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Journal of Todd Parker
August 31, 1997 - Virtual Biking in Yangzhou
September 1, 1997 - Raising of the Chinese Flag
September 14, 1997 - Impressions of China After Two Weeks
September 17, 1997 - Mid-Autumn Day and Reflections on a Changing China
September 28, 1997
August 31, 1997
Virtual Bicycling in Yangzhou (or Trust and ye Shall be Safe)
Marlin (Mr. Fan) told me that it is very inconvenient to not have a bicycle in China. He suggested that I buy one quickly so that "I may have it for convenience." My first impressions were that I lived very close to everything here at the school and could walk to the market, the bank, the post office, and other places that I will go. All of these are the American equivalent of two blocks away - a hop, skip, and probably not even a jump. After biking yesterday with Mr. Zhang, I was even more convinced that except for exercise, having a bicycle might be more trouble than its worth. Walking with Marlin to the store today proved that I may be in the only country in the world where biking is easier than walking.
Bikes define traffic. Cars and trucks are increasingly popular, but bikes are the center of all traffic patterns. Cars weave in and out of bikes while the people on the bikes hardly notice. Chinese bikers seem to have a special sense of their surroundings that makes them aware of everything approaching in every direction. Just when it looks as if several bikes are about to collide, one of the bikers slows down and they avoid each other and keep moving. Neither biker even acknowledges the scene. They keep moving.
Intersections are crazy. Except for some very major intersections where there is an official to stop and guide traffic, the bikers and cars just move straight through. In the United States, I can imagine the yelling, the cursing, the stress, and the melee that would occur in such situations. Here, the bikers keep going. I found myself laughing as I rode. I felt as if in a dream world. I think of Bob Marley, If I keep biking and keep smiling, "everything will be all right." It's only virtual reality.
As someone who rides mountain bikes, I felt that I would be quite comfortable with the skills necessary to negotiate varying terrain and environments. It's clear that biking in China requires more than being aware of what's coming in front of you. It requires constant attention to every dimension. I'm convinced that the Chinese are born with some sort of "spider sense" that allows them to cycle in their country. Will I buy a bike? The answer is a resounding yes. My spider sense may not be there, but it will come as long as I keep my bearings and concentrate. Confidence is necessary and trust in your fellow cyclists is a must. If I don't trust that people will stop for me, I'll never be able to turn into a street or cross. The number of people out on the streets at any given time makes it mandatory that I barge through on my bike. Pedestrians really screw up the flow, yet they do walk on the streets because many sidewalks, if there is one, aren't clear. A bike is a must!

September 1, 1997
Raising of the Chinese Flag
It became quite clear to me this morning how the Chinese government teaches respect and nationalism to its youth. In a vivid, powerful ceremony replete with fanfare and solemnity, over 2000 students lined up on the playground (or track) to listen to the principal speak and salute the raising of the Chinese Flag. Every student in China starts school today. This ceremony was happening everywhere across the nation. All of the Chinese students felt as if they were one with their country.
My feelings were of awe. The power of the ceremony, evident in the great numbers of students, faculty, and staff participating, was overwhelming. The field looked as if all of China's 1.2 billion people were out to salute their nation. Many of the younger students wore red scarves tied neatly around their necks. These students are the young pioneers. Apparently, many students want to wear this symbol to show their great homage to their nation. The Chinese government does have a hold on these people, despite many of the western influences that pervade this culture.
I was choked up as the flag moved up the pole and every student stood, in a well ordered row, facing the flag with his or her right hand lifted straight up and out in salute. National music blared over the public address system and the moment was of amazing pomp and circumstance. The principal said some words. Among his opening words was a welcome to me to which all two thousand students applauded. Wow! Many of the students looked my way and giggled. I was quite an object of fascination. They were still standing in their rows and the moment when they noticed me was the only moment when the students dared to sacrifice their austerity.
