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clay dube
SpectatorLA Unified has an approved Asian / Asian American literature class. You can see applicable standards at pf 170 at https://achieve.lausd.net/cms/lib/CA01000043/Centricity/Domain/243/LAUSD-ELA-Course-Guidelines_0.pdf
You can see a list of books that have made the California Department of Education's recommended list by going to http://www3.cde.ca.gov/reclitlist/search.aspx
Choose custom search and put China, Chinese and so on into the annotation list. You'll get quite a few hits.
Among the authors I'm fond of are several who produced novels and short stories. Many are available in free pdf downloads from the net. Lu Xun (Lu Hsun, especially a long story, The True Story of Ah Q, but also his Preface to a Call to Arms and Diary of a Mad Man), Lao She (play Teahouse, novel Camel Xiangzi - originally a bestseller as Rickshaw Boy with a changed ending, but many short stories), Ding Ling (a bit of sex and desire in novella The Diary of Miss Sophie, but revolutionary tenor in The Sun Shines on Sankag River). Two journals that specialize in translating short stories include Chinese Literature (from Beijing) and Renditions (from Hong Kong). I've recently been reading contemporary writers from China who write in English:
Ha Jin (War Trash, A Map of Betrayal) and Qiu Xiaolong's Inspector Chen crime novels (Death of a Red Heroine, Loyal Character Dancer) BBC Radio 4 produced dramatizations of some of the stories in the Inspector Chen series.A classic novel of modern China is Ba Jin's Family. My favorite Chinese film is To Live which is based on the Yu Hua novel of the same name. The novel is different from the film in some important ways.
clay dube
SpectatorHi Barbara (and all),
Hope your presentation on Monday went well.
It's a great idea to utilize WeChat to stay in touch with the family you visited. WeChat is by far the most used social media platform in China and it will allow you to make free video/audio calls, share images and more. People use WeChat for many things. Here are three good explainer videos:Discovery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF-E841WYe4
NY Times: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAesMQ6VtK8
CNN Money https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0vjuwQKb70clay dube
SpectatorI want to thank Amanda for already posting some content to the Google Drive. She's got a couple things there that you'll want to see. They include a video of the guide at the Shung Ye Museum of Taiwan Aboriginals in Taipei on 2018.07.12. I hope that others will start posting content as well. She's also posted several photos (e.g., McDonalds in a high rise, Barbara and new fans) and a video of a panda high, high up. Definitely worth checking out.
I want to note that after you upload content to the drive, please then drag it to the appropriate folder. Only the person who uploads content can move it into a folder. Amanda has done this.
clay dube
SpectatorThanking those who helped make the trip possible -
The following institutions and individuals made our 2018 USC NCTA study tour to China and Taiwan possible. In writing cards or letters to thank them (those names/addresses are in bold), please tell them a bit about yourself and what you teach. Please devote the bulk of your letter to discussing the trip, including those elements you considered special. What are you taking to your students? Was it particularly useful to travel with us and with NCTA alumni? You may wish to include a photo or two. I think Mr. Freeman and other trustees would be delighted to know about the family visit, exchanges with students and teachers, and the unique opportunities we had with Patrick Chuang, with Foreign Minister Wu, and in examining linkages past and present.
The email thank yous to Wang Lei and our Ambassador Hotel help can be more casual. I’m sure they’d appreciate a photograph or two as well.
Graeme Freeman
President
The Freeman Foundation
1601 East West Road
Honolulu, HI 96848The Freeman Foundation provides the core funding for National Consortium for Teaching about Asia programs across the U.S. Its grant to the USC U.S.-China Institute made this trip possible.
All the China visits (except for Haipawang in Chengdu) were arranged by our longtime travel agent Mr. Wang Lei. We’ve been working with him since 2004. He is Alan No. 1.
Wang Lei email: [email protected]
Dr. Joseph Wu
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of China
2 Kaitakelan Blvd., Taipei, 100
Taiwan (R.O.C.)
