Formal Reflection
As part of our trip to China, we were asked by Dr. Prokhorova to consider the following three questions and then reflect on them upon our arrival back to UC to extend our learning from the experience.
Question 1: What preconceived idea about China was destroyed after the trip?
Before the trip to China, I created a list of my preconceived notions about China so that I could determine which were broken in an unbiased fashion. Suprisingly, most of my ideas were confirmed during the trip such as that air quality would be a concern in bigger cities (although I could not have imagined the extent of the problem until witnessing it), some shops and markets would feature bartering as a necessity, and that there would be a rich history due to China's length of existence. However, there were two ideas that I had listed were certainly destroyed after the trip. My first misconception was that all Chinese food was going to be incredibly spicy. Before leaving for the trip this was my biggest concern as I have a self-admittedly sensitive tongue, and I was quite nervous that I was going to be miserable everytime we sat down to eat. To my delight, not all Chinese food is spicy! In fact, I greatly enjoyed the Chinese cuisine and trying food that would be considered strange by a traditional American mindset (some of the weird food highlights included marinated jelly fish head, chicken feet, fried eel, pig ear, octopus, cow stomach, and a broad range of mushrooms). My favorite food during the trip is a toss up between the duck (from Beijing) and the dumpling banquet (from Xi'an). As a side note, my non-existent chopstick skills did improve throughout the trip although I would certainly still classify myself as a novice. The other major misconception I had about China was that the Chongqing University students were going to be slow in opening up to new relationships due to a culturally based reserved nature. I was amazed at how excited the students were to meet us and how eager they were to show us around Chongqing. I believe I speak for all of diplomats who went on the trip when I say that the connections we made with the Chongqing University students was the highlight of our trip to China. These interactions amplified my anticipation for their arrival to UC's campus, and I am quite confident that they will transition smoothly.
Question 2: What concept/belief about your own culture was challenged/questioned?
Similar to the list I created for preconceived notions about China, I created another list of anticipated differences I would see between American and Chinese culture. Some of the larger cultural differences (such as how family units are structured) were understandably not witnessed during our week in China, but there were three areas were I favored the Chinese approach over what I was raised to know as normal in America. These areas were communal eating, bartering, and mobile police units. First, I greatly enjoyed the communal eating setup. I felt that it created a greater sense of shared experince during the meal and helped control the portioning that I ate. I will certainly miss the spinning table center in America! Next, we witnessed a number of markets and shops in China were bartering was standard. Although I viewed this as an uncomfortable inconvenience when I first experienced it (and honestly through most of the trip), reflecting showed me that this added an interesting twist to the shopping experience were a degree of skill could result in substantial savings (especially as demonstrated by Dr. Orkwis). Finally, we noticed throughout our trip the presence of mobile police units. They resembled small buses and when set up appeared to be quite efficient at monitoring the surrounding area and communicating various updates with locals. I imagine that if similar efforts were made on a broad scale in America that it would provide law enforcement another tool to combat crime and provide a greater service to communities.
Question 3: What was your biggest takeaway (professionally, personally, or both) from the trip?
As a general statement I greatly enjoyed this trip to China and am very grateful for the opportunity that the College of Engineering and Applied Science gave us. I look forward to seeing how the Engineering Diplomats continues to evolve over the next year and beyond. My largest personal takeaway from the trip was the connections made with the Chongqing students. I had a great time touring their campuses, going to dinner, playing basketball, and making fools of ourselves at KTV (Karaoke Television). Professionally, my takeaway from this trip is confidence abroad. This trip marked the first time I had travelled abroad without family and the farthest away I have ever travelled. From overcoming the feeling of being illiterate in a foreign country to understanding how to navigate a foreign airport, this trip highlighted a number of skills that I may need to utilize later in my career. I have always strived to be flexible professionally (concerning tasks given to me or locations to work) and understand the importance and prevalence of a global market, but I feel that prior to this trip I would have had severe hesitations if I had been asked to travel abroad in this fashion for work. Having completed this initial international experience I am now eager for whatever opportunities may arise for me.
