The People's Colonel: 2013

TAIWAN SUMMER SCHOLARSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT

The Taiwan-United States Sister Relations Alliance (TUSA) is pleased to announce that ‘Ambassador’ Scholarships are again being offered to U.S. college students during the summer of 2014. The purpose of the program is to provide instruction in Mandarin Chinese and to acquaint students with the rich culture of Taiwan.

The program’s aim is to provide opportunities to those eager to pursue overseas immersion in the Mandarin language and Taiwanese culture. The class is open to all levels of proficiency in Chinese language, and a special section this year will accommodate individuals who are at advanced levels of Mandarin studies. Accepted students will be enrolled in the Chinese Language Center at the National Cheng Kung University in Tainan City, Taiwan. The university is recognized as one of the two top institutions of higher education in Taiwan.

Applications should be submitted on line at www.taiwanusalliance.com. Documents must be at our office no later than February 15, 2014, for an early admission decision, or by March 31, 2014, for final consideration. Announcement of scholarship awardees will be made on February 25th for early admission applicants, and by April 10th for all others. Applicants who are unsuccessful in the early decision round will be re-evaluated in the second application round.

The 2013 TUSA program starts July 1st and ends August 22nd. A stipend of NT $25,000 (~US $800) per month for two months (July & August) will be awarded to each scholarship recipient. The scholarship is budgeted to cover tuition, dormitory fees, all program-related travel and excursions, and accident/outpatient health insurance. The Taiwan Ministry of Education sponsors the program and a total of 50 ‘Ambassador’ students will be accepted for the 2014 class.

Sincerely,

Thomas A. Bruce, MD., DSc (hon)
President of Taiwan-United States Sister Relations Alliance (TUSA)

A Letter to the Students at Tongji

这个星期三我们二一零班决定抛弃正常的计划，用写信的活动来取代日常摩擦。目前我们许多朋友在上海同济大学读书。他们在那儿已经两个月了，我们真想念他们的陪伴，参与，幽默感等。于是决定给他们写一封新：

2013年11月6号

亲爱的森特学院同学们：

大家好！你们好吗？上海的生活怎么样？我觉得你们很喜欢参观了好几种地方。告诉我们你的上海经验吧! 你们去不去唱歌？上海的天气怎么样？ Danville 的很奇怪。一天很冷一天很热,有时候大风. 我希望上海的天气比Danville 的天气好了。我们很饿。你们很饿吗？我们很想你们，可是也许不想TyTy^_^ #lolololololololololol #jk #jkmyjk 妳们的老师是谁？他比“安的三”老师好吗？我想安老师比你们的老师好多了！因为安老师热爱我们的课。

你们都怎么样？你们的身体舒服不舒服？你们在上海会不会锻炼？啤酒和卡拉OK让你们很累吗？TyTy找到太太吗？内蒙古怎么样？拍的照片很美！代我们向大家问好。我们很想念你们！现在的课没有以前的好，现在的课没有以前的好玩。

Kiera现在有新的名字；我们叫她两点零（2.0）。因为她换了头发的颜色。我们也有一个新同学，他叫JoyJoy。他是缅甸人。他特别好笑。老师跟以前一样——他觉得他特别好笑！

你们记得上个学期的时候老师告诉我们要做HSK那个特坏的考试吗？他没开玩笑--说真的！这个学期开始的时候，老师把一个像尼罗河 (the Nile) 一样长的词汇单交给我们--太可拍了！他每天让我们背诵一百多个词--真让人疯狂！除了学生词以外，我们也得用推特（Twitter）发短信（老师觉得自己很酷，可是他不知道Twitter已经完全过时--哈哈）。反正，我们终于通过HSK考试现在看一本你们那儿常用的汉语课本 “基础汉语”，也看一本小说 "画儿上的美人。” 多亏你们不在这儿看这本书，非常性别歧视的。书里的女士只缝衣服，做饭，洗衣服，等。

我们都爱你们。希望你们常常给我们写信。

祝

安老师
Ben
Joy Joy
Ross
2.0

The ICLP Experience: Logan's Studies in Taipei

Logan Pauley '15 was featured in Centre News recently for his intrepid journey to Taiwan and studies at the prestigious ICLP program at Taiwan National University.