After the opening words of the principal, the teachers left for their classrooms and the students began their morning exercises. These exercises are done in unison and are prescribed by the Chinese government. This year's exercises are new. That is why all of the students came to school yesterday, on a Sunday, to learn them. The school wanted the students to be ready to go today so that they would not lose any valuable time.
I need to be sure to take a picture of this ceremony. It won't ever be quite the same again for me because I won't be here on another first day of school. The flag is raised, however, every Monday morning and all students arrive early to salute it as it climbs up the pole. It's clear that these students are raised with great admiration of their country.

September 14, 1997
Impressions of China After Two Weeks
Ms. Dai and Mr. Zhang, both English teachers, have asked me how my impressions of China compare to what I thought of China before arriving. The question is extremely difficult to answer for a number of reasons. First, the question is typical of the open -ended questions that many Chinese have asked me. Secondly, it is difficult because both times I've been asked, I feel as though I'm being baited for a specific response. Thirdly, I'm not sure yet how much subject matter I can discuss without unduly, or unintentionally, offending someone or some entity. Before I'm asked the question again, I thought it wise to reflect privately on the subject.
Before I arrived I had to remind myself that it is my duty to learn to speak Chinese and not expect, as I often and arrogantly do in other countries, them to speak English. Although I'll begin a Chinese as a Foreign Language course in a few weeks, I am now quite limited to some basic phrases and a lot of body language. When I do meet someone who speaks some English, they often ask me very broad questions. Examples are "Would you tell me about the United States?"; or "Is Disneyland interesting?"; or my favorite "What do you think of China?" These questions baffle me because I really don't have any idea where to begin. My students in the U.S. know that I love to talk. Here, I am limited by language to giving a simplistic answer to a question about which I could easily write a book (maybe not on Disneyland). I don't know if this tendency to ask broad questions is typical or just a byproduct of linguistic and communicative difficulties. Most people who come to speak with me in English have clearly spent a good deal of time preparing what they want to say so that they get it correct. Because of this, I rarely feel it appropriate to say, "Could you be more specific? Do you mean the political, the economic, or the social?" Maybe we suffer this "broad question" malady in the U.S. as well. I've never encountered it at such an obvious level if we do. My new goal as a teacher is to be as specific as possible with my queries. Teaching to Chinese students requires me to practice this notion.
It's clear that the Chinese are well aware of some political rifts that exist between the U.S. and their homeland. My instinctual reaction to "Is China what I thought it would be like?" is a political response. Similar to many Americans, and especially many Westporters, the Chinese tend to associate the political views of a country with all of the people in the country. Many people in the United States feel that our town and country should not engage China in any way because of its political views and practices. There are 1.2 billion very different people in this country, however. They are very human and often apolitical. My Chinese students ask me questions every day that begin with "Do Americans?" To every response, whether it be about eating cheese or studying Chinese," my answer is the same, "It depends." When I return to Westport, I'm sure that many people will ask me, "Do the Chinese?" My response will be "It depends." Now that I've been here for two weeks, I am surprised that I don't see as many police as I thought that I would. I see that there are many privately -owned businesses and that there are many consumer products recognizable to me. I had the sense that China was developing commercially before I arrived. My newest notion is that much of China has developed commercially. Now, it's just developing further. I find it safer to comment on the economy and not the politics because many Chinese are quite proud of the commercial growth that their cities and countries have experienced.
Because many outspoken celebrities and politicians in the United States criticize China for its "communism" and human rights violations, I expect that the Chinese want me to answer that I am impressed with China both for its commercial development and its lack of soldiers on every corner suppressing everyone's desires for freedom. I reflect upon this notion with caution, knowing that I am not living in a Chinese political world. But, I don't see these things and I am somewhat impressed. Of course, I never offer my opinions on the subject to anyone. I don't keep quiet because of the government, but because at home I learned that when you're a guest you don't discuss religion or politics. I am the guest of a town and a school who has only been here for two weeks. Yet, I can not ignore, especially after reading the alarmist China Wakes by Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn, the lack of PLA everywhere. I am free, as are most people I work with, to go anywhere in town at any time. I am also impressed (if not somewhat dismayed) at the level of commercial development. There are two KFC's and two McDonald's within a very short distance of one another. Pepsi has obviously lost the cola wars and Proctor and Gamble is in every store and bathroom. Privately owned stores line every street selling everything from alcohol and books to Michael Bolton CD's. So far, China is very different than I thought though I expect my observations to change dramatically by January. I will continue to reflect on my perceptions of China and hopefully continue to find that it is a huge country of people who truly desire to build positive relationships with folks from the U.S.

