Seeing Change

Getting to Nara was probably one of the more exciting travel stretches of this trip, mostly because we got to organize it on our own. We've been on a pre-arranged schedule and just show up when and where we are told.  In Nara, we were challenged to organize the train ride and get to Nara, plan the sites we wanted to see, and get home all on our own. We were able to finally try to handle ourselves without defaulting to a faculty member. A faculty member here or there would try to step in and offer an opinion or steer us in a better direction, but we  knew we had it under control. The stepping in seemed to detract from our experience.

It made me think of the number of times I have been trying to train or work with a new technician and I've just stepped in to show them how to do the job. It was faster when I did it anyway. And A lot easier than trying to explain the whole process. I can only imagine how frustrated those technicians were when I didn't let them figure it out and learn it on their own.

But then I also thought back to my most recent work with new Technicians, especially with my lead technician for Little Shop of Horrors. I really tried hard to step back and let things play out and let the students learn instead of taking over. And they looked like they were enjoying themselves! Granted, it took a bit longer than I would have liked to get a few things done, and I had to go back and re-do a few things later, but it was a good experience over all. Some of the rough patches I am sure are because I am still learning to teach and lead while stepping back.

Looking back, I know that this change in me - this recognition of what I need to work on as a leader, and the development of other leadership (or even group-process) skills is because of the Roberts Fellowship. I have become more confident, team oriented, adaptable, and calm as I enter stressful situations. I am able to analyze events and take lessons form them - as a leader, a follower, and simply as a person. I am ready for progress and success.

Although the program is now over, I still have the lessons I learned and the connections I made. I am excited to work with the international students as they visit us in the States, I am excited to work with the new Fellows, and I am excited to connect with the past Fellows. I'm ready for the real Roberts Fellowship to begin and to continue down my path for success as I continue to learn and grow with each experience.

So this is not an end to the experience, but the closing of a phase and the opening of the next step.

Thank you to Donna Roberts, SVSU, President Gilbertson, Dr. Swihart, Judy, Dr. Hinderer, Dr. Gehrke, Dr. Dix, and everyone else who make the Fellowship possible. 

Hiroshima and the Peace Museum

This was possibly the hardest place for me to visit on our trip. It seemed that way for many.

It makes me sick to think that the United States, or any country, really, would inflict that much damage on another country simply to prevent the same from happening on its home soil. I do not in any circumstance believe that we are better or more important than another country of human beings. It is our duty to attempt to get along and keep peace without severely damaging our fellows.

I realize that we come from a long history of war and conquest. Japan is dealing with the guilt from events like the Rape of Nanking. In the past, they had denied these actions. Students would come to the United States and fall to tears saying that the lessons we were learning about such events were lies. But now, as stated on a panel in the Peace Museum, Japan is reanalyzing its text books and trying to take ownership of its actions. And, in a way, by doing this and calling attention to it, Japan is challenging other countries to do the same. The United States must take ownership for the bombing of Japan, for the slave trade, for numerous terrible deeds against fellow humans. Germany must take ownership of the holocaust. China must take ownership of the White Terror. Rwanda, the genocide. The Middle East and the Taliban, the terrorist attacks. Spain, the inquisition. We have caused so much damage and counted it as necessary for development, advancement, and survival. The Peace Museum was one of the first establishments I’d seen that attempted to call attention to the pain and the hardships – the damage – without placing blame on a country or group of people, and challenged all people to step up and make a difference. With the number of people who were moved by the peace museum and who signed the dialogue book with peace signs and kind words, it makes me wonder how many actually meant it and will follow through with it.  

I truly agreed with what Andy said as we discussed the experience later: It’s not that I feel responsible for the bombing in Hiroshima. I was not alive for the event and had no part in what had happened. My tears are for the fact that it seems there will always be war, and war will always lead to destruction and death of innocents, and war will always be horrible. My tears are because I wonder why we must even go there.

I fear for the new technology that we have developed. The atomic bombs allowed us to kill on a massive scale and took some of the personal aspect out of war. Now we have drone technology and automated weapons that further remove us from the battle field. As we forget what it means to kill another human being, I fear to what end we will lead our world.