Mr. Remus Chen
Director-General, North American Section
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Republic of China
2 Kaitakelan Blvd., Taipei, 100
Taiwan (R.O.C.)The Ministry of Foreign Affairs handled many of our logistical challenges, arranging meetings and visits. It also provided for all our transportation in Taiwan (buses and trains). Please emphasize Taiwan in your comments.
Please also send email thank yous to
Gary Huang [email protected] (Gary made all the arrangements and met us at the airport in Taipei.)
David Chen, Deputy Director of LA Taipei Economic and Cultural Office [email protected] (Deputy Director Chen formally requested MOFA assistance for our tour.)
Mr. Emmet Hsu
Chairman
Ambassador Hotel
No. 63, Section 2, Zhongshan North Road
Zhongshan District, Taipei City 104
Taiwan (R.O.C.)Mr. Hsu provided all your lodging and most of your meals in Taiwan. He also assigned his top managers, Frank Lin, Philip Lee, and Ken Chen, to prepare for the trip and assigned his younger staffers, Teresa Hsiao, Jamson Chen and Winnie Lin, to escort us around Taipei, Kaohsiung and Tainan.
Ken’s email: [email protected]
Teresa’s email: [email protected]
Jamson’s email: [email protected]
CORRECTION: [email protected]
Winnie’s email: [email protected]Mr. Patrick Chuang
Hai Pa Wang
889 Haibawang Road
Anjing Town, Pi County
Chengdu, Sichuan Province 611731
People’s Republic of China
四川省成都市郫县安靖镇海霸王路889号Chinese television featured the family’s business (using the pinyin romanization Zhuang): https://america.cgtn.com/2017/10/30/taiwanese-businesses-eye-chinas-huge-market-potential .
Finally, you can help us immensely by sharing pictures of your trip with colleagues and friends and pointing them to our website: https:china.usc.edu. If you share pictures via Facebook or Twitter, please do link to us there as well:
https://www.facebook.com/uschinainstitute
https://twitter.com/USC_USChina
And don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube videos. They are well worth your time.
https://www.youtube.com/user/USChinaInstitute
Below, three of the many happy hot pot eaters in Chengdu.
Attachments:
You must be logged in to view attached files.clay dube
SpectatorI grew up in San Diego and my first plane trip anywhere was my flight to Hong Kong, which led me into the China studies world. So I fully appreciate how big a thing it is to go abroad for the first time. Thanks to advances in communication, of course, it's easier to learn a lot more about these places than it was back then. Prepare as much as possible in advance and you'll be able to process what you experience much more fully. It was amazing to me that the little preparation I had before going to and living in China paid off over and over. I only wish I'd absorbed even more before going. It will help you contextualize what you are seeing, hearing, smelling, and discovering.
clay dube
SpectatorGreat start here. Kaohsiung is also part of the Democratic Progressive Party's stronghold. It's long been led by Chen Chu, a woman. Here's a presentation she made two months ago in Washington, DC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n19qp0gvz-w .
clay dube
SpectatorThe surest way to reach people is through food. One of the most important ideas you should gain from this trip is the diversity of China. You can start now to research the dietary norms of the various regions we'll visit. Looking at the interplay between historic agricultural strengths and cuisine is a good idea. Look for the place of food in various holidays and rituals.
clay dube
SpectatorI think this is a terrific idea. There are pictures to take and sometimes you may be able to buy propaganda items (including calendars, posters, and more). Looking for the values they promote and particularly where such values echo those from earlier eras is a worthwhile effort. Recent Chinese leaders have emphasized drawing on Chinese tradition more fully. Xi recently cited the appearance of early Chinese philosophers such as Lao Zi, Confucius, Han Fei, and Mozi as examples of Chinese innovation. One place to see this promoted is in caring for the elderly and being helpful to one's parents at home.
clay dube
SpectatorI think that looking at changing urban landscapes and populations is a great idea and fits one of the tour themes well. I highly recommend reading the books Jon's mentioned or watching the films! Our challenge in Beijing, though, is that we'll have no time to explore neighborhoods as we might want to do. But we'll pass by some and will likely eat at a restaurant situated beside one hutong area. A great book about hutong life is Michael Meyer's The Last Days of Old Beijing. Here's an interview he did with us on it: https://china.usc.edu/michael-meyer-discusses-last-days-old-beijing-life-vanishing-backstreets-city-transformed .