September 17, 1997
Mid-Autumn Day and Reflections on a Changing China
Yesterday was Mid-Autumn Day in China. I wasn't even sure that it was autumn yet, but the middle of it was upon me. The closest day that we have to this Chinese celebration is Thanksgiving. It's a day when extended families get together over a large supper and enjoy each other's company. After the meal, the families go outside to enjoy the full moon and eat mooncakes. A mooncake is a small, round, sweet pastry filled with something like mince meat or watermelon seeds. One junior school girl told me that not everyone likes them because they "make you fat." Some are tastier than others. The taste doesn't seem to be the most important aspect of these cakes, though. The significance is that they represent the fruits of farmers' hard labors and that they represent the full moon on the last day of the harvest. In many ways, by eating these cakes, the families are paying homage to their sustenance and everyone who makes that possible.
I was invited to eat a meal with Vice-principals Fang and Fong (a fine distinction) and their families. At 6:45 yesterday morning, Mr. Fang and his daughter rang my doorbell. They arrived with a breakfast of mooncakes and an invitation to dinner. Mr. Fang's daughter is a first- year English student who translated quite well for her father. I went to dinner with an open-mind. Mr. Zhang warned me that I might be served some very traditional foods. Because I'd already eaten some foods that would have made me run from the table a month ago, I couldn't imagine what else would be served. Mr. Zhang also came to dinner. Because there is so much emphasis on the family for this meal, I felt badly that Mr. Zhang had been asked to come to the meal to translate and miss out on a meal with his own wife and son. Nevertheless, by translating for me, Mr. Zhang enjoys sharing in some of the royal treatment that is being afforded me by my host school.
The food was quite good, but the discussions were better. They included those on Chinese history, my family, Chinese mythology, my salary (the Chinese are very open and inquisitive about salaries), and the particular benefits of certain foods. Many of the foods that the Chinese serve are thought to serve a specific purpose. Eel, for instance, is thought to be very good for the skin. Turtles live a long time so, by transitive property, people live long if they eat them. Those who have recently been sick eat Blackfish. It helps them to recover. I enjoyed hearing these age-old myths and couldn't help but believe that there must be some truth to them. I keep asking myself, "if they didn't serve some healthful purpose, would the Chinese really be putting live shrimp in their mouths?" It became extremely clear to me during this meal how strongly many of these administrators and teachers want to visit the United States. I hope that I've shown a desire to learn Chinese that is half as strong as their desires to learn English. They all want to practice everything that they know; however
After the meal I was treated to an experience which may well be the equivalent to my greatest nightmare. It was so surreal, however, that I couldn't help but be in stitches through most of the episode. Mr. Fong took me to the school Karaoke hall and asked me to "say a few words" to those present. I'm still not sure what qualifies me to give a keynote speech to a bunch of budding vocalists and ballroom dancers on a Chinese holiday, but, as always, I was applauded just because I'm a foreigner. I may as well have been Jiang Zemin. After I spoke (and Mr. Zhang translated) I was asked to lead all of those present in a "disco" dance. I hope that those who have seen me dance are laughing right now. There I am, standing alone, trying to dance to some ugly blend of American hip-hop and Chinese music. The Chinese see American movies with John Travolta and think that we can all dance like him. Mr. Zhang, who spent a year in Vermont, knows that this impression is wrong and empathizes with me. He won't, however, join me on center stage. I felt like Steve Martin in "The Jerk." I had no rhythm. Fortunately, no one else did either. While they can all ballroom dance, few can "disco" dance. After regaining some of my composure, I cajoled some folks into a circle and painfully grinned and bore it through the song. I was able to avoid singing. Mr. Fong informed me that I should practice because the school is buying some additional English songs for the Karaoke machine. Right now, I have the options of "Edelweiss," "Moon River," "Pretty Woman," or "Unchained Melody." Last week, I sang Pretty Woman. I'm no Julie Andrews, Roy Orbison, or even David Lee Roth, but we're having fun, right?
