Back in the U.S. of A.

Well, I arrived at the Memphis International Airport after midnight on Tuesday (which was actually Wednesday morning) after a long day. With the time changes, my Tuesday lasted something like 36 hours, in locations including Shanghai and Beijing in China, and then San Francisco and Houston in the US, before getting to Memphis. Larry Troy and I traveled together as far as San Francisco, and then Elle (my wonderful wife) met me in Memphis. On Wednesday, we drove back to Cleveland.

It took me a few days to get over the jet lag, but based on good advice from Lisa Long (my sister-in-law who works with Save the Children and travels internationally), I was able to beat it without too much pain. The trouble really started when I attacked the pile of work on my desk and the long list of emails that accumulated during my brief international sabbatical (that term sounds better to me than just a trip to China).

Now it is time to think through all of things I learned about in China, and all of the questions I have. Here are some though sketches from the sociologist in me...

--China offers us an important case study for trying to understand the connections between economic growth, environment and health. On the one hand, with the rapid economic growth in the country, people's material living standards have increased (on average that is) which is good for health in terms of access to better housing and caloric intake. On the other hand, the pace of growth has outstripped the willingness and ability of government to deal with the darker side of problems caused by heavy air and water pollution. As one of the world's quickly rising economic powers, these are important issues not just for China but the rest of us as well. Who knows, in thinking through them, maybe those of us in the U.S. can learn something to take corrective action here at home.

--Transportation is an issue of immense importance in all societies, yet sociologists and other social scientists seem to be behind the curve in studying this issue. I know there are some people doing this work, but they are clearly not dominant within our fields. The importance of this really came to me while looking at the model of Shanghai and then reading a book about the environment in China on the plane ride home. Typically, the concern is with cars - the cost, needed infrastructure, congestion, time away from home, and the pollution. Also in need of attention are buses, trains and airplanes. Maybe most important to civilization is how we go about designing where education, work and services are provided in relation to where people live. We seem to take transportation as a given, but there are costs involved. These don't just impact our pocketbooks as with the current gas price problems, but the environment and our health as well.

(The irony of reading a book about pollution on a plane burning thousands of gallons of fuel was not lost on me.)

--The massive rural to urban migration and associated dislocation and vulnerability of people in the lower socioeconomic spheres is an area of great importance. Luckily, many of the professors and students we met in China are concerned about this and directing their attention this way. We all need to be considering the patterns, forces at work and implications of these changes. We went through some of this in the U.S., and have learned somethings worth sharing. Now, of course, there are differences as population movements take place internally, internationally and even globally. How does this impact education, the workforce and provisioning of social and health services?

--All in all, these issues beg us to give more attention to concepts of social development and sustainable development.--

A Parting Shot

Wendy, national tour guide for China Advocates, and John Green pose with the DSU Fighting Okra

(Picture compliments of Arne Kalleberg)


When the Fighting Okra finished his tour of China, he asked for a picture of good will! Who would have guessed... East meets West through the intervention of food with boxing gloves.

June 9, 2008

Wow! Today was our last full day in China. I am looking forward to getting home to see my family. However, I will miss the daily new experiences and insights I have been enjoying here in the "Middle Kingdom."

We spent the morning at the Shanghai Museum. Among the numerous collections with items dating back for hundreds of years (in some cases thousands of years), my favorite was the coin and paper money collection. I find the symbols humans use to convey exchange value to be very interesting and telling.

Fudan University (in Shanghai) was our afternoon stop. It was a good opportunity to meet with faculty and students affiliated with the Institute of Social Development and Public Policy. After introductions from both delegations, we took turns talking about our interest areas, and then there was an open discussion of social science issues in China. Turn out was great, especially given that today was a Chinese holiday. After the formal part of the meeting, we had smaller, more informal discussions. I really appreciated having the opportunity to interact with the students from Fudan. They are passionate about their studies and eager to learn.

