Wednesday, September 19, 2007
9/16/07
Today we all said goodbye to Beijing while some of us will travel on and others will return to the states. This trip has been life changing for me because I've never experienced another culture so different from my own and learned so much about myself in the process. Seeing China and getting to know its people and places has made me feel so grateful for this opportunity, this has been the type of trip I've always wanted to take. And, getting to express my new experiences through art and being able to share them with my classmates has been priceless. Coming to China was one of the best decisions I've ever made and I can't imagine having done it without the people I've met and Ying and Edwin there to guide us through it.
9/15/07
Our last full day was a free day, which gave me time to complete my Beijing project. I chose to do the third in my series of street scenes with watercolor and ink. The scene I drew was one that I saw in the 798 Art Factory district of graffiti in a circular pattern on a crumbling brick wall. I though that the use of the spray painted circle on the small square bricks was a contemporary twist on earth as viewed from heaven and helped to blur the lines between the two to form a heaven on earth in China.
Our last dinner was really tasty and I enjoyed the Beijing tea house afterwards. All of the acts, the Kung Fu, the face changing opera, the juggling were unlike any I've seen before. It was the perfect cultural treat to end our trip with.
Our last dinner was really tasty and I enjoyed the Beijing tea house afterwards. All of the acts, the Kung Fu, the face changing opera, the juggling were unlike any I've seen before. It was the perfect cultural treat to end our trip with.
9/14/07
The Temple of Heaven turned out to be more of a stroll in the rain than an exploration of one of China's richest cultural sites. From under my umbrella I enjoyed the vibrant blues of the temples and found the layout of the buildings quite interesting. I like the history behind the use of circular structures inside square enclosures to represent the view of earth as seen from heaven. I plan to incorporate this practive into my art piece, but in a modern way where earth and heaven blend as I believe they do in contemporary China.
9/13/07
I had been looking forward to visiting the Forbidden City but found the tourist crowds to be overwhelming, and the rainy weather didn't help. While inside though I tried imagining how it must have felt to live inside the walls and found myself feeling sorry for the hundreds of concubines that must have led uneventful lives.
After the crowded forbidden city we moved on to a place twenty times as obnoxious: the electronic store. I've never seen a department store style electronic store such as this one, with 8 floors packed full of the same items differing only by brand. I found myself missing Best Buy where the prices might be expensive, but at least you don't have to haggle and can get a straight answer from the employees.
After the crowded forbidden city we moved on to a place twenty times as obnoxious: the electronic store. I've never seen a department store style electronic store such as this one, with 8 floors packed full of the same items differing only by brand. I found myself missing Best Buy where the prices might be expensive, but at least you don't have to haggle and can get a straight answer from the employees.
9/12/07
Hiking the Great Wall was so extremely tiring and rewarding, I loved every minute of it. It was so crazy to be climbing that many stairs dating back so far, and the fact that they were all manmade is unimaginable. There were times when I would descend from a watchtower so tired only to see the many stairs I would have to climb and I think it might be impossible. But we all completed the hike like champs. My legs were sore for a week, but now I can say I've climbed the great wall! 
On the way back to Beijing we stopped off at the 798 Art Factory district. These contemporary art galleries were my favorite art spaces and works I've seen in China. My favorite gallery was Zhou where the pieces mainly depicted Asian women in vibrant, graphic brush strokes. I found the artist to be a clever, crafty designer because almost all of her pieces were also printed onto items that could purchased, like notebooks, wallets and magnents.
On the way back to Beijing we stopped off at the 798 Art Factory district. These contemporary art galleries were my favorite art spaces and works I've seen in China. My favorite gallery was Zhou where the pieces mainly depicted Asian women in vibrant, graphic brush strokes. I found the artist to be a clever, crafty designer because almost all of her pieces were also printed onto items that could purchased, like notebooks, wallets and magnents.
9/11/07
After arriving in Beijing by train, we headed to the Art and Design school based there to have lunch and a tour of their campus. Their facilities were amazing, everything was state of the art and very well designed. I especially love their digital arts building where all of the classrooms opened up into a large atrium. If I had the chance, I would attend this school in a heartbeat.
Next we bused out to the Great Wall and made it there just in time to see the sunset. While the sunset wasn't as bright as we'd hoped, the view from the wall was beautiful. And, eating dinner outside our host's house in his small village was delicious, some of the
best dumplings and vegetables I've had in China. I'll never forget the hike up in the dark to the watch tower where we would sleep that night. All of the stairs were so steep, and it was only the beginning. We played the card game "bullshit" by the light of flashlights and cozied up in our sleeping bags, asleep in minutes. This one of the best, unforgettable nights I've had in China.
Next we bused out to the Great Wall and made it there just in time to see the sunset. While the sunset wasn't as bright as we'd hoped, the view from the wall was beautiful. And, eating dinner outside our host's house in his small village was delicious, some of the
best dumplings and vegetables I've had in China. I'll never forget the hike up in the dark to the watch tower where we would sleep that night. All of the stairs were so steep, and it was only the beginning. We played the card game "bullshit" by the light of flashlights and cozied up in our sleeping bags, asleep in minutes. This one of the best, unforgettable nights I've had in China.9/10/07
Our exhibition opened today and it had a much bigger turn out than I, or anyone else, expected. It was great to be completely finished with our work for Jinan and be able to relax and enjoy our classmate's projects. The Chinese students that came to see the exhibition were so friendly and supportive. I felt so welcomed and honored, they really made our show feel like a big event. Even the president of the University came and met us, showing his support and modesty.
When we said goodbye to the students they were all so sweet, I've never had people stand at the curb and wave us all goodbye like that. The farewell dinner that evening was also a really nice gesture from the faculty, with plenty of food and entertainment as well. The president of the university, and even Ying, sang traditional Shandong songs on a karaoke machine at dinner. I've never had such a musical dinner, and when we were told we should dance around the table in thanks, I have to say I didn't see that one coming.
The part of the trip in Jinan was really great, I feel that getting to know the other Chinese students and faculty of the school helped me to understand China. Without these personal interactions, I don't think that the trip would have been as strong and meaningful as it is.
When we said goodbye to the students they were all so sweet, I've never had people stand at the curb and wave us all goodbye like that. The farewell dinner that evening was also a really nice gesture from the faculty, with plenty of food and entertainment as well. The president of the university, and even Ying, sang traditional Shandong songs on a karaoke machine at dinner. I've never had such a musical dinner, and when we were told we should dance around the table in thanks, I have to say I didn't see that one coming.
The part of the trip in Jinan was really great, I feel that getting to know the other Chinese students and faculty of the school helped me to understand China. Without these personal interactions, I don't think that the trip would have been as strong and meaningful as it is.
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