Page 21 - Priorities #68-Summer 2017

tire day while the teacher moved from class to class. They must take the National College Entry Exam at the end of their high school ca- reer that dictated which college they were to go to. Near the senior dormitories, there were signs that publicly indicated which students earned high scores on tests. It was no surprise then that the Chinese students were in awe when Kevin Liu ‘17 gave a thoughtful presenta- tion in Mandarin of his daily school experience at Priory as a boarding student, where the focus was on small class sizes, teacher-student relationships, and the balance be- tween academic and recreational activities.
Outside of the school setting,
the group was able to experience
communal activities that further encouraged them to interact with locals. In Chengdu, they had a once-in-a-lifetime opportu- nity to volunteer at the Dujiangyan Panda Base, one of the few giant panda care, disease prevention, and control institutes in the world. Students worked as “Panda Keepers” by cleaning the panda cages, maintaining the panda enclosures, and feed- ing the pandas. We also enjoyed the famous “Sichuan Opera” show where face and costume changing was a highlighted tal- ent. The opera venue also had other forms of entertainment and activities that students took part in. Some students tried playing with shadow puppets and learning how to move them, while more adventurous students tried