I am writing this quickly, because time is limited before we have our farewell dinner at Dingxiang Garden. Tomorrow morning we will all be leaving Shanghai. Some of the people in the group will go to the locations of the extended trips, while others of us will return to our homes. Along with Larry Troy, I will fly from Shanghai to Beijing, and then switch planes and fly to San Francisco. There we will part company, and I will fly to Memphis with a layover in Texas. My lovely wife will meet me in Memphis!

After my return to the states and recuperation from the jet lag, I will begin posting some of my reflections on the time in China and what I observed. Additionally, the group will have a blog sponsored by the American Sociological Association. Once it is ready, I will post that address on this site.

In the meantime... I hope you have enjoyed reading my blog.

To all of the folks on the China trip - I really had a great time traveling and getting to know you.

June 8, 2008

Photos from Shanghai

More Photos from June 7, 2008

I got new batteries for my camera, and was able to access a few pictures from Hangzhou on June 7.

On the grounds of the Buddhist Temple

A Dragon Well Green Tea farm

June 8, 2008

Other than the travel from Hangzhou to Shanghai, today was slow. Compared to the rest of the trip, that is. The drive, via bus, took between two and three hours. Along the way we stopped at a truck stop. It shared many similarities with what we are used to in the U.S.

Upon arriving in Shanghai, we changed to a new bus and met up with the local tour guide Susie Shen. She took us on a quick tour of the Shanghai City Planning Museum. It was interesting. Located in the downtown area off of People’s Park, there were historic photos and maps. Also interesting were the models of the city, including the full model of what Shanghai is expected to look like in the next decade. From a community development standpoint, I found this to be an interesting museum. Unfortunately, we had to move through it quickly (I was never clear on why this was the case, because our afternoon was open).

Lunch was held at LvBolang Restaurant, which according to Wendy and Susie is famous for its dim sum style of Chinese food. I really liked the look and feel of the place. It was crowded, busy and reminded me of a diner-style restaurant in the U.S.

We then checked into the hotel where will be staying throughout our visit to Shanghai – Garden Hotel. Interestingly, I am writing this blog entry from the 21st floor of the building and overlooking downtown Shanghai, including several apartment buildings.

On Susie’s recommendation, several of us went to visit a demonstration silk factory. We learned about the separation and conversion of cocoons into silk thread and how the threads are then used to weave rugs, clothing and, for the double and triple larvae cocoons, quilting material.

After getting back to the hotel, I went walking for a while in downtown Shanghai. Shoppers were on the street, visiting the numerous Western stores along with local shops. I visited a grocery store and department store. It was interesting that most of the billboards and other advertisements featured Caucasian men and women, not Chinese (Brent Shea, another sociologist on this trip, pointed this out on the bus). After surveying shopping life and being surrounded by McDonald’s, Dairy Queen, Starbucks and Haagen Das, I realized that globalization has created a situation where I could fall asleep in Chicago and wake up in Shanghai and probably not know that I had gone anywhere.

Photos from June 7, 2008

The following photos are courtesy of Arne Kalleberg. He was gracious enough to contribute them to this blog after my camera stopped working.

View from Guo Zhuang Garden

A Laughing Buddha carving outside of Ling Yin Temple

View from Dragon Well Green Tea

Boat on West Lake

Saturday, June 7, 2008

A full day devoted to Hangzhou, and well worth it. We visited many great places. Unfortunately, my camera was not working. Arne said he would send me some shots, so all was not lost.

After breakfast in the restaurant at the West Lake State Guest House (where I tried congee for the first time - it tasted like the rice equivalent of grits), we went by charter bus to the Guo Zhuang Garden. This garden was originally developed in the later years of the Qing Dynasty by a wealthy silk merchant who eventually lost the land to gambling. For my tastes, this was by far the most beautiful of the gardens we have toured. I was particularly pleased to see the crape myrtle trees, a familiar favorite for someone from Mississippi. Also interesting were the different glassless windows used to frame views of the garden. Each view is like a different work of natural art. Luckily, I was able to buy a book about the garden appropriately entitled Guoshuang Garden.

