As I thought about what to write this week, several thoughts came to mind, but none were broad enough to write an entire blog about. So, I’ve decided just to provide a few sentences about several different topics.

1.  Last week the CSA group went to the Shanghai zoo.  It was an excellent time, and exactly what one would expect from a zoo, say for one specific difference.  Instead of viewing the lions and tigers through glass or a steel bars, you drive through their living area in a vehicle. Before you enter their ‘habitat’, a van drives in and throws a live chicken into the air to so that you can watch a lion or tiger catch and devour it!  An interesting experience for sure.

2.  Hiring and ‘aiyi’ is a great decision. An aiyi is, simply put, a cleaning lady/man. I hadn’t had one until last week and I am thoroughly satisfied.  It costs about 5$ an hour, and my apartment is spotless, certainly much more so than when I was cleaning myself.  It is a little awkward sitting on my bed and watching a movie while she cleans, but whatever.

3.  Picking up part time English tutoring jobs is a great way to earn extra cash. Depending on your financial situation, you may need some spending money while you are in China.  To pick up the extra slack, I have taken several teaching positions that pay quite well.  I tutor for about 10 hours a week and it easily covers all my food, bills, and social expenses.  For anyone who is thinking about doing this, I recommend using China Study Abroad or finding the jobs yourself rather than going through an independent company.  You can set your own price, and you don’t have to deal with a middle man.

4.  TOO MUCH VOCABULARY!  I personally feel pushed to memorize new vocabulary too quickly.  There are so many words that I can read and define, but that I would have difficulty using in a sentence. I wish that my classes were geared more towards developing a smaller working vocabulary that could be used correctly in wide range of sentence structures.  But, hey, if you’re going to pass the test, you’ve got to know the material presented by the teachers, right?  Currently, I’m doing my best integrate the words that I know into my speaking.

- Adam

 

As I continue to explore and learn more about China, I am truly

convinced that’s China’s future and that of the rest of the world

are inevitably linked. It’s economy has been relatively

unaffected by the current international economic crisis (some

of which is due to a fixed exchange rate, much to my own

frustration), as it continues to grow at a blistering rate. However,

we all know that 9% annual gains in GDP are unsustainable.

Thus, the time and manor in which its economy slows is

extremely important, and will have a great impact on the world’s

economy. Some would argue that human rights and freer markets

are they key, but myself and many others agree that the

environment and energy are going to make or break China.

 

Everyone knows that China is now the number one consumer

of energy in the world. In order to continue growing and building

a larger middle class, China is going to have to make most of

that energy renewable or face a countryside that resembles

Mordor. And given that China has 1.4 billion people, give or take,

it’s no easy task to produce and distribute that kind of energy.

However, if China can do it, and do it well, it will become the

superpower that many believe it is poised to be. If not, it will

forever associated with cheap labor, cheap products, and rivers

without life.

 

I’m not going to offer any policy solutions, as I’m not qualified

or informed enough to do so. So, let me explain why I feel that

as China goes, so goes the world. If, in the next century, China

is able produce a sustainable environment where ecosystems

are kept in tact, resources are not over-depleted, and abundant

green house gas emissions are a thing of the past, then I believe

that a similar set of circumstances would be present in most

other countries around the world. If more than a billion people

under one government can create a sustainable model for

development, then it should be possible to implement similar

policies almost anywhere. Conversely, if China is in terrible

shape, I would bet that India, Indonesia, and Mexico won’t be

much better off.

 

Of course, as an American, I want the USA to succeed and

continue to be a global leader. However, it is naive to think that

if China doesn’t become stronger and more stable, that it is good

for America in any way. A vibrant healthy China is a must for

future global stability and growth.

