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By gwujrbenjamin

བཀྲ་ཤིས་བདེ་ལེགས།! Tashi Dalek! This is Tibetan for hello, and in this blog I am using a traditional Tibetan greeting because I am back talking about my research on Tibetan peoples. To remind everyone, I am researching Tibetan mental health practices which is very interesting because not only is traditional Tibetan medicine the oldest system of written mental health methodology, but also it places the mental health above other kinds of health. In order to properly research this I became part of the community, volunteering at a local crafts center and Tibetan culture center. I taught English, and this gave me access to the community in a different way, one that was more comfortable.

People were able to talk to me more freely. I was able to shadow both Tibetan doctors in western medicine and Tibetan medicine hospitals. As well as a volunteer American doctor that works primarily with Tibetan nomads. This was an amazing experience, being so involved in a community that has such a rich culture. I was welcomed to learn Tibetan language, Tibetan traditional paining, and even to come over to Tibetan homes to eat dinner with the family.

These were not things that  I thought I would be able to do because I had imagined they had nothing to do with my project. However, much like the medical system, everything in Tibetan culture is connected. I found speaking some Tibetan helped me become more of a trusted person to talk to, even though Tibetans have a culture of not talking about their problems. I also found that there is a huge connection between art, spirituality, and health with the Tibetan traditional art. Finally, being welcomed into a home to experience meals with a family taught me about the importance of the family unit and daily life dietary methodology. I was extremely fortunate to get connections through my SIT program.

...continue reading "December"

By gwujrbenjamin

你好!Hello from my new home stay! I am currently blogging from a village named ShaPing outside of ShaXi town. This is a Bai minority agricultural village, so I am getting a taste of a new dialect of Chinese, and what it is like in rural China. The Bai minority is named after the color white because of the white houses, and emphasis of the color white in their traditional dress. The village is in the middle of a mountain range, and filled with corn fields.

The locals do not speack much mandarin. Yes, this rural area has its unique challenges, but mostly it is filled with lovely people willing to share their culture with you, beautiful ancient architecture, and a ton of shucking corn. This brings me to this blog post’s topic. For this blog I will not be focusing on my service and research that I am going to be starting in just a few weeks (yay!). But, instead, on a very basic and critical part of Chinese culture, familial piety.

Chinese people since the beginning of Confucianism, have put a large emphasis on the family unit. Specifically in the idea that the younger generation helps the older generation, or a continuous service to the family. Young people have an enormous pressure to serve their elders, and often take on this challenge with open arms. Upon entering a homestay in China this same concept flows. I am a 20 year old woman currently living in a house hold with a mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, and a grandchild.

...continue reading "November"

By gwujrbenjamin

(Due to recent Internet connectivity issues in China, this blog entry was posted on Annaliese De Vita's behalf.)

Hi from my host family’s porch! Although it is October the Kunming weather enables me to take full advantage of this beautiful city. As I wrote in my first post SIT’s programs have a strong research component. However, this is mostly involved in the last month of study, culminating in an independent study project. However, we have many smaller research projects to be done in preparation for our field work. I find this to be extremely helpful because I have never conducted interviews in Chinese, so getting some practice in is for sure needed. 

Our first interview is with anyone we would like, about how the changes in China are demonstrated in their own life. We are to conduct an interview then choose a certain part of their life to write a small report on how their life emulates the larger general changes in China. The first problem for me is always fulling understanding what people mean by their answers. It is hard to fully understand a deeper meaning when you are struggling to understand the general idea of the answer they gave. Further, it is sometimes difficult to culturally understand what is inappropriate to ask. Although, language and culture classes have aided in this process immensely. 

This is a hard first step to the field work process. Living in a second language is exhausting, doing new things can be frightening, and getting discouraged at signs of failure is inevitable. However, what I have learned, is trying means a lot. Step one is always to take a deep breath, and remember everyone struggles sometimes. Then, try again, differently. Everyone I have talked to, or have tried talking to me, is very patient with my seemingly endless amount of clarifiers. People have been understanding that the language is difficult, and do their best to help me. My language also improves quite quickly because of their efforts. I have learned you have teachers everywhere, if you are willing to try, fail, and try again. 

...continue reading "October"

By acdevita

大家好!Hello everybody! I'm Annie, but my Chinese name is 丁爱丽 (Dīng Aì Lì meaning, love and beauty, not to brag). I am currently living in Kunming, which is the center hub of the Yunnan Province of China. For those of you unfamiliar with China's vast geography, it is close to the Vietnamese and Laos border in the south. Although Kunming is often touted as a small city with perfect weather, it is actually a city of about 9 million people and it is currently rainy season. But you won't catch me complaining! I am enjoying everyday, even those with bouts of homesickness, due to excellent program staff, infinite places to explore, and some cheap dumplings waiting for me at the end of every day- pause for a group "yummm." Yunnan is incredibly interesting from its extensive topography, including the mountains in the north west to the beaches in the south east, to the 24 minority populations that call Yunnan their indigenous home.

This is what makes my program with SIT so special. I am learning about minority health and traditional Chinese medicine from indigenous people, in Chinese. Chinese language skill is so important because understanding what an expert means in their chosen language opens up the depth of knowledge at which we can understand the more rooted truths of their experiences. Just for example, there are two forms of and; one that adds value and  one that does not. Understanding caveats of language open doors to deeper and more meaningful research. I was nervous about my language skills at first, however, 4 hours of Chinese class everyday while being immersed in the language can speed up retention times!

...continue reading "An Auspicious Beginning"