We'll have more time in three other fast changing mainland cities: Xi'an, Chengdu, and Kunming.
clay dube
SpectatorHi Folks,
We talked a bit about baseball in Taiwan during the orientation. Anyone remember the name of the NY Yankees pitcher? Can anyone name any current major leaguers from Taiwan?
USC alum and trustee Daniel Tsai (Fubon Group) is among those interested in baseball:
https://english.cw.com.tw/article/article.action?id=1591An English website about Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL):
http://www.cpblenglish.com/
clay dube
SpectatorThanks to those who have already started posting in the city threads. Thanks, especially, to those who have sought to highlight connections to our trip themes (past and present links...). Here's an unhappy story about one of the places, we're heading. John Israel, a retired University of Virginia historian, wrote of his own experience with eminent domain Chinese-style in Kunming:
https://www.theglobalist.com/china-eminent-domain-compensation-property-rights/Here's a couple of Intel websites on Chengdu:
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/jobs/locations/china/sites/chengdu.htmlhttp://exploreintel.com/chengdu
There is a lot more to learn, just about Intel's experiences in Chengdu (earthquake, strikes, pioneering expansion, visits from Arizona delegations, and more).
Now it's time for you folks to get busy finding connections. Dig a bit, maybe even find a school to introduce.
clay dube
SpectatorIf you have time on your own in Tainan, the Chimei Museum is worth a look. It may be the largest private museum in Taiwan. http://www.chimeimuseum.org/ml/English/3
Part of the permanent collection is an exhibition of arms and armor. http://www.chimeimuseum.org/ml/English/3/2/6To demonstrate the range of exhibitions, another permanent exhibition focuses on music, producing it, recording it and sharing it: http://www.chimeimuseum.org/ml/English/3/11/15
The museum site includes virtual tours as well. Please take a look.
clay dube
SpectatorCatherine's emphasized the need to pack light. While most international flights have generous baggage limits, the domestic flights we'll have in China do not. 20 kg (44 lbs) is the limit. Take less stuff. Think hard before you buy that big jade Buddha. You are responsible for paying any excess baggage fees incurred.
Also, you will need to be able to carry whatever luggage you bring. Most of the time you'll be able to roll your luggage, but there will likely be several times when you need to pick it up for curbs, steps, and all manner of obstacles.
clay dube
SpectatorHi Everyone,
I'm Clay and work with Catherine at the USC U.S.-China Institute. This will be my ninth study tour. Like Catherine, it's been my privilege to have spent a lot of time in China and Taiwan. I've been to all the cities we're visiting, but a few of the stops will be new to me. Even returning to places I've previously visited can be fresh and interesting. Change is a constant in China and Taiwan. And I'll be with you folks and you'll have fresh ideas about what we're seeing. For me, the people you meet while visiting are often quite memorable. From the people whose home you visit in Xi'an, to the teachers and students you encounter, and the people you may dance with in some public square some night, and our guides, all could be the source of new ideas and perspectives. Seek them out.I'm a historian by training and taught at the secondary school level for a couple of years before teaching at various colleges and universities. I'm a California native, but have also lived in Beijing, the Shanghai countryside, and Kentucky. I look forward to getting to know each of you.
clay dube
SpectatorThe LA Times and other publications also have special programs for schools. Here's the LAT program: https://nieonline.com/latimes/
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