China Today: A breathtaking experience

What an interesting start to our trip! An exhausting 14-hour flight to Shanghai led into a three-and-a-half hour flight to Yunnan. We arrived to our hotel around 3 a.m. and jet lag kicked in. My body was still on Eastern Time, and I did not sleep much. We woke up to have breakfast in a tiny restaurant very close to our hotel where everything was fresh and made right in front of us. We walked around Yunnan for a while until our welcome banquet at YNNU, (Yunnan Normal University). The variety of food here was fascinating; everything from chicken and rice to donkey and grasshoppers!

After this we packed our stuff and hopped on a bus to Hekou. This six-hour bus ride gave us the chance to look at just a portion of the breathtaking scenery that China has to offer. We arrived at our hotel and Hekou, and went right to dinner which had more varieties of ethnic food to try. Our seats at dinner were incredible, because we were looking right at Vietnam! In the morning we woke up to see the people of Vietnam cross over the bridge to China for trading and selling. We explored much of Hekou this day by visiting the old railway station, Customs House (1897), the Border Trade Market, and the local farmer’s market.

There was a lot of pollution in the area, which was saddening. The air was filled with dust and debris, which was hard on breathing. Overall, I was amazed by the people of Hekou. They are extremely hard-working, which I admire. Many of them were very friendly; always smiling, saying hello, and taking pictures of us. Seeing them excited to be around us was my favorite thing about this area.

Today we left Hekou and took a very bumpy ride to Yuanyang. The 3 ½ hour bus ride gave me time to admire the amazing landscapes. I was in awe at the mountains, fields, plants, and people working to maintain them. The bus ride took us up in very high altitude. The weather went from warm and sunny to cold, partly cloudy, and partly sunny. We stepped off the bus and look out onto the incredible terraced fields and people working on them. We then took a path down to Quing Ko, the folk cultural village in the terraced fields. As soon as we stepped on the path we saw a lady who I was very intrigued by and wanted to take a picture of her and was surprised to find out that I had to pay to do so.

I was excited to see all of the little children running around and playing. I came to find that the people of Quing Ko were the same exact way; even the children. I was very careful about taking pictures unless I really wanted to, and I thought it was worth it. The shops in this little village were adorable! We needed help from Mr. Li and Dr. Luo to bargain for reasonable prices. I was very grateful for them.

I was also excited about the donkeys and water buffalo working hard in the town and walking freely. There was also ducks, roosters and chickens scattered all around. As we were walking back up the pathway, we became very winded. This made me think of the woman carrying heavy loads on their backs walking up and down the path. These women looked very old but we came to find that they were not very much older than us! The people of this village do not have very long lifespans.

Our next stop was Tiger Mouth in the terraced fields. This was my favorite part of the day. As soon as we got there, we were bombarded by the women of the village trying to sell us things. They followed us and it became slightly uncomfortable. We took the 300 steps down to get a closer view of the fields. I was a little nervous because we were up very high but the view was breathtaking.

We spent some time just staring out onto the fields. The sun painted the water in the fields so delicately it looked like a painting. It was very surreal. We took the path back up to the top of Tiger Mouth to watch the sunset over the fields. This walk was extremely tiring but worth it. The sunset was something unexplainable. The last minute of the sunset I put my camera down and just relished in the moment. It was truly remarkable. The bus then took us down to the town of Yuanyang were we stayed the night. Our dinner was more ethnic food but somewhat Americanized Chinese food. I was excited to try the Chinese beer. It tasted very familiar.

We spent much of our day on the bus coming down off the mountains. The mountain roads were very rough and uneven. This made the ride very uncomfortable. But the mountain ranges were beautiful so it made up for it. I had seen some men walking by our bus playing instruments. This was the first time I had seen this.

Because I fell asleep when the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve, I counted down the minutes until midnight in the U.S. We were on a bus to Mengzi when midnight came over there. I counted back from 10 and it felt somewhat like home. On the way to Mengzi we stopped at Duoyishu scenic spot to get another view of the terraced fields. It was much of what we had seen the day before. We walked some pathways and such to view the fields then we got back on the bus.

We stopped at a local farmer’s market to try some tropical fruits we have never seen before. There were lots of large and colorful fruits. They were very interesting and surprisingly good! Jackfruit, a very large fruit that took some effort to cut up, was somewhat gummy and tasted like bananas. The large grapefruit, which looked identical to a large lemon, tasted like a mixture between grapefruit and oranges. The tamarinds tasted just like raisins but in a completely different form.

At night we arrived at our hotel by Hong Hue University. This was not one of the better hotels. The Wi-Fi was very hard to get on and every time I left the room all of the power would go out. So I could not charge anything while I was out of the room. The dinner was a New Year’s feast. It was more food than we had ever gotten before. It was very good but very filling.

Today, I woke up to a nice sunny day. I’m starting to get used to eating noodles and rice for breakfast. We hopped on the bus and made our way to the former French railway station. There were a number of Chinese tourists already there but it was very peaceful there. Dr. Luo took some of us down the path to where the railway hit the road. He showed us some buildings related to the railway station and explained what some stone markers stacked up and pushed to the side were.

We went to two museums on this day; the Honghe Minority Museum and the museum related the university. Everything inside was very interesting to look at but I found myself just walking aimlessly, because I could not understand most of the things meant. Almost everything was in Chinese.

It became time for lunch where tried the famous Cross and Bridge Noodles. The waiter came in and put a large plate in front of us. The plate had tiny bowls on it filled with raw meat, eggs, vegetables and noodles. He then came back in and stacked another large plate with more varieties of foods on it. The waiters brought everyone an extremely large bowl filled with piping hot broth. We had to select everything from the large plates we wanted to put into the bowl. The boiling broth cooked everything as we threw it in. This meal experience was something I had never done before and it was fascinating to say the least. Overall, it was decent. I was full very quickly and it seemed as though not one person finished the entire bowl.

We then took a walk by the South Lake. We saw beautiful Pagodas, the French Gardens, and the French Embassy. The sun was out and it was a beautiful day for a walk by a lake. A couple of us saw a pet store on the walk and we went in. I was very excited to see dogs, because I miss my own dog very much. I was surprised to see Husky and Labrador puppies because most of the dogs I have seen in China have been wild and just roaming the streets; emaciated, standoffish, and dirty. Seeing expensive purebred dogs and puppies for sale as pets was somewhat shocking to me.

I have been waking up very early around 5 or 6. So waking up at 7:15 a.m. for breakfast was not difficult. After breakfast, we packed our stuff and got right on the bus. The bus ride was very scenic and we passed the stone forest which looked beautiful. We will be heading there later on in the trip. Everyone seems to be very excited for that. The bus ride was around 4 hours back to the university but it felt much longer.

