William Richardson: China

Wilson Language Grant Exchange Trip to China- William Richardson

Sitting on the plane from Chicago to Beijing, both anticipation and anxiety filled my head, as I didn’t really know what to expect when we landed in China’s capital. But as soon as I got off the plane, I knew that the trip was going to be life-changing. After a long car ride on the crowded Beijing interstate, I arrived at Beijing Number 4 High School and met my host brother (Jerry Xie) and his father, with whom I would be staying for the next two weeks. After introductions were made, we went back to their house to get some food and rest before a busy first day of sightseeing. 

Beijing- Seeing the City

As the capital of China, Beijing has many interesting landmarks that both make the city unique and demonstrate the rich tradition in which the Chinese culture is immersed. On the first day, my host brother gave me his own tour of the city, showing me what he thought was most interesting and important to understanding his culture. He took me down several ancient alleyways, called Hu Tongs, that are lined with shops, restaurants, food stands, street vendors, houses, and much more. Formed by the layout of housing in Imperial times, these small, crowded streets offered me the best immersion into the language and culture surrounding me. 

A crowded Hu Tong across from the high school that my host brother and I frequently explored

Being the only American that I could see, I felt truly foreign while walking down these alleys. After snacking on street food for a few hours, we decided to take a walk in Beihai Park, just across the street. That evening, we went to a play at Beijing’s Capital Theater, which I found very interesting. The next day, Mr. Xie took me on a tour of the Olympic Park, as Jerry was busy with schoolwork. I got to see the Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube, along with other interesting elements of the park. The next weekend, I got a chance to see some of the more historically significant landmarks, such as the Forbidden City and the Great Wall. I toured the Forbidden City with Jerry and was thoroughly impressed with the massive size and attention to detail apparent within its walls. On the following day, I received a text telling me that our headmaster, Mr. Gioia, was in town and wanted to meet Wells Hamilton (the other student on exchange with me) and I for lunch. He ended up taking us to see the Great Wall, which is an incredible feat of engineering, spanning over 4,000 miles across the nation. All of these sites were wonderful, as they gave me a good picture of the history and tradition still present in the city.

Wells and I at the Great Wall with Mr. Gioia

                                              

Beijing Cuisine

One of my favorite and most memorable parts of the trip was the fantastic food that I got to eat in the city. At the Xie household, Jerry’s grandparents lived with his family, and it was the grandmother that did the cooking. She was a fantastic cook, and provided some delicious meals throughout my stay, like her steamed pork dumplings or her soy sauce braised beef. As if these meals were not enough to make me a Chinese food fanatic, I was able to try some more well-known Beijing culinary staples, such as Peking roast duck and boiled goat tripe. Both of these dishes were delicious, although the goat tripe did have a peculiar texture. Along the Hu Tongs, skewers of meat or candied fruit were the most common food available, and made for a quick and delicious snack on the go. Overall I really enjoyed the Beijing cuisine because it provided me with a more tangible experience of the culture of the City. 

Dumplings at home with my host family

Boiled goat tripe, called Baodu (爆肚), that I tried on my first day

Time at Beijing No. 4

On the first day of school, all of the students and teachers were very accommodating and welcoming towards me. We were able to communicate in both Chinese and English, although English was more commonly used, due to their mastery of my language being greater than my mastery of theirs. A typical day of school for them consisted of an 80-minute morning class with a 10-minute break in the middle, then a running and stretching routine, followed by sports, then another class, lunch, and two afternoon classes. Their classes change each day, and study halls or college counseling sessions sometimes appear in the place of a class or sports period. The daily exercise routine was an interesting thing to watch, and although we participated in many sports, we could never quite get the hang of the stretches or exercises that took place. Over the course of the two weeks, I learned to play Chinese Chess, experienced a lively debate over the dwindling Beijing water supply, cheered on the class’s soccer team in the interscholastic tournament, and made some very interesting friends in both the students and the teachers. It was through these relationships that I was able to grow in terms of both my understanding of Chinese culture, and my grasp on the Chinese language.

This is the original gate of the school outside the athletic fields

All of the Beijing No. 4 students participating in their daily exercise routine

Thank you to the Wilson Family!

Undoubtedly this trip has had a terrifically positive influence on my life since arriving back in Nashville in late March. I will never forget the experiences I had at the high school with the students or with my host brother. In addition to great memories and unforgettable cultural exposure, my language skills, specifically speaking and listening comprehension, have grown substantially because of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I would like to thank Mrs. Zhang and Mr. Gaither, for equipping me with the language skills necessary on a trip like this one.

Lastly, I would like to thank the Wilson family for giving me such an incredible opportunity. Without your generosity of the grant, this trip would not have been possible. Thank you for an unforgettable experience.