After escaping this scene, Mr. Zhang and I walked around Yangzhou to take in some of the Mid- Autumn Festivities. The town couldn't (or wouldn't?) decorate for the holiday as they had in past years because the factories "weren't run very well this year," as Mr. Zhang pointed out. Many of Yangzhou's factories are having a difficult time selling their goods. There are obviously huge surpluses of some goods that are causing many "lay-offs." Mr. Fan mentioned that his wife is being "forced to stay home and take care of their daughter" because her factory isn't selling products.
Most of the Yangzhou factories are state- run. Several are privately owned. The term "joint venture" is thrown around in almost every business conversation I've had. I've met a few Germans, some Canadians, and an Australian who were in town to establish joint ventures in the automotive, computer, and shipbuilding industries. There is an international community somewhere in Yangzhou that is involved in the Yangtze River dam construction. The city is pretty big, and I haven't met any of these weiguorens (foreigners). It is clear, though, that the Chinese are looking outside of their country for aid in the transition to a more privatized economy.
Though they won't use the word capitalism, the Chinese are clearly moving in this direction. Not all state- owned businesses are doing very well. Last week was the Communist Party meeting in Beijing. The party has a meeting every five years. I read a bit about it in the China Daily and the New York Times, care of my Internet provider. Coverage is pretty much the same in China and out. The party is working on continuing to build a new "Socialism with Chinese characteristics." In China, this is known as Deng Xiaoping Theory. In the U.S. it's known as a form of capitalism. Though there are still many dirt-poor areas of China -some in this city- the coastal areas and major cities are enjoying a relative prosperity compared to many of the inland regions. Though they know that development takes a long time, the majority of people whom I come across support their government's efforts in moving towards the fulfillment of "Deng Xiaoping Theory." I am amazed at how many people paid attention to this communist meeting and President Jiang Zemin's two and a half-hour opening speech. Teachers were all briefed on how to approach the subject matter with their students and portions of the speech were read to all of the students during morning exercises. Not only are students learning "Marxist-Leninism" and "Mao Zedong Thought," but they are getting an earful of "Deng Xiaoping Theory." On our walk, Mr. Zhang pointed out that these slogans are necessary because not everyone is as educated as the students in our school. Even the students at my school aren't taught to think very critically though the educational system is moving in that direction. As state- owned businesses are sold to private citizens and shareholders, there is sure to be a rise in unemployment. If the people know what the state is working towards, maybe they will be supportive despite some of the hard times many will encounter in the process. With anything more than a slogan attached to these complicated economic practices and programs, the Party might lose a great majority of the Chinese population. In Beijing, I witnessed the problems with state -owned businesses when I was one of twenty-five people eating in a restaurant that had close to sixty laborers standing around doing nothing, getting paid. Many state- owned businesses suffer this malady and the government recognizes it.
This mid-autumn day gave me some fascinating insights into a changing culture that holds on strongly to many of its traditions. Though several people have communicated to me their fears that the country would soon look like the United States, I'm not sure that that's true. The FDA would never let Americans buy live shrimp in a restaurant and put them right into their mouths. I'm not sure that our students would ever stand at attention either and listen intently to our school loudspeaker's replay of President Clinton's State of the Union Address, even if he wasn't long-winded. Hopefully, conditions will change so Mr. Fan's wife can go back to work and the city can light itself up for the next mid-autumn festival.