Once we got off the bus, we had to say goodbye to our bus driver and our tour guide. They were very sweet and nice. Nixon, our tour guide always helped me with any questions I had. I really appreciated him in times when I was very confused. He was always making us laugh and being very friendly!

We finally made it to Kunming. Mr. Li and Ms. Li set up a very formal and well done orientation for us at Yunnan Normal University (YNNU). I felt very welcome. They made it very clear that if we needed anything at all, they would be there to help us. They showed us around an old classroom that was very quaint inside. It had windows on all sides, a chalkboard and a large cluster of wooden desks. I liked the old time feel it had.

We had some free time to walk around the city after class. This was very laid back and relaxing. I enjoyed walking around. I was very excited to find some American food for the first time on the trip! We were all so happy to finally eat something familiar. Then we all celebrated with dessert. It was a perfect end to the day.

Today was our first day of class, which went very well. Dr. Luo introduced us to some of the history of China. Three others and I did our presentations today. I think they all went pretty well. Professor Vera ran through some camera basics for the introductory students.

Our big venture was to take on the Chinese Walmart today. The walk to Walmart was about 20 minutes of crowded streets and shops everywhere. There was always something to look at. There were many illegal street vendors out. As we were walking, they all rushed to grab there things quickly and hide as the police scanned the streets for anything illegal. We stopped to watch for a couple minutes.

One we got to Walmart it was almost nothing like an American Wal-Mart. Unfortunately we were advised not to take pictures in Wal-Mart. It was very congested and confusing inside. There were many workers standing by isles, working in their own shopping sections that looked like mall stores rather than Wal-mart shopping isles. A

s we went to pay, we passed the “Wet Market.” This had a large selection of meats and fish. There were sellers standing next to their products advertising their products by yelling out information about them. This is was so interesting to me. This part seemed so much like an outside market of some sort rather than a big supermarket.

During free time, I was very excited to get some souvenir shopping done. We found some very cute little stores with trinkets and gifts that were perfect keepsakes for some of my friends and family! My favorite little store was called, “Good Life and Good Idea.” I bought most of my things inside this store. Everyone was so welcoming and friendly inside!

— Victoria Rawa, psychology major #HuskyAbroad

Led by Vera Viditz-Ward, professor of art and art history, and Jing Luo, Ph.D., professor of languages and cultures, a group of Bloomsburg University students spent three weeks in China studying language, culture and photography. The group, hosted by Yunnan Normal University, traveled to Kunming, Hekou, Yuanyuang, Mengzi, Dali, and Lijiang, where they had close contact with a variety of ethnic groups and learned about their lives and cultures.

China Today: Along the border

Today we got to know the small town, Hekou. It is located near the southern edge of China. It boarders Vietnam. The major event that takes place in Hekou is the boarder trade. The trucks and people line up on a bridge and wait till the border to either China or to Vietnam opens and then they can go across. The number of trucks that would line up to cross the boarder was huge and it would take forever for each truck to get across.

When we were sitting eating lunch near the bridge it seemed as if the trucks didn’t even move. The trade process seems inefficient and not very use full in my opinion.

It took too long for thing to come across and there seemed to be more supplies then needed. However, like Dr. Jing said to me; for the Chinese and Vietnamese it is not about the supply and demand like it is in the US.

Today we saw the Vietnamese were bringing over to the Chinese side to trade. A few of the items were melons, rice and prostitutes. It was interesting to see the trading upfront when most of the trading that goes on in the U.S. is behind the curtains. The manual labor that all the people do for each of their products is a amazing, basically their lives/jobs. In return it is understandable that they have the patients to wait hours to be able to trade the product. This is something that I think very few Americans would understand and have the patients to do, so although it doesn’t seem efficient to me it also builds a lot of character.

The other interesting thing in Hekou is the old railway station. The French built this when they invaded China. Each of the horizontal slats on the railroad cost one Chinese life when being built. Mostly everything around the railway was broken down and abandoned. The sides were full of trash. I think this place is amazing and beautiful but the amount of trash and broken down places brings the beauty down a few levels. Hekou has the combination of new and old.

We departed in the morning on the bus and traveled about three hours north to a small village in the mountains called Quing Ku. The people that inhabit this village are a minority group by the name of Hani. The Hani people spend their days farming in the terraces, which hold red rice. The Hani people came up with a complex system to bring the water from the mountaintops down into the terraces. To create an irrigation system like that is amazing ad these people must be smart.

The amount of work that the Hani women put into farming the terraces is huge. They carry large sacks on their backs that are help up by a strap, which goes across their forehead. This intense labor that the women go through has a huge toll on their aging process. I thought the women looked to be in their late 60’s and later found out that they were in their 30’s. This was baffling to me because I don’t understand intense labor. I don’t consider my-self a girly girl but I do prim my-self. After seeing the work that these women do it gives me an enormous appreciation for the life style that I was brought up in. The work I saw these women do has inspired me to put that same mount of determination and intense work into all of the work I do.

Today we again visited the terraced fields. One would think that once you have seen it, it will look the same but that is not the case with the terraced fields. Every time I look at them they are just as beautiful and different. The lighting changes all the time and therefore changes the reflection and the look of the terraced fields. The ambiance is breath taking.

However the most exciting part of our trip today was the bus ride. The fact that our bus driver scraped the side of a truck was inevitable with the way the people drive around here. They zip passed one another on these skinny roads with buildings on both sides. As far as I can tell there doesn’t seem to be any driving laws. I think that either the roads need to be expanded or they need to drive smaller cars. The trucks and buses driving up and down these roads, which should only be for one-way traffic. I would look out the sides of the bus and see people working on building more buildings but I didn’t see was anyone creating or expanding the roads. Building more homes or stores will not be useful if no one can get to them. The small roads also make it very dangerous for the town’s people. It is unbelievable that the people don’t seem to mind being almost run over by trucks 24-7.

Today we were in the city of Menzi where the former French railway station is and the Original Southwest Associated University Mengzi Branch is located. It was interesting to hear the story of how some of the professor and students used the French railway to go from Kumming down to Menzi during WWII; because the professors needed to get away form the Japanese. They then moved back up to Kumming once the war was over. Some of the greatest Chinese scholars studied at the Southwest Associated University Mengzi Branch. What I don’t understand is why the scholars had to go back up to Kumming when the University in Mengzi was a good school?

The hype of todays trip was to experience the Mengzi Cross the Bridge Rice Noodles. It was quite an experience! When we first walked into the restaurant all I could think of was, “Man Chinese people eat a lot of food,” because of all the plates piled high. Then once the servers started bring all the little plates with different meats, veggies, and herbs to our table in my head I was like, “My stomach will explode.”

