Throughout the course of this trip, learning about and observing China (both by sightseeing and participation) has been the main focus. However, I also realized and noticed some things about myself that I hadn't really considered in the past.
First of all, I have not always given much thought to my own Asian heritage--in fact, sometimes I despised it-- despised it because it seemed to drag me down all the time. In town where nearly 20% of the population is Korean, I felt somewhat faceless and at the same time somewhat ignored by the other Asians in the area. Not sharing a cultural history really added to that feeling of not having much of a common ground with nearly everyone in the town.
However, after this trip, I have found that my Chinese-Vietnamese background has such a rich history that I hadn't even dreamed of. There is nothing left to be ashamed about. The knowledge that my ethnicity has such a lengthy legacy and past no longer makes me feel left out but rather more unique.
Secondly, I realized that I never have to change who I am just to "fit in" with other people. I understand how cliche that phrase must sound, but it's completely and utterly true, especially when meeting other students that are very accepting of others (for instance, the other teenagers I met on the trip). Before the trip, I was somewhat nervous about meeting them; being the youngest on the adventure definitely added to this sense of not being able to connect with the others. However, I found that I could keep my somewhat laconic personality and still make good friends. (I was mostly apprehensive due to the fact that all the other non-Californian students had positions in student councils at their high schools... something I always kept in mind prior to the trip.) It just goes to show that with the right people, one never has to change his/her own personality or affinities just to "get along" with the rest.
On a side note..
While in China, I also observed the differences and similarities between our countries. The Chinese students we met in different places (most notably, the Small Dragon Martial Arts School) were incredibly disciplined. One might even call it startlingly disciplined. I mean, these kids could be so serious and so focused on their work that "Riley" Zhang Liang really summed it up when he said something along the lines of "These kids just go through the school system and come out like robots." Though some high schoolers here in the States do sometimes act the same way and follow the same trends (which, ironically, lose their "cool" factor soon after they comes into fashion), each student still has a distinct character and uniqueness; it just goes to show the ideals this country was built upon. It's remarkably different-- of course, the results of either school system reflect the type of government and history that each country possesses.
Of course, as time passed, I also grew to realize that China did have similarities to the US. Passing by normal, ordinary people doing everyday activities really opened my eyes to see that although thousands of miles separate two countries, the people have the same goals in life and the same aspirations. I sat at the bus window for hours and just watched people working, walking, and talking. It's really mostly the same, if you think about it. Perhaps the customs and traditions differ (such as openly spitting into the street or bowing respectfully to elderly people), but with respect to humankind, we're all the same. The ethnicity doesn't matter. The type of government doesn't matter. We are all people, and that does matter, because I believe that people forget that fact all too often and begin to say things like "Such-and-such people are all terrible and have no manners" or "such and such people don't know a thing about us--this food ain't like what it is at home!" This trip has brought me to the realization that even if people of other countries or even of other beliefs differ greatly, it doesn't make them any less worse or better than what we consider the "norm."
I'm extremely grateful and happy that I got to experience China, its beautiful history, traditions, and people (and yes, we experienced them-- we didn't just "see" them). I would like to thank Discovery Student Adventures with many, MANY thanks for this opportunity, for I have grown to appreciate both myself and the country where my roots belong. This is my heritage. This is history.
An Epic PerformanceThursday, August 13, 2009
Last night's adventure was absolutely crazy-- from dinner with students of the "Small Dragon" Martial Arts School (formerly known as the actual Shaolin Martial Arts School) and warrior monks from the monastery to an all-out show with large groups from the school and monastery, we had some experiences I don't think I'll ever forget about.
