Rice Harvesting

This past weekend I traveled with my two roommates, Whitney and Jian Juan to Jian Juan's hometown to visit her family and see the rice fields being harvested. I was very excited to see where she grew up and see how rice is harvested. After I thought about it, I realized I didn't actually know what a rice plant looked like or how rice is grown. I soon found out, since once we got out of the tuk tuk rice was everywhere!

Kunming is surrounded by mountains and once we got outside of the city to her village, the mountains were more beautiful than ever. It was a gorgeous day, the rice fields bright yellow beneath a clear blue sky.

Many workers were in the fields doing different parts of the harvest. It was truly amazing to see these people bent down chopping the rice stalks by hand. Farmers are the hardest working people I know.

After they chopped the rice plant from the ground, they either slammed the plant on the ground or stuck it in a machine to shake the rice kernel from the stalk.

Once they have gathered all the rice kernels, they must lay out the rice to dry in the sun for several days. This was being done all over the village, in the streets and courtyards of their homes. After the rice is dried, they bag it and send it off to a factory to be de-shelled and packaged. The rice looks brown/tan because it has a shell on it. Inside the shell is the white rice kernel.

Jian Juan was very happy to be home. She does not get to see her family that often because she has to work in Kunming and is very busy teaching kindergarden. Her mom and aunt cooked up some delicious meals while we were there, now if I could only replicate what I eat here at home...

Jian Juan with her good friend and neighbor from home.

The rice kernel and plant up close.

Some kids playing in the field while their parents work.

Yum, the meal Jian Juan's aunt cooked for us: duck, pumpkin, peanuts, pork with peppers, beans, fish and rice!

The Concept of Time

Everyone has a different concept of time. Some people believe it is acceptable to be five or ten minutes late while others cringe at the idea of even being a few minutes late. Living cross-culturally I have definitely experienced the concept of time differ from my own. To better explain, I will describe two extremes of the concept of time: monochronic and polychronic.

In monochronic time, time is the given and people are the variable. The needs of people are adjusted to suit the demands of time. People do one thing at a time and finish it before starting something else, regardless of circumstances.

In polychronic time, time is the servant and tool of people. Time is adjusted to suit the needs of people. More time is always available, and you are never too busy. People often have to do several things simultaneously, as required by circumstances. It’s not necessary to finish one thing before starting another, nor finish your business with one person before starting in with another.

America is very much a monochronic country, whereas China is a polychronic country. At the bank or post office in America, we form lines and the teller deals with one person at a time. This seems to us the most time-efficient. At the bank or post office in China, the teller may be helping multiple people at one time, with no real line formed. To me this is very frustrating, as I believe a person should be served according to when they arrived. If you arrived first, you should be served first. The Chinese understand time differently and time-efficiency is not a priority. The post office lady will most likely be selling one person stamps, helping another person with a box and making a payment on another person’s bill all at the same time. To me this is inefficient; to them it makes perfect sense.

Here are a few examples of monochronic vs. polychronic:

Mono:

• Time is money
• To be late is rude.
• Schedules are sacred.
• The focus is on the task, getting the job done.
• Plans are fixed, once agreed upon.
• Having to wait is an insult.
• Interruptions are bad.
• People stand in line.
• This attitude is consistent with an individualist viewpoint.

Poly:

• Being made to wait is normal.
• Interruptions are life.
• The focus is on the person, establishing a relationship.
• Deadlines are approximations.
• To be late is to be late.
• Focus on the internal clock.
• Plans are always changing.
• People are never too busy.
• This attitude is consistent with a collectivist viewpoint.

Which kind of person are you, monochronic or polychronic?

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Resource used: Culture Matters: The Peace Corps Cross-Cultural Workbook

Culture Shock

Culture Shock is something I have heard much about and have experienced many times, but each time it is a little different. The Oxford dictionary defines culture shock as disorientation experienced when suddenly subjected to an unfamiliar culture or way of life. Everyone experiences some degree of culture shock whether they have previous experience abroad or knowledge of the country, it will happen whether you want it to or not.

To help cope with culture shock it is good to break it down into several different phases…

Step 1: The Honeymoon Stage

When you first arrive to your destination, everything is new, intriguing and exciting. Simple things about another culture can seem complex and enriched. Friends and family from home are still close in your mind and everything is good.

A few examples I found interesting and exciting when I first got to China:

-little babies and children don’t wear diapers, but split pants. The parents some how know when their child has to go to the bathroom and the children are taught at a young age to squat and go to bathroom wherever they are…this means the sidewalk, street, park, etc.

