Qufu - Mt. Tai - Chinese Cuisine

This past weekend, we visited the city of Qufu, located in the Southwest of Shandong Province. Qufu has a population of about 640,000 people, many of whom are descendents of the world-renowned teacher and philosopher Confucius. This is because Qufu is actually his hometown. Confucius was born in Qufu over 3,500 years ago, but his influence on Chinese society and culture can be seen to this very day. During our time there, we were able to visit the Confucius Temple, the Confucius Mansion, and the Confucius Cemetery. Construction of the Temple first started around 478 B.C. (the year after Confucius’s death) and the Mansion was home to his first grandson [below: Confucius Temple].


[below: Marina, Britton, and Brek experience the preferred method of punishment for recalcitrant servants at the Confucius Mansion. Imagine kneeling here for a day or two]


Walking around both sites, we admired the beautiful courtyards and intricate stone engravings. The Confucius Cemetery was breathtaking to say the least and was certainly like no cemetery I had visited before. Located on the bank of a river and nestled within endless trees and layers of green, one can’t help to feel as though they’re in another world [below: Confucius gravesite]


The next day, we woke up early to attempt the ascent of Mount Tai - 1,425 meters above sea level. This turned into a much more grueling expedition than many of us had expected. Everyone traveled at their own pace with finishing times ranging from two and a half to four and a half hours [below: climbing Mt. Tai].


Thankfully, there was a trolley and bus option for those who couldn’t make the entire climb by foot. Even though it wasn’t particularly sunny, everyone who made the whole climb by foot was pouring sweat by the time they reached the top of the 8,000 plus stairs. However, the view on the way up was spectacular with lush greenery surrounding us on all sides and ancient Chinese script carved artfully into slabs of stones we passed along the way, which more than made up for the physical exhaustion.

While enthusiastic venders hawked their goods, we hiked alongside many ethnic Chinese of all ages as they made the pilgrimage to the top of this famous stairway. All in all it was quite an experience. Finally reaching the end of the stairs and realizing the sheer beauty of both the view and the architecture that surrounded us was breathtaking. And even though many of us suffered sore legs the day after the climb, everyone who made the trek by foot was glad they had. It added a strong sense of self-accomplishment to the already amazing experience. [below: the end of a rough trip to Qufu / Mt. Tai]



Our encounter with exotic Chinese food did not end in Shanghai. Whether you're in a supermarket, restaurant or walking along the city streets, you are bound to find something new and unique. While visiting Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius, a group of our students had the opportunity to eat scorpions. Even Shane Butler, a vegetarian, was willing to partake in this experience. When the waitress brought out the tower of scorpions, the facial expressions of the students said it all. Most were hesitant to bite into the scorpions, which still had the stinger intact. Amazingly, all of the students were up for the challenge. And aside from the large and juicy scorpions, most of the students would say this delicacy wasn't so bad after all. Along with scorpions, students have encountered other dishes such as cow stomach, snake and donkey sandwiches. [below: scorpions…eat them up, yum]


[below: Cody goes for it]


As time has progressed, one of the more difficult aspects of living in China is adjusting to the food. One thing that we found common from continent to continent, is that no matter where you travel, cafeteria food is cafeteria food and next to never appetite appeasing. Mysterious dishes were charming at first, but after weeks of wary sampling and playing Russian Roulette with our stomachs, many students have found themselves with intense cravings for food from home. Many students have begun venturing out to markets as far as 20 minutes away to purchase wheat bread, cheese, steak without bones, and the ever-desirable avocado. However, students have found a particularly delicious restaurant a mere five-minute walk away. Commonly referred to as “The Spot” or “The Chinese Place,” students eat at least one meal a day there. Because our Chinese skills are coming along slowly (although surely) we have communal menus that students pass from group to group in order to place our orders. A meal to stuff 9 people includes, but is not limited to, two plates of fried rice, sweet and sour soup, 2 eggplant dishes, salt marinated bok choy and mushrooms, kung pow chicken, orange pork, and bottled water, all for the price of about 125 RMB, or roughly $17 US dollars. Needless to say, SBCC has become this restaurant’s new biggest supporter.

Classes began for Dr. Yonemura and Dr. Mooney's courses a few weeks ago. Everyone is adjusting to these fast-paced classes as they are only six-week courses. Midterms have already arrived and finals are just a few weeks away. Living in China has made both courses (Asian American Studies and History of China & Japan in the Modern World) all the more interesting. Being able to experience first hand what we have learned about, rather than only hearing it in the classroom, has been quite rewarding.