Throughout yesterday's sweltering heat, we practiced our kung fu routine; luckily, the itinerary provided us quite a bit of time to rest and sleep. It was also pretty amusing to watch some of our Chinese guide staff members (who are technically now our buddies:) attempt to follow along-- some of them, actually, were pretty decent at it. Apprehension ran through some students as they heard there would be an examination to test how much they had learned and how well they had studied the routine (we had only learned the most basic one, and knowing that made the school's martial arts students seem even more skilled). The examination that afternoon was taken in pairs; I think my partner and I did pretty well. After all, we had had gone over the routine several times in the last few days. Our group received certificates of completion; I was (and still am) pretty proud of myself for accomplishing all that, really. The last few days spent at the monastery and martial arts school have been not just simply amazing-- it has been phenomenal. And last night definitely would be a huge highlight of this entire trip. We set out to dinner at a pretty nice restaurant, but to all the girls' delight, a student at the kung fu school we call "Smiley" and three other companions of his came along on the bus with us. Before that, two monks from the Shaolin Monastery also boarded, but apparently, most people were more excited for "Smiley" since he almost never smiled--except when he did, it was such a thing that brightened up his face. All were excited for this-- I considered it an honor to be on the same bus with both groups of people. Apparently, they thought the same about us. Dinner was particularly interesting, with some of my fellow students asking some very direct questions like "Do you have a girlfriend?" And teaching him how to say "I love you," which thoroughly embarrassed him, although he shyly laughed throughout the whole questioning session. Over at the other tables, our guests answered questions and had a great time. Then we headed off to the Shaolin Monastery, where the real performance took place. The stage was more like a covered floor of a barn-type building within the monastery. Though it had no air conditioning system, a nice breeze occasionally came in through the windows (although during an act, a creepy, unshirted man started laughing hysterically and semi-insanely). They started off the program with songs; we sang "Shaolin, Shaolin" (which I thought we did pretty well) and the Chinese sang songs in English. Ironically, I didn't know any of the songs they sang last night. I guess it's a little old for me (and the other students); we're a bit modern with our music. Still, it was overall a great experience, with each group contributing a part to the combined enjoyment of the whole. The highlights of the evening included some stunning kung fu performances in different animal styles and with rare types of weapons. A young girl also did her best to sing a few songs for us and Daniel Olson did a backflip, landing on his knees-- but the audience thought it was pretty good, and so did I. When the time came to say good bye (or "ZaiJian" in Chinese), we all regretfully did so, with the Discovery students all wishing they could stay a little longer in the great Shaolin Temple and nearby village. All in all, these past few days we spent in and around the Shaolin Monastery and Small Dragon Martial Arts School have been so compelling, interesting, and most of all, incredibly fun. I know I will miss those places and forever cherish those treasured memories. Next stop: Beijing. Now we are all on a five-hour train ride to the capital city of China. I watch the cornfields pass by and think of La Crescenta-- not because I am homesick (not at all), but because I am thinking about the hundreds of millions of people who call this country home. --- ______________________________________________________________________ Monks and Kung Fu MadnessWednesday, August 12, 2009
This morning held a particularly interesting experience for us all. Yes, a day (or, well, perhaps just a morning, yet definitely satisfying enough) in the life of a Buddhist monk.
Waking up at four-thirty in the morning wasn't exactly the part I was looking forward to, but the grogginess was well worth the next part of our adventure. Entering a temple is no mere activity, let alone attend morning chants with the monks of THE Shaolin Monastery. My mind was in pure awe even as we stepped over the threshold of the main hall (which wasn't too fancy, with regards to its size) and into the small kneeling area of the hall. We didn't actually kneel upon the soft benches, but standing up didn't bother me at all as I really took in my surroundings. Three Buddha statues (of course, each one really represented three different people in the history of Buddhism) greeted us right at the door of the hall, their eyes facing south. I stared up at the immense figures while I estimated how old they must be. Shaolin Monastery was actually rebuilt in 1928 after a fire burned it, so I suppose they must have been made around that time. Perhaps not antiqued, I thought, but definitely things of a past that should be remembered, for the monastery had been destroyed and rebuilt several times in its 1500+ year history. Everyone was silent as the monks began a nonstop chant that lasted for an hour. Though not all of them were chanting/singing altogether at the same time, of course-- that would have been incredibly tiring for them-- some monk would always be picking up the chant if no one else was chanting at the same moment. Their voices echoed and reverberated throughout the hall, which was quite a powerful sound to hear. Harmonious voices, some very clear and some scratchy, filled my ears as I closed my eyes and focused on the moment and my own breathing, which is really most like a Zen Buddhist thing my mom encourages me to do often. The most enchanting part about this "day in the life" was following the monks in a slow procession (more like an organized, single-file walk) around the hall, circling around the statues a few times. It was absolutely compelling and also mysterious, in a way that spoke of long, centuries-old traditions. Unfortunately, we weren't exactly sure when to bow to pay our respects to the statues (which symbolize the spirit of the Buddha and are not idols), so we just attempted to follow along with what the monks were doing. Breakfast with the monks and laymen was also a new experience, but I didn't find the actual food itself too appealing. Perhaps it was the dim yellow lights-- I like seeing my food in detail before I eat it; it really enhances the consumption of the victuals. But I do know that some found it so delicious that they completely devoured their whole meal. Personally I was slightly afraid of not eating my whole meal, fearing that to do so might have been disrespectful to those that worked so hard to make it. Today's martial arts lesson was also surely new and more exciting, maybe, than yesterday's. We actually got to use weapons and were taught the basics, but now that I reflect upon today's activities, I somewhat regret not choosing to learn the swords first-- as I noticed, it requires a bit of wristwork, which a pianist may find slightly easier than, well, wielding a pole that is lengthier than its own wielder. That's right, Miss "Barely five feet tall" learned how to use poles today; however, just learning a simple trick took a while with all the strange rotating and shifting of the hand positions. Fortunately, I did get the hang of it after a while-- until we ran out of time to learn something else. Hopefully I'll be able to learn a little more someday (perhaps tomorrow, if I'm lucky). Anyways, I still had lots of fun trying to figure out how to move the pole in a swift and fluid motion-- the challenge was intriguing and enticing. Tomorrow's a new day. We'll be practicing the most basic Shaolin kung fu routine again-- as I hear, we'll be performing for the entire school to watch tomorrow. I'll try my hardest not to mess up or become unsynchronized with the rest of the group. Until then, I wish you all a happy evening (or morning, whichever you prefer or fits your time zone). --- ______________________________________________________________________ Shaolin Martial ArtsMonday, August 10, 2009
I'm really looking forward to tomorrow. --- ______________________________________________________________________ Holy Grounds
Yesterday (the tenth of August, for those of you in the States) we entered THE Shaolin Temple. As my parents are Buddhists, the experience for me was one filled with awe.