We also visited the Ling Yin Temple. According to Wilson (our Hangshou tour guide), this Buddhist Temple has one of the largest carved Buddha statues in the country of China. Additionally, limestone carvings on the grounds go back hundreds of years, showing the different characterizations of Buddha overtime. We learned about how the temple was saved from destruction during the Cultural Revolution. There were hundreds, maybe thousands of people on the temple grounds while we were there. Incense was thick in the air, and people were praying, taking pictures and having a good time.

Next on the list was a nearby collection of small-scale tea farms that produce what is collectively known as Dragon Well Green Tea. We at lunch at one of the farmer's houses. Among numerous other dishes, the woman of the house served a chicken soup and sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves. I loved the food! I guess I am going to have to raise bamboo if I am going to make this dish.

Touring a nearby plot, we learned about the growing, harvesting and processing of green tea. Then we went into a tea tasting room and were instructed about how teas are graded, the best ways to prepare green tea, and marketing techniques. Our instructor was a man who had studied tea in college, now works as a quality inspector, and refers to himself as Dr. Tea.

It began to rain on our way to West Lake, so our boat ride was postponed a bit. In the meantime, we toured the park which was alive with Chinese tourists. I noticed numerous magnolia trees on the grounds. Interesting to those readers not schooled in Mississippi botanicals... The magnolia is Mississippi's state tree and state flower!

We rode a pheonix boat (representing the empress, not be confused with the dragon boat representing the emperor) around West Lake. It was beautiful. Rain was in the air, but we still had great views. The green of the park on one side and the city scape of Hangzhou on the other.

In sum, it was a good day. Now I need to flesh out those notes on the green tea commodity system. You know what they say, once a rural sociologist always a rural sociologist!

Posting Messages

Some folks have told me they were unable to post a message. Elle and Emily think that you may not be able to post a message if you do not have a gmail account. If you do not have a google account, then click "No google blogger click here" button and enter your email and a password and then leave a message.

Photos from June 6

Photos from June 6: Xian and Hangzhou, China

Hotel in downtown Xian

Cityscape in Xian

Vases on display at the Yangling Museum, Xian

Laughing Buddha in Hangzhou

A street in Hangzhou

June 6: Xian and Hangzhou, China

I am worn out today, but definitely in a good way. After a great breakfast, it was time to check out of the hotel in Xian (Sofitel), pick up folks who went to the Jade Market, and then go to the Han Emperor's Tomb and Yangling Museum.

Whereas the Terracotta Warriors were life size clay models set up for the afterlife of the Emperor, these were much smaller but nonetheless amazing. The way the museum is set up, you actually walk on glass over the climate controlled escavation pits where you can see the warriors, servants, and animals portraying life at that time.

We headed from there to the Xian Airport and ate lunch at the buffet. The flight to Hangzhou was good (same amount of landings and takeoffs), but I did not see much of the scenery. I slept instead.

I was enchanted upon arriving in Hangzhou. The weather reminds me of Mississippi - hot and humid. It is a smaller city than Xian and Beijing. Our local tour guide, Wilson Quon, says there is well over a million people in the city itself and then as many as 6 million in the broader Hangzhou area. On the bus going from the airport to town, Wilson gave us an informative mini-lecture on the area, including history and economics. This is one of the better off regions of the country in economic terms, with dominant industries including information technology.

Of particular interest to me is that while this area in southern China is traditionally known for rice production, many farmers close to Hangzhou have made changes to produce ornamentals (trees, shrubs and flowers), mulberry trees for silkworm production, and vegetables. Vegetables are sold locally for fresh consumption, some to supermarkets but more often at farmers markets where vendors can get competitive prices for their goods. Families producing vegetables tend to be doing it on a small scale, maybe 2/3 of an acre or so. But, according to Wilson, they are growing intensively for high production and getting good prices to be able to have a high quality of life. Given my work in Mississippi with small-scale vegetable and fruit producers in a region traditionally known for large-scale commodity production, I am intrigued by the transitions of the Hangzhou region. Who knows, maybe there is a comparative study on the horizon...

