Today we visited the migrant school that we’ll be working at all of next week. We also met the Chinese students and exchange students (from the other program of PESI) that will be on our team. We’re split into teams, with some study abroad students (us), some exchange students, and some Chinese university students. My team is me, Michelle, Nikki, Tao & Tiffany (exchange students), and Chris & Alex & Michael (Chinese university students).
So anyways, we began our day with a lecture from Prof Pan Tianshu about the migrant schools and the problems. I kind of explained all that in my last post…he does a lot of research on migrant schools, so he was explaining about that too. But I didn’t really understand or completely listen to all of it…it was not very interesting -__-- But also, my contact fell out in the beginning of lecture so I couldn’t see anything that was on his powerpoint either…it made it much harder to listen.
After lecture, we were free to go to lunch and had 2 hours this time instead of the usual 1.5-2 hours we have. I think everyone went to lunch together, but me and Nancy went back to the hotel. I went back because my stomach isn’t really agreeing with me today; I had diarrhea this morning. I’m not sure what it was that I ate…but I think it was the wonton mein yesterday, because Joanna’s stomach has been kind of queasy also, and that’s the only thing we both ate. Anyways, I just came back and rested and talked to Wesley on the computer. Nancy wanted to go back to talk to her boyfriend too, so we came back together.
At 1:30 we were supposed to meet at Fudan to take a bus to the migrant schools. This was our first time seeing the migrant schools, and we walked around the neighborhood in our teams. Dan gave us a sort of assignment – to observe everything we can in the neighborhood and try to deduce what life is like for the migrant students and their families. I think me and my team did a pretty good job…we’re going to present it tomorrow. But we walked around the neighborhood and started talking to some local Shanghainese (well, I wasn’t talking to them, but Michael, Alex, and Chris talked to them for us and translated back to us). Basically these people were quite upset with their situation…they said that their neighborhood was comprised of migrant workers and Shanghainese. Basically, the govt is preparing for the World Expo next year (it’s being held in Shanghai, but I guess it’s not a huge deal in America because I don’t even know what it is) and in doing so, they’re knocking down these neighborhoods and building massive skyscrapers and impressive buildings in place of them. So then, the people who live in these neighborhoods are given two choices: monetary compensation or a house in the outskirts of town, in the rural parts. The men we were talking to were quite upset about this; they said that most of the migrant workers left already because they just rented the houses. But they (the Shanghainese) OWNED the houses, and couldn’t up and move so easily. They said that the monetary compensation wasn’t enough; it was only a fraction of what the house is really worth. And they refuse to move to the rural areas, because they’ve already lived in the cities so long and the rural areas would be so far away from everything else. So they have no choice but to stay there as protest to the govt. It really made me quite sad to hear their story…but they seemed very excited and passionate to tell us. I think they really want to make themselves heard, so that people can hear what is happening to them. I took a lot of pictures while going around the neighborhood…it all seemed so surreal. Everything was in the midst of being torn down and everything was just in very poor condition. It made me feel incredibly disgusted with myself, that I live such a luxurious life with all these amenities and opportunities to travel, while these people live in tiny little shacks, with a bed, a hot plate to cook, and other random things. The people definitely proved themselves as resourceful though…many of them make furniture or useful objects out of the scraps they can find. I feel like such a bad person, when I see these people who are being kicked out of their houses (if you can even call them that) and have SO little, and I’m just so blessed to have so much in my life. I just feel like I should do something, but then at the same time I feel detached from it. Like, oh this is where they live. But I don’t feel anything deeper. I mean, I feel sorry for them, but I don’t know if I feel sorry enough to help out. And how am I supposed to help out? I can’t even speak their language, which makes me feel even MORE detached. I just wish there was more that I could do, than just volunteering at this little migrant school. OH, and the migrant school is going to be torn down along with the rest of the neighborhood by the way!! They say that they are going to build a new school a couple miles away, and that school will integrate the Shanghainese students and the migrant students. But, knowing how behind the migrant students are and how different they are from Shanghainese students, this might not be such a good idea because the migrant students will feel out of place. Well, anyways, I’m excited to help with the students next week…and to do what I can. I hope that I can teach them a lot, and they can teach me a lot as well.
Anyways, in order to get back to the hotel from the migrant school, we took the bus! We decided to take public transportation for a change instead of a taxi, just to save some money and experience it. Yeah…not much to experience there. Taking a bus in Shanghai is just like taking a bus anywhere else…The inside of the bus was yellow and green though J Green seats, with yellow poles. Yup. Not much else to say about it.
I just got back from dinner. My team (minus the Chinese university students) plus Kelly’s team (minus the Chinese university students) went to dinner together, since the study abroad and cultural exchange students don’t know each other too well. We went together as a group: me, Michelle, Christine, Geneva, Kelly, and Tao & Aaron & Wendy (from the cultural exchange program). It was really fun. We went to eat at a place off the student street, and they had a large picture menu so I was able to order by myself J Kelly told me to say “I want this” in Chinese, so I just said it and pointed to my picture. Hahah it makes me feel really happy when I say stuff in Chinese, and people understand me :) That’s why I’m so excited for the language program. Anyways, I ate some chicken & mushroom stuff over rice. It was okay…the rice was very buttery, so I tried just to eat the chicken & mushroom, but it was really salty. So :( First bad thing I’ve eaten here in Shanghai. Anyways, after that, me, Michelle, Wendy, and Tao went to a place a little further from the student street to get a drink. It was really good! It was like milk tea with grass jelly, green beans, red beans, and some mochi-type thing. I don’t think it was mochi, but it was like some really chewy, glutinous thing. It was good though! And it was only 4 RMB. I love how all the food is so cheap here J It makes me so happy to eat good, cheap food. Hahaha, except that I’m getting fat -__- Anyways, we all hung out and talked for a little while, and then me and Geneva came back to the hotel while the others stayed and shopped. My stomach keeps bothering me…I don’t know why. I feel like I should’ve flushed whatever it was out of my system already, but my stomach still hurts in random short bursts. But it’s like pretty bad pain for a good 1-2 mins. But after that it goes away and then I feel normal. So I don’t know if I should eat stuff or not…I’ve been trying to eat fairly bland stuff so as not to irritate it more. I hope I’m okay tomorrow…
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