However, the eating process was explained to us and then I began to understand why there was so much food. The process is very unique and interesting. I absolutely loved the creativity of basically being able to create your own noodle soup. I didn’t think that the raw foods could be cooked just by putting them into the boiling hot water, but it did and it was amazing! If there is one thing I have learned so far it would be that the Chinese definitely know how to cook great foods; and how to present them on at table in a way that is practical so everyone can reach the food. I love it!

We took the bus back to Kumming today, which took about four hours and once we got back to Normal Yunnan University we went through orientation. I thought it was honorable and amazing how high education is held in this country. We were shown the monument of the University’s history, which was located on the campus. It was unique the way they kept the original school building and how the original professors were buried on site.

The museum was very interesting to look at and it was peaceful in the way it ended with a quite garden area to study. I think that it really goes to show how proud they are of their academic history and it shows students who or what they are representing by going to the school. I think it would be very beneficial and interesting if Universities had something similar to this. I don’t know a lot about Bloomsburg history but I think it would be interesting to know. The rest of the campus was very quant. It was very interesting to see the classroom we will be using for the next nine days because it was not what I was expecting! It is very low tech and has a very different desk situation then in the United States. I’m really excited to experience class in this new location.

We had class today. It was interesting to see the difference in the classroom compared to the ones back in the United States. The desks were long and green tables, which had cubbies under them. Two people could sit at each desk. The building didn’t have wifi and the computer aren’t connected to the Internet, which I thought was something that it should.

No academic building in the United States would ever not have wifi or be connected to the Internet. Angela and I walked around campus in the afternoon to see what the students do. The thing that I noticed most was that the students actually study while they are laying and sitting outside. The students in Bloomsburg, when it’s sunny and warm out, have a hard time studying. I always see the students just laying and talking with their friends. I wonder if going to college has become such a common thing in the United States, so the students don’t take it as seriously as the Chinese do?

It was our first “free” time today, so we got the chance to walk around the city by ourselves. We went to the little shopping area and had some Australian food. It was a nice break from the Chinese food we had had for the past six days. All around the shopping area there were murals on the buildings.

I absolutely love how China decorates the walls and buildings. It blows my mind how cheep things are here compared to home. I understand that it is made here so they don’t have the shipping costs to add in, but I didn’t think it would be this cheep. Also, I like the fact that there is not sales tax so you know the exact price. Lastly I don’t understand why servers don’t get tipped in China.

— Nicole Updegrove, psychology major #HuskyAbroad

Led by Vera Viditz-Ward, professor of art and art history, and Jing Luo, Ph.D., professor of languages and cultures, a group of Bloomsburg University students spent three weeks in China studying language, culture and photography. The group, hosted by Yunnan Normal University, traveled to Kunming, Hekou, Yuanyuang, Mengzi, Dali, and Lijiang, where they had close contact with a variety of ethnic groups and learned about their lives and cultures.

China Today: A beautiful view

Visiting the Chinese markets was a really wonderful and amazing experience. The people selling goods display their colorful items and have them layered on tables, hung from hooks, and even lay them on mats on the ground. They bargain and fan you closer so they can show you all that they have to offer. The air is full of wonderful smells consisting of spices, meats, and fruits. The most exciting experience I had was walking into this area that was covered in cabanas and seeing this middle aged woman holding these ducks in her hand just completely hacking away at the featherless meat. She was quite delighted to see Jenn’s and I’s horrified reactions. As we inched closer her smile got bigger and she swung her meat cleaver like she wanted to cut straight through the table. I politely asked if I could capture a picture of this hilarious moment and she obliged.

Southern China landscape is extremely beautiful and the vegetation varies from tropical plants to pine trees and everything in between. There are great planes that go for miles and then huge mountains that get hidden in the clouds. The color of the Earth ranges from light browns dirt to blood red clays and huge rocks stick out of the ground like shark teeth. It’s just a completely beautiful country that’s nothing like anything I’ve seen in the states. The rivers and lakes switch between and algae greens and mud browns. Even in the winter everything is still green and lush. I really love that the mountains aren’t just a bare rock, there’s plenty of vegetation on and surrounding them. There are an endless amount of crops and fields for planting rice, tea, bananas and other plants.

America has many tasty fruits but I’ve got to say China’s fruit takes the cake. You can see how directly the fruit goes from the tree to the stands. It’s a really wonderful system of selling where you can always get the freshest fruit available for next to nothing price wise. The fruits sold at these markets were unbelievably colorful and delicious. I tried fruits I had never eaten before like Jackfruit and then I had familiar fruits such as pineapple and yet it seemed so much sweeter and more delicious than any other pineapple I had eaten before.

There are always places you visit that you never quite forget and the Terrace Fields took the breath right out of me. You can see these beautiful man made fields go on for miles and then just disappear in the fog of the mountains. Sometimes the sun peaks through the clouds and gives the water a beautiful golden shimmer. The ground is dug out using hoes except for a ridge at the edge to hold the water in so it can nourish the ground for upcoming crops. These sections of water and Earth seem to just go on for forever eventually looking like steep steps of water that just flow into each other. I am one of those people who are completely obsessed with ramen noodles and I’ll never be able to look at them the same way again. I have eaten at a decent amount of Chinese restaurants and tasted delicious noodles but the famous Crossing Bridge Noodles are by far the best noodles I’ve ever tasted. To my surprise we start out the meal with a plate full of ingredients.

A few examples are quail eggs, a variety of meats, veggies, and plenty of spices. Each plate had seven ingredients for us to later put in our scorching hot broth. All of the ingredients get dumped into the hot broth and then the noodles go in last. I couldn’t believe how delicious this dish was, it was absolutely wonderful. There was no way I could’ve eaten it all but if I could’ve trust me when I say if I could have, I would have.

Our visit to the Lake in Mengzi was extremely peaceful and relaxing. The lake is surrounded by parks, food stands, and a small amusement park. It was a beautiful sunny day and delicious smells filled the air drifting away from the food stands selling savory meats and candied fruits. Beautiful gazeebos decorated in the traditional colors and Chinese style are placed in the shade with trees surrounding them. Big yellow duck-shaped boats are rented out and couples paddle out to enjoy the gorgeous day. We also got some great shots of a beautiful building sitting on the edge of the lake that was decorated and had a great view of the surrounding city.

— Jessica Brown, art studio major #HuskyAbroad

Led by Vera Viditz-Ward, professor of art and art history, and Jing Luo, Ph.D., professor of languages and cultures, a group of Bloomsburg University students spent three weeks in China studying language, culture and photography. The group, hosted by Yunnan Normal University, traveled to Kunming, Hekou, Yuanyuang, Mengzi, Dali, and Lijiang, where they had close contact with a variety of ethnic groups and learned about their lives and cultures.