As we entered, people tried to hawk their souvenir-type goods and cicadas made their strange, constantly scraping sounds. The threshold (a raised step in most entrance doorways) was considerably higher than most we have encountered. (Since devils supposedly have no knees in the Chinese tradition, it is fitting that there would be a raised step to keep these demons out of places, especially one as religious as Shaolin Temple.). Like several places we have visited, the area had a strange sense of mystery and antiquity. Our guide pointed to a massive tree with a trunk perhaps about as wide as the hood of a Toyota Yaris (just estimating here) and said that the temple's history was actually older than the tree itself. Wow. Then we had a lengthy lecture by the lead supervisor of Shaolin Temple. His words were so inspiring and I could even sense that some of my non-Buddhist peers felt the powerful message of his talk. The first section of the lecture was an interesting basic history of the temple's 1200+ years. Although the temple has been rebuilt multiple times on different areas (in the same general place, though), records reveal much about its past. The second part was an open-question section where people could ask about anything; some chose to question two framed sentences on the wall behind the master (which is his title in the temple). He explained basic beliefs of Buddhism and stated that the three things one should avoid (in a sense, three "sins") are anger, greed, and stupidity (also could be ignorance). According to the master, if these feelings can be avoided, then the path to happiness and wisdom will be clearer. This talk really inspired me to strive to become a better person, although it'll be pretty difficult--who can say that he/she hasn't had an elevated temper once in a while? Still, I found myself listening intently as he spoke wise words. Personally, I felt honored just being in his presence due to the circumstances-- Shaolin Temple and my somewhat-Buddhist background. The sounds of evening chants accompanied us as we left the temple. I stepped on the lotus carvings upon the meridian line of the temple, not because I wanted good luck (according to the traditions) but because I'd like to shape myself into a better person, as a lotus plant grows up from within a muddy body of water into a beautiful plant above. --- ______________________________________________________________________ A Long JourneySunday, August 9, 2009
Picturesque views of Chengde and the Summer Resort. Embellishments, gilded roofs, and lavish decorations on the temple buildings. This is only some of what one will find at the largest Buddhist temple in Chengde. We walked through about four hundred steps to reach the top of the temple, and Mr. Liu explained to us the strange coloring of the main building's roof, which appeared to be part grey and part gold. Apparently, the grey parts, which was only on the lower areas of the roof, were tiles with the gold leaf scraped off the top and sold for money before 1949.
