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China's Political Landscape
Before I came to China, I had a rigid understanding of the political situation
here. I believed that any view critical of the government would be censored,
while any view inflating the government was sanctioned. I thought that the state
regulated all advertisements and news stories to promote Communist ideals. I
imagined the Chinese people to hold a wide range of opinions and beliefs that
no one ever heard because they were suppressed. But living here for more than
three months now, I have finally begun to piece together the immense complexity
of the Chinese political canvas. Informing each aspect of my life here with a
new significance, politics has even made its way into my work.
more >>
Speaking Louder Than a Space Heater
The class couldn’t stop laughing as two young women made their way clumsily
through the makeshift obstacle course I had created. I had instructed everyone
to stay as quiet as possible, a rule that was quickly broken. But silence soon
set in when the two women halted. One of them was blindfolded, relying on her
partner to lead her through a mess of chairs and blankets. Her hesitation had
grown strong, and she parked herself in front of a blanket, refusing to crawl
under. more >>
Goose Farming, Sugar Cane and Broken Mandarin
Surrounded by magnificent mountains on four sides, I dragged my tired feet through
the cornfields of Yunnan. A sunburnt farmer led a plow through the earth to our left
as his wife dutifully collected dried cornhusks. The silence of the place (all one
could hear were the distant murmurs of geese) was an intimidating contrast to the
shopping malls and traffic jams of Shanghai. I had been accompanying the Project
Grace (PG) Dali team through the farming villages of Yongping county in Yunnan
province for two days. Although I was present only as an observer, the scenery
and many of the events had already impacted me on a personal level. Back in
Shanghai two days later, I knew that I would not be able to forget the lives and
stories of the Chinese peasants we had met. more >>
Awkward Yet Beautiful: Indigenous Culture in Yunnan
I see the women everywhere – sitting in the street, getting off the bus, and
making their way through the open market. They dress in plainclothes of various
shades of blue, their aprons stand out in the crowd, a solemn reminder of life’s
less glamorous struggles. Rather than decoration, these aprons serve the much more
practical purpose of aiding the women carrying loads of vegetables and spices to
sell to passersby. Their produce is fresh and colorful, yet their weary voices
compete with each other to sell a carrot for more than a few cents. The tourist
industry has invented its own “Bai costume” for the masses of tourist groups that
visit the region. Almost completely white, adorned with pink, purple, and black
floral trim, this ceremonial version of the costume lacks all the wisdom and depth
of the sturdy blue apron. Nevertheless, local vendors insist on marketing this
imitation, content to let their authentic lives be forgotten as they cash in the
yuan. more >>
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