I hope that all who walk through the Peace Museum at Hiroshima, or any war memorial, can also feel these thoughts and fears, take them to heart, and react by trying to make a difference. 

English Camp and Leadership in Japan

I was really nervous going in to English Language Camp. I wasn’t (and am not) really confident in my abilities to work with a group of students and make sure they get everything out of it that they are supposed to while still having fun. Also, being a technical theatre person, it makes me nervous to have to represent my theatre degree by getting up and leading a skit. But those turned out to be really minor concerns in the scheme of things.

I ended up having a really eager group. One of the girls had to go home sick, but the other two, Nagisa and Minami, and the boy, Tomoya were wonderful students and completely open to everything we had to do. We had a little bit of trouble communicating here and there, but ultimately we were making really good progress as the students shared their ideas and I helped them organize it in to a script, get the English down, and get it ready to perform. It turned out to be a lot of fun and a huge learning experience for me as I tried to work with each of them and keep them all engaged (and I am sure for the students as well!).

But there was one really interesting dynamic that I didn’t really notice until I started reflecting back on the project. Tomoya was the only boy in my group and it was really difficult to get him to share his input and stay involved with the other two students. He was just really quiet. I chalked it up to the possibility that he was shy or didn’t know the language as well as the other girls. But later, as I talked to Sean and Colin about their groups, they voiced a similar opinion about the girls in their group. Both also said that when their partners (Hailey and Megan, respectively) took over and tried to work with the girls, they were much more responsive). It made me wonder if having a male partner to help lead my group would have made Tomoya feel more comfortable. After having this thought I wondered if it was solely because of gender and if the effect was also intensified because of the way women are viewed in Japanese society.

My curiosity on the status of women continued to be sparked as we visited Shikoku University. We met with the president and chairman of the university before going to see the students and sit in on a class with the students we’d met at English Language Camp. This meeting was very formal and seemed a little uncomfortable for many of us as we didn’t know what to expect. After formal words and thanks were exchanged we were given the opportunity for a question and answer session. Our questions remained pretty tame. Monica’s, however, did not. She asked them if, since Roberts Fellows is a leadership class, they could outline the opportunities for leadership that women had at Shikoku University. After a roundabout way of discussing the history of Shikoku and briefly outlining the coursework available to women, the Chairman seemed to come to the conclusion that women did not really have leadership at Shikoku and to fill leadership curriculum, they invited in the male students. He of course didn’t say this bluntly as he had already learned that our leadership seminar was mostly women because women tried harder in the application process (as Dr. Swihart stated),  but it could be clearly deciphered from his answer to Monica’s questions.

This was the first time that I had really heard someone openly accept the limitations that women experienced in Japan. Robert had talked about it a little at our first lunch together, but his words had been in an unhappy light, hopeful that Japanese women could find opportunity eventually. He had stated that more Japanese women study abroad than men simply because the Women have no other opportunities for higher education. I hadn’t put much thought towards that statement until I heard the words of the Shikoku chairman. I hope the students we met at the English Language Camp take every opportunity they can to study abroad and create opportunities for themselves. They were too bright and eager to simply let themselves stagnate in Japan. 

On Entering Temples and Being a Tourist

Something that has really been bothering me on this trip has been the way we are able to simply pay a fee and then walk in to a sacred place like temples and shrines – temples and shrines that are still in use by patrons of each religion. In the United States, one couldn’t just walk in to a church while someone was praying and take pictures and discuss what was being seen. Most who were curious would go as a guest to a friend’s church, observe the service, and ask questions later. In Asia, although they don’t have regular ceremonies, people still use the temples and shrines regularly – and they just go about their business, disregarding the tourists wandering around. We did enter one temple – Temple #1 on the pilgrimage in Naruto – that had a service going on. And this did not stop us. We simply stood at the back and talked and wandered and were quite possibly extremely disruptive to the ritual or ceremony that the patrons were attending. It just seems so inconsiderate…but it also seems apparently normal to the culture. 

