Dr. Jing Tan spent three weeks (May 18-June 9) in Shanghai with her BSU students Stefanie Carreiro, Deana Andrade, Jolee Griffin, and Juliann Manning to research aging populations in China and conduct needs assessments of elder care. The research trip was funded by BSU’s Division of External Affairs and the Adrian Tinsley Program for undergraduate research.Read about their experiences in China below:
June 3, 2011
Today we went to Longhua Temple and Pagoda. This is the oldest and largest monastery in Shanghai that has gone through many renovations over the years. This was the first pagoda we were able to see close up, however we were not able to go into the pagoda because it is not considered to be safe for tourists. The temple itself is most famous for the 6500kg bell which was made in 1894.
After the temple we headed down town to see Pu Dong. As mentioned earlier Pu Dong is the heart of modern china when it comes to archi
tecture. They have several famous buildings the first being the Oriental Pearl T.V. Tower which has become a staple of downtown Pu Dong. The third tallest building in the world is also located in Pu Dong, the Shanghai World Financial Center, which is 1,614 feet tall to put this in perspective it is 400 feet taller than the Empire State Building. Much like the Empire State Building several of the buildings in Pu Do
ng have observation decks, the enable you to view the city from above, we decided to go to the 89th floor of Jin Mao Tower which is the twelfth tallest building in the world, we decided to do this because we wanted to be able to view both the Pearl TV tower and the financial building from the 89th floor both during the day and at night.
After we left the tower we took a walk through the city at night to appreciate all of the buildings lit up. We walked down to the river so that we could see the Bund lit up from the Pu Dong side of the river.
June 2, 2011
Early this morning Julie and Deana continued to distribute surveys. They walked around campus and asked people randomly to participate in the survey and after a short while they were able to get forty surveys completed.
Later on that afternoon we had planned to go to Pu Dong which is the financial district. This district is the heart of modern china. However, when we were walking to get a cab it began to rain, so we needed to change our plans. Instead of going to Pu Dong we decided to go to Shanghai Circus World. The circus in China is very different from the ones here in the states, there are no animals or clowns involved. Instead it is an acrobatics show. This was one of those shows that you would find yourself holding your breath while they did the stunts. There were people conforming their bodies in unimaginable ways, boys jumping and flipping through hoops of all sizes and heights, there was even a guy who balanced on one foot while using the other to kick bowls and cups on top of his head, the most impressive was the couple who were flying through the air using only satin ropes to keep them from falling.
June 1, 2011
Today we slept in for a while and then went to Jingan temple. We actually saw this temple from the highway one day, it stood out because its roof was made of gold and it was built amongst hundreds of years ago and has since been surrounded by modern office and apartment buildings.
The temple itself was beautiful, but unfortunately it was under construction so we were limited to what we were able to see. Over the course of the three weeks we were in China we visited several different temples, one of the more interesting things to see was the different types of Buddha’s that were in each of the temples, and Jingan was no different. I also think that of all the things we saw in china it is safe to say that we appreciated the traditional Chinese architecture the most. We were also fortunate to have Jing with us most of the time; she was like our own personal tour guide. Jing was able to share with
us the meanings and the history behind the buildings we were seeing.
After we visited the temple we found an American restaurant that we had lunch in. For the first time in three weeks we were able to enjoy a sandwich, chocolate cake and a banana split. After lunch we went back to Tianzifang (the art district) we wanted to go back to buy Jing a gift as well as buy gifts for our family, friends and of course ourselves.
May 31, 2011
This morning we went to see The Pirates of the Caribbean 4; it was in English but had Chinese sub-titles. This mall was amazing to see, the way it was designed was beautiful. The theatre itself was much like those we have at home. It was nice to have a touch of hom
e while we were in China, but the movie itself was just ok.
Later in the evening we were planning to take the girls from Shanghai Normal University out for dinner to thank them for all that they had done for us while we were there. We ended up going to Pizza Hut, which is actually a lot different than the pizza huts here in the U.S. Jing had shared with us before we left that Pizza Hut was actually a high end restaurant in china, a restaurant that when it first was introduced in china had lines out the door with people waiting to get in. This was the main reason why we chose to go here for dinner, we thought that it would be interesting to be able to experience it china so we could compare it to home. The menu itself was very similar to the menu back home, however there were several additions to the menu in order to incorporate the Chinese culture. 