We had some excellent panoramic views from the top of the temple and I really enjoyed examining the intricate artwork that adorned the sacred walls. Later that day after a grueling five hour bus trip returning to Beijing, we enjoyed a McDonald's "order-whatever-you-wish-to-eat" meal. Even the normal "McChicken" sandwiches here aren't just plain chicken with crispy stuff on the surface-- actually, I ordered a supposedly "mild" chicken sandwich and it was more picante than even a Carl's Jr. spicy chicken sandwich! I'm glad I changed my mind about ordering the "regular" spicy McChicken. Then we took an overnight train from Beijing to Luoyang. The station was jam-packed with people. Tons of people. Some were milling around, some were waiting for others, but most of them were expecting their trains to begin loading, much like we were. I chatted it up with Mr. Controy as the speakers blared with announcements regarding various information, all in Mandarin, of course. We didn't really know what the announcements were about, really, but whenever they did come on, we stopped talking-- it's impossible to speak over a chaotic combination of hundreds of people shouting to each other and a PA system trying to out-volume the shouting individuals. The cacophony of sound continued as our group boarded the overnight train. The trip was slightly uneventful, but it was a pretty amazing experience (the longest train ride I've ever been on lasted less than forty-five minutes). Becca, Maha, and I hung out with Amanda, Wendy, Master Ping, and Ping's son (whose favorite phrase is "ohmigod!" spoken very quickly and with the fluency of one word), who are staff members with the tour agency. We viewed the pictures taken during the Great Wall hike/climb, and they ranged from the extremely scenic to the incredibly ridiculous. Most of us didn't even go to sleep until the midnight hours, but the pure joy made up for the lost hour(s) of sleep. As for today, we started on our way towards Shaolin Temple; however, there was a short stop to see the Longmen Grottoes. I actually didn't know what was meant by "grotto" until we really saw the place. However, on the way there our new local guide explained that "long" means "dragon" in Chinese (the symbol of the emperor) and that "men" means "gate." We entered the Dragon's Gate and were met by strange holes in the cliff walls. Upon further examination and explanations, the holes revealed the Buddhist statues that were carved centuries ago. The Longmen Grottoes were reserved only for the royalty to create a Buddhist statue in their name. Not that their names were actually carved on these statues, of course-- at least, not any that remain to this day-- but the imperial members could make a "donation" to the emperor and these statues, ranging from four centimeters to 17.4 meters, would be carved for them; this supposedly brought good luck and prosperity. There was a certain grotto (bit more like a shallow cave, actually) that contained 13,000 little Buddhas carved into the sides of the cave. I wondered at the intensive labor it must have taken to create all of those images, detailed as they must have been when they were first carved. Years upon years of work must have been put in by the men who had been commissioned to create the entire place, a great work in progress. Though the grottoes stand today as symbols of the might and power of China's great dynasties, the work of the common people must not be forgotten--their pains and labors made these semi-indestructible monuments to history exist. These are the people we should remember, too. And now I am sitting in a comfortable bus seat, leaning my head against the window and watching the scenery pass by (or, I should say, WE are passing it by). I see workers putting new buildings together and think to myself that these are also ones that must not be forgotten either. We are on the way to Dengfeng now. From there, Shaolin Temple isn't far. I have a feeling that the next few days will be some of the most memorable of my teenage years. --- ______________________________________________________________________ From Wall to WallSaturday, August 8, 2009
It's 4:00 in the afternoon here in Chengde, China, and it is pretty hot outside. Luckily, by setting out to the Imperial Summer Resort around nine in the morning, we avoided the hottest part of the day; that really helped when we hiked the Mini Great Wall, which initially didn't seem to be as arduous as the real Great Wall.
But as for the real Great Wall, which we literally climbed just yesterday, I shall relate. We started out at six-thirty in the morning and our first obstacle was a giant (and relatively steep) hill that had lots of very sheer rocks to scale up. At the top lay a beacon tower that didn't seem to be totally renovated, which gave it an even more ancient sort of atmosphere (especially since it had been built starting in the fourteenth century). Then we set out on our ten-kilometer hike, which was really intense. We made our way through dense brush (which made being short pretty handy), cornfields (which we got lost in and had to backtrack through), and even steep steps on the wall's sinuous course (which made my height a disadvantage when climbing those stairs). Still, it was a challenge, and I most definitely enjoy challenges, even when it means being bitten by insects multiple times on the same leg and scratching my arms when trying to make my way through the forest adjacent to the Great Wall. There were some very narrow parts with 30-foot drops in some places and loose bricks on some staircases, but the fatigue and exhaustion were all worth it just to say "I really climbed the Great Wall of China.". Imagine that. An ancient, centuries-old wall, yet my buddies and I went along a six-mile stretch of it. Though the going was rough sometimes, none could say anything terrible about the Great Wall but instead would have to respect its sheer beauty and majesty. As I hiked, it was easy to imagine people running to and fro, sending messages from tower to tower back then. (That must have been pretty tiring if so.) At the end of our adventure, we all had the opportunity to sign a banner that said, "One is not a hero until he climbs the Great Wall." And I, for one, can now say that I have done so. Today, at the Summer Resort there was a so-called "Mini Great Wall" of China. After the REAL Great Wall we didn't expect this trek to be too difficult; on the contrary, it was actually pretty strenuous due to the lack of steps on most of the uphill sections and the soreness that remained from yesterday's journey. Going downhill was still perilous in some places, but uphill parts were the worst. Tiring, yes, but not terrible. There were some AMAZING views from the peaks of the hills on the Mini Great Wall (see second picture). All in all, it was a great day exploring the Summer Resort in Chengde. I enjoyed comparing the Mini Great Wall to the actual (and still more tiring but more majestic) Great Wall with some new friends. The last week has been one of the most memorable in all my 16+ years of life and I am still amazed that I have been able to experience these adventures. And we still have another week to go. :). I am extremely excited for this. --- ______________________________________________________________________
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