- Adam

Before I begin, let me say that my day to day life in Shanghai continues to improve. I am getting used to the layout of the city and making more and more friends. Also, last week we had mid-term exams. I think they went pretty well, but I don’t know the results as of yet.  Anyway, on to my story.
I have befriended almost all of the other students in my class, including a German fellow who owns his own modeling agency in Shanghai.  He is very friendly and outgoing. So, one day we struck up a conversation about his business.  During the conversation he asked me if I had done any modeling before. I replied, “Of  course not!”  He then told me that he may have some opportunities for me if I were interested. I said sure, noting to myself how absurd the notion of me being a model sounded.
So, a few weeks later he called me and asked me to come with him to a Cartier store to try out for an unspecified ‘modeling’ job.  He said that they pay was good and that I wouldn’t have to do much.  Later that day I went with him, and sure enough I was chosen for the gig (not that I was a better choice than any of the other guys who were there).  I was then instructed to show up at a hotel (the name is escaping me) at 9:00 am last Saturday morning.
Now, keep in mind that up until the day of the event I was never told exactly what I was going to be doing.  All I knew was that I was representing Cartier at an event where there were going to be some “famous people”.  So, I arrive at the hotel and am whisked away to a changing room where I was dressed in what looked like a bellboy’s uniform.  I was then taken outside to the hotel lawn where I finally realized what the event was-a wedding between a famous actress and the godson of a famous kung-fu star named Ti-Lung.
The next thing I know, I have two Cartier rings set on a tray and placed in my hands, as well as instructions on when I was to walk down the aisle. I was the ring bearer at the wedding!  I was socked. Then, just as I was beginning to understand what I was doing there, the media came rushing in.  There were literally a hundred camera men and a dozen TV crews on the scene.  Shots were being taken left and right as the Cartier representative yells at me, “Smile, smile!”  A dear in the headlights seems to be the appropriate analogy.
After about twenty minutes of more pictures and standing around, I am taken back into the hotel for final instructions. In a very serious tone I was told, “First, walk slowly down the aisle so that all of the camera men have plenty of time to take pictures of you.  Second, and this is important son, DO NOT DROP THE RINGS!”  Of course, I am immediately terrified by the thought of tripping in front of all the guests and media and watching the rings hit the ground as everyone recoils in horror.Â
Finally, the moment of truth arrived and I walked slowly down the aisle and presented the rings to the bride and groom, breathing a sigh of relief after it was over.  At this point, as I look back, it really was a crazy experience that could only happen in Shanghai.  Come for the people, culture, and language. Stay for the random opportunities to be a ring bearer at a wedding!

-Adam

I am by no means a perfectionist. My room doesn’t always have to be spotless, my clothes ironed, or my hair straight.  However, when it comes to studying Mandarin, I have high expectations for myself.  Before I started, I had read and been told that Chinese was the hardest language in the world.  When I arrived in China, I was by no means naive about the challenge that lay ahead.  Now, after five weeks, the stress of learning this language has hit me full on.

With a thousand characters written on flash cards and fifty new grammar rules, a 70% retention rate seems like a dream.  So, in response to the overwhelming amount of information presented to me on a daily basis, I have increased my studies to at least six hours a day, and on some days up to ten.  I know, it sounds brutal.  Fortunately, time flies and with great effort comes great satisfaction.

The greatest challenge comes in the form of writing.  At first each character seems like a picture.  Luckily, this is not the case as they are each actually a combination of different radicals, each of which has its own meaning.  This makes it easier to comprehend the definition and context in which character is used.  The aspect which is the most difficult is simply remembering how to write each radical.  For example, in the last two days I have spent at least 5 hours writing and rewriting 50 different characters.  However, on today’s quiz I still had problems remembering a few of them, and was second guessing myself on others.  Writing well in Mandarin is clearly a long and arduous process.

In any case, I have found comfort in my classmates who are studying just as hard and having the same difficulties.  Every one of them has expressed the same frustration.  I have come to realize that there is a serious learning curve when it comes to this language.  I am waiting for the day when I reach the point when everything really starts to click. I’ll be sure to let everyone know when that day comes!