Dinner was a lot of fun; we were able to share stories about life in the United States and China. The best part about the whole trip was meeting these six absolutely amazing girls who have had a huge impact on our lives. They only further proved this fact when we were out to dinner. We took them out to say thank you, and at the same time they wanted to thank us. All six of them gave us all gifts, they gave Jing a beautiful tea set and the rest of us each a purse and cell phone charm as well as a coffee mug that had been personally made with a photo of the group of us the first time we went out with them.
Earlier in the week we had learned that Sabrina (one of the girls who had taken us out) had a birthday coming up, so we had decided that it would be fun to celebrate her birthday as well as Jing’s birthday when we were out at dinner. We went to a local bakery and had two cakes made, one for Jing and one for
Sabrina. When dinner was over we brought out the cakes and sang happy birthday, they were both surprised but very happy. When dinner was over and we were walking back to campus the thought that we were probably not going to see these amazing girls again hit us, it was very sad to think that we were only going to be able to stay in contact through email. We are very thankful to be able to call them friends and even though we only knew them for a short while they will forever be a part of our lives.
May 30, 2011
Today we conducted our final focus group. We had the largest turn out for this group with 9 girls participating. Although the questions for the focus groups were all the same, one of the more interesting aspects of completing these groups is that each one brought something different to the table as far as the discussion was concerned. It was a lot of fun to learn about the traditions of Chinese culture when it comes to taking care of the elderly. Most would think that they have a drastically different perspective on the appropriate way to take care of the elders in their families, than we do in the United States. Completing these focus groups allowed us to think critically about the cultural differences among us and consider how these differences shape our lives.
After the focus group concluded several of the girls were interested in coming to YuYuan Garden with
us not only because they wanted to show us around but also because a couple of them had never been and wanted to take the opportunity to go. The YuYuan Garden is a shopping area that has hundreds of shops that sell traditional Chinese artifacts of all types like fans, robes, teapots, art, silk scarves and knickknacks of all types. This became our favorite place in China, not only because this is where we ended up spending the majority of our money on gifts for our family and friends but because the traditional buildings that surround the gardens are beautiful to look at. Tonight we went to a restaurant where they sold one of the most famous Chinese foods, the soup dumpling. This is exactly as it sounds; there are some that you can buy where you literally need a straw to drink the soup before you can eat the dumpling. This was really neat to see.
May
25th, 2011
Today we had lunch with Leeche, a foreign exchange student from china who studied at BSU a few years back. She took us to a restaurant that serves local Shanghai style food. The chopsticks were a slight challenge at times, but we managed to fill up on the delicious entrees that were served family style. Food being served family style is the cultural norm in China. Several dishes are ordered and shared by all. The food is placed on a lazy susan in the middle of the table so each person can easily reach the different plates of food.
After lunch we held our first focus group. The experience was truly amazing. The focus group went off without a hitch and we gained some great information from the participants. Their stories were interesting to listen to and a lot was learned about how the students view their Chinese cultural traditions in regards to their parents and their family. After all the focus group questions were answered by the participants, we stayed and talked with the students as they asked questions about the American culture. It was a great bonding period as we learned about each other and grew to respect each other’s differences. Three of the students that participated in the focus groups took us out later that night to visit Xintiandi. Xintiandi is nicknamed the Architecture District. The nickname is derived from the stunning architecture of the old buildings of Shanghai that were converted into stores and restaurants; carefully keeping their original structure and cobblestone walkways that was once used as roads.
5.26.11
Today we visited Shanghai Zoo. The animals in the zoo were amazing. We saw a panda bear, a red panda, gorillas, orangutans, peacocks, monkeys, and more. The landscaping of the zoo was beautiful with flowers and trees neatly pruned. The habitats in which the animals live are different from our Western standards. The animals that we would see grazing peacefully in grass were grazing on concrete and their water was often not clean. Visitors to the Shanghai zoo fed the animals which disrupted their diet and caused fights between the animals. Despite these differences, the animals were amazing to watch.
5.27.11
Today we met Isabella who is the head of the English Department of Shanghai Normal University. She introduced us to three other English teachers who gave us the opportunity to distribute our surveys to the students in their classes. After the surveys were complete, the students were given the opportunity to prepare questions to ask us. Their questions ranged from pop-culture, to education, to sports, and fashion. The students were intrigued with the American culture which led to a remarkable exchange of cultural understanding that I don’t think any of us will forget. We then had lunch on campus with Isabella, Chrystal (SNU professor who will be teaching at BSU starting September 2011), and Jing. Thank you for the treat Chrystal. After lunch we held our second focus group during the students’ “English Corner” run by Isabella. The English corner is a study group in which the student speaks English to practice for their exam. Our focus group was the perfect opportunity for the students to apply the skills they have learned in Isabella’s English class and apply them to everyday conversation. Later that night we visited Tianzifang which is known as the art district. We were able to visit the studios of local artists to view and purchase their original photographs and paintings. This area also had many stores to buy traditional Shanghai items to bring home for souvenirs. We were able to use our bargaining skills to get the best price possible for the items we wanted to buy. We then had dinner in an Italian restaurant. The food was good and we were able to use forks! The two-story restaurant boasted hand carved details that showed Shanghai’s old style architecture.