In Hangzhou we stopped at a tourist market street, and it was alive with vendors and tourists, primarily Chinese tourists from the region. It is a holiday weekend - Double Fifths in commemoration of famous Chinese poet. Wilson told us the restaurants would be packed up and down the street, and he was right. We ate at one of the restaurants, but before going there, we toured a traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy. The original building, which is still in operation as a pharmacy, is considered a national treasure.

After dinner, the group then traveled to the hotel. We are staying for two nights at the West Lake State Guest House. It is located in a park/large garden in town. It is beautiful and peaceful. According to Wendy and Wilson, Chairman Mao had stayed here before, using the location as one of the two places he stayed when visiting Hangzhou.

Tomorrow is supposed to be a full day, including a tour of a garden, visiting a tea plantation (this area is famous for its green tea), and touring a Buddhist Temple.

June 5: Xian

A big day today. We left Beijing for Xian, flying from the Beijing Airport. The full flight lasted about two hours. Upon arriving in Xian, which is the west/central part of the country, we met our van driver and the local tour guide Weiwei Chen. We went straight to see the Terracotta Warriors Museum outside of the city.

Along the way, we saw numerous rural communities, and the countryside was alive with the wheat harvest. The technology being used for the harvest really ran the continuum from using a scythe and using a shovel and the wind to separate the grain from the husks and stems, to diesel combines. As a rural sociologist with interest in agrifood systems, I found this diversity interesting, especially in the face of such a large population and in the midst of rapid industrialization.

The Terracotta Warriors were amazing. Not having seen all of the Seven Wonders of the World, I might still be willing to agree with one of the tour guides who claimed that the Terracotta Warriors site is the eighth Wonder of the World.

Moving on to Muslim Street in downtown Xian, we set out to visit the Grand Mosque. This was fabulous. The downtown streets were alive with people, and on Muslim Street, the Chinese Muslim vendors were selling fruits and vegetables, a wide variety of prepared foods and beverages, and every possible assortment of crafts. It reminded me of my favorite part of Kingston, Jamaica - Papine Market. It reminded me of something we often forget in mass consumer society with our impersonal stores. Economic transactions between buyers and sellers are, first and foremost, socio-cultural interactions, and through the act of exchange people identify what they value. Of course, this is true no matter what or where the market is. However, street markets make it so much more visible.

We arrived to the Grand Mosque right before evening prayers, so we were able to see and listen to the worshippers as they arrived and prepared for this important daily ritual. What an opportunity! Wendy and Weiwei had given us some insights on the history and culture of Chinese Muslims. I am looking forward to learning much more about this minority group that has survived in the face of many challenges.

Before heading to the Sofitel Hotel for the night, we went to a Dumpling Banquet at Defachang Restaurant. Once again, an ASA menu had been prepared, and we ate appetizers, followed by a series of 18 dumplings, and then Cixi's Hot Pot (a special dumpling soup). It was fun and educational.

Terracotta Warriors

Terracotta Warriors

Street vendors and customers on Muslim Street in Xian

Weiwei leads the way to the Grand Mosque through the alley

A display of Chinese dumplings

June 4: Last Full Day In and Around Beijing

Greetings once again. Today was our last full day of activities in and around Beijing.

Via bus, we started the day heading north out of the city. We went to the Great Wall. Neither words nor pictures can describe the views there. We took cable cars up the side of a mountain to a landing. From there, we walked the Wall.

While walking, I could not help but think of the number of people to have walked there before me. As a sociologist studying development, I realized the importance of this long-term history in understanding contemporary events in this "Middle Kingdom."

After a few hours at the Great Wall, we had lunch at a local restaurant in an open air setting. Like everything else we have eaten, it was wonderful and very different from the type of foods we consider to be Chinese in the U.S.

On the way back into town we stopped by an artisan studio where a special kind of copper vases are made. We learned how they are made, and then toured the show room.

Before heading back to the hotel, several of us stopped at a Pearl Market as well. It had a large variety of vendors selling salt water and fresh water pearls.

After a short break, we then went to Beihai Park, a beautiful Beijing garden and ate an artistically presented meal at the Shanglinyuan Restaurant. The menus were specially made with a historic picture and the American Sociological Association logo.

