I arrived at the Nanjing Lukou Airport on June 3rd after days of restless traveling. To be precise, I'd left New York on June 1st at 10pm, and arrived on June 3rd at 6pm. I had two layovers- one in Vancouver that lasted two hours, and one in Hong Kong that was unfortunately delayed by 5 hours, and ended up lasting a total of 9 hours. By the time I reached Nanjing, I was exhausted, ecstatic, and slightly frenzied. I tend to be a nervous flier, and ended up consuming sleeping pills in an attempt to calm my nerves from the visual of a burning plane torpedoing towards the Pacific Ocean. I was more than glad to hear the pilot finally announce our long-anticipated landing. Touching down on Chinese soil, walking through Lukou Airport, hearing snippets of Mandarin: all of these things were hints that I had finally returned to the Middle Kingdom, but it was all too surreal to accept.
I was picked up from the airport by Elle, a Chinese staff member of The Amity Foundation. I found out later during the taxi ride to the hotel that she had completed grad school at Rutgers University, and her English, although not perfect, was indicative of this. The first night in Nanjing reminded me of my first night in Beijing three years ago: jet lagged and slightly nervous, but excited for what lay ahead.
The next day, June 4th, brought a dose of clearheadedness and much a needed resurgence of energy. I woke up around 9am and had breakfast in the hotel with the three other volunteers (two from Haverford College and one from Bryn Mawr). Around 10am, we were all picked up by Elle to officially begin our work as Amity Foundation Interns. We went to two centers that day: The Amity Home of Blessings, and the Children's Development Center. The Home of Blessings is a center that serves mentally disabled adults in the Nanjing area, providing informal schooling and most importantly, the sense of stability that comes from being part of a community. We were greeted to a cramped classroom of approximately 30 excited students eager to welcome the foreigners. We first introduced ourselves, then listened to each student introduce themselves. Most of the students were 18-25 years old, with a couple in their early 30s. They enjoyed listening to music (听音乐), dancing (跳舞), and running (跑步). After introductions, we performed an English song for them (Blank Space by Taylor Swift) and watched them perform Chinese songs, such as 母亲 (Mother) and a very famous pop song called 小苹果 (Small Apple). We then did various arts and crafts activities and were shown some very impressive handicrafts the students had made themselves.
The Home of Blessings provided a small glance at the mental disability community in Nanjing. The environment seemed engaging, hands-on, and particularly focused on community-building and socialization. The last time I lived in Beijing, I never encountered a person with a visible intellectual disability, and was certainly never exposed to a community of disabled adults. The exposure to the adults of the Home of Blessings made me realize that though it is not often discussed, there exists a thriving community of energetic and productive adults living with mental disabilities, and their equally oft ignored caretakers.
After going to the Home of Blessings, we visited the Children's Development Center. This center serves young kids struggling with mild to severe autism. We were given a tour of the Center and its very impressive facilities, then interacted with the kids under the caretakers' supervision. There were many parents at the Center helping their kids throughout the activities of the day. The director of the Center explained how most parents tend to be extremely engaged, hopeful that their kids will one day catch up with the other kids at their school. Though most of the time this does not end up being the case, like the adults from The Home of Blessings, the kids have the necessary resources to live fulfilling and productive lives. I believe that the mark of a compassionate society is how we treat our most vulnerable citizens: the elderly, the mentally disabled, and the sick. Visiting the Home of Blessings and the Development Center reminded me of how much America can improve its own care for people living with mental disabilities, on any point of the spectrum.
I was picked up from the airport by Elle, a Chinese staff member of The Amity Foundation. I found out later during the taxi ride to the hotel that she had completed grad school at Rutgers University, and her English, although not perfect, was indicative of this. The first night in Nanjing reminded me of my first night in Beijing three years ago: jet lagged and slightly nervous, but excited for what lay ahead.
The next day, June 4th, brought a dose of clearheadedness and much a needed resurgence of energy. I woke up around 9am and had breakfast in the hotel with the three other volunteers (two from Haverford College and one from Bryn Mawr). Around 10am, we were all picked up by Elle to officially begin our work as Amity Foundation Interns. We went to two centers that day: The Amity Home of Blessings, and the Children's Development Center. The Home of Blessings is a center that serves mentally disabled adults in the Nanjing area, providing informal schooling and most importantly, the sense of stability that comes from being part of a community. We were greeted to a cramped classroom of approximately 30 excited students eager to welcome the foreigners. We first introduced ourselves, then listened to each student introduce themselves. Most of the students were 18-25 years old, with a couple in their early 30s. They enjoyed listening to music (听音乐), dancing (跳舞), and running (跑步). After introductions, we performed an English song for them (Blank Space by Taylor Swift) and watched them perform Chinese songs, such as 母亲 (Mother) and a very famous pop song called 小苹果 (Small Apple). We then did various arts and crafts activities and were shown some very impressive handicrafts the students had made themselves.
