"In Summary" - Marie Richards

While at Furman Jason and I both participated in foreign study programs. As did my roommates and most of my other friends. We all consider those experiences to count among our very best times at Furman, even if we do argue over whose trip was better. This China trip offered us the opportunity to travel again in a similar manner complete with lectures, foreign students, and even a reading list. Our small group also replicated foreign study. People from many different backgrounds, jobs, and ages, but who all had Furman in common.

China has long been on our short list of destinations, but the Furman trip offered many unique opportunities - most of them due to Dr. Kaup. Kate Kaup is a superhero. She provided a historical and cultural context for the places we visited and the people we talked to. She served as a translator, tour guide, money changer, professor, therapist, airline reservation clerk, and fixer. When a question was not answered to her satisfaction, Kate would stare at the person and say, "What is to be done?" In Chinese, of course. Then she would wait until she got the answer she desired. She organized meetings with alumni, university officials, embassy staff, and local villagers. Have an interest in health care? Kate found a traditional Tibetan medical doctor. Like rugs? She located a rug factory to visit...as well as a showroom to buy the rugs. Kate is a renowned scholar on China, but she never acted as though she was too important to answer our basic questions.

Thank you to Dr. Kaup for hosting our trip. Thank you to the many people at Furman who helped organize the logistics. Thank you to Furman for putting an emphasis on Asian Studies and for hiring Dr. Kaup. We look forward to more trips and opportunities like this in the future, although it will be almost impossible to match the majesty of China.

"Child-rearing in China" - Marie Richards

Most people in China do not use diapers. Children have a slit in their pants to allow them to poop when the need arises. Kate said that in some areas the mother whistles in a special way to signal to the child to defecate. And my child won't even use the potty....

The people we encountered on our trip put a personal face on China's one child policy. Our host family described to us how they desperately wanted a second child. Some families are able to have a second child and pay a fine. This was not a possibility for our hosts because they worked for the university and a government agency, and would lose their jobs if they had another child. They expressed hope that the regulations may be loosened in the future.

The policy seems to have great variability. At one time minorities were allowed to have more than one child, but this is no longer the case. Yet our tour guide in Tibet has two kids. Another person informed us that since she and her fiance were both only children, they would be allowed to have two kids. In some rural areas, it is acceptable to have more than 1 child if the first one is female.

There are concerns that China is cultivating a society of overindulged "little emperors" with their one child policy. After meeting our host families, some group members described spoiled kids and rooms overflowing with toys. But as the parent of a young child, I am often ashamed of the excess toy supply at my own home. However, the social consequences of this government policy are likely to be long-reaching. What type of effects result from a society of predominantly male only children remain to be seen.

"Beijing" - Dave Ellison

This is a beautiful city. Wide avenues, lots of parks and flowers, and landscaped. It's also huge with about 18 million people. I like it a lot better than Shanghai as Beijing feels much more open visibly. We are having a great time but tomorrow - last day in China - should be the best with visit to Tiananmen Square, Mao's tomb and The Forbidden City. That is in the morning.

Today, Kate Kaup's sister Virginia, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi (she's the #2 person at a 700 person operation) arrived in Beijing in time for drinks and dinner. And tomorrow she will accompany us in the afternoon to our embassy here for a private briefing. Tomorrow night we have our final dinner together of Peking Duck.

Tonight we went to a delicious meal in a private restaurant room in a quaint shopping district and were joined by Adrian ?, a Chinese-American who is a young lawyer (probably about 30) with the Natural Resources Defense Counsel here. He holds degrees from UT-Austin in electrical engineering and Harvard Law. He grew up in Houston. He explained to us what is going on in China regarding environmental and energy policy. Basically, the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) is driven to become energy self-sufficient. A coal-dependent country, 2007 was the first year China became a net importer of coal. It was a wake-up call. So lots of alternative energy investment is happening, plus a Chinese Clean Air Act is moving to become law to help on the environmental front. Dinner took an interesting turn. Even though we had two "experts" on U.S.-Asia relations present in Kate and Virginia - we spent time discussing urban planning in the U.S. led by Ron McKinney, Coleman Shouse and Jason Richards who have varying disciplines and perspectives on the subject.

This trip mimics what I expect Kate is trying to accomplish with Furman undergrads: it's primarily about learning rather than pure sight-seeing. We are all ignorant about China, so pretty much sponges every day. A lot to learn, but what a way to learn it!

"What goes up...." - Marie Richards

...must come down!

Our amazing trip to the Great Wall of China (false advertising - it is actually more than 1 wall) began with a lift to the top. A chair lift that is.

Once there, we were able to marvel at the majesty of the Wall. And then begin to climb it!

There were two options to get down from the wall: take the shaky chair lift back down or speed down a chute in your own personal tobaggon!

The racetrack

Go, Dave, Go!