Nijo Castle and Natural Architecture

There is an intense serenity in all of the ancient sites we’ve visited in Kyoto – especially at Nijo Castle. Everything is made and decorated simply and naturally. The color tones and images are taken directly from nature. It all seems to fit and be at peace. There is not jumble of color or decoration confronting visitors at the door as in Baoan Temple. Everything just seems to flow together. The rooms flow from one to the next, the wood and stone seems to match each other, the gardens are delicate and peaceful. Even the fusion of Buddhism and Shinto seemed meant-to-be. There was no amalgamation, just a clean seam where each religion filled a place in which the other was lacking.

This even flow was more apparent when looking out to the horizon of Japan. We climbed to the top of a structure in Nijo Castle and looked out to the mountains. In the past, the mountains would have been all one saw. Today, there is a layer of forest, a layer of city, and then the mountains in the distance. But the city doesn’t look out of place. It just seems to blend in to the landscape as if it had always been there. Seeing this made it clear how easily and willingly Japan had developed. There was no rush to become a successful metropolis or modernize. There was no force to modernize from outside countries. It seemed to have simply happened as it was to happen in Japan. Perhaps this was another representation of the continuous pride in being Japanese? 

First Thoughts in Japan

After our brief time in Kyoto, I could already sense the strong pride that the Japanese people feel about being Japanese. This impression was so different from what I noticed in Taiwan and China.

In Beijing, I was consistently confused about what I was seeing and worried about making a generalization because my view was so limited (Beijing does not represent all of China). We saw the rundown downtown area, the New York-Esque shopping street near the night markets, the built-up high rises and financial district where the Olympic buildings were also placed, the hutongs ranging from well kept to poverty stricken, along with ancient temples and sites to see. I kept getting the feeling that there was a part of Beijing that we were supposed to see as tourists, and part that gets shown off to others to show the greatness of China, and a part that is generally kept hidden and can only really be stumbled upon by those wandering through, searching for alternate parts of culture. There was a clear eagerness to be on par with the Western world along with a part of the country that is lagging behind.

In Taipei, there was a wonderfully eclectic and lively feel about the city. It made Taiwan seem entirely welcome and embracing. The influence of democracy and western culture was also clear not only in the buildings and companies, but in our interactions with the universities and the natives. They were eager to come to the United States and learn about our culture, while also excited to teach us about theirs. There was a lot of pride in the opportunities that were available in Taiwan – they seemed eager to show us how similar Taiwan is to the United States, but also how much more there is in Taiwan. The pride was in how similar and successful both countries could be rather than in the native culture of Taiwan or China.

In Japan, the atmosphere is extremely different. There is power and order apparent in the city of Kyoto. The architecture is strong and stark, though often creative in an intricate but functional way. There is structure and formality in every action and interaction. There is a clear display of respect and hierarchy. But most importantly, there is no desire to be like the west. The Japanese are Japanese and that’s that…and it works. The cities are clean and organized, they’re well off economically, and their businesses are successful. They aren’t about to change any time soon. They may be welcoming and accommodating, but not to bring in change – it’s just to make a connection and continue on.

The whole comparison reminds me of a comment one of the Dow employees made when we visited: If you want a country that will be completely open to accepting changing and adapting to your corporate culture, go to China. If you want a country that will nod and say yes to your changes while implementing none of them, go to Japan.

Andy noted that many of the young people are more susceptible to change and are becoming more liberal, but even then change happens a generation at a time. It may be a stronger change as it will become engrained in the culture of Japan from the tart, but it is still a slow change. I’m not sure which is better: quick change that comes with impermanence and opposition or slow change that finishes with all parties on board?

Interactions with the Students of Ming Chuan and Shi Hsin Universities

Our interactions with the students have been my favorite part about the trip so far. This is the first time that I have really felt like I am in Taiwan and truly learning something. The history is important and it is extremely interesting to study, but seeing and experiencing modern dynamics has been equally insightful. It helped me to make connections between what we have been learning about and what is really going on.

