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Our final full day in China

Hello again and thanks for following along. Today started with a breakfast buffet in the hotel with both Chinese and American choices. We were all pleased to find cold juice and milk available. For the most part breakfast has been served with tea only or warm soy milk or warm Tang. The restaurant in this hotel is quite nice, we all ate a big meal to get ready for a long day of touring Beijing. We left the hotel at about 8:30 for our first stop: the Great Wall of China.

On the way Peter gave us a lot more information about Beijing and China. He mentioned that “China” means “middle Kingdom”, since in early times the Chinese believed that they were the center of the world. He also gave us a nice lesson about Chinese language and characters. We have been learning about basic phrases with him since yesterday and have all improved our vocabulary and pronunciation. For those who have not been exposed to Mandarin Chinese, it is a bit challenging to learn because the words are pronounced in “pitches”. The four pitches used in Chinese are flat, where you say the word all with the same emphasis, down – where you say the word with decreasing emphasis, up – where you say the word with increasing emphasis, and up and down where you say the word by decreasing then increasing emphasis. Use of the proper pitch is very important. He gave us an example: the word “ma” has four different meanings when pronounced differently. It can mean “mother”, “numbness”, “scolding” (as in disciplining), or “horse” – presented in the order of pitches described above. As you can now see, pronunciation is difficult yet very important.

Peter also taught us about hand signs. The Chinese have a system where they can show the numbers 1-10 with only one hand. The first five are the same as we would use, and the others make sense when you learn about them. Again, posture on the numbers 6-10 is important. For example, the number nine is shown by flexing both joints in the index finger down with the rest of the hand in a fist. However, if you do this by continuously moving the joints of the index finger (rather than keeping the fixed flexed position), this means “go to die”. That would be an interesting bargaining technique in the shops! We also learned that there are over 7000 characters in the Chinese language, but only about 2000 are regularly used and recognized easily. The others can be deciphered when you learn the basics of the language.

We also got a great history about the Great Wall. Here is what I can remember from the few notes I took. About 2000 years ago there were seven Kingdoms in Northern China. Walls were built around each Kingdom for protection. In 221 B.C., King Quin (pronounced “chin”) was a powerful king who, over the course of 20 years, defeated all six other Kingdoms in war. Once this happened the Quin dynasty was formed, and Quin became the first Emperor of China. Once he became the Emperor, he began to unify Chinese language and measurements. He also ordered that the walls be joined together to form one large wall. The wall extends from Shanghi almost to Pakistan, with a total distance of over 4500 miles. This is like a wall going further than New York to Los Angeles! Most of the original wall (about 95%) is gone, but some portions have been preserved. We traveled to the Juyong Guang section of the wall, which is in northern Beijing. About 2/3 of Beijing is mountainous, and the wall winds along the mountains. Seeing the size of the stones leaves you in complete awe as to how it could have possibly been built!

We arrived at the wall at about 10:00 and spent about 2 hours there. I mentioned yesterday that we had a special event planned, so I would like to tell you about that now. There is a “Great Wall Marathon” that took place only days ago. They also hold a half marathon and 5K, but we missed it. Since there are a lot of runners in the group, we were a little disappointed that we couldn’t participate. We then came up with an idea: why not hold our own race? Better yet, why not have a fun run for the whole group. Furthermore, many races held in the U.S. are to benefit a cause. As such, we decided to hold the first “SC Great Wall Fun Run”. The entry fee was $20 Yuan (about $3 U.S.). The money would be given to the victims of the earthquake in the Si Chuan province. We were all happy about this idea. Overall we raised $425 Yuan which was donated to the Red Cross, who is collecting donations for the cause. Nice job SC!

stairsWhen we arrived it became quickly obvious that our “fun run” would be a fun walk. I don’t think any of us knew how steep the climb would be. The stairs were often so steep that when you stood on one, you were touching the second one up from your feet with your hands! This was not always the case – some steps were only 2-3 inches high – but the inconsistencies were noteworthy in terms of structure and function. The total path we climbed was about ¾ of a mile each way by my guess.