Like a bucket of water to the face ... our final semester IS here

How is it possible that we are back already?

Weren’t we just handing in our last finals, hastily packing our luggage, and speeding home to the warmth of home cooked meals, our own beds, and our beloved pets? As a senior I can tell you from personal experience….TIME FLIES. But before you know it, the smell of spring will be in the air, and another semester will be in the books.

For those of you who are seniors like myself– HOW IS THIS OUR LAST SEMESTER???

Can you not vividly remember our first semester here as freshman thinking you had to eat three meals a day at the commons and sport a lanyard around your neck with your sharp new ID so you didn’t get locked out of your dorm? Yea, me too.

But my fellow seniors, the realization is that soon, we will no longer be able to bank on our midday naps to get us through the day. We will actually have to start paying for our Starbucks coffee with cash, not flex dollars. And free gym memberships….forget about it. It is 2015, our graduation year. We have been saying since we were kids, “I will be a college grad in 2015! I will be sophisticated, mature, and totally have my life together!” (What were we thinking?)

But it’s not too late! With a positive mindset and the proper preparation, we can become the greatest post-grads we always imagined we would be.

So, what’s the first step?

To start, look around you. I guarantee your smart phone is either attached to your body or sitting within 1-3 feet of you. As 20 something’s who grew up with Xanga, Myspace, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (the list goes on) we are pretty much social media experts. So why not take advantage of our knowledge and expertise? For those of you with big interviews lined up within the next month or so, one of the crucial things you need to do during your preparation process is clean up your social media accounts.

Social media can be a fantastic way to boost your brand, but only if you use it properly. Google yourself. See what you find. You want employers to find the goodies (your blog, a LinkedIn account, a digital portfolio, a professional twitter page). Make sure you like what you see when you type your name into an internet search. If your 2014 Block Party images are popping up from your roommates Facebook account, you may want to reconsider keeping your profile open to the public.

You are your brand

Even though you may know a lot of other upper-level students who are in the same process as you and are going to be graduating with the same degree, remember – the students sitting to the right and left of you at the May 2015 graduation ceremony are not you. So how exactly can you sell your brand and stand out from your competitors?

A great place to begin - establish a 20-30 second elevator pitch. Pre-grads who are soon to be post-grads, ahemmm, this is for you! An amazing opportunity may be standing next to you in line at your local coffee shop.

Get your communication face ready and be prepared to tell a stranger your story in a nut shell. Form a clear introduction with your name, your major, your career goals and achievements. Include any relevant work or internship experience you have, or research you have done that relates to the position.

I know, this may sound a bit robotic. But with practice you can work on establishing a bit of your personality into your pitch. Another tip - have a professional business card (with your email, LinkedIn account, Digital Portfolio link, etc.) ready in your wallet to hand potential employers at a conference or a work meeting. Pleaseeee…..put your phone down, and don’t be afraid to talk to people!

“Sometimes all you need is 20 seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.” – Matt Damon, We Bought a Zoo.

Just remember, have fun establishing a personal brand. You are unique, you are educated, and you will soon have a fancy degree framed in your parent’s living room. Make something of yourself. Be courageous, be prepared, and most importantly be confident. Before you know it, you will be that cool post-grad you always dreamed you would be!

— Rachael Scicchitano, senior communication studies major #HuskyLife #ProfessionalU

China Today: A scientific look

My first meal of 2015 was a Chinese breakfast buffet. We had our choice of a number of different dishes. I particularly enjoyed the fried rice with bits of egg in it, and also enjoyed some buns that resembled marshmallows. I also began to notice that I was getting drastically better with chop-sticks, and that I had found a way to hold them that suited me.

When we were done eating, we loaded back on to the bus. The plan was to drive and find more platforms from which to see the terraces. While we were driving through one of the villages, we got caught in a traffic jam. It was explained to us that today was a holiday for the Hani people, and the cause for the traffic jam was a wedding that had just taken place.

We finally got past the jam and continued towards more of the terraces. The two platforms we saw were above different terraces than we had seen on New Year's Eve. They weren't as amazing as the ones we had seen the night before, largely due to the lighting, but it was amazing to see how extensive they were.

Soon though, everyone began to get tired of taking photos of the terraces. As awe-inspiring as they were, you could only take so many pictures of them before you started to create duplicates. We decided then to head back into town.

As we started to walk around some of the markets, we noticed a commotion. A crowd had formed and music was playing. We all tried to get a peek, but I just wound up confused. One man was handing out jars of colored liquid, and the other was standing at a table with a bunch of dead snakes and a dead horse shoe crab. I asked Nixon as to what was going on, and he said that they were putting on some sort of show to promote a product. Continuing to walk the streets, we saw everything and anything. Some of what we saw was fresh tobacco, electronics, shoes, clothes, barbershops, even freshly butchered meat. We looked around for a while, but nothing really caught my eye.

When we went back to the hotel, we had to prepare to leave again, this time for Menzi. The road going down from Yuanyang was just as perilous as coming up, but at the very least I was better able to see the view due to how the bus was oriented.

Once we were out of the mountains, we stopped by a fruit market by the side of the road. Some had their suspicions that this was just an excuse to stop for gas, but I had a good time regardless. My diet back in the states isn't what it should be, but the market had some interesting fruit I'd never tried before. First was the Chinese grapefruit, which was much better than the pink grapefruit I was used to having back home. It wasn't sour or bitter, just sweet, and it never tried to shoot juice in my eye. Next was this really strange fruit called the tamarin. It had a shell like a peanut, but when you opened it up, looked and tasted similar to a raisin. You had to be careful though, because the center of the fruit had pits. Finally, we had the Jeque fruit. It was a citrus-looking orange-ish yellow fruit that tasted somewhat like banana. Of what I had tried, I enjoyed the jeque fruit most.

Soon we were back on the road. We had to go up into some more mountains, but they weren't nearly as high as the ones we went into previously. The soil started to turn a dark red, which I guessed was a result of a high iron content. It didn't take long for the mountains to end though, and soon we were driving through an extremely flat and dry area.

At one point I saw a Chinese fracking pad, although we passed it too quickly for me to get a decent shot of it. From what I've read, the Chinese have had a hard time obtaining natural gas, and are helping Russia circumvent their UN sanctions by allowing them to build two large pipelines into China. Soon we were in Menzi. Apparently we were staying at the Huanghe University dorms. They prepared a large feast for us in honor of the New Year. We ate until we were stuffed, then most of us went to bed.