The Home of Blessings provided a small glance at the mental disability community in Nanjing. The environment seemed engaging, hands-on, and particularly focused on community-building and socialization. The last time I lived in Beijing, I never encountered a person with a visible intellectual disability, and was certainly never exposed to a community of disabled adults. The exposure to the adults of the Home of Blessings made me realize that though it is not often discussed, there exists a thriving community of energetic and productive adults living with mental disabilities, and their equally oft ignored caretakers.
After going to the Home of Blessings, we visited the Children's Development Center. This center serves young kids struggling with mild to severe autism. We were given a tour of the Center and its very impressive facilities, then interacted with the kids under the caretakers' supervision. There were many parents at the Center helping their kids throughout the activities of the day. The director of the Center explained how most parents tend to be extremely engaged, hopeful that their kids will one day catch up with the other kids at their school. Though most of the time this does not end up being the case, like the adults from The Home of Blessings, the kids have the necessary resources to live fulfilling and productive lives. I believe that the mark of a compassionate society is how we treat our most vulnerable citizens: the elderly, the mentally disabled, and the sick. Visiting the Home of Blessings and the Development Center reminded me of how much America can improve its own care for people living with mental disabilities, on any point of the spectrum.
On June 5th, we visited the Amity Foundation office to get a run-down of the full schedule and prepare for future English lessons. I met staff member Kate, and Helen Zhao, the Director of the Internship Program. We also met a boy from Germany named Flemming, who is currently taking a gap year in China to learn Chinese and work part-time with the Foundation.
On June 6th, we went to Nanjing Normal University to meet students from the English Club. The students were incredibly hospitable- they gave us a tour of the campus, and took us out to lunch. It was very interesting to discuss the humdrum of daily life, and realize that college students in China have a decidedly un-American college experience.. Most of the stereotypical marks of the American college experience- tailgates, parties in cramped dancing spaces- are simply not the reality for the typical Chinese university student. Alcohol is prohibited on Chinese campuses, and dorms are strictly unisex. Under no circumstance would the opposite sex be allowed into a dorm (one girl said her dad was not even allowed into her room. However, like American students, Chinese students have a plethora of extracurricular activities to choose from. The students had a wide range of interests, from dancing, theater, and fencing.
The students seemed very open-minded and liberal, again, not unlike most American students (at least in Claremont). One girl told me about her English class presentation on the state of LGBTQ affairs in America. She confided in me about the abundance of (mostly closeted) queer students in her school, and her hope for a China that is more accepting of queer people. She blamed the current intolerance on the older generation, and their inclination towards a 'don't ask don't tell' attitude in regards to LGBTQ affairs.
After lunch, the students took us to 南京博物馆, the Nanjing Museum, a museum famous for its Ming and Qing artifacts. We explored the museum for hours, thoroughly enjoying the stunning monuments of Chinese civilizations.
The next day (June 7th) was reserved for packing in preparation for our trip to Kunshan, a city about an hour and a half away from Nanjing. After we finished packing, the volunteers and I, along with Flemming and his German friend Götz, paid a visit to the Nanjing Massacre Museum. I will write more extensively on this sometime soon, because it deserves to be elaborated on.
The Museum was a sober testament to one of the most horrific displays of human cruelty I can personally think of. The exhibits included memorials to the victims, monuments recreating the tragedy, a full and thoroughly detailed timeline of China's occupation and colonial past, the events leading up to the Massacre, and the Massacre itself. Most powerful however, were the testaments from the surviving witnesses, who detailed their experiences in all their brutality. Although I had previously studied the Massacre in my Chinese History class, I still learned things I had not known before. I learned about John Rabe and Minnie Vautrin, two foreigners who helped form the Safety Zone, a haven of refuge for tens of thousands of Nanjingers. Or Iris Chang, the Chinese-American who helped bring international attention to the event that had once been kept under wraps by both the CCP and the Japanese government. Iris Chang, fluent in Mandarin, travelled to Nanjing to interview dozens of survivors and conduct a massive research effort that resulted in her book, 'The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of WWII.' Both Minnie Vautrin and Iris Chang, two women separated by about 30 years, committed suicide. Both were haunted by the events of the Massacre, personally witnessed by Vautrin, and told second hand to Chang.
On June 8th, we traveled from Nanjing to Kunshan by bullet train. Upon arrival, we visited 新江南, the community center where most of our volunteer days will be spent for the next two weeks. We were given the full schedule of our activities at Kunshan, and afterwards, about 30 kids ages 4-8 arrived to the center for 'The English Corner.' We played various activities with these kids to help them improve their English.