September 28, 1997
October the first is National Day. This year is the forty-eighth anniversary of the People's Republic of China. Though it is still several days away, it is obvious that this day has a stronger emotional grip on the Chinese people than Independence Day has on ours'. There are so few days when school is canceled. This day is one of them. Actually, our school closes for four days. The students won't miss these days, however, because they will come to school on a number of Saturdays and Sundays to make up the classes. Each school handles this holiday in a different way. Sometimes, a school won't decide which days it will have off, if any, until the week before. I was fortunate. Several weeks ago, the principal made a quick decision about the holiday because he knew that I wanted to travel to Shanghai. That most of the faculty and students wait to hear about a holiday until the last minute and are flexible enough to come to school on succeeding Saturdays and Sundays displays the sedentary nature of this population compared to ours'. In the United States, students and families travel. Holidays need to be announced, confirmed, and posted a year or more in advance so that families and individuals can make arrangements.
The schools, cities, and towns all celebrate National Day with a series of announcements, patriotic displays, banquets, performances, and fireworks. To this extent, it sounds like our Fourth of July. Besides having a day off of work and fireworks, however, the day carries a different tone. Students, teachers, administrators, and others have all remarked to me of the great importance this day brings to the Chinese and their collective history. Because it follows the fifteenth meeting of the Chinese Communist Party and the return of Hong Kong, National Day holds an even more powerful significance in the eyes of its people. The day represents a continuing revolution. To the Chinese, the Party's movements towards the fulfillment of Deng Xiaoping Theory represent a new "spring" for the country. Independence Day in the United States holds many special meanings, but few Americans actually spend time, beyond glancing at a televised ceremony while grazing channels, reflecting upon the Revolutionary War and what the ensuing democracy has provided us. As we move further from World War II, the Fourth is unfortunately less a "National Day" and more of a family day like Thanksgiving with warm weather, shopping, and neat colors in the sky.
There is one huge difference between the U.S. and China in how we celebrate our respective national holidays. The People's Republic of China was created forty-eight years ago and the Declaration of Independence was signed 221 years ago. We've lost our history. As a student and teacher of American history, I notice a growing apathy towards our past especially as we blaze into a technological future, which doesn't appear on the surface to have many roots in our past. The Chinese, on the other hand, are proud of their history. Though the People's Republic was formed less than half a century ago, all of my students here know when famous landmarks in their city and country were built. They can tell you the period and/or dynasty for a tower, wall, or temple that reaches back almost five hundred years. At that time, the United States wasn't a glimmer of an idea in anyone's mind. Of course, this historical awareness is consistent with a form of education that I wouldn't wish upon my students in the United States. One student remarked that she wanted to be a history teacher because she thought it would be "easy" to teach history. Well, it would be easy if the teacher didn't encourage the students to question the material and expected the students to do whatever was necessary to learn it without any aid beyond the text, weekly lectures, and tests. After all, Chinese students memorize their history. Like learning in all of their classes, they aren't taught to think critically about these events or their implications. They learn what happened according to the government- sponsored textbooks. Nevertheless, the students share a common history. This notion is worthy of some merit. It is clear to the Chinese that they have something in common in their "long" history. Students freely compare the length of their history to that of the United States as if they speak for all of the past generations of Chinese, no matter what ethnicity, who have lived. They view this history as something which bonds them with one another. Even though China is developing quickly, someone with a cell phone and beeper might still smile as he or she mentions the "pagoda" in the center of town that was built in the Ming dynasty. As he or she tells you, you can't help but feel as if he or she has something up on you. The United States hadn't yet been founded.
The National Day celebrations throughout the town are a blend of past, present, and future. On Friday night, after attending a banquet with government officials and other foreigners who work in town, I was invited to a performance at Yangzhou's Friendship Hall. This was a gala event for Yangzhou. I wasn't prepared or dressed appropriately for such a beautiful banquet and press event. Though people tell me repeatedly that attire "doesn't matter" and that being a foreigner excludes me from most cultural expectations, I still feel as though I should be wearing a tie when television cameras are following me around. Fortunately, I was one of twenty or so foreigners from Germany, Turkey, France, Great Britain, Canada, Japan, and the United States. The cameras' attentions were shared. We were toasted by the mayor of Yangzhou and all sorts of government officials for helping to improve the social and economic culture of Yangzhou as it moves ahead with the privatization and development dictated by Deng Xiaoping Theory. One official's son is in my class. He had a few too many glasses of wine and toasted me a few too many times. If this was a true Chinese banquet experience, the performance afterwards sure was a genuine lesson in how a country can impose nationalism upon its people.