A few of us were still anxious to explore however. Dr. Luo led us through a student pavilion on the outskirts of campus. The air was filled with smoke and the aroma of cooking food, and many students were drinking beer and playing pool.

After we got so far, we went back out the way we came, and then walked just off campus to a small mall-like area. We saw a few bars, what might have been a Chinese McDonalds, and a few outlet and convenience stores. We then walked back to our rooms, where I quickly fell asleep. I woke up early the next morning to look out the window and see a bright pink sky. I quickly rushed out to take photos of this beautiful sunrise.

For breakfast, we got to boil our own noodles and choose what meats and spices were in our broth. I chose pork, and it was by far the best breakfast I had eaten yet in China. After we ate, we set out for the Bisezhai railway. The Bisezhai railway is renowned in China for being the first railway built by the Chinese, even though it was owned by the French. It connected down to the same railway we had previously seen in He Kou. I couldn't help but feel as if I had walked into a western movie, between the desert-like landscape of Bisezhai along with the railway station.

There was a quarry near the railroad, and I was happy to find a few nice rock samples to bring home. I found a perfect chunk of Calcite with some beautiful cleavage. Dr. Luo and Katie brought over some vesicular basalt to check out.

Basalt is the result of dried lava or magma, and vesicular means that it had many holes in it where gas bubbles had been while it was forming. I didn't know it before, but Yunnan has many volcanoes, and possibly some rifting where magma has been able to reach the surface.

Dr. Viditz-Ward also asked me to look at a large rock that a local had placed as decoration outside of their house. It was finely rounded with the exception of a roughly hewn area beneath a small arching piece. I'm pretty sure the stone consisted of Limestone, but I'm not one hundred percent sure. I also observed a number of small quartz veins running through it. The rough area I suspect is the result of it originally resting by a magma chamber, possibly even next to my small sample of vesicular basalt.

Next, we went to a restaurant and had the famous Crossing Bridge Noodles. It was interesting how the meal was made. They would bring everyone a bunch of raw ingredients, including pork, mushrooms, eggs, a whole chicken leg, along with many other meats and vegetables. Then a large bowl of steaming hot broth was given to each guest, and they would throw in all of the ingredients they were given, starting with the meats and ending with vegetables. They would all cook inside of the broth, and after a few minutes it was ready to be eaten. It was delicious as much as it was peculiar.

After lunch we went to the Honghe Minority Museum. They had the entire history of the county, starting with fossils found locally. They also had artifacts that were hundreds of years old. Hugh, Jess, and I walked around slowly observing each object on display while the group moved on. Then Jess realized that we weren't alone. A group of Chinese girls had been watching and following us from a distance. After a bit, they worked up their courage and asked Hugh if they could get a picture with him. They then left, but came back later to get a picture of the three of us with them. Soon after they left the second time, another member if our group came in and got us. Apparently the group had gone through the museum pretty quickly and had been waiting outside for us.

We then drove a little down the road and walked around a small lake in the center of town. All around the lake were these beautiful pagodas and bridges. There were also rides and a pool for the kids. It was a perfect day to see this lake, as there wasn't a cloud in the sky and a comfortable breeze coming from across the lake. It was a day to remember.

We then returned to the campus and had some time to do whatever before dinner. I took a quick walk around campus to see what I could. Two girls saw me walking around and called me over. Apparently they were English majors, and wanted to know if I could help them study for their exams. I helped explain how to use some words, and then helped them with their pronunciation. Eventually it was time for me to head to dinner, so I wished them luck on their finals and left, but not without leaving them with my email. Assuming they email me and everything works, I now have Chinese pen-pals!

After dinner, I took a short walk around campus and went straight to bed. And so ended yet another day in the beautiful Yunnan province.

We started Wednesday by eating again at 1897. We then packed and prepared for our trip to Yuanyang. We knew that we were heading to the terraced fields, but nobody quite understood what that entailed. We left He Kou back through the Ai Luo Mountains. This time I was facing the mountain rather than the gorge, which was somewhat of a shame because the first time I thought the photos wouldn't be worth taking through the windows.

Since then it was pointed out that they may not be great, but could still be high enough quality to be worthwhile. While I may have missed some of the more scenic shots, I did get something I didn't expect to. We eventually turned off from the road we had previously taken onto another small highway beneath it. Most of the rock face consisted of limestone, however there was occasionally some sandstone and shale, which is to be expected.

Many places by the road displayed evidence of dynamite blasts, which could be seen as equally spaced holes drilled vertically into the rock where dynamite was placed. However, these blasts had made portions of the mountain unstable.

Where there had once been a solid rock face, there was now a crumbling mass of sediment and stone. Until another single face can be eroded away, that crumbling mass will continue to fall apart, and could possibly grow further up the mountain, creating a hazard for the highway below. The Chinese had tried to stop this crumbling by placing concrete grids over the blasted areas, in an attempt to reduce further erosion. In some place it worked, especially when local plants were able to take root in the grids, keeping more sediment from shaking loose with their root systems.

Other areas were less successful. Large rocks would still fall from the rock face, being a hazard and further damaging the grid before vegetation could help to secure it from erosion. One way that the Chinese helped secure these grids was by pouring a cement mix over particularly troublesome areas. Pipes drilled into the mountain would stick out of these areas, most likely to drain groundwater that might otherwise put pressure on the concrete. What I am unsure about is how they poured the concrete without further aggravating the stability of the slope. From what I could see, there were no ledges above that were level enough to support a truck, yet the cemented parches seemed too wide for a person to do on their own.

After about an hour, the valley began to open up more and the slopes became less steep. We passed a fruit market which led me to believe that we were getting close. After all, we were heading to the terraced fields, it would make sense to see people selling their produce. We continued past the market and quickly began to ascend further into the mountains. The winding roads here were really narrow, with only a small concrete barrier keeping you from plummeting hundreds of feet straight down. This didn't seem to change anything in regards to how people would drive, as even small motorcycles would still regularly cut in front of our bus. Luckily our driver was a pro, and this drastic change in elevation hardly seemed to phase him. This was impressive, as I was feeling anxious from the height just by looking out the window. I was particularly cautious when I saw a crack in the road large enough for you to see the space beneath it.

Soon it started to become foggy, and we quickly realized that these were the clouds. We were told that we were almost to the Hani minority village, and that we would have to do some hiking. Considering the steep slopes and high elevation, this made me nervous. However, when we got there I realized that the path down to the village was paved with bricks that provided good footing, so I had nothing to fear. The Hani village was located just below some of their terraces. These terraces were beautiful, but didn't compare to the sights we would see later.