On Tuesday, June 9th, we arrived early in the morning for community service with elderly citizens at the center.
新江南 provides various services to elderly folks in the community. A very important aspect of traditional Chinese culture is reverence for the elderly. In recent decades, since the implementation of the One Child Policy, it has become difficult for the Chinese government to meet the needs of its growing elderly population. Because Chinese citizens are only allowed to have one child, it is the sole responsibility of this child to take care of their parents. If they cannot adequately meet this responsibility, their parents might encounter a difficult situation where they do not have an adequate income for their expenses, (because they're obviously retired) nor other kids to care for them. Working at 新江南, however, it is clear how much the 新江南 leaders care about and respect the elderly in their community. We were told by the supervisors to start conversations with the elders, and to simply listen to what they have to say. We did various activities with the elderly, like calligraphy, and Tai Chi, to keep them busy and make them feel like they are part of a caring and productive community.
The next day, we visited a school to teach English to 1st, 3rd and 5th graders. We had to prepare a lesson plan before arriving at the school to make sure we stayed organized.
My first week working for the Amity Foundation has exposed me to various aspects of life in China that I was not aware of, despite once living here for 9 months. I enjoyed all of the activities, but especially enjoyed visiting the Home of Blessings, and working with children. This week already seemed extremely fast paced, with something to do and somewhere to go at every minute. We have not arrived back at our hotel from service any earlier than 5pm yet. However, the next 7 weeks are only going to get busier. According to the schedule, we are going to be working a lot with children and the elderly, and building community bonds in the Kunshan area. I only hope I can connect with the people I've met as well as I have this week.
The Museum was a sober testament to one of the most horrific displays of human cruelty I can personally think of. The exhibits included memorials to the victims, monuments recreating the tragedy, a full and thoroughly detailed timeline of China's occupation and colonial past, the events leading up to the Massacre, and the Massacre itself. Most powerful however, were the testaments from the surviving witnesses, who detailed their experiences in all their brutality. Although I had previously studied the Massacre in my Chinese History class, I still learned things I had not known before. I learned about John Rabe and Minnie Vautrin, two foreigners who helped form the Safety Zone, a haven of refuge for tens of thousands of Nanjingers. Or Iris Chang, the Chinese-American who helped bring international attention to the event that had once been kept under wraps by both the CCP and the Japanese government. Iris Chang, fluent in Mandarin, travelled to Nanjing to interview dozens of survivors and conduct a massive research effort that resulted in her book, 'The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of WWII.' Both Minnie Vautrin and Iris Chang, two women separated by about 30 years, committed suicide. Both were haunted by the events of the Massacre, personally witnessed by Vautrin, and told second hand to Chang.
On June 8th, we traveled from Nanjing to Kunshan by bullet train. Upon arrival, we visited 新江南, the community center where most of our volunteer days will be spent for the next two weeks. We were given the full schedule of our activities at Kunshan, and afterwards, about 30 kids ages 4-8 arrived to the center for 'The English Corner.' We played various activities with these kids to help them improve their English.
On Tuesday, June 9th, we arrived early in the morning for community service with elderly citizens at the center.
新江南 provides various services to elderly folks in the community. A very important aspect of traditional Chinese culture is reverence for the elderly. In recent decades, since the implementation of the One Child Policy, it has become difficult for the Chinese government to meet the needs of its growing elderly population. Because Chinese citizens are only allowed to have one child, it is the sole responsibility of this child to take care of their parents. If they cannot adequately meet this responsibility, their parents might encounter a difficult situation where they do not have an adequate income for their expenses, (because they're obviously retired) nor other kids to care for them. Working at 新江南, however, it is clear how much the 新江南 leaders care about and respect the elderly in their community. We were told by the supervisors to start conversations with the elders, and to simply listen to what they have to say. We did various activities with the elderly, like calligraphy, and Tai Chi, to keep them busy and make them feel like they are part of a caring and productive community.
The next day, we visited a school to teach English to 1st, 3rd and 5th graders. We had to prepare a lesson plan before arriving at the school to make sure we stayed organized.
My first week working for the Amity Foundation has exposed me to various aspects of life in China that I was not aware of, despite once living here for 9 months. I enjoyed all of the activities, but especially enjoyed visiting the Home of Blessings, and working with children. This week already seemed extremely fast paced, with something to do and somewhere to go at every minute. We have not arrived back at our hotel from service any earlier than 5pm yet. However, the next 7 weeks are only going to get busier. According to the schedule, we are going to be working a lot with children and the elderly, and building community bonds in the Kunshan area. I only hope I can connect with the people I've met as well as I have this week.