-using chopsticks and eating rice at every meal

-people don’t know what a line is and how it works, everyone just rushes to the counter and pushes their way to the front, doesn’t matter who got there first

-the same with buses and bus stops, those little old Chinese women sure know how to elbow their way onto a bus first

I wish I could stay in this stage forever, but alas…

Step 2: The Distress Stage

After you’ve been living abroad for a little while, the simple things aren’t so exciting anymore. The language barrier is frustrating and nobody knows you like the people back at home. Differences are now creating a negative impact instead of a positive outlook.

I just hit this stage this past week. I woke up one day and just didn’t want to be here. I wanted to be around people who knew me and I wanted to be able to go to the store, see a price tag, pay for it without bargaining, and speak English to the shopkeeper. The traffic in China is outrageous and confusing. No one follows the rules, the bigger the vehicle, the more right of way you have. I didn’t want to get pushed and shoved on the bus. Suddenly I was looking at everything in a negative light, instead of a positive learning experience. I knew I was going to hit this stage eventually it just took being here for 2 months to hit it.

Step 3: Re-integration Stage

This stage is a continuation of step 2. You start to dislike the culture, language and the food. You reject it as inferior. You start to question why you came here in the first place, why did you change your life so suddenly. Thoughts of home start to creep in and you start to compare this unfamiliar culture with “back home”. This is normal and healthy. It means you are reconnecting with what you value about yourself and your own culture.

Step 4: Autonomy Stage

This is the beginning of acceptance. You begin to feel like yourself again. You start to accept the differences and feel like you can live with them. You feel more confident, no longer isolated and you are able to look at the world around you and appreciate where you are.

Step 5: Independence Stage

You are fully embracing the new culture and things are enjoyable. You feel comfortable, confident, and you are able to make decisions based on your own preferences and values. You understand and appreciate both the differences and similarities of both your own and the new culture. You start to feel at home.

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Everyone won’t go through these stages at the same time or in the same manner. It is just nice to understand some feelings in a progression and to know other people are feeling the same way. It is nice to talk to family and friends, to know that they are still thinking about me and that I didn’t ruin some friendships by moving to the other side of the world. Some days are harder than others, knowing I am the one that left, that I am the one who chose to do this. But I find comfort knowing I am here for the right reasons. He sent me here to do His work and He will help me get through those tough days. Please keep me in your pr-yers for when I go through those hard days and question why I am here. I also pr-y that He will give me the right opportunities to share His love and that I might feel and see His work being carried out here.

Roommate Rivalry

This past Saturday, Mizzou played Illinois in football. To anybody else, this would be just another game on just another college football schedule, but in China, it created major roommate rivalry. My American roommate and co-worker, Whitney, went to Mizzou and has the same amount, if not more, school spirit for her school than I do for Illinois. Thus, we drew a ducktape line down the middle of our living room and each decorated one side with our school colors and flag. We weren't able to watch the game, but we did have a toast to each of our teams.

Whitney and I proudly wearing our school shirts.

My side of the living rom, decorated for the right team.

Whitney's side of the living room.

And of course, the dividing line.

Celebrating my 23rd Birthday in China!

I had the pleasure of celebrating my 23rd birthday in Kunming with some of my new friends. My roommate, Whitney was so sweet and had a balloon, flowers, birthday banner, presents and a birthday cake waiting for me when I woke up. I started my day by opening up the boxes my mom and sister sent, the ones I've been staring at waiting patiently to open until my actual birthday. My sister sent me some great presents, I call it the practical box (oatmeal, tampons, and make-up, thanks sis!). My mom sent me the box I call the impractical, but fun box, she entitled it "Birthday Party in a Box". She mailed all the way to China, balloons, streamers, noisemakers, candles, matches, a birthday banner, chocolate, and a birthday teddy bear, so my friends and I could have a real American birthday, which we certainly did later that night.

I chose my favorite restaurant, a Japanese place, to eat dinner, then we came back to our apartment to eat cake and open presents. I was so surprised that my new friends had all gotten me something, so thoughtful! We made sure to fully utilize the party in a box, noisemakers and all.

Thank you to everyone for the birthday wishes, I had a fabulous birthday and wouldn't wish it any other way.

A pleasant surprise when I woke up

Look Mom, we are using everything you sent in the "Party in a Box"

Enjoying being sung Happy Birthday to, it took us so long to blow out these trick candles, it certainly was a group effort.

The birthday teddy bear my mom sent me. She made it at Build-a-Bear, hugged and kissed it and sent it all the way to China. We named him Xiong Mai for Beautiful Bear.