Women in China - Heidi Brooks and Nicole Jenkins

Well, to answer your original question, yes, the experiences have been different for the men and women on the abroad. But we want to tell you about what we've observed about gender differences in China and Mongolia. Both are countries just emerging from communism, which espouses equality for everyone, which makes women's issues different from those in the US. We quickly realized upon our arrival in China, that communists may claim to treat people equally, but women do play a different role in the country. We spoke to the associate dean of faculty at Beijing Polytechnic University about some of these issues. She was a very successful woman who claimed that only westerners have a use for feminism. Meanwhile, she told us that her husband had encouraged her not to take a higher position so she could spend more time raising her children. Chinese women college students worry quite a lot about getting hired out of school, as it is commonly accepted that men will have an easier time finding jobs. One reason is that the men have the technical training that is in high demand right now. When we visited the Children's Palace in Shanghai, we asked why all the girls were in music lessons while the boys were learning math games. One young woman answered that men just use more of their brains than women do.

As for Mongolia, we've heard some conflicting stories. We interviewed a man who told us that men were well respected for their archery, horseback and wrestling skills. He followed by saying that women could gain respect by being good cooks. Just today we visited the Women's Brain Pool, which is the largest Mongolian NGO dealing with women's issues. The women there told us that the biggest priority for them was to educate women about politics so they may be more involved in the decision making process. They reported that, while Mongolians have a long way to go when it comes to gender equity, they are the farthest along in Asia with regards to equality between men and women. For example, the other day we visited a woman who works in Ulaanbaatar's superior court, and she told us that there are more women than men working as judges. In fact, the government has instituted a campaign to try to recruit more male judges.

So, we didn't really answer the question at hand, but we hope this gives you some insight into gender issues in China and Mongolia.

Antagonism from Local Population - John Williams, Program Director

My first Prin Abroad was in Spring 1996. We arrived in China a few weeks after the Chinese navy conducted live missile tests in the Straits of Taiwan and the US Seventh Fleet still had two carrier task forces on station in the Western Pacific. Taiwan conducted its presidential elections while we were in Beijing. However, the tensions never reached our level. The Chinese made explicit distinctions between government-to-government and people-to-people. The media was filled with tension, but it was never felt "on the street."

There is a different tone now. It is nothing to worry about or fear, but it is different.

The core issue is Kosovo. It is the lead foreign story on the evening news. By the way, I get over twenty-five channels in my little apartment. I receive broadcast from Shanghai Broadcasting Network, Hebei (a province) TV, several channels of Beijing TV, four or more channels of China Central Television, and provincial stations from around the country. Over half a dozen of the stations have English language broadcasts, and I can follow most of the Chinese language international news. Likewise, I read the China Daily each day. It is the daily English language version of the Beijing Daily (sort of The Washington Post of China), the paper of the Beijing branch of the Communist Party. I also look over the shoulders of bus-riders as they read their own papers. The newsreels are from Serbian television and the photographs uniformly portray the destruction of civilian sites in Yugoslavia.

I have had college students at English language corner and tour guides ask why NATO is committing aggression in Yugoslavia. Or, why NATO is breaking international law with the bombing? Or, how can we defend attacking innocent civilians in Serbia? Chinese scholars, interviewed on their versions of "Meet the Press," assert that there was no genocide against Albanians, and that there is no basis in international law for NATO's action. In effect, according the Chinese position, NATO (the military extension of the United States) is extending hegemony over Europe (and, perhaps, the world).

Beneath these challenges are questions about why the United States is keeping China out of the WTO and why the US is so concerned with Chinese human rights. Kosovo, WTO, and human rights are seen as American intervention in the internal affairs of sovereign countries. I have been reminded that the United States imprisoned Japanese-Americans during the Second World War and that our police brutally beat blacks. I am also reminded that China is a developing nation and, as such, cannot be held to the impossible standard of an advanced developing nation-in environment, in human rights, in economics, in international trade.