The buildings of the Hani were all bright orange, and had thatched roofs that intentionally made them look like mushrooms. Children wandered the streets, playing games with ropes and sticks. It was fun to watch some of the boys sledding down a dirt hill with a piece of plastic.

Vendors sold items to tourists out of what seemed to be their homes. Most of these items were seemingly handmade or extremely old, which made it the best place to buy souvenirs that we had yet seen. I bartered with a vendor for a cast iron dragon statue. It cost me 360 yuan, or about 60 dollars. While I have yet to find it's artisan's signature, tool marks suggested that no machine had been involved in it's creation. I considered it a bargain, if not a steal.

It was good to see that the locals were savvy to tourists. In order to take pictures of the people, you would have to give them a few yuan. While this was hardly anything for an American tourist, it's possible that this money could help stabilize their living conditions should something happen to their crops. It was interesting to see how the Hani treated their animals. Small caravans of mules were led through the streets, while groups of water buffalo had to be occasionally prodded with a broom. Ducks happily quacked in the streets near a source of water while children laughed and played nearby. All of the animals seemed healthy and content with their lifestyle, and it was clear the Hani went to great lengths to provide appropriately for them.

Soon we began to hike back up to our bus. We drove further up into the mountains until we got to a tourist site. As soon as I got off the bus, an old Hani women grabbed me and handed me an envelope full of postcards with pictures of the terraces.

At first I wasn't sure if they were free or not, but the fact that she wouldn't leave after handing me them told me otherwise. She wouldn't leave me alone, so I just decided to buy them. Then she decided to push another one on me, and me being the soft hearted fool with no taste for conflict, decided to just buy those too. Together they cost 20 yuan, or in dollars about $3.30. I was ready to mark it off as a karma buy, but the woman made it a little hard when immediately after the transaction she ran over to her friends excitedly shouting something that must have translated to something like "I got that sucker to buy TWO of them!"

I'm pretty sure I became a target after that, because other woman selling the same things began to swarm me after that. Many of them brought sad looking children to me, and buy their gesturing I was able to put together that the kid was either hungry, sick, or just dirt poor, and that they needed me to buy their stuff. I had figured out their game by now, and did my best to tell them I was not interested. Most left after some badgering, but one really persistent woman I needed help from Mr. Li, our Kunming University representative, in order to get rid of her.


The site itself was a large platform on the top of the mountains overlooking the terraces. The terraces were built in a valley high up in the mountains around 700 years ago by the local minorities after they had to flee from areas to the north.

They chose Yuanyang because no warlords would be interested in conquering such a remote location, and if they tried they would have to give up far more valuable lands in order to do so. The way the people filled the terraces was brilliant.

With how high up they were in the mountains, the people lived amongst the clouds. The terraces were filled by the clouds, condensing their moisture on to the soil. The terraces were then built so that higher areas would overflow into lower areas, and these were made as far up the mountain as the people could manage access to. The platform we were on granted a full view of the mountain valley, and we were waiting for the sun to set over it. In the meantime, some of us decided to walk down to the lower platforms to try getting shots of different angles.

Going down the platforms was nerve wracking for someone with a fear of heights, but the photos gained were worth it. At the bottom, I was called over by a Chinese man who noticed that I wasn't a local. He told me that he was learning English, and I told him that I was learning Chinese, so we decided to try and have a conversation and help each other out. He told me that three months ago he took a trip to California, and he really enjoyed Lake Tahoe. He also said that Americans were really nice and polite, and while I was glad that he had gotten that impression, It was somewhat sad to know that my homeland was rarely so kind to people who are not perfectly fluent in English. I told him that I was a Geology major, and that the terraces were both beautiful and interesting. Soon though, I realized I was the only one in my group that was still on the lower platforms, so I told him I had to go. He wished me a good time while I was in China, and then we parted ways. My only regret is that I forgot to ask if I could take his picture.

I made my way back up to the top platform just in time to catch the sunset. I took as many photos as I could before it finished. We then made our way back to the hotel that we were staying in for the night. With all the excitement, I had nearly forgotten that it was New Years Eve. Dinner. For a long time I had wondered if the Chinese celebrated the international New Year. The answer is yes, as we saw a few Chinese stumbling around clearly drunk. One of the kitchen staff, who by my guess had a nice buzz going for himself, accidentally dropped a large living fish on the ground on his way to the kitchen. More people were leaning on each other and laughing as we left the restaurant to rest for the night. At midnight, I wished my family what would be to then an early "Happy New Year!", as I listened to the crackle of fireworks just outside.

We set out early the next day for Kunming. To me, there was only one feature that made this ride interesting. At one brief point we passed an area that had formations resembling those of the Stone Forest, or Shilin. While I know that the actual Stone Forest consists of formations that are both taller, more widespread, and dense, it was nice to have a sneak preview of what may be the defining moment of this trip for me.

When we arrived at the University, we said farewell to our guide Nixon and the bus driver. They had helped us see and understand everything outside of Kunming, and we wanted to make sure that they knew we appreciated the effort they made doing so. Dr. Viditz-Ward gave Nixon an old travel guide that was in English, and our group all put in some yuan to compensate the bus driver for a minor accident that had occurred in a traffic jam three days before. We also gave them Bloomsburg University T-shirts and said goodbye.

After we put our stuff in our rooms, we went to a Kunming University orientation where they told us
about the history of the school. The school in Kunming was founded at the beginning of the Japanese invasion, when three universities in the northeast fled and then united in Yunnan. This is in fact a common story in Yunnan, which before the fleeing of refugees during the war had been pretty small in terms of population.

After the war, the three universities returned to their respective cities, but the teacher's college stayed behind, and eventually became Kunming Normal University. In an old classroom, we were shown where the Chinese Nobel prize winner once sat. Also among the schools proudest accomplishments is the fact that they greatly contributed to China's nuclear weapon program.

After orientation, we had a chance to wander around the area surrounding the campus. We found a small shopping area clearly aimed at satisfying tourists, as there were restaurants with names like The Great Australian Bite, The French Cafe, and even a McDonalds. Some others and I eventually made our way into the French Cafe, and to our surprise one of the waitresses was fluent in English.

I had a chicken curry panini and a Yanjing beer, which I had seen advertised in many places. Both were very good, although once again the beer tasted very similar to Coors Lite. It seems the Chinese really enjoy their light beers, as the only dark ones I've seen are imported. The most popular foreign beer from what I understand is Budweiser, as it's the only one that's not only carried, but actively advertised. After I ate, I went back to my hotel room to prepare for class the next day.