Tomorrow morning we will go to the airport and fly to Xian. It is going to be a pretty major change in temperature there, around 95 degrees F.

I have been having problems with my sinuses, given the air pollution here. With Beijing's location (surrounded by mountains on nearly three sides), large population (16 million), rapid development and the immense number of cars and trucks (Wendy says an average of 1,000 new license plates per day), the air quality is poor. Environmental health is clearly an important issue to be grappled with as the country pursues even more intense development. But, this is not unique to China. Maybe we should all be directing attention in this direction.

Pictures from the day...

ASA President Arne Kalleberg (Univ. of North Carolina) with DSU's Fighting Okra at the Great Wall

The Great Wall

View from a tower in the Great Wall

June 3: Another Full Day in Beijing

Today has been busy, and it is not even over. I am writing this while taking a quick break in the evening before heading to the Peking Opera.

The day started with a bus ride (and elementary Chinese language lesson) to Peking University (a.k.a. Beijing University). There we met with sociologists and an anthropologist for a total of 10 faculty members from the area. Represented in the meeting were Peking University, China Agricultural University, Renmin University of China and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Institute of Sociology. It was a great exchange. Following general introductions on the ASA side by Arne Kalleberg and on the Chinese side by Xie Lizhong, each faculty member told about their background and teaching/research interests. There were questions and answers throughout. We learned that we have more in common that we have that is different. We are all social scientists with genuine interest in social betterment. (So far, this has been my favorite part of the trip.)

We then walked campus on the way to a wonderful and lengthy lunch. It was raining, so it was difficult to fully appreciate the campus. Still, it was clear that it is a beautiful campus.

During lunch, we were in a room with two large round tables. We sat so that every one of us from the ASA group was sitting next to a Chinese faculty member. Discussions were open, in-depth and enlightening on both sides.

After lunch we headed by bus to the Summer Palace for a tour and boat ride (or should I say dragon ride?).

To round things out, on the way back to the hotel we drove by Olympic Village.

Here are some pictures from the day's events.

June 2: Day One of Activities in China

Today was extremely busy and informative.

After breakfast in the hotel's restaurant named the Red Wall Cafe, the full group met. There are twelve of us on this ASA trip, plus the tour guide Wen Tong (Wendy). After introductions, Wendy provided an introductory lecture. It provided a very helpful grounding for the day's activities.



In terms of touring, the day was focused on Beijing.

We walked through Changpuhe Park, learning about Chinese gardening along the way. I have many ideas to take back to Mississippi. (Elle, you better get prepared! Our Delta backyard needs a face lift so that we can be at peace with the elements.)

Next on the list were the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square where we walked for a few hours. What a dynamic and long history. I think it is difficult for Americans to think about history across such large stretches of time. This is something we can learn from the Chinese.

We went for a pedicab ride in the old town Beijing-Houhai District and had lunch at a local family's home. Julia (her English name) - another guide - joined us for this visit. It was wonderful. We had great food, fellowship and learned about this historic community and people's everyday lives. There is nothing like good food to bring people together. It also put a face to the stories about how traditional culture is rapidly changing in the face of rapid development and globalization.

After lunch, we visited a primary school in the District. This provided an opportunity to meet and hear from the school master, a teacher and some students. From there, we went to the former Residence of Madam Sun Yat-Sun, an important woman in the history of China.

Following a pedicab ride back, we were off to the Temple of Heaven via a bus.

It had been a long day, and we had been good students. In addition to the tours and meetings, we also learned about Chinese history, culture and language from Wendy along the way.

We ended the evening with a traditional Peking duck dinner at Dadong Restaurant. It was fabulous. Along with the duck (not to mention duck feet), we had chicken and beef dishes. What a treat. So many flavors, so little time!

Arrival in China

I left the San Francisco airport at 2:50 pm on May 31. Here is a picture of me with the Fighting Okra, aka the International Vegetable.

I arrived in China about 6:00 pm Beijing time on June 1. It was a good but long flight. I was so excited to be on the ground.