These are the lead international stories. American negotiators are currently in Beijing hammering out agreement on WTO. The American human rights resolution regarding China in the UN was just defeated. American planes are still bombing a valiant, innocent, peaceful, sovereign Yugoslavia.

These messages, presented every day, on every television station and in every newspaper, are having their impact. They are affecting public perceptions of America and Americans (at the same time the college students are asking how to get into American universities!).

Because our perceptions of the world are fundamentally different, my close Chinese friends and I agree to disagree and do not pursue these topics.

As I've suggested, in the same breath students will ask how to get into American universities and adults will express support for Bill Clinton (he is popular in China). The Chinese are a warm, gracious, lively people. We are the subjects of intense curiosity and the opportunity for all to practice their English. We have made many friends of all ages and from all walks of life. The staff at the university is the most gracious and trustworthy people I've worked with.

Tiananmen Square and Industry in China - John Williams

Generally, you would recognize Tiananmen Square, except that it is under massive repair. October will be the 50th anniversary of the liberation of China, or the rise of the People's Republic of China. The city is undergoing massive renovation. Almost all the public buildings, from Tiananmen Gate (that's where Mao's picture hangs) to the main railway station, are draped in green construction netting. Roads are torn up, bridges are under construction, and sidewalks are dusty trails.

Cynics note that the closure of Tiananmen Square also prevents unnecessary gatherings during the spring and summer. Things are a little more tense than 1987. China is struggling to achieve it place among the major world powers and the United States is seen as actively maneuvering to block China. In the struggle to reform the economy, state enterprises (some employing 100,000 workers) will have to be closed. Thus, there is a growing problem with unemployment. The anti-corruption campaigns and the drive to slash the bloated bureaucracy, while popular with the masses, are stirring up a political hornet's nest.

Labor is still the most plentiful and cheapest commodity, so those same 40 people are doing the work of a bulldozer. It would be apt to describe a Beijing construction project as an anthill of activity.

The skyline is filled with modern glass and steel skyscrapers, which remind one of modern Hong Kong. In the streets private sedans, articulated buses, air-conditioned buses (for the middle class commuters), taxis, air-polluting trucks, bicycles, and donkey carts compete for space. While traffic appears saner than in 1996 (perhaps because of the rise in the number of privately owned vehicles means people are more cautious), the number of vehicles has out-stripped the road capacity. Expressway construction, especially by those 40 guys instead of the bulldozer, is lagging.

On the other hand, Beijing in the spring is a beautiful city. It is filled with flowers and trees. We participated in a tree-planting project at BPU. We learned how to make an instant hedge. First, we gathered shovels and were taken to a tree farm on a corner of the university property. With little direction, we quickly dug up over a hundred little evergreens, maybe around three feet high. A group of laborers loaded the small trees on to carts and bicycle-trucks (a three-wheeled bicycle with a bed on the rear axle). We gathered across campus at a trench some fifty feet in length. With Chinese supervision, we packed the little trees tightly into the trench. We didn't have a grove of trees, but an instant evergreen hedge. Plantings may not last long, but they can appear overnight.

Physically, much has changed in ten years. But don't judge a book by its cover or Beijing by its skyscrapers.

Racism in Chinese Culture - Jon Anderson and Nicole Jenkins

Terry, thanks for the question. Jon and I (Nicole) have a hard time answering this question because there is definitely a sense of awareness of our racial differences, however, we do not think it is what we Americans would call "racism." As we walk down the streets of China and interact with the Chinese, we are looked at as different. Since we are traveling with mostly Caucasian Americans, we stand out more as what the Chinese see as Africans than as Americans. We have had instances where people think we are from Africa because of our skin color. We are seen as black first and not American. Most Chinese think Clem and I are sisters and Jon is Michael Jordan. Can you imagine that? Jon is actually pretty flattered by it! The Chinese have no idea where Jamaica, where Clementine is from, is or that it even exists. This is the same for most of the islands in the Caribbean or West Indies. As foreigners, we are looked at just as much as the rest of the abroaders. However, in my own experiences in America where I have been the minority for most of my life, being different then those around me does not bother me. This, I think, is why Caucasians who are used to being the majority in the US have a harder time dealing with being the minority in other countries.