The internship that we have been participating in with the Chinese students has been very exciting. Not only have we been able to help them with improving their conversational English, but we are able to exchange cultural lessons with each other with great results. We have taught them about American culture, American TV and movies, leisurely activities, and other points of interest to them. Our students have helped us with improving what little Chinese most of us speak so that we can get around easier and order better food. They have also taken us to good restaurants around town so they can show us what is good to eat, and what they like to eat. This week is a national holiday for them, so most of the students have gone home to visit family, so this week we don't meet with them. We cannot wait until next week when they return and we are able to continue our mutual cultural/linguistic learning exchange.

- Tarah, Kyra, Marina, Cody, Rich, Shane, Kevin E.

Experience in China

Looking like one of them, I’ve been treated more like a local than a foreigner. For instance, on the group train ride to Jinan from Shanghai, a police officer or some official pulled me off to the side to speak or go with him because he thought I was Chinese. I told him (in Chinese) that I was an American and he didn’t believe it so he was about to take me away only to be intercepted by Doctor Yonemura with her saying that she was my laoshe. I had another incident where some official pulled me off stage at a club forcefully because, just like before, of my … apparently very Chinese appearance. On the brighter side, I don’t get called over, hassled and bothered by the Chinese to buy their merchandise.

I found out that my understanding of Mandarin Chinese was more limited than I thought. I also found out that I speak in a different dialect of mandarin than any of the Chinese I’ve met or heard so far here. I speak more like the way Taiwanese speak mandarin in their “Yang Mandarin dialect.” A Singaporean businessman in Qingdao told me that one night when I met him at a street vendor. He said his parents were also from Taiwan and they spoke mandarin the same way I do.
One of the most glorious moments this far has to be my experience on Mount Tai, where a small group of us rebelled and went by ourselves into the night so that we may witness the majestic sunrise. Mere words and photos cannot describe the epic-ness of that experience. All I can say is that it was way worth it.

- Kevin W.

LAX-Shanghai-Jinan

At 1230 am Sunday September 7, 36 students from Santa Barbara City College boarded a jet in Los Angeles en route to Shanghai, China. We came to China with varied expectations and for a multitude of reasons. Some of us friends, some still almost strangers. We had plenty of time to bond though during nearly 20 hours of travel. When we arrived in Shanghai, no matter how tired we were, everyone went to explore the city. Some went shopping on Nanjing Road while others just walked along the Huangpu River. Nothing can prepare you for the feeling that you get while walking down the street through the city and being the center of attention where ever you go. While exploring the city there were lots of friendly locals who would come and say hello and either they wanted to practice their English with you or maybe they just wanted to get their picture taken with you and welcome you to China. We had our first experience with some of the exotic Chinese food while in Shanghai. Dog meat, whole baby chickens [below], and chicken feet were consumed. Things have been a bit difficult for the vegetarians in the class, but they haven’t starved yet. Many ended their first night in China early due to complete exhaustion.

The class embarked together the next morning to visit some historical sites in Shanghai. We learned of the traffic problem in the city as we were told our bus ride would take either 10 minutes or 1 hour. The morning consisted of trips to the home of Soong Ching Ling (Sun Yat Sen’s wife) and the location of the first Chinese Communist Party Congress in 1921. Soong Ching Ling remained important to the Chinese government even after her death in 1981. She was a proponent of peace and entertained many foreign dignitaries. The Chinese Communist Party Congress of 1921 had representatives from all over the country, including a then minor political player named Mao Zedong. After our interesting morning we took an awesome boat tour of downtown Shanghai on the Huangpu river. We perched ourselves on the top deck of our boat to catch a few sun rays and get front row seats. [below: the Yuan Gardens in Shanghai]

You really can not tell how enormous the city is until you take a step out from the heart of the city and look at the skyline from the river away from all the chaos of the streets. From the river you can see all the amazing architecture and the artistic touch that has been put into every building that is touching the sky. It was relaxing though after all the hectic things that come along with traveling and dealing with airports, luggage and hotels to be able to sit on the boat and just enjoy the view of beautiful Shanghai.