Tobaggon guards were placed at intervals along the track. As expected, the boys were all instructed to slow down, and the ladies were told to speed up!

"Lost in Translation" - Marie Richards

A collection of our favorite signs:

"May we remind you: Please be self-restraint and be a good tourist to mold a well mannered imagination."

Yak Yoghourt? Ewwww.

Public shower? Double ewww.

Do not disturb the relics.

Many signs reflected a fear of liability....

"As the lake is very deep, tourists should not swim as he/she wanted. If you go across this rule then have to accept the consequences by yourself."

Dotice the Notice.

Does anyone ever sue the Communist government?

"Xian and onto Beijing" - Tom Triplitt

We had one full day in Xi'an, and it is a city of contrasts, as is all of China.It is an ancient walled city and was once the capital of China. The ancient wall was our first stop. It is most famous for its Terra Cotta Warriors, discovered by a farmer in 1974. Visiting that tourist side is a bit like Disney World, but still impressive when one thinks of how long ago that massive project was done.

Terracotta Warriors

Terracotta Horses

On the way to the Terra Cotta Warrior site, we passed by people living in caves which are easy to dig due to the soil conditions, a man relieving himself in his back yard which faces the modern toll road and much modern development.

We then went to an old part of Xi'an and visited a very Chinese-looking Mosque which was begun during the times of the active Silk Road trade when people from other cultures came into China. It is surrounded by an amazing shopping area where we further honed our bargaining skills. I got some great knock-off RayBan Wayfarers for $5. They have better optics that my $60 sunglasses.

Tired Group

Xi'an is famous for its dumplings, so we went out for a 20-course dumpling feast. Note the picture of Kate posing by the giant dumpling. A great time was had by all.

Kate, Tom and Coleman visit the Dumpling

We were up at 5 the next day for our flight to Beijing. We had a great flight and landed to sunshine, blue skies and nice breeze. After dropping off our bags at the hotel we went to the Temple of Heaven. It is huge site where the Emperor went to speak with god. It is a beautiful green space in a bustling city. Kate then took us to her favorite pearl market and we bargained some more. Ask anyone of the trip about the physical shopping experience of the second floor. It is the stuff of nightmares.

Lost!

Found

We met Brittany West '09 for dinner and conversation. Brittany is finishing up a year of intensive language training in Beijing and hopes to get her work visa and work for a local developer as his interpreter.

Meeting Brittany West in Beijing

We then all moaned about going to Beijing Opera after such a long day, but eveyone enjoyed the athleticism of the Monkey King as he defeated the warriors who had come to capture him.

We are looking forward to the Great Wall on Wednesday and meeting Kate's sister, who works for the State Department in Vietnam.

"FU One Time" - Marie Richards

Furman Spirit Pervades China.....

Go FU!

Paladins Everywhere

Even a Purple Bus!

And Purple Dumplings!

"Land of Contrasts" - Marie Richards

China, the land of pagodas and construction cranes.

"Clean Air in Xian" - Kate Kaup

All things are relative. I woke up this morning in Xian, looked out the window at a city covered in brown thick smog, took a deep breath and thought “aaahhh! It feels GREAT to be able to breathe in the air again!” It was a bit tough to breathe in Lhasa given the altitude, but at least the air was crisp and the sky blue. Here in Xian, there is a constant brown haze mixed with the dust of the large-scale construction projects in progress across the city.

"Lhasa with Xian" - Coleman Shouse

We are off to see the “soldiers” this morning. Xian was the first and longest serving capital city of China. There are about 80 burial sites in Xian. As I went outside this morning there was the strong oder of burning coal and the sun was filtered by dense smog. This is a strong contrast from Lhasa where the air is clear and the sun is bright.

As we drove to the Lhasa airport yesterday we stopped in a small natural village and visited the family. They served us tea and allowed us to see the interior of their home. That was a special experience. Somewhat later on the main highway to the airport we stopped at a Buddhist shrine. I spent most of the time watching the activity on the highway. Remember that we were in the middle of nowhere but there were people walking dogs, selling melons with their children helping, small tractors with large trailers, trucks, modified garden tractors with carts, modified motorcycles with carts, cars, buses and bicycles most with carts. All of these modes of transportation safely share the same space. By the way I have seen only one pickup truck since being in China.

The temperature in Xian today will be in the high 80's.

"The Sequel" - Marie Richards

After a brief absence in Tibet,

the Lazy Susan has returned for it's sequel:

"Furman Eats China"

"Last Day in Tibet" - Tom Triplitt

On Saturday in Tibet, we visited the Samye Monastery, the oldest monastery in Tibetan Buddhism. The Monastery was amazing, getting to see the room where the Dali Lama slept and entertained guests while visiting there. As we were leaving the monks were just settling down to study and began chanting and playing music. Although we felt a bit like intruders, it was a moving experience.