Check it out:
http://www.centre.edu/news/2013/pauley.html

Shanghai, First Impressions

First Days at Tongji University (Shanghai)
by Ashlyn Weber

We arrived in Shanghai, exhausted and jetlagged, in the late afternoon on 3 September 2013. Fortunately, getting through China Customs was a breeze with our hard-won Chinese Visas. Also, Next Step China’s Amy and Derek were right outside the baggage claim with a huge Centre sign, welcoming us to Shanghai. As we boarded the bus that would take us to Tongji, we were given totes containing all the essentials for students studying abroad in Shanghai: an umbrella, towel, transportation and health cards, maps of Tongji University and Shanghai, and a roll of toilet paper. Next Step China has honestly been a lifesaver for us these initial days in Shanghai. Not only did they pick us up from the airport and give us the basics of living in Shanghai on the way to the school, but they have also been essential to the registration and rooming processes here on campus. With Derek and Amy’s help, we were able to successfully get our temporary rooming permits, install Internet in our rooms, and register for classes within a week.

After arriving on campus, Derek and Amy took us on a tour of the school and the surrounding areas, where we tried our first authentic Chinese food in Shanghai—jiaozi. Street food has been one of my favorite parts of Shanghai so far. As well as being delicious, it is also super cheap and convenient, having some great options just outside of campus, such as jianbing, liangmian, and baozi. Ordering food in restaurants, however, has led to quite a bit of confusion, since most of us do not have the Chinese vocabulary necessary to read menus, though we are learning quickly since we do not want to starve!

Besides registering for classes, which has taken up most of our time these first few days, and discovering new foods around Tongji and Shanghai, we have also managed to familiarize ourselves with the Metro and, through it, many parts of the city. My favorite stop so far is at Jing’an Station, which has the underground international food market and some great stores. I also find Jing’an Temple really fascinating since it is a beautiful, traditionally built temple, surrounded by tall skyscrapers, modern restaurants and businesses. I think this portrays the rapid change that is currently happening in China, especially in the big cities like Shanghai. Since Shanghai is such an international city, one has to really search among the high-rise apartments, Happy Lemon drink stands, and Quanjia—Family Marts—in order to find traditional Chinese culture. Fortunately, I am still able to find it at places like Jing’an Temple, watching a young woman dressed for work lighting incense for her prayers, and Fuxing Park, seeing a group of elderly Chinese people playing majiang in a pagoda among the trees.

I have really enjoyed my time in Shanghai so far, exploring the city, trying new foods, and touring the Shanghai Museum. I am hoping to see and learn more of the city and people during my time here at Tongji University. 回头见！

Centre-in-China 2013

Welcome to Shanghai, Centre-in-China 2013!

China Trips Itineraries From Shanghai

1. Weekend Winter Trip to Harbin

2. Short Trip to Urumqi

3. Long Trip to Kashgar

4. Long Trip to Tibetan villages in Sichuan

5. Short Gastronomic Tour

6. Weekend Trip to Ningbo

"Colonel Say..." Podcast

钢铁侠审查

Iron Man Censorship

Hosted by Kyle, Lu and Sandy

博客 Blog

Podcast

Culture

Chip-Chop 嘻哈

Hip-hop and rap has a rich history in Western society – bridging genres of blues, rock and roll, gospel, and jazz, modern rappers and artists have become larger-than-life icons that have defined musical success and the canon of contemporary music. However, up until the 1980s, China had lagged behind on the musical bandwagon. This could be due to the communist party's control of media outlets or just a general disconnect between Western musical trends. Regardless, the Chinese rap scene is in a formative state reminiscent of America's rap scene; much of Chinese hip-hop and rap is an outlet for individual struggles and is used to express differences in culture that would otherwise go unheard. For a culture of youth that have been systematically suppressed for generations, the expressive nature of hip-hop has quickly assimilated into contemporary Chinese society.