Question 1: What preconceived idea about China was destroyed after the trip?
Before the trip to China, I created a list of my preconceived notions about China so that I could determine which were broken in an unbiased fashion. Suprisingly, most of my ideas were confirmed during the trip such as that air quality would be a concern in bigger cities (although I could not have imagined the extent of the problem until witnessing it), some shops and markets would feature bartering as a necessity, and that there would be a rich history due to China's length of existence. However, there were two ideas that I had listed were certainly destroyed after the trip. My first misconception was that all Chinese food was going to be incredibly spicy. Before leaving for the trip this was my biggest concern as I have a self-admittedly sensitive tongue, and I was quite nervous that I was going to be miserable everytime we sat down to eat. To my delight, not all Chinese food is spicy! In fact, I greatly enjoyed the Chinese cuisine and trying food that would be considered strange by a traditional American mindset (some of the weird food highlights included marinated jelly fish head, chicken feet, fried eel, pig ear, octopus, cow stomach, and a broad range of mushrooms). My favorite food during the trip is a toss up between the duck (from Beijing) and the dumpling banquet (from Xi'an). As a side note, my non-existent chopstick skills did improve throughout the trip although I would certainly still classify myself as a novice. The other major misconception I had about China was that the Chongqing University students were going to be slow in opening up to new relationships due to a culturally based reserved nature. I was amazed at how excited the students were to meet us and how eager they were to show us around Chongqing. I believe I speak for all of diplomats who went on the trip when I say that the connections we made with the Chongqing University students was the highlight of our trip to China. These interactions amplified my anticipation for their arrival to UC's campus, and I am quite confident that they will transition smoothly.
Question 2: What concept/belief about your own culture was challenged/questioned?
Similar to the list I created for preconceived notions about China, I created another list of anticipated differences I would see between American and Chinese culture. Some of the larger cultural differences (such as how family units are structured) were understandably not witnessed during our week in China, but there were three areas were I favored the Chinese approach over what I was raised to know as normal in America. These areas were communal eating, bartering, and mobile police units. First, I greatly enjoyed the communal eating setup. I felt that it created a greater sense of shared experince during the meal and helped control the portioning that I ate. I will certainly miss the spinning table center in America! Next, we witnessed a number of markets and shops in China were bartering was standard. Although I viewed this as an uncomfortable inconvenience when I first experienced it (and honestly through most of the trip), reflecting showed me that this added an interesting twist to the shopping experience were a degree of skill could result in substantial savings (especially as demonstrated by Dr. Orkwis). Finally, we noticed throughout our trip the presence of mobile police units. They resembled small buses and when set up appeared to be quite efficient at monitoring the surrounding area and communicating various updates with locals. I imagine that if similar efforts were made on a broad scale in America that it would provide law enforcement another tool to combat crime and provide a greater service to communities.
Question 3: What was your biggest takeaway (professionally, personally, or both) from the trip?
As a general statement I greatly enjoyed this trip to China and am very grateful for the opportunity that the College of Engineering and Applied Science gave us. I look forward to seeing how the Engineering Diplomats continues to evolve over the next year and beyond. My largest personal takeaway from the trip was the connections made with the Chongqing students. I had a great time touring their campuses, going to dinner, playing basketball, and making fools of ourselves at KTV (Karaoke Television). Professionally, my takeaway from this trip is confidence abroad. This trip marked the first time I had travelled abroad without family and the farthest away I have ever travelled. From overcoming the feeling of being illiterate in a foreign country to understanding how to navigate a foreign airport, this trip highlighted a number of skills that I may need to utilize later in my career. I have always strived to be flexible professionally (concerning tasks given to me or locations to work) and understand the importance and prevalence of a global market, but I feel that prior to this trip I would have had severe hesitations if I had been asked to travel abroad in this fashion for work. Having completed this initial international experience I am now eager for whatever opportunities may arise for me.