At Ming Chuan, our interactions were intricately planned. We began at a formal meeting between professors, administrators, and students at Ming Chuan and our own students and faculty members. Formal words and introductions were exchanged between each party; we watched a video about Ming Chuan; and had an opportunity for a question and answer session with the students. Following this, we went on a formal tour of the university to see the various artifacts, cultural rooms, and other elements that Ming Chuan had to offer.

I spent a lot of my time at Ming Chuan with a student named Nina. As we toured the various locations of Ming Chuan, she continued to tell me that she was unfamiliar with these areas. The culture rooms were mainly used for tours that came through and educational workshops with students not from Ming Chuan. The museums and artifacts were simply extra (like Marshal Fredericks Museum at SVSU). She talked about how busy she was with her program and how she didn’t spend much time at extracurricular activities like the museum.

As we continued along, I asked her about her travels to the United States and the things he was most excited about. She really wanted to be able to site-see in Michigan and spend time on campus meeting students and become much immersed in our university, but she was very concerned that she wouldn’t have time. She was expecting to be in class from 8am to 5pm and then have homework until late in to the night. Although I understood that she will be participating in a brief, month long intensive summer program at SVSU, it seemed so strange that she was expecting to be in school all of the time. It reminded me of the intensity of schooling that ­­­­­­­­­­­Dr. Liu talked about at the Grand Hotel.

This look in to the intensity of schooling in Taiwan continued as we watched the Ming Chuan video. There was a point in the movie that stated Ming Chuan was comparable to Columbia and Pennsylvania State University. Saginaw Valley is not in the same league as those Universities by a long shot, and yet we are still a sister university to Ming Chuan. We have students coming to Saginaw Valley expecting rigorous school work and hard schedules—students who are excited to come and learn and become fluent in English despite the fact that Saginaw Valley may not be on the same level as their home university. It made me think about how much the universities like Ming Chuan are able to achieve when they have such a hard working base of students to draw from – and how far schools like Saginaw Valley in the United States have to fall if we aren’t careful.

At Shi Hsin, however, the environment was very different – it was more relaxed and informal, but still informative of Taiwanese culture. We met with the Shi Hsin students very briefly in their home university. Enough time to reconnect with Mimi and Timmothy (students who had visited Saginaw Valley earlier in the year) and meet the new students planning to travel to SVSU. We saw very brief presentations on Shi Hsin and food in Taiwan before parting to change and prepare to travel for a night out with the students in Taiwan. We were finally moving away from the schools and seeing what students actually did in their free time.

I spent most of my time with a student name Beatrice who would be attending a college in Wisconsin rather than SVSU (but despite this, she still wants to visit SVSU when she travels to the States). Beatrice was a lot of fun to talk to and get to know. She was really excited to show me her favorite parts about Taiwan, the shopping, the food, and the night markets. But what really stood out was how accommodating she was trying to be for me. We didn’t just walk around talking, she let me chose which stores we went in to. She was hesitant to choose where she wanted to go or what her favorite things were, instead waiting for me to say something looked interesting or tasty. I had to really push her to take me to her favorite locations and show me the things she personally recommended about Taiwan. This was most apparent at the night markets. Rather than showing me her favorite stations to eat or shop at, she took the time to call a friend and learn which stations had the best version of whatever cuisine we were about to try. She got the names of a few dishes that were extremely popular for tourists and extremely famous in Taipei. Along with these, we stopped at a few of her favorites too, but she was dead set on showing me the best parts of night market we were visiting. Although our visit with Shi Hsin was more relaxed, they were still planning our outings to show us the best parts of where we were going, just like Ming Chuan showed us the best parts of their university in the organized tour.

After receiving such wonderful hospitality and the concentrated accommodation of the students in Taipei, I began to realize how important it will be for us to return the favor when these, or any students, come to Saginaw Valley. We were extremely taken care of and extremely welcomed everywhere we went in Taipei. We owe it to these students to show them the best of Saginaw Valley when they come and try our hardest to make their stay worthwhile. I’m even more excited to greet these students over the summer and in the fall as they begin to come to our university. I can’t wait to reconnect with new friends and show them that we, too, can be great hosts.