Traveling to the monastery may have been the most interesting part. To say it was remote would be a bit of an understatement. We traveled two hours by bus to a ferry stop, then took a 30 minute boat ride upstream on the Yalungtzangpo River and then another 30 minute bus ride over dirt and sand roads to get to the town and monastery. We had lots of laughs over lunch and restroom facilities. We raced back to Lhasa for a traditional Tibetan dinner and native dance performance before turning in.

On the way to the boat

The Ferry!

Our Boat Guide

On the River

Bus to the Monastery

Local Dance Performance

Chairman Kate actually let us sleep in on Sunday! We did not have to board our purple bus until 9:30 AM for a relaxing day and our flight to Xi'an. We stopped by a Tibetan rug factory, a roadside shrine featuring a Buddha carved into a rock face and the home of a Tibetan family in a typical village.

Our hosts in the village

After an uneventful flight from Lhasa to Xi'an and dinner in the Xi'an airport (another lazy susan) we arrived at the beautiful Sheraton Xi'an hotel about 9:30 PM.



Tibetan Rug Workers

"Tibetan Idol!" - Marie Richards

A local man competes for fame and fortune on the next hit series, Tibetan Idol!

"On Top of The World!" - Marie Richards

Even in the most remote area on the rooftop of the world, technology provides a common language....

Dave shows a local Tibetan man a soccer match on his Blackberry.

Even monks need phones....

and digital cameras too!

"Samye Monastery" - Kathy McKinney

Returned from Samye monastery- one of the oldest monasteries in Tibet. Traveled across a river surrounded by dramatic mountain terrain in a boat reminiscent of that in the African Queen. At one point we pulled up beside a boat of monks in their red robes who started waving and taking our pictures and we did the same. Lots of laughter and smiles were shared. Inside the monastery we heard the musical chanting. An overload of sights, sounds, and smells of yak butter candles. I have learned so much in just one week ... That the Furman students stay a semester is an experience that cannot be replicated.

"A Harmonious Society" - Marie Richards

“The police love the people. The people love the police. Increase the love between the people and the police to build a harmonious society” read a billboard in Tibet.

Unlike the other cities we visited, the police were evident everywhere in the Autonomous Region of Tibet. The increased police presence was attributed to the protests that occurred in Tibet in 2008. They watched the pilgrims. They stood guard in the temple. They marched down the sidewalks and stood watch on street corners. They do not allow pictures and their solemn faces made a stark contrast to the easy grins of the Tibetans. After our bus waited patiently for a convoy of more than 20 military lorries to pass and then being flipped off by a soldier, I can understand why Tibetans are not loving the police. Although it is not as obvious in other parts of China, President Hu’s goal of a social harmony is being built upon stifling any thing that does not fit his catchphrase.

"Changes in Tibet" - Kate Kaup

Just a couple of minutes to write before we head off to Samye Monestary, Tibet’s first monestary.

We had a fascinating day yesterday. What struck me the most was the huge increase in military presence. I was here last in 2001. There was a clear police presence, but nothing like we’ve seen this trip. On the way to the Jokhang, there were small military stations with six police with clear full-body shields and machine guns facing out in all four directions…about every 100 yards! On the Jokhang, there were PLA soldiers, People’s Armed Police, and some Tibetan police. You can feel a clear undercurrent of resentment among the Tibetans—noone’s saying anything hugely overt, but they’ll make comments like “there used to be a Medical Temple on that hill across from the Potala until the Chinese tore it down and put up a TV tower” or “everything’s been reversed since 1959 [when the Tibetans rebelled against the PRC and were crushed]” or “everyone in this traditional Tibetan office is Tibetan…except for the First Party Secretary who runs everything.”

I tried to line up several innocuous visits (to a health clinic, for example) but was told by friends of friends who very much wanted to help us that it was “against regulations.” Breaks my heart. The situation is always tense in Tibet, but particularly so since the March 2008 protests. Though the protests occurred in dozens of Tibetan counties and were overwhelmingly peaceful, the Chinese press (extraordinarily tightly controlled when it comes to issues of “ethnic unity” and “social harmony”) focused only on those that escalated into some physical clashes and the press, of course, entirely left out the underlying causes of Tibetan resentment (which we’re seeing clearly, by the way, in the shape of upscale car dealerships and businesses run entirely by Han Chinese and all party positions being headed by Han Chinese).

OK…our taskmaster…I mean fine study leader…has us heading out the door now for another full day. More later!

"Devotion" - Marie Richards

Despite the perception that religion is not allowed in China, Buddhism is one of five legal types of organized worship. When discussing religion with some Han Chinese, we received a variety of opinions. One person told us that Buddhism is considered a religion to the poor or uneducated people, but those with education view Buddhism more as a philosophy than a religion. Another person told me that Buddhism is a spiritual way to connect with nature and a higher order world. She felt this was something that Chinese people had traditionally possessed, but were currently in danger of losing.