Wish me luck!
Adam

Myself and classmates in Shanghai

CSA bunch on trip to SuZhou

Having lived abroad in the past, I felt that I had been exposed to a pretty wide range of people from different countries and from different backgrounds. Then, I came to study at Jiao Tong University.  I didn’t hit me right away, I guess I was still adjusting to my surroundings, but it recently dawned on me that I have never been a part of such a diverse group of people. It’s fantastic!

I went to a jazz bar named The Melting Pot last Friday to have some drinks with my classmates.  We had a table reserved for ten people.  I was one of the first to arrive, so I got to watch as everyone came in and took their seats.  As I greeted each one, I began to kind of keep track of the home country of each person.  By the end of the night I was sitting next to two Germans, an Austrian, a Frenchman, a Turkish woman, two Chinese women, and the most entertaining Japanese guy I have ever met.

I can see how some could feel lonely our out of place in this eclectic mix, but everyone was really inviting and pleasant.  As I chatted with each one, our conversations covered a wide variety of topics.  It was so refreshing to hear intelligent people give their own you unique perspectives on the world.  I felt as though I was learning a lot. I am also having a similar experience in the classroom.  I have befriended students from Brazil, France, Turkey, Pakistan, Spain, Australia, Korea, Japan, Germany, Austria, and even Tahiti. Again, it’s fantastic!

Now, having said this, I didn’t come to China just to meet other foreigners.  If I wanted to do that I would just go to a city like Amsterdam. I came to China to learn about and experience the people and the culture, and I must say that I have been very pleased.  Almost every Chinese person I have met has been warm and friendly, especially the younger generation.  On several occasions I have struck up a conversation with a Chinese person and then ended up having lunch and working on my Chinese.  I can envision myself staying friends with many of them for a long time to come.

All for now.  Check in next time, and leave a comment if you like!

Adam

Your faithful blogger about to dig in to some tasty Chinese food.

Hello everyone. My name is Adam Moessinger.  I’m a 27 year old from the USA.  My hometown is Cumberland, Maryland which is about 3 hours outside of Washington D.C.  I am currently studying Chinese Mandarin full time at Jiaotong University in Shanghai.  I have been here for about a month, and the city has made quite an impression on me. But before I explain, I’d like to give some perspective about where I’m coming from. I’ve been living on and off in South Korea for the past four years.  During those four years, I spent the majority of my time teaching English in Seoul.  So, naturally I find myself constantly comparing Shanghai to Seoul.  In some ways they are similar, but there are some very obvious differences.  Seoul is a more developed city than Shanghai.  The overall standard of living is higher, and it is generally much cleaner.  The great economic success that Korea experienced in second half of the last century has left the Koreans very comfortable in their skin.  Seoul comes across as a city that is still progressing, but at a relatively slow rate compared to the past.

When I stepped of the plane in Shanghai, I could immediately feel the difference.  The Shanghainese have a hunger to develop extremely quickly and take leaps up the socioeconomic ladder.  A new building is being erected on every block, old stores and apartment buildings are being renovated, and the number of shopping malls is astonishing.  In other words, there is massive potential to be successful in Shanghai, and that is what led me here. I plan on studying at Jiaotong for at least a year.  My goal is to become fluent in Mandarin, but I am not naive.  Fluency in two years would be great, but upwards of three is a more realistic goal in my opinion.  Fortunately, CSA granted me a scholarship which has helped to ensure that I will be able to study until my goal is met.  I also plan on taking advantage of CSA’s resources to help obtain a part time job or internship during my time as a student.

Shanghai - my new home

As you can see, I’m not the most gifted writer, but my goal with this blog will be to provide an honest assessment of what it’s like to live and study in Shanghai.  My first bit of advice is that no matter where you are studying Chinese, sign up for the intensive course. This means that you will have a private tutor for 10 hours a week.  I find my tutor to be extremely helpful.  She keeps me stay focused and caught up in all my classes, and she gives me extra confidence to use my Chinese.

Cheers!
Adam