Art and Literature

Ai Weiwei Rockin' Out
by Griffin Cote

Chinese artist, Ai Weiwei, has announced that he is producing a rock album, to debut in about three weeks; this is not his first attempt at music – he created a parody of Psy’s “Gangnam Style” late last year. Like his parody, this music will most likely be aimed at the Chinese government, as it is inspired by his imprisonment for alleged tax evasion, and includes songs about the activist Chen Guangcheng and government internet blocks. Ai Weiwei is famous for his architecture and sculptures, which include the Bird’s Nest Stadium and exhibits across Europe and America, many of which reflect his critical views of the Chinese government.

News

A Billion Dreams Against One

by Sam Medley

In the first week of 2013, the notoriously liberal Southern Weekly of Guangdong Province planned to publish their annual New Year's Greeting. Before publishing, the newspaper had to submit a draft to the local propaganda authorities for approval. In the early hours of January first, the editors were called in to revise the greeting on the grounds that it was too inflammatory. The original 2,000 word version was cut to 1,000. The title “China's Dream, the Dream of Constitutionalism” was changed to the more appealing “We Are Closer to Our Dream Than Ever Before.” It became obvious that the dreams of the people are second place to the dream of the government. But what are these dreams? What exactly do the revisions say about hopes for China's future?

The original unedited version calls for constitutionalism, strict observance of the nation's constitution on all levels. No more favoritism. No more class-ism. No more corruption. The greeting demands justice. It references the nightmare of the Cultural Revolution, the embarrassment of British Colonial rule, and the cruelty emanating from every possible direction:

“At one time, people were distanced from benevolence, righteousness, and the ways of heaven. They were distanced from the commitment to freedom.”

Buddha in the Big City:

Religion and Modernization in Shanghai and Bangkok

Instructors:

Dr. Chris Paskewich, Government

Dr. Kyle David Anderson, Chinese

Course Description and Objectives:

A voyage abroad to investigate how China and Thailand's rich religious and cultural pasts are being shared with an increasingly postindustrial present. Students will study and recreate layouts of Shanghai and Bangkok, including religious landmarks, parks, waterways, modern architecture, etc., and follow the daily rituals of local monks, lay people and tourists that reshape and complicate the purposes of these Asian mega-cities. We will also explore spaces outside the city centers that are crucial to the definition of the urban area: rural temples and monasteries, plantations, slums, westernized satellite malls, beaches, etc. Special focus will be placed on how China and Thailand are adapting traditional Buddhist practices, socio-political structures and spaces to the radical demands of national development and globalization in the 21^st century.

20 DAY ITINERARY:
China: Shanghai

Thailand: Bangkok-Chiang Mai

Required Texts:

· Shahid Yusuf, Postindustrial East Asian Cities. ISBN: 9780821356227

· Yoshiko Ashiwa. Making Religion, Making the State.

ISBN: 9780804758420

· Donald K. Swearer, The Buddhist World of Southeast Asia.

ISBN: 978-1438432502

· Ross King. Reading Bangkok. ISBN: 9781438432502

Assignments and Grading:

· Field Journal for Individual Mapping Projects 25%

· Opening Exam (on Yusuf, Swearer) 25%

· Presentations 15%

· Reading quizzes (on King and Ashiwa) 10%

· Research paper 25%

JAN3 Depart Lexington for Shanghai

4 Arrive in Shanghai—Welcome dinner at Sapar Uyghur Restaurant

5 The Bund and Pudong—East-West Architectural Fusion

6 Nanshi (the Old City) and Buddhist Temple Visits

7 The People’s Square and Museum Visits

8 The Boulevards: Nanjing and Huaihai Lu

9 European Satellite Cities

10 Fengjing Old Town

11 Depart for Bangkok—tour of Khao San Road

11 Temples visits—Wat Arun, Wat Mahathat, Wat Pho

12 Temples visits—Wat Saket, Wat Traimit, Wat Sutat

13 Overnight stay at Monastery Wat Ambhavan

14 Commercial districts—Chidlom, Sukhumvit, Ratchaprasong

15 Day trip—Ko Samet National Park

16 Government and museums visits—Grand Palace, National Museum

17 Depart for Chiang Mai (train)

18 Temple visits—Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, Wat Umong, Wat Gate

19 Doi Inthanon National Park

20 Return to Bangkok

JAN21 Return to Lexington