The Survey...
Introduction
I.
Pre-Departure
II. First Week in Beijing
III. Work in the Rural
Areas
IV. Final Week in Beijing
V. General Comments and Suggestions
Final
musings...
Introduction
To
write about all this after the fact is in one way good and one way bad. I have
chosen to post my reflections on the trip - for whatever reason whoever reads
it might have. It is good on the one hand, to have some time to reflect on all
that has gone on. However, one will inevitably "edit" what one really
feels or thinks. One might be given instructions one way or the other to change
this or that. Fearfulness of offending one person or another, I feel detracts
from blog/diary style of reflection - that sort of "from the gut" type
is missed. Yes, I am fully cognizant that this will be read and read by many (not
to priviledge my position or anything) as will the reflections of others. Now,
I chose to reply and give my observations in the format of the survey sheet that
was provided me. I am grateful for it as it gave my reflection some structure.
I am very grateful to Ron Moffat, the administrators and students at Tsinghua,
and the Wang Foundation for this wonderful opportunity. I am hopeful that my reflections,
musings, rants, answers, suggestions. etc. result in positive changes to the program
- which is my humble contribution to the process. Know, that the reflections are
given in the spirit of greater understanding and to effect improvements in the
program. Moreover, know, that I left with a positive impression. The opinions
expressed on this site are wholly my own and I am solely responsible for its content.
Feel free to email me with your comments, reactions, and thoughts. Thank you.
I.
Pre-Departure
How well do you think program expectations and materials
were communicated/given to you before you left?
: In our case, much was
left to speculation. There could have been more communication, more cohesion with
our group but someone needed to coordinate all that and I was too busy preparing
for my courses as well as this trip. I guess I could have stepped up - but I can't
do everything.
What were your expectations of the program?
: None,
to be perfectly honest. I actually just thought it would good to take things as
they came. It would be wrong, of course, to say now that this trip exceeded my
expectations when I said I did not have any. But, despite the well intentioned
and well meaning of our hosts - the student of Tsinghua, that is - I don't think
they were prepared or trained to orient us. If it was not for the extensive networking
that we developed much of the communication and information we got - we would
not have gotten. What needs to be done is to formalize these links in an effort
to make communication easy, efficient, and complete.
Did you feel ready
to go when the time came?
: I have to admit - no. However, how can one
REALLY be ready for anything when one does not know what to expect.
What
were any worries you still had before we left?
: None really.
What
were you still unsure of?
: I guess, I have to admit that I am not considering
the actual site difficulties themselves. Much attention has been paid to developing
the curriculum to even stop to wonder if there will be a western style bathroom
or not. Now, since I am going to Hebei - which is close to Beijing, I am told
that culturally there is really not much difference - so I can expect more of
the same. I guess I will be as ready as I ever will be. See other thoughts above.
II.
First Week in Beijing
Did you feel that the orientation was adequate?
:
Not really. But I guess as this is a developing program - no one is really "ready."
Did
you feel prepared to go out into the rural areas?
: I guess as I would
ever have been. I know now the importance of that small flashlight I had in my
hot little hands back in San Diego - and of getting supplies - but we have a grocery
right outside school - why should I have to carry all that stuff around.
What
did you wish you had been told during this time that you weren't?
: Hard
to say really. Since there is no precedent it would hard to say. Now, on the second
go round - it would be good for a group coming in to get a talk from someone who
had come on this trip.
Did you enjoy the planned activities?
: The
tours - yes.
What did you want to do that we didn't?
: There are
a few other sites in Beijing - some temples and items of cultural, religious,
and social interest.
Did you feel that you had adequate time to get to know
you team members?
In my case - certainly. I was a bit saddened that they
did not email me - but that is all good. We should be alright.
III.
Work in the Rural Areas
Was your transportation well organized?
: No
worries. Consider it "going native." There were moments of confusion
- stuff that was not adequately addressedd.
Were your accommodations adequate?
:
Sure, except that there were no showers. I did not mind the dorms - which looked
like a cool set for a Chinese of Japanese horror flick - complete with tales of
hearing women's voices, and all that. We needed to use a local teacher's internet
one evening and were severly constrained to use any of the facilities - no basketball,
no badminton, nothing.
What could have been better?
: There was an
overwhelming sense of surveillance that one could not shake. I agree, for safety
sake, that there needs to be communication. But the constant companionship - at
times even to the bathroom was a bit over the top.
Did you feel the hygienic
conditions were adequate?
: I am not sure really. We ate at the local restaurant
and never really experienced any difficulty. We bathed at the local communal bath
- and so far - am none the worse for it. Perhaps a more local shower - or arrangements
that resemble a personal shower - might be more suitable to a system that looks
at hygiene as an issue.
Were you generally comfortable?
: Yes.
Did
you enjoy your meals? Did you get enough to eat?
: To the former, yes.
With regards to the latter, at times perhaps too much. Yes, in this regards, we
were very well taken care of.
Did you feel that your time was well utilized
there?
: I guess so. With a tad more preparation - who knows?
Did
you feel that you got things accomplished?