In Lhasa, Buddhism pervades daily life. Kate described Tibetan Buddhism as a way of being that cannot be separated into categories such as religion or philosophy. Pilgrims swarmed the Barkhor area navigating the kora (circuit) that runs around the Jokhang Temple. Many pilgrims would prostrate every 3 steps as a way of demonstrating devotion. First, they would raise their hands above their head with palms pressed together to symbolize the soul. Then they would lower their hands to rest in front of their faces to indicate speech. Finally, they would place their hands in front of their chest to represent the mind. After completing the arm movements, the pilgrims lowered themselves to their knees and then lay on the ground facing down. They would stand, walk 3 steps, and repeat the process. At some point in history, the pilgrims got smart and started wearing kneepads. They also had rectangular wooden blocks attached to their hands, which made a clapping sound as they prostrated.








The Jokhang Temple was not the only place that we witnessed the prostrations. There are 3 circuits around Lhasa and pilgrims could be viewed doing this on sidewalks across the city. We also witnessed the influence of Buddhism in everyday life. Many people twirled prayer wheels while walking through the street or engaging in normal activities. The local village home we visited had a room dedicated to a Buddhist shrine. Tibetan Buddhism is fascinating and impressive, as are the people who engage in it.

"Impressions of Tibet" - Dave Ellison

Potala Palace, Home of the Dali Lama

Friday afternoon in Lhasa after arriving from terribly smoggy Shanghai yesterday afternoon. The good news is the air is finally clean. The bad news is there isn't much of it at almost 12,000 feet elevation. Even with Diamox, I had a rough start and didn't feel even close to normal until this morning.

This morning's visit to the Jokhang Monestary, we understand the holiest place in Tibet, was packed with pilgrims, for many of whom this is a once-in-a-lifetime visit. From there we visited - and climbed- the majestic Potala Palace. It's the signature landmark of Lhasa. Then after watching "monk debates" at the Sera Monestary, we stopped in the bazaar in Lhasa for an hour of shopping. It's been our most active walking day.

Impressions and some of what we learned:

Tibet is part of China and has about 25% of her land mass, but it is very different. It has its own language, ethnicity, and Buddhism is entrenched despite the best efforts of the Central Govt to discourage it. However, one sees the PLA (Chinese army) all over. And Han Chinese, the dominant Chinese ethnic group, now make up perhaps 40% of Tibet. China is paying the big bucks to Han to get them to move here. Lhasa is a combination of first and third world urban feel. And its very dry.

Dr. Kate Kaup is knowledgeable, fluent, full of energy and fun. Pretty good combination of qualities to lead us. This is an amazing experience for Frances and me. I hope Furman alumni and friends will take advantage of these opportunities in the future.

"First Full Day in Tibet" - Tom Triplett

Our Purple Paladin Bus

The Potala Palace

We had our first FULL day in Tibet on Friday, May 21st. Everyone suffered a bit on our first night from the altitude, but everyone answered the bell on Friday morning.

Our first stop was the Jokhang Monastery in the center of downtown Lhasa. It is a very old monastery and most crowded place I have ever been. Pilgrims were coming from all over to visit the shrines, some of them going full prostrate every THREE steps to pray. There devotion is unbelievable. There was much yak butter and incense being burned inside. Truly an experience of a lifetime being in there.

Tibet pilgrims praying outside Jokhang Monastery

A market outside of Jokhang Monastery



Amazing woodwork

Our next stop was a hospital nearby that practiced traditional Tibetan medicine. We had a brief lecture on their practices by a doctor there. It was most interesting. For all you biology majors out there, he told us they figured out that the development of the fetus closely resembles the stages of evolution. In Biology 21, Dr. Pielieu taught us that morphology recapitulates phylogeny.
They figured this out about 700 AD!

A native Tibetan Medicine Hospital

Our next stop was the Potala Palace, home of the Dali Lama. We had a set time we needed to be there, so we got take-out, Tibetan style. Kate ran into a shop and got us some Tibetan qiches and muffins to eat on the way.

The Potala Palace is so big you have to see it to believe and you can't take pictures inside. Going to the top is quite a feat, especially at 13,000 feet, but we all made it and were glad we did.

Information on the Potala Palace

After a late lunch, we went to the Sera Monastery just outside of town. We were able to observe monks debating religious topics in their unique style.

Monks debating at Sera Monastery

Prayer wheels at Sera

Kate then took us to the market ouside the Jokhang Monastery for about an hour of shopping and bargaining with the local vendors. Some were better bargainers than other, but everyone came away with some treasures from Tibet. We had a late dinner at an upstairs restaurant downtown and then crashed.

Market Square

Saturday we look forward to a monastery out in the countryside and a visit to a village medical clinic.

A beautiful Tibetan Family photo