The journey started with a group picture, and then we were off. Though we started the ascent as a group we ended up traveling in small groups. There were a number of excellent photo opportunities and areas to catch our breath. A few of us tried to run the steepest portion. This was an exercise in futility, lasting only about five minutes.

group at bottom The challenging climb was completely worth it. Along the way there were souvenir stations. The path was very crowded with tourists of all ages. The weather could not have been better; low 80’s, dry air, and clear skies. The smell of the numerous flowers was beautifully strong at times, and the breeze kept us refreshed. Once we reached the top the view was stunning. There was a structure resembling a fortress at this location that could be climbed to find the best views. We all climbed the very steep, narrow stairs for another group picture. Dr. Guyer and I talked before the trek and agreed that this climb was a symbolic finish line for us both. She aptly commented that it “exceeded all expectations”.

group at top After the climb and dozens of pictures, we headed back down to meet the bus. The ascent took about one hour and the decent about 25 minutes. This was an absolutely amazing part of the trip. By the facial expression and banter of each group member it was clear that this was a highlight of the trip. We posed for a final group picture at the bottom where the delegates formed a triangle. Each wore their SC maroon t-shirts that were specially designed for the trip. The back, which has been shown in a previous picture, shows the SC triangle in English and Chinese – Sprit, Mind, Body.

group in triangle After the trek we departed for lunch. Despite a 45-minute delay in a traffic jam we arrived at lunch in plenty of time. After lunch there was time for some shopping in the base of the restaurant. We then departed for the Summer Palace. This was where the Emperor would spend the months of July and August. It was an impressive place that surrounded a large lake and was flanked by beautiful architecture and landscaping. The Palace also boasts the world’s largest corridor that is decorated with more than 80,000 paintings. The corridor travels along the lake making for a beautiful view in all directions.

boatWe then left the Palace for dinner in downtown Beijing. On the way we passed by a number of Olympic sites. There was an office building that overlooks the Olympic Village and two of the main facilities. This is the most expensive office building in Beijing. The architecture is amazing with the top resembling a dragon head.

dragonThe two main facilities are the “birds nest” and “water cube”. Both were designed by a team from Switzerland and are absolutely breathtaking. We were told that construction is almost complete. We were not able to get too close due to security, but we still enjoyed a roadside stop for pictures.

After dinner we returned for the hotel to pack for our trip home. Tomorrow we will pack the bus early and make our final stop at the Beijing University of Sport. There we will have a tour of the facilities (including the site for the Olympic Table Tennis competition) and will have lunch with some students, faculty, and administrators from the University. After that we will head for the airport for our journey home. As such, this will likely be my final journal entry.

Birds nestI would like to end this journal with a personal reflection. First and foremost, we need to make some special thanks. I have mentioned several of these people in past journal entries, but please bear with me. And if I forgot anybody I apologize – you are not forgotten in spirit. This trip was a group effort, and I feel that the team has created an excellent template for future short-term study abroad programs.

The support of our administration for this trip has been amazing. Our President, Dr. Flynn, has been a major supporter of this trip from its inception. His travels around the world, including trips to China, have strengthened our global image – thanks President Flynn. Our Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Wyld has kept up with the delegates throughout the preparation and has fostered our relationships for years – thanks Dr. Wyld. Deb Alm, the Director of the International Center has provided excellent guidance throughout the planning of this trip, thanks so much Deb. Dr. Liu and his wife Mrs. Liu have been instrumental on this trip. They have lived in the U.S. for a long time but grew up in China – so they understand both cultures well and are both fluent in the languages. Our sincere thanks go out to them both for their guidance and support on this journey. Dr. Sue Guyer has put forth a Herculean effort to make this trip possible. Those of you who know her understand how busy she is just keeping up with on-campus affairs. There were a number of challenges along the way to make this trip happen and Sue guided the ship in amazing fashion – thanks a million Sue! Finally, it is important for everyone to recognize Dean Charlie Redmond. Charlie has been to China a number of times making connections and creating collaborations for SC. His vision is incredible and his leadership second to none. Plainly stated this trip would not have happed without his work. We missed you on this trip Charlie and all thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Also, a special thanks to all of our friends and family for your support in our taking this journey. We miss you all and can’t wait to share the details of this amazing trip soon – THANK YOU!

We have used multiple modes of transportation: plane, bus, tram, and by boat, on foot and through subways. We have met challenges and persevered. We kept an ASTOUNDING pace of academics and cultural activities, and done it while representing ourselves and the College very well. We have made friends, learned new phrases, and learned about a culture half way around the world. We exercised, played games, challenged ourselves to try new foods, and moved a small version of our personal belongings more than a dozen times. We have sweat, shivered, been burned by the sun and been bitten by bugs. We have counted off, been counted, and met in a circle countless times. We have done laundry in our sinks, taped up broken suitcases, and taken enough pictures to make the Snapfish website crash. We have done this together. We have created memories that will last forever and paved a path for students and faculty that will undoubtedly go on for decades. We have done this in Sprit, Mind, and Body. We have done this with pride, and accomplished through passion. I sincerely thank you for reading this journal, it has been a great experience for me and I hope this will help you reflect on this trip forever.

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Page updated on: 06/01/2008 06/01/2008