5.28.11
Today we had the pleasure of shopping locally with three Shanghai Normal University students we met through one of our focus groups. They showed us their favorite stores in the area near the University. We ate at hot pot restaurant in which a steel pot is placed in the middle of the table on a heating element. Once the water and spices was hot enough, we placed the food into the pot to cook. We cooked seaweed, egg dumplings, meat, fish balls, and vegetables. It was fun to cook our food this way, and it was delicious.
5.29.11
Today we visited Zhouzhuang. Zhouzhuang is China’s most famous water town located near Shanghai. Water surrounds the small town filled with shops, homes, and restaurants. The town reminded us of a small Venice as we enjoyed a water tour through the town in a handmade gondola while being serenaded, in local tongue, by the gentlemen stearing the boat with a bamboo paddle. Later that night we found one of the three Dunkin Donuts in Shanghai. 
May 20th
Our very first day at Shanghai Normal University was very busy! We started with attending a morning meeting with professors and faculty that were willing to help us with our research. One faculty member, Helen, gave us gifts from the university. We were given a “Shanghai Normal University” t-shirt, and a very nice pen with Chinese writing on it. We were welcomed very happily by the staff. Professor Dai, an English professor at the University, shared with us different English classes that he had that could participate in our surveying, and participate in focus group discussions. Crystal, a professor at the University who is studying at BSU next year, offered us help with anything that we may need. After the meeting, the faculty members treated us to lunch on campus, and made sure that we felt comfortable and settled in. We met with Amanda, a BSU exchange student who was at Shanghai Normal University for this past year. Amanda also had lunch with us and the staff. During lunch, we made plans with her to see if we could sit in one of her classes to see what it was like. Later that day, we were able to go to her Chinese language class with her, and had the opportunity to observe the classroom setting, meet students, and learn a few Chinese characters!
Also, in our first day there we had time to distribute surveys to one classroom to get the research started. This was in a classroom that was part of the college of finance.
May 21st
On the 21st, we visited Yuyuan Garden. This was an area of the city that had many shops and traditional Chinese food places. The area also had a Chinese tea house that was raised above water, with a zig-zag bridge that traveled over the water to the tea house. We admired the beautiful architecture on all of these buildings, which were very creatively constructed.
During our journey to Yuyuan Garden we learned that pedestrians do not have the right away on the streets, and that we had to be very careful, and become alert and observant of the cultural differences of traffic and travel. We were also in culture shock when trying new foods and attempting to eat it with chop sticks! This is something that took some time to master. We had fun together in our very first attempts to understand and comply with a brand new culture.
May 22nd
On this Sunday, we went to St. Ignatious Catholic Church. Those of us who were Catholic were happy to have the ability to have a place to feel at home, even when on the opposite side of the world! The Catholic masses are the same all around the world, and it was interesting to observe that when in the midst of a culture that is so different from ours, we always found shared similarities here and there.
We later went to a shopping mall in this same area of town (called Xujiahui). These shops were more high-end than the other ones we have seen, so we just window-shopped and observed all the busy activity within the mall and the streets.
May 23rd
This day, we visited the Shanghai Museum. We observed ancient Chinese jade carvings, different historical Chinese paper and coin currencies, traditional clothing displays, ancient Chinese sculpture, and much more. We learned about previous Chinese dynasties, and how the culture has changed over time.
May 24th
On the 24th, we went to two of Professor Dai’s English major classes. We were able to distribute surveys during this time. We also recruited volunteers for participating in our future focus group interviews. After all business was done, we stood in front of the class and answered any questions that the students had about us or America. Many were interested in what college life was like in the U.S., and marveled at the diverse population that Bridgewater holds as we tried to paint a picture of what BSU was like.
We ended up getting some volunteers from these classes that participated in the focus groups, some of whom ended up befriending us after. This was the start of us making friends on campus. The connections we made with these people, and the generosity and kindness that both parties gave without hesitation, created a comforting feeling in all of us.
