotypical mountain😂. There was a beautiful view of Nanjing from the top, but since the chairlift closed down, we had to hike back down...in pitch black darkness. We used our phone flashlights and still managed to get lost on the way down. It was hot, we were tired, and our water was depleted, but we found 2 new friends along the way from Nanjing University who kept us company as they used Baidu ditu to guide us back to civilization. We ended up finding a taxi on a road that I 100% walked down 3 years ago and went to Xinjieko for dinner at about 9pm. We walked more than 22 km that day - namesake of this post. 成就感！

Highlight of the weekend: the next day (today), PAN SHUSHU picked us up from our airbnb and took us back to a restaurant near their apartment. I was extremely ecstatic to finally see him, a yi, and my host brother Sam again. After 3 years of periodic check-ins on wechat once I gave a performance with the hulusi they gave me on my 16th birthday or when Sam was coming to the US for another Summer program, I could see and talk to them in person!!! They were no less generous than they were to me 3 years ago, and the nice cake that we bought for them was nowhere near enough to repay them for today and the 6 weeks I spent with them. I am so glad that I was paired with them during NSLIY and that we kept in touch. This is the kind of connection and friendship that I cherish and is one of the reasons why it is so amazing to travel abroad! Sam is starting his Junior year of HS in Canada this year in hopes of applying to college in Canada and the US. Best of luck to him!

We have a final research paper and presentation on top of our regular class that I have yet to start, but this weekend was too eventful to not write an update. So here’s to another late night to come ✌🏽

[jweiss15]

[jweiss15]

[jweiss15]

[jweiss15]

Summer Break Within Summer Break

We just spent a week traveling through Xi'an and Beijing, and this is just a quick update before I get back to my baogao tomorrow 😭.

We took a 14 hour sleeper train from Shanghai to Xi'an - it was a bit cramped but still comfy, and we had a pack of cards! We visited the Terra-cotta Warriors, City Wall, and Muslim Street, which was packed full of stores at which you can bargain and lots and lots of street food. Bargaining was a skill I did not get to practice in Nanjing, and I still get very nervous when I try...I know I'm too 软.  I definitely could not bargain well by myself, so I found more success tag-teaming with my more confident and able friends. The small stores along with the street food attracted floods of people - you had to be very careful with your belongings. Someone from our program already had their phone pick-pocketed (对不起xiachi). There were carcasses of pigs and goats hanging outside...very fresh (I hope?) 小吃！We also got to see a Chinese puppet performance - I've never seen anything like it before, very unique! Afterwards, we were able to try out puppeteering ourselves and then paint our own Beijing Jingju masks. Much culture 😃 .

We took the gaotie to Beijing and visited the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden Palace, Olympic Village, and a lot of local hotspots. Also ate a lot of hotpot and Beijing Kaoya!! Air pollution definitely seemed to be worse and weather hotter...glad our home base is in Shanghai! I was able to meet with my mom's cousin whom I met 9 years ago before I started learning Chinese. My Chinese teacher saw us talk, and she was moved to tears as this was the first time I was able to talk with some of my family members - truly a firsthand experience of how learning Chinese can allow some of us to connect with family with whom we previously could not communicate. I was also able to have a reunion night out with a classmate from Nanjing 3 years ago. I did not think I would see some of them again, but here we are in this small world :) ... wherever you go there are always people you know!!

Many pictures to come!