: For the most part. There was
discussion about trying to do too much - stuff about trying to rush the grass
growing and all that - similar to our "Pressure makes diamonds and bursts
pipes." So in a way shooting high and accomplishing what we did was enough.
Did
you have enough free time?
: Yes and no. On the one hand, I guess my time
could have been better utilized. On the other hand, what else could we have done?
How
were the team dynamics at the sites?
: Oddly enough - and I did not expect
this - to some extent there was a little bit of politics. Luna wanted Chen Jing
more involved - so I deferred. It seemed like Trevor got on better with his group
with his take it or leave it attitude. I guess I should learn to be less invested.
What I am saying here is that I felt I was more invested in the learning experience
of the kids - I felt I could not "take it or leave it." Do we do more
and try to push the kids or do we review what they already knew and re-enforced
it. I opted to try and see if we could infuse something new - to challenge the
kids a bit - to see how far we could take it. Now, inevitably there will be alternative
perspectives and opinions - and that is not just to be expected but welcome. What
is one to do in a situation like this? I opted to open a line of communication
to see what the others felt about what we were doing and what I had suggested.
Mind you, my status as professor left very little room for alternative suggestions
- my sense was that some of the students might have been a bit intimidated - and
to their credit - a lot did not. My sense is that this scenario should be built
in to the system making it suggested, if not mandatory, to engage all participants
- and not have all Chinese meetings withoout the other participants. My sense of
the all Chinese meetings was not to purposefully alienate us but it did have that
effect. Sadly, Trevor and I were excluded in much of the discussion.
Do
you feel like you helped the poverty reduction effort?
: No. Not really.
How could we. Was it a drop in the bucket? Would teaching the teachers (in place
of or in conjunction with the "students" and "pupils") have
been the better way to go? Arguably, yes. It was brought up that we could have
a larger impact if we had engaged the teachers in techniques of pedagogy and English
re-enforcement that if we worked exclusively with the kids. It could go either
way.
What worked well?
: Contact and communication with the children.
In a way I might be contradicting myself - but the best part of the exercise was
the communication with the end users - the kids. I was impressed by their discipline,
their eagerness to learn, and their willingness to engage. It was both refreshing
and envigorating.
What didn't work well?
: Closure. I felt that the
older boys were too eager to form personal relationships - that should have been
cut off immediately. As a Lecturer in a university (an American university - and
in the college level) I encourage personal contact within limits. But at times
I felt this was a bit ridiculous - taken to a strange extreme. When my group -
the ones who engaged with the younger set were finished we immediately planned
our trip home to Beijing. Not that we were sick of the place - and that might
have played a part - but we cut and cut clean. On many levels that is arguably
the best way to handle things.
What didn't work?
: Time management
and closer interaction with the Tsinghua students. The nightly huddles would exclude
us - the Americans. Which was - at least for me - put offish at best and rude,
at worst. There was a real sense of exclusion. The Tsinghua students proceeded
to engage in conversations in Chinese, and some on a personal note, and would
forget to translate. Now we could eventually pick up bits and pieces - but it
was just plain rude.
How could you have been better used at the sites?
:
More communication. More access to infrastructure that exists. We were not allowed
to use the basketball courts for reasons unknown. I guess that is just how the
Chinese do things but we were told that we were not allowed to do certain things
- with no explanation. Maintenance of grooup discipline in this part of the world
does not suffice - perhaps it should. However, over there - well I think it works.
I made Trevor and I feel just a bit (and I hate to speak on behalf of Trevor -
but in this case, I don't think he will mind) stiffled - and for no really good
reason.
How do you feel the team interacted with the local people?
:
Well, until the last day. There was a sense that Lei felt we were constantly at
risk. I argue he exaggerates. One afternoon Huang Jun and I walked around a set
of blocks and not for one moment did I feel threatened, uncomfortable, or that
I was a novelty. We shopped. We talked. We were "free" for one breif
moment - then they read her the riot act. I felt no danger and the town seemed
happy to have us. Did, in fact, Wu charge the kids the 100 Yuan for our services?
Could that have caused resentment - I did not feel it. At the end of the trip,
we discovered that the local officials had charged the kids 100 Yuan a head for
our services. Since we were all volunteers, we unanimously felt that the money
should be returned. Predictably, that whole business did not endear us to Wu -
who quickly charged us for our room and board. The 150 Yuan bill for two weeks
did not upset Trevor and I too much - but it may have bothered the Tsinghua students.
Now, we were given stipends so that was no big deal - it was the principle of
the thing. Wu and his band of 'educators.'
How did you interact with your
team members at the site? Did you work well together?
: I thought so -
with the utmost respect and due diligence. Arguably, to a large extent, sure.
I guess one would have to ask the Tsinghua students that question as well.
IV.
Final Week in Beijing
Did you feel that the program was concluded effectively?
