Writing this on the train back to Beijing travelling through the veritable rural China with miles upon miles of fields and poly-tunnels contrasted with chemical plants belching I don’t know what. It gives me time to relfect on how powerful the learning is for all on this trip.
Just realised this morning at breakfast that we’ve been ‘youth working’ on average from about 7.00am to sometimes 11.00pm. Spending 12 days of intense activity with a group of young people, no matter how mature, in a very ‘alien’ culture is such an amazing, exhilarating but also exhausting experience. The opportunities for learning – both for staff and young people – are occurring all the time. The challenge is to capitalise on the opportunity to explore ideas and concepts as they arise, no matter how weary one might be feeling at the time.
Bus and train journeys, walking round tourist sites, chatting in the ‘youth club’ (yes – this has become the name for Maralyn’s room because the group tends to congregate around the computer to chat, play cards etc) - they’ve all been rich with brief observations, comparisons and moments of learning and realisation. As a youth worker, challenging stereotypes and pre-conceptions has produced experiential learning at its best. The next mission is to turn the plethora of evidence into recognisable recorded and accredited outcomes that can be shared as best practice with others. The use of cameras and the blog will aid us so fantastically – just the simple activity of videoing and interviewing young people about their thoughts and feelings as we go, will enable us to showcase how simple a process this can be.
The young people haven’t yet got used to being a very visible minority. Even at the station in Quindao, where the Olympic sailing events were held, people were staring in a curious way at the group. We’re still amazed that people want to take our photographs in the street: to be seen with a Westerner.
Qingdao
On the Sunday of the home stay, Steve, Maralyn and myself were taken to Tiger Springs in Jinan where students that want to practice their English congregate to make conversation. We were immediately surrounded by people wanting to talk to us, asking us about the UK and what we thought of China. Small children are pushed towards us by parents who want them to say hello to us, and then run away with shyness when we reply! We’ve only seen a handful of Westerners since Beijing apart from a large, loud group of Americans in the hotel in Qufu, so we do stand out quite a bit.
Post-graduate students at the Ocean Exploration and Research Facility were obviously delighted to host us and to find out about life in the UK. Moving from what seemed like a pretty dry ‘museum’ of sealife specimens in jars, we rounded a corner to find the most delightful professor, Zheng Shouyi, who had studied marine protozoa her whole career (51 years). Her passion for the shape and form of these microscopic animals (yes- we looked through a microscope) shone from her and the group was impressed to hear her talk about how these forms can influence architecture, sculpture and other designs. James expressed interest in a night light that she had designed and was promptly given one to take away, much to his delight. This is the contrast of China: you never know what is round the next corner….
We are so privileged to have our relations with the Shandong Youth Federation as they have taken us to places that Westerners wouldn’t normally go, and I think that most of the group get this and are really appreciative of the opportunity to see as much of the real China as we are allowed.
Group at University
They are still finding some things difficult i.e. Iven’s role and, for example, why she doesn’t eat with us unless invited by Miss Che. Our English sense of fair play gets in the way here, but they are starting to realise that other cultures sometimes have different rules and protocols that need to be respected. I’ve been asked often why I can’t ask Iven to sit at the table with us and it’s sometimes difficult to help them to explore what the role of the host means in China. We’re going to do it our way when the Chinese come to West Sussex – they will no doubt find this just as difficult. I expect Iven will find it the most difficult…
So enough for now – Josh wants to do his video…
JAKE – we’re visiting the Birds Nest tomorrow so I’ll see what I can find and see you the day after.
Jane
Goodbye for now!
