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