Finally had time for an update! It's been a few weeks since my last email, but some interesting things have happened. I've pretty much just been traveling, studying, and investigating the film industry a little. Here's the deal:
1) I went to a 300-year old village called Cuan di Xia. It was a pretty cool trip. We met with the guy who is descended from the first family of settlers to the area - he was the fifteenth generation to live there! It's a pretty small village, and very simple, but it was a lot of fun. We split into two groups (guys and girls) and stayed with two families, respectively. They served us probably the biggest meal I have yet to see in China. Just when we thought they were done, they would bring out another dish. Rice, soup, chicken stew (complete with the head of the chicken), you name it, we ate it. Also, they showed us a small field with a huge rock in the middle, along with a small tree with a single pinkish looking flower on it. Evidently part of the film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was filmed there. Unfortunately, it's been a while since I saw that movie, so I couldn't remember which scene it could have been. Either way, as a film major, I thought that was pretty cool.
2) Last weekend I and a few friends went to Feiteng Film City. This is basically what will probably end up being the largest film studio set in China. It's been under construction since 2005 and isn't quite finished yet. There are two parts, one inside and one outside. Inside you can supposedly see a few movie sets, including a replica of the Forbidden City, but when we went most of the sets were closed off, unfortunately. However, we did find a few make-up rooms and traditional Chinese costumes. Most of our time was spent on the other side, in the outdoor section. It was incredible. The entire thing is set up to mimic the architecture of the Q'ing and Ming dynasties, and the best part about it is that you're free to wander just about anywhere you want. I had thought that Feiteng was a pretty big tourist attraction, but we pretty much had the whole entire complex to ourselves. We spent most of the day exploring and basically going anywhere we felt like. Honestly, it was like stepping into a completely different time period. We also ran into a few film crews that were filming some television shows, so we watched them film for a while. All of the actors were walking around in traditional costumes: some were dressed like everyday citizens, others like palace guards, others were practicing their kung fu... it was pretty cool. We saw a few foreign students that were working as extras - evidently they had just been walking around one day and were asked to be part of the show. Maybe if I go back I can be in a Chinese television series, who knows. I spent the whole time there wishing that I was part of a film crew. If only my Chinese was better and I could ask for a job as an extra or a coffee-boy for a beautiful Chinese actress...
3) This week I finish up my first block of classes. On Wednesday, I'm going on a group trip to Shaolin for a long weekend. If you've ever heard of "Shaolin monks" then you'll have a basic idea of where I'm going. Basically, Shaolin monks are kung fu masters, so we're going to go see where they live and train. I'm even going to get some one-on-one kung fu lessons. Who knows, maybe I'll come back to the United States with some cool moves.
4) I went to see a movie at a Chinese movie theater. It cost about $3, though I've heard that normally going to the movies costs around $7-8. Still, that's no more expensive than the United States. I went to see a Hong Kong movie called Triangle. There were no subtitles, but the person I was with translated the major plot points for me, so I understood the basics of what was going on. Oh, and I got to reserve my seat when buying a ticket. Why can't more theaters in the United States do this? I mean, really, it's not that hard to implement and it gives incentive to people to show up early and not interrupt the movie. It's nice being able to walk into a theater and not have to look for a seat (especially if you to sit with your friends in a crowded theater).
I've also been doing my best to observe Chinese culture and take mental notes about differences between China and the United States. Here are a few things I've picked up on:
1) Many men in China smoke. The majority of women do not. This is different from the United States, in which I'd guess a fairly equal number of both men and women smoke.
2) Though drinking plays a role in Chinese culture (as it does in pretty much any culture), it seems to be very different from the American college student philosophy of drinking, in which alcohol is pretty much consumed for the sheer "fun" of it. In China, alcohol is mainly reserved for social situations, such as business discussions between co-workers or casual social drinking. Drunkenness seems to be frowned upon here, at least moreso than in the United States. Most of the time, the people I see drinking the most are foreigners.
3) Opinions about the Communist Party vary. Some people really have no problem with it and think Mao did a great job. Others think China should be more democratic and that Mao was one of the worst things to ever happen to the country.
4) Because it's a Communist country, the majority of people really aren't religious at all. Even though the culture might have been greatly influenced by Buddhist ideas (and I'm not even sure about that), the religion itself doesn't seem to have a very big presence. No religion does. As for Christianity, the people I've talked about it really only know what they've seen from the Western media and perhaps learned in class. The bottom line: if you want to get a job in the government, you aren't religious. Period. If you don't want to get a job in the government, you're free to practice any religion you choose, you just can't be an official member of the Communist Party.
5) The worst thing you can do in China is to "lose face" - in other words, to somehow be humiliated or dishonored. A Chinese person will do just about anything to "save face." This is a concept that holds a lot of power in China. For example, it could be argued that the 1989 "incident" and denial thereof occurred because the government did not want to lose face.
6) About a week ago, I suddenly realized: women here dress much more modestly than those in the United States, overall. Other than a few skirts, it isn't popular to show a lot of skin. The advertising here also seems less sexualized than that of the United States. At clubs, though sexually provocative dancing occurs, everyone has their own personal space. The only guys grinding up against the girls are usually foreigners. After being here, it's easier than ever for me to see how sex is one of the driving forces of American culture and economics. While sex certainly isn't a taboo issue in China, it's not nearly as advertised as it is in the United States. I'm not sure if the reasons for this are cultural, political, or both.
Other than that and class, not a whole lot is going on. I feel like I've started to get into a daily routine. China isn't as intimidating as it was at first, and I can actually hold brief, basic conversations in Chinese now. Tomorrow I have the oral part of my Chinese midterm, so hopefully that will go well, and I have a 10-page paper to write within the next three days. I always knew the worst part about studying abroad was going to be the "studying" part. Oh well, you've gotta do what you've gotta do.
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