As I walk down the street following the group and watch the Chinese watching our group, I see looks of curiosity and interest - not looks of antagonism. I do notice that the non-Caucasian members of our group do get more notice. I suspect that, as Nicole and Jon pointed out, not only do they stand out in our group, but I also think that non-Caucasians are less frequently seen here in China so there is great interest in them. (Marty DeWindt)

Most Memorable People on the trip

• Chinese students: At BPU, where we are staying in Beijing, we have had the opportunity to engage with English Speaking students. This has included dinners together, group jam sessions (singing), and just simply making new friends.
• Our Chinese professors have amazed us with their ability to bring the Chinese language to our level. We are quickly learning to use our knowledge of the language to engage with the people.
• Our tour guides in Shanghai, Xian, and Beijing. All of them have shared pieces of their lives with us that have provided a better understanding of Chinese culture, along with providing laughter.
• Danny, the English Language Corner Monitor (President). He has brought many smiles to our group and has helped plan events with Chinese students, including Basketball and Volleyball.
• Our bus driver in Xian, "Big Joe". This hilarious man entertained us with his rendition of a Chinese Song on the bus.

Most Memorable Places on the trip

Bobbi Schloessman asks: What are your most memorable places so far in the trip?

The group has thoroughly enjoyed many of the places we have visited in Shanghai, Xian, and Beijing. Some of the places that have stood out the most to us are:

• The Summer Palace. One of the four palaces in Beijing, it is full of beautiful gardens and is home of the famous Ivory Boat.
• The Forbidden City. The beauty and vastness of it was amazing.
• All of our meals in Beijing have been adventurous. Every group member has been courageous and has tried new foods including turtle, birds on a stick, and mutton.
• The Terracotta soldiers of Xian. These ancient figures represent the long history of China.
• Train Rides. These long trips have made us experts at the use of Eastern Toilets, along with allowing us to enjoy the beauty of the countryside.
• A farmers village in Xian. Our group had the chance to visit a farmer's village, where we interacted with farmers and adorable children.

Christianity Today in China - John Williams

Christianity has had a long but complex history in China. Over the centuries the Catholic Church sent missions from the various religious orders. Nestorian Christians fled to China to avoid persecution. In the nineteenth century Protestant missionaries were associated with Western colonialism. Christian millenialism had a powerful impact on Chinese politics nearly 100 years ago. Rebellions, such as the Boxer Rebellion, were led by Chinese converts to Christianity. Given this long history, Chinese hesitancy toward Christianity is understandable.

We have not met any Christian groups in China, but it is possible to practice Christianity, either through authorized bodies or privately in one's home. Religion is officially sanctioned and authorized by the government. Thus, religious groups need to get official certification to practice. Here in Beijing there are a number of religious bodies; the two largest Taoist temples in northern China, the local headquarters of the Buddhist church, one of the largest active Tibetan temples outside Tibet, the national headquarters of the Moslem denomination, and two small Catholic cathedrals (a cathedral indicates religious status rather than size of congregation). There are apparently one or two interdenominational Protestant bodies.

Of course, it depends on how we define religious practice. There are many active Buddhist sites. People practice ancestor worship. People make pilgrimages to the four holy mountains as well as a number of important caverns. We are able to hold our private Christian Science services (both Wednesday and Sunday) without problem. However, no one is permitted to evangelize or propagandize or (in the fundamental language) "witness." The Chinese constitution provides for the right to be "non-religious." This means, in practice, that everyone has the right to be free from religion. This means that no one can publicly advocate or promote religion.