The next day was given to us as a free day. Some people went to a jade Buddha temple while others just walked around the city looking for something new. That night we assembled in our hotel lobby to set off for the train station to Jinan. Some people were scrambling to get back because they found it hard to find cabs from across town. We were told to stay together once at the train station because it was going to be madness. Madness is just one word that could describe the scene at the station, people everywhere were standing around and waiting in line. Our whole group was herded from the street through hundreds of people to a security check inside. We then proceeded to go up escalators to an upper level where we waited in this excessively overcrowded terminal. Once the train came, our tour guides had us go first through the gate so we could stay together. Though we couldn’t understand what the people around us were saying, we could feel that the crowd was irritated because they had been waiting much longer. One student (Kevin Wu) who looks possibly Chinese and speaks a little as well was stopped at the gate by the guards and was told to wait. Speaking to them in Chinese, he was trying to tell them that he was a part of the American crowd. They didn’t believe him and told him to stand back. Finally one of our tour guides had to come back and convince the guards that he was with us.

The overnight train ride was about 10 hours. The sleeping arrangements were similar to what one might see on an aircraft carrier with three beds stacks on one side and then another three beds stacked on the other side [below]. The train ride offered limited space. I think we all got to know each other pretty well after that experience. Some of us didn’t get very much sleep, but we managed.

Once we got off the train it was time to get on a bus that was headed for Shandong University. Dong in the Chinese language means East so naturally Shandong province is located in East China. Shandong University is a fairly modernized University that has pretty much everything that a University in California would have to offer.

As part of our course work in China, we the students are experiencing a role reversal and are becoming teachers. English language teachers, specializing in conversation to be exact. Now this may seem a bit intense but its really more enjoyable than it sounds. We, the teachers, are assigned small groups of eager Chinese university students and must "teach" them for two hours a day.[below: Jaiqi and Mrs. Song introduce us to our internship partners for the first time]



The word "teach", in quotations, is subjective to the teacher, but basically entails stimulating conversation in English amongst our students. The students learn from hearing our native tongue and self correcting when they hear errors in their speech.

[Experience from one of the SBCC student teachers]:
“When I speak to my students, I make sure to speak clearly and emphasize areas of difficulty in mastering the language: the different verb tenses and the use of pronouns. My students are very adept at picking up these aspects of speech, which makes my job as the teacher much easier. So far in my class of 5 girls we have covered topics of American culture, the differences in university life in America and in China, as well my students’ aspirations in life. My students have good command over the English language and the direction of my course has been engaging them in conversations of their interest. Many of my students are eager to learn how to get a job in the United States, and insist there is a “magic trick” involved in landing such a prized position. But from what I can detect, this early in the class, is the fact that I might learn just as much if not more from my students as they learn from me. I hope it to be a wonderful exchange of culture, language, life stories, and hopefully bond friendships that will endure our country's differences. Plus now I have 5 eager tour guides who want to show me around Jinan for the next two months and help me sample all that is Chinese.

- Karlyn, Jeff, Jenna, Jordan, Andrew K., Britton, Nate

First post from China

Amazing to think we have already been here for over a week! Our flight to Shanghai (through Seoul) went surprisingly smoothly. By the way – the level of global connectedness is now amazing. As soon as we got to our transfer gate in Seoul a number of students were breaking out their laptops and wirelessly connecting with home via Skype. Incredible! I’m old enough to remember scratchy, rotary dialed telephone phone calls home from Europe filled with echo and delay. This is definitely a new era.

The students had a good amount of free time to adjust to Shanghai but we did manage to see Madame Soong Ch'ing-ling's House (wife of Sun Yat-sen and, later, Co-Chairman of the PRC), visit the site of the first National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (which occurred in 1921), take a boat tour on Huanpo River boat ride [below], and tour the Yuan Gardens.

Our train ride from Shanghai to Jinan was an adventure. The Shanghai station was massive, thousands of Chinese travelers rushing around and waiting about. We had to go up and down escalators, stairs, through crowds of unruly people, down long passageways, along the platform, and finally into the train carriage itself – in which there was barely enough room for all of our American baggage. The ride itself was rather enjoyable. We were packed into the carriage like sardines but I think (most of) the students enjoyed the novelty of it [Russell expressing his approval below]. I hope so…as we’ve got at least three more of these journeys by train coming up on the itinerary.



We had a very pleasant welcome banquet the night of our arrival in Jinan attended by members of the International Students’ staff, including Director Tong [below]. We spent the weekend getting adjusted to the campus and beginning to do some tentative exploring around Jinan. Classes began today and the students will be moving into their permanent dorm rooms tomorrow (we had to wait a few days for a massive group of Brits to exit the scene).