2009 Beijing: Day Four
Global Studies Starts With Relationships!
Today we had our earliest start yet (8:30 a.m.). From the hotel lobby, we slumbered to the bus; however Tour Commandant David mustered us through music. He taught us to sing a Chinese song about the jasmine flower. Poly’s world premiere will be Friday at PS 161. Jenny and Brigitte also performed “Little Shop of Horrors”; their dedication to Poly’s spring musical knows no bounds.
Our first destination was the Summer Palace. This imperial property was the longtime home to the Qing Dynasty and was made famous by Empress Dowager Xisi. The grounds is significantly larger than Forbidden City, contains the longest single corridor in the world (check out The Guiness Book of World Records) nearly one kilometer long, and was burned to the ground only to rebuilt early in the 20th century. David explained to us the symbolism in the bronzed animals (including a horse with dragon-scaled skin, deer-like antlers, and a lion’s face) and the scrolls, and he also explained the fire protection system employed by the Qing. We walked along Kunming Lake and then ascended Longevity Hill. After scaling numerous 3” in steps, we reached the top where a spectacular view of Beijing awaited us. On this cloudless day, we could see the immenseness of Beijing. We then continued through the Summer Palace grounds stopping at the Marble Boat and a few other spots.
For lunch, we stopped at a Beijing noodles shop. We watched the chefs make the noodles by slicing thin layers off the raw dough. Meanwhile Cam entertained us with tales from his recent travels.
Our final stop was School Year Abroad-Beijing that is located on the grounds of Erfuzhoung-one of the top ten high schools in the capitol city. After a brief introduction, the school’s director sent us to watch an English class for Chinese students. For the first 45 minutes, the teacher reviewed the homework and explained vocabulary. At break, a voice came over the loud speaker and one student went to the front of the classroom and led his peers through a ten-minute facial massage. The idea is to massage the pressure points on the face and neck. Several in our group want to add a five-minute massage break after each class-without lengthening the day. After we de-stressed, the teacher had his students and Poly students discuss issues around their own lives.
The Poly students then met with the American students in SYA-Beijing. When the two groups convened, there was no reluctance nor hesitation about meeting strangers. The Poly students went home, via the bus or walking, with the SYA students for dinner. There were four to five Poly people in each group. When we reconvened three hours later, the Poly students had vastly different experiences, though all were uniquely wonderful. Some groups made dumplings or other Chinese food types, some had Peking Duck, some sang the “Jasmine Flower” song with their Chinese family, some laughed their way through dinner, and all thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity. When the Poly students boarded the bus, they could not stop talking about the conversations and the opportunity to share a meal within the homes of regular Chinese citizens. On the bus, the energized students sounded like a flock of cackling geese. The priority in developing this trip was not to see sights, but rather to interact with Chinese citizens, young and old. It is through these global interactions that different nationalities can learn from each other and their cultures. Our students’ enthusiasm tonight validates Poly’s Global Studies Program’s emphasis on developing global relationships.
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Our first destination was the Summer Palace. This imperial property was the longtime home to the Qing Dynasty and was made famous by Empress Dowager Xisi. The grounds is significantly larger than Forbidden City, contains the longest single corridor in the world (check out The Guiness Book of World Records) nearly one kilometer long, and was burned to the ground only to rebuilt early in the 20th century. David explained to us the symbolism in the bronzed animals (including a horse with dragon-scaled skin, deer-like antlers, and a lion’s face) and the scrolls, and he also explained the fire protection system employed by the Qing. We walked along Kunming Lake and then ascended Longevity Hill. After scaling numerous 3” in steps, we reached the top where a spectacular view of Beijing awaited us. On this cloudless day, we could see the immenseness of Beijing. We then continued through the Summer Palace grounds stopping at the Marble Boat and a few other spots.
For lunch, we stopped at a Beijing noodles shop. We watched the chefs make the noodles by slicing thin layers off the raw dough. Meanwhile Cam entertained us with tales from his recent travels.
Our final stop was School Year Abroad-Beijing that is located on the grounds of Erfuzhoung-one of the top ten high schools in the capitol city. After a brief introduction, the school’s director sent us to watch an English class for Chinese students. For the first 45 minutes, the teacher reviewed the homework and explained vocabulary. At break, a voice came over the loud speaker and one student went to the front of the classroom and led his peers through a ten-minute facial massage. The idea is to massage the pressure points on the face and neck. Several in our group want to add a five-minute massage break after each class-without lengthening the day. After we de-stressed, the teacher had his students and Poly students discuss issues around their own lives.
The Poly students then met with the American students in SYA-Beijing. When the two groups convened, there was no reluctance nor hesitation about meeting strangers. The Poly students went home, via the bus or walking, with the SYA students for dinner. There were four to five Poly people in each group. When we reconvened three hours later, the Poly students had vastly different experiences, though all were uniquely wonderful. Some groups made dumplings or other Chinese food types, some had Peking Duck, some sang the “Jasmine Flower” song with their Chinese family, some laughed their way through dinner, and all thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity. When the Poly students boarded the bus, they could not stop talking about the conversations and the opportunity to share a meal within the homes of regular Chinese citizens. On the bus, the energized students sounded like a flock of cackling geese. The priority in developing this trip was not to see sights, but rather to interact with Chinese citizens, young and old. It is through these global interactions that different nationalities can learn from each other and their cultures. Our students’ enthusiasm tonight validates Poly’s Global Studies Program’s emphasis on developing global relationships.
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