Graduation, controversy, and the start of travels

I graduated! I've devoted almost every hour of these past few weeks to classwork. Now it's finally time to update you on my experiences- these include my final summary of this semester at ACC, and what it''s like to experience the recent Tibet, Olympic torch, and pollution controversies from China itself.

ACC in one paragraph

To sum up my Chinese study abroad here in one paragraph- it would be that it cultivated my interest in the Chinese culture very quickly, and after I graduate from Yale in May 2009, I can definitely see myself returning to China. Although I spent most time doing relatively menial study tasks, I was always immersed in the culture. And as my understanding developed, I found myself wanting to learn more and more about China. In order to learn more, I'll probably come back, and ACC was a big part in stimulating that desire.

Back to English

And finally, after almost 4 months, the language pledge is over. We obeyed about 95% of the time- although few students were perfect, especially on weekends at the Sanlitun bar district. I'd say the main benefit was that it got me comfortable using the language in almost any situation. The drawbacks were that it might have reinforced bad habits, and that sometimes when I speak English now I make some embarassing grammar mistakes. Oh well, who needs conjugated verbs and plurals?

International incidents

Lately, there's been a big fuss in the Western news about China-related controversies, including the Chinese government's crackdown in Tibet and the protests torch relay. It's been especially interesting to witness the controversies from China- not only do I get to read the Western news sites (NY Times, CBS/NBC/ABC, and the Economist), but I also find out about how the Chinese media portrays the events, and how Chinese people react to them.

And I've found out one thing: it's complicated. The history is so complex, the information so vague, that it's impossible to clearly define who's right and who's wrong. Are the rioting Tibetans peacefully protesting, or are they burning shops and terrorizing other Chinese citizens? Should the Chinese government respect Tibet's independence or focus on maintaining a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship?

One thing's for sure: Chinese people react very sensitively to the world's criticism. The Chinese national identity is so strong, and people's patriotism is so intense. The Chinese government is desperate for a successful Olympics- you can tell by the "One World, One Dream" posters that cover every wall, the subway's TVs that don't play ads but just explain the rules for various Olympic sports, and the frantic construction throughout Beijing.

This past week, I've seen a lot of excitement for the Olympics as I've been to the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Bird's nest, and plenty of other tourist attractions. Here are some of the pictures: Link

On Friday night, two of my high school classmates and I are taking the train to Shanghai, then visiting the placid cities of Hangzhou and Suzhou before taking a flight to Bangkok, where I'll be touring Thailand for a week. On the train to Shanghai, I expect to write a final report of ACC, and get back into the blogging habit!