Having just read Jonathan Spence's The Gate of Heavenly Peace, I am somewhat familiar with how the communist party hijacked the arts and entertainment of China to serve political purposes in the last half century. Though it's clear that there is more freedom of artistic expression than ten years ago, the variety show which I watched tonight was obviously (obvious for an outsider, that is) designed to use popular entertainment to progress party purposes. The people loved it! Tonight's show consisted of fifteen different singing, dancing, dramatic, and musical acts. There were two emcees, a man and a woman. Each introduced a different act and apparently gave a short patriotic speech to which the crowd enthusiastically applauded. Friendship Hall was packed to watch this show which may well have been stylistically stolen from the United States circa 1955. At each turn, I expected Little Ricky to come out a do a performance while Ricky Senior played in his mambo band beneath the stairs lined with running neon lights. The Chinese love this variety format. There is at least one on television every night broadcast from some Chinese city. Each is replete with many prom dresses and bright colors. The stage design is nearly always filled with bright rainbow-colored cardboard cutout designs of flowers and other patterns. There are steps leading up from the middle of the stage to a tapestry at the rear of the stage depicting some famous Chinese scene. Tonight's scene was of a winding Great Wall with an overlaid hammer and sickle.
Because Ms. Kang, an English teacher at my school, sat beside me and translated, I elicited the names of some of the acts. Many are the same acts, songs, and dances that are performed at variety shows throughout China. Some of the performers are more talented than others. Tonight's acts included Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz singing "I love China," the cast of Saturday Night Fever showing how difficult it is to slave over wine in a wine factory, the Von Trapp family wearing shamrocks on their shirts singing about flowers blooming, PLA officers singing "I'm a Soldier," Don Ho, sans Hawaiian shirt, singing about the Yellow River, and the infamous "Anti-corruption Song." The "Anti-Corruption" song was performed by a harmonious group of government workers. When they finished singing, they pointed to the crowd where large groups of government workers and soldiers stood up and repeated the song out loud. Apparently, all government workers must learn this song. It is an example of how the arts are used to convey and publicize political messages and values.
The most popular event of the evening was a song called the "Story of Spring." Another young woman dressed like Dorothy at her Senior Prom, minus the shoes, walked out onto the stage while a monstrous color cut-out of Deng Xioaping's face descended from the ceiling to hang above the stage. Many in the audience teared as they listened to this beautiful Karaoke-like rendition of a popular song. It's clear that the government uses this song to promote its embrace of Deng Xiaoping's privatization theories. It's another attempt to use popular culture to win over the public when there is surely much unemployment on the horizon. The people loved it, nonetheless. Another young woman sang the same song at a variety show that I attended with some students on Saturday afternoon. While the Friday night performance was prepared for officials and special guests, the Saturday show consisted of variety acts performed by different groups of students from schools throughout Yangzhou. It was held at a middle school for future teachers and must have had several thousand students in attendance.
History is very strong in China. Even though the people have much more freedom of artistic expression than they did in the recent past, the power of the arts as a means for propagating political movements is strong. While Peking Opera fades in its appeal to younger generations only the "older Chinese," as a student told me, go to see it or Yangzhou opera. Fortunately for the government, it has found a new way to use popular entertainment to serve its unifying purposes. Through songs like "Story of Spring" and comedic dialogues about the return of Hong Kong and a desire to reunite families in Taiwan and the mainland, the Chinese Communist Party has succeeded in convincing a great many of its people that it's causes are desirable. Praise for the past and praise for the future are common themes surrounding National Day. This page will detail our visitor's experiences and include a journal, pics, etc.