:
No. In reality, the whole thing was closed rather poorly. Lots of the group members
had left leaving the final meeting yet another confused affair. In the last event
where we were all asked to report on what we did, there were too many groups saying
nothing of any real substance. At the August 18th meeting, there was no real unity
and real genuine interest in what the other croups had to say. I was asked to
end the talk on a high note - which I was all too willing to do. However, what
was missed was a sense of real exchange of ideas and suggestions for the upcoming
year. What might have been a better thing to do would be to break up the whole
group into subgroups or 4 groups or groups with a Tsinghua/Wang foundation representative
there to take in the feedback. Moreover, a speaker for five groups could present
a short report on all five groups making it instantly only 10 reports with all
the items covered. Also, there was not real sense that we were reporting to get
a better idea for the group to follow. What in fact happened was a free for all
of 50 plus groups that echoed a "what I did on my summer vacation" talk
and no one, in fact, really listened. There was no exchange of ideas, suggestions,
etc. and that was a real opportunity lost.
Did you feel that you had an
adequate chance to communicate your concerns and successes to Tsinghua University?
:
No, absolutely not. On a personal level, yes, I spoke to my group mates but what
assurance is there that it will funnel up.
Did you like seeing all the different
presentations from the different groups?
:Yes
and no. I would have like to have heard what happened but not in the format that
was provided. Students in China do not respond well to lectures to begin with.
The attention spans understandably are short. The audience is not engaged. Free
flow of ideas will not happen in a lecture type environment because the audience
will never be asked if they have any questions, if they have any feedback - that
sort of "stuff." Anyway, the final meeting was poorly planned, poorly
executed, and it was time, resources, and good will wasted.
V.
General Comments and Suggestions
Describe your interactions with your team
members:
What did you learn from them?
: Lots. In terms of pedagogy
and cultural exchange - it was something everyone should be encouraged to experience.
What
do you think they learned from you?
: That is a good question... I am not
really sure.
Is there any way that interactions with them could have been
better facilitated?
: Not really sure what to answer. If it was interpersonal
contact, then, it should be encouraged (if not required) that participants have
some idea of Chinese. There were several very uncomfortable times (particularly
during meals) when the Chinese contingent would bust out in full fledged Chinese
leaving at a loss as to what was being discussed. I was asked late in the trip
if I minded that the Chinese spoke Chinese. Well, in fact, I found it somewhat
rude that just the rudimentary translation was provided - and grudgingly - at
that. It has had a positive outcome, notwithstanding. It has strengthened my resolve
to learn the language - not because I want in on the secrets but so that I can
both take care of myself in the Chinese milieu and to be able to interact better.
If invited to return - which I would be most honored to accept - I will certainly
be better armed with more words and phrases in Chinese.
What did you learn
about China through this experience?
: A lot actually. Culturally, politically,
socially, etc. - the whole range of experiences. Each group member - with the
exception of the instructor provided by Tsinghua - was very forthcoming and generous
with information on what to see, what to do, where to go, etc. Not that the Tsinghua
instructor was rude, mind you, but he barely said but two word to me - not even
in translation. Arguably it was a personality thing... but I doubt it. Actually,
at the risk of contradicting oneself, there really is not substitute for experience.
Nothing you read in a book can prepare you for this.
What did you learn
about poverty and poverty alleviation?
: Not much. I find it difficult
to comprehend how so short and interaction with the students will end up alleviating
poverty. Arguably if we taught the teachers instead that might have more efficacy.
Who knows?
How could this program be improved?
: Several ways: (1)
There should be more interaction prior to the trips concerning the final destination
and the target audience of the teaching. There should be more communication between
the groups. (2) Armed with this experience, if this is what can be expected, the
incoming group should be better oriented - about culture and language. (3) There
should be some sort of ESL training prior to leaving. Despite the best effort
of the crew at UCSD (which we at SDSU asked to be included in) the language instructor
had no useful information, no clue about what we were going to do or where we
were going to be, or even a general idea of the range of students. ESL orientation,
cultural and language orientation, and lots of communication. On the Chinese side
- more channels for communication should be open. Zhang Yan certainly did a commendable
job under the circumstances. However, it should not be left to chance - what with
the range of places and scenarios - that lines of communication have to be open
ad hoc. We already have experience - that should be not excuse and a packet of
information should be drawn up as to who to call, where to go, and what to do.
I am sure - with a little time to contemplate things - I could come up with more
suggestions.
Would you do something like this again?
: Yes, absolutely.
What general advice would you give to next year's participants?
:
Be prepared. Pack light. Be flexible. Do a lot of pre-trip research regarding
the target students. Plenty of communication. I found it most helpful not to have
any expectations and not to insist on a sense of order - that would be counterproductive.
If an activity defies logic - go with it. Have fun and remember that the most
lasting of all things from the trip is the true human contact one makes with an
end user - student, pupil, etc. Last, but not least, you must really want to do
it! It is rough, it is tough but it is very, very rewarding.
Final
musings...
When all is said and done, one should not really measure one's
success or failure on a scale that is arguably already unrealistic once it is
created. Like water, one needs to really just find one's way and try to give as
much as one is taking - because in reality one is really absorbing the culture,
the people, the smog, the laughter, the tears, the experience without really being
cognizant of what life altering experiences one is experiencing. If you did your
best then you can leave knowing that you gave this your best shot and the rest
you need to leave well alone.