— Brandon Robinson, environmental, geographical, and geological sciences major #HuskyAbroad

Led by Vera Viditz-Ward, professor of art and art history, and Jing Luo, Ph.D., professor of languages and cultures, a group of Bloomsburg University students spent three weeks in China studying language, culture and photography. The group, hosted by Yunnan Normal University, traveled to Kunming, Hekou, Yuanyuang, Mengzi, Dali, and Lijiang, where they had close contact with a variety of ethnic groups and learned about their lives and cultures.

China Today: A photographic journey

On my first day in Hekou China, I noticed that there were a lot of stray animals roaming around. While I know that in many European countries animals tend to roam free, I did not realize it would be the same in China. So to me, this was a surprise.

At home, seeing a stray is very uncommon because as soon as they are spotted, they are taken to the pound. We seem to have a very different concept of animals in America than the people of China do. We spay and neuter our animals as well as get them routine vet care. While some of the animals I saw seemed relatively healthy externally, there were a few that it was obvious they were not in the best of shape, and I doubt any are taken for vet care. Another interesting thing that I noted was that every female dog I came across had visible signs of nursing either currently or recently, so the reason for the overpopulation of strays I was noticing throughout the day was apparent.

Seeing all sorts of animals on the street really intrigued me and peaked my interest into shooting on this overcast day. I was still suffering from a bit of jet lag and was very worn out, but animal shots are my favorite to capture and I really enjoyed seeing all of the creatures Hekou had to offer me.

While there were many dogs, I also came across cats, roosters, hens, and I noticed a herd of ten water buffalo on the other side of the river. The roosters were captivating to me. I am not a bird person whatsoever, but the coloring of the roosters was too incredible to not capture.

While some of the dogs seemed to be particularly friendly, the cats did not. They stayed to themselves and had their ears straight out to the sides, a clear sign of unhappiness in a feline. From a photography standpoint, I really enjoyed seeing how comfortable all of the animals were in their surroundings. The cats, for example, hung around some visually interesting architecture.

After seeing so many stray and homeless animals, it was a shock to me to come across two dogs, each having different owners, that were actually leashed and wearing some sort of outfit. After seeing the disconnect many seem to have here to their animals here in Hekou, I was surprised to see some very “American” behavior when it came to dressing up dogs. I feel like this lack of animal obsession was one of the first ways I truly realized how different this culture is from my own, where each pet is pampered and treated as family. I got a sense that most dogs, if “owned” are around to provide protection, and in doing so they are very loyal, but there are very little house pets as we would be used to seeing back in the United States.

Another thing that I noticed about these animals is that they were either very friendly or very timid. Of course, there was not petting allowed due to the lack of veterinary care and the risks that come along with that, but there were a few dogs that came right up to me and there were others that stayed back and kept their distance. I would believe that this has to do with the lack of socialization between the people and dogs here. These distinctions in the animals’ personalities did allow me to capture different types of photographs though, and for that I was very enthusiastic and grateful for.

One of the most fun parts of my day in Hekou was seeing so many people who were very interested in me getting pictures of them. Although there is a language barrier, I have never met a group of people so willing and excited to have me take a picture of them. I am really enjoying that aspect of being in China because I really enjoy portraiture of all kinds. This woman was walking along the pathway of the railway picking plants to bring home. I could not believe how this woman, who had never met us before, would be so accepting of having her photo taken while also inviting all 14 of us back to her home.

Another thing I noticed about these people is that even though they are all working, they were so willing to stop what they were doing for a moment and let us photograph them. I found their pleasant attitude to be very admirable.

Everywhere we went we were hearing hello’s and receiving smiles. If I take anything away from this trip, I want it to be that these people, some the poorest of poor, can live with great attitudes and that is something to really try to emulate back in the states where everyone is too busy to stop and enjoy the things that they do have. After only one day, I can already tell that this is a very welcoming and very hardworking group of people. This man was doing what seemed like very hard labor; moving those large rocks could not have been an easy task. But, even though he was doing this work, he was more than willing to stop and smile for a brief moment to allow us to get some shots of him.

I cannot get over how beautiful the scenery in Hekou was. The colors were so vivid and full of life, just like the people. The landscape was full of visual interest. Just in these photograph alone there are buildings, rock, dirt, greenery, and water. I have never seen so many beautiful things in just one space.

On our way to breakfast, there were many people in the streets preparing food. This woman stood out to me. She was working very hard, but took the time to let our tour guide know what food she was handling. I found her to be such a beautiful person, even though it seems as though she was one of the less fortunate in terms of money in this city. Those people, I feel, were the most kind hearted and welcoming that we dealt with. The difference in the people between here and in America is astounding and it is so refreshing to see. Although we have such a language barrier, I feel very comfortable around these people. I loved the smiles and the waves. I was surprised by how many take the time to know some English. More of these people than I expected were able to say hello. I was very impressed by this because I know that in our country, most people do not take the time to do this for any foreigners.

After a long bus ride up the huge mountain filled with curving roads, we made it to our first destination. With a little bit of hiking, we made it to Quing Ku. This little folk village was filled with people who, to me, were very different from the ones we saw in Hekou in both appearance and personality. These were people who were of a much darker skin tone because of their very hard daily labor outdoors farming in the reservoirs. These people also were very smart and apparently learned at a young age that tourists want to get photographs and that for that to happen, the tourists must pay. I appreciate their understanding, but it also made it difficult. A lot of them seemed greedy and would not only take two or three yuan.

One woman was given twenty yuan and still wanted more. I understand and respect that they need to survive, but for us on a photography tour of China it was a little disheartening because that is not exactly how I want to spend my money while I am here. Although the people were like this though, I was able to get a few good shots in the folk village.

One other thing I noticed right away was how all of the women were doing the work. The men were always sitting around either talking, smoking, or playing cards. It seemed very unfair to me, but I do understand that it is the tradition of this new world I am in. Another thing I noticed which I did not think was fair was that the parents, seeing that there were American tourists in the village, dressed their children up in traditional clothing knowing we would want to take pictures and then asking us for money after. I was able to come across a little girl who seemed very interested in me. She loved getting her picture taken and loved it more when I would show her. I noticed that after I stopped taking photos she started to hang on me a little. Her mother, seemed okay with the photographs and did not as for compensation, which is why I was taking shots. It was only when an older woman came over that they started asking, They were relentless. It was an interesting experience though and I was happy to see a different side to the people. They were still as friendly as those in Kunming and Hekou, but these people knew that we could provide some of their livelihood and they were not afraid to ask for it.

After touring the folk village and doing a little shopping, we went to Tiger Mouth to watch the sunset. While there, I realized that I was staring at one of the most beautiful places I will ever see in my life. I felt so lucky to be on this trip as I took in the absolutely breathtaking scenery. I wished that the sunset could have been a little bolder, but there was some dense cloud coverage so the light reflections off the water were not as strong as they could have been. However, I did notice a change in the coloring of some of the reservoirs.

While the view from all the way up top was incredible, I found my favorite part of the day was making the trek down the 300 stairs to see it from that lower angle. While both positions were panoramic, I really enjoyed the lowest level off to the left hand side. Even though what we were looking at was the same concept as what we saw earlier on in the day, it was magnified ten fold.

There were so many more of the reservoirs that were so much closer together, and looking at them from so high up versus being right on top of them made all the difference in my opinion. I thought they were beautiful straight on, but could not have imagined I would have seen such a beautiful sight just by being high up on a mountain overlooking them. I really enjoyed the ones with red in them. The reds and the greens looked so beautiful together. The colors were really just spectacular. I could not have imagined a better way to end the day. I wish we could have gone back to see the sunrise, because maybe then the cloud cover would not have been so dense and the reds could have truly come out on the water. Although we did not get that opportunity, I was happy with what we saw the evening before.

The Bisezhai railway station, built by the French Government in 1910, became a major way to export goods such as copper, phosphate, tin, zinc, lead, silver, and gold. I found it to be a very interesting environment and also very different from the railway station we encountered in Hekou. Instead of all of the greenery surrounding the Old Railway Station in Hekou, the Bisezhai railway station in Mengzi was much more of a barren and abandoned environment.

I enjoyed how the train tracks were one meter wide. I really like the wider rails versus the thinner ones. The railway also allowed for easy transport for the people from country to country and city to city, so I found this fascinating as I really like when innovation occurs.

One thing I was very happy to see today, which was pointed out to me by Mr. Nixon, our tour guide, was that the old rail master was sitting beside the rails. I found out he was the rail master of this station for sixteen years (1970-1986) and even though he is now retired, he still comes to sit.

This just really put a lot into perspective for me in terms of how this culture works and how dedicated they remain to their jobs. Even though this man has not been rail master for 29 years, there he sat looking content as ever. I could not believe that at first. But seeing how hard these people work on a daily basis, I could see why he was so attached to this place. It was a beautiful sunny day and I am sure he just felt bliss sitting there watching everyone visit the place he was rail master over for so many years.

Coming to China, I expected to see a lot of pagodas. Everything I have ever seen on China either featured dragons or pagodas, so I was surprised that that was not the case. But today, we finally saw some. They were so beautiful and more than I ever could have expected. Pictures do not do them justice. I could not believe the intricate detailing that is on them and the colors are so vivid and beautiful. I also really appreciate the shaping of them based on an architectural standpoint. I love interesting and unique looking buildings and pagodas definitely fit that. Seeing some of the lower class buildings from the bus and then seeing these amazing architectural feats shocked me because it was like day and night. I felt like I had gone from one world to another in a short forty minute bus ride. I think my favorite thing about them is the pointed edges and the detailing that can be seen if you were to stand underneath and look up towards the roof. The colors also really stand out to me because I am drawn to bright colors. I loved that these pagodas were built around the South lake because I just believe it enhanced their beauty as the sunlight bounced off of the water and reflected highlights and created shadows.

Today while in Bisezhai on the bus going to the railway station I noticed something that made me second guess what I was seeing. I noticed almost every dog I saw out the window was wearing a collar. I did not think too much of it as we continued on our way, but then once we got the the French gardens and I noticed a pet shop it clicked. This area of China seemed to have a bit of a different view on their animals, especially dogs.

Upon going into the pet shop, myself, Vicky, and Natalie came upon puppies as well as older dogs for sale. The shop also had harnesses, leashes, and dog houses. This to me was so different than the experiences I had in Hekou and Yuanyang when it came to animals. In those cities, dogs roamed free and nobody really bothered with them. But on the bus I noticed the dogs had collars and I even saw a young boy rubbing the stomach of a dog and playing around with it.

This type of interaction felt right at home for me as this is how we treat our pets. The biggest thing that shocked me though was that they had a pet store. I really thought that people just found dogs on the street and maybe fed them to lure them to their homes or out to the fields with them. I had no idea that they could be bought. While these dogs were not in the absolute best of conditions, they still seemed better off than those just freely roaming the streets. This pet store find was a gem for me though as I learned a new thing about China. I came here not even knowing if animals would be roaming and now I am able to see that some roam freely and some come from shops; it all just depends on what city you are in it seems. Of course being in there made me want to take them all home with me, but it was the surprise of the day for me and I am happy I noticed the pet store so that I could be educated on the fact that this country does indeed sell dogs in stores. If I did not find this place, I would still be thinking that people just found a dog they wanted from the street and brought it home.

One thing I noticed upon my arrival in China that I thought was odd was the amount of clothing I was seeing hanging outside to dry. To me, this seemed odd for several reasons. First, I am not used to seeing people hang their clothing outside to dry, second, it seemed rather counter productive to hang clothes out to dry when the air is filled with dirt and smog, and third, I wondered why, if the Chinese make our clothing dryers back at home, they do not have the dryers here?

I assumed it is a money thing, but was not positive. I know that now that we are back in Kunming we were told of a laundry facility underneath our hotel that does laundry and dries and irons them for you if you desire. Of course, it is for a fee, but that is when I first heard or saw any talk of a dryer.

Although I find it to be odd, I actually really like to look at the clothing here. It is interesting to see the variety that people hang. In Hekou, I really only noticed typical clothing, but on our second day back in Kunming where the sun was shining and the weather was warm, I noticed the workers uniform seen above, normal clothing, and undergarments for the first time. While I still find it to be odd that they make dryers and do not really use them, it seems to resonate with other things I have noticed that they make but do not use. Although China is a superpower and the leading manufacturer of basically everything that we use in American society, they seem to me, to be somewhat behind in terms of what they have. I would think it is because they cannot afford to own these things themselves, but the concept just seems very foreign to me.

Regardless of the reasonings behind why they do not have the modern luxuries that they make, I love looking at the clothing hanging and I think each line of clothing has its own story. Village clothing is very different from the clothing we see in the city, and it has been different places and been on people doing different tasks. So I really like seeing it, it is just that it seems so weird to me to hang them.

— Angela McCavera, art history major #HuskyAbroad

Led by Vera Viditz-Ward, professor of art and art history, and Jing Luo, Ph.D., professor of languages and cultures, a group of Bloomsburg University students spent three weeks in China studying language, culture and photography. The group, hosted by Yunnan Normal University, traveled to Kunming, Hekou, Yuanyuang, Mengzi, Dali, and Lijiang, where they had close contact with a variety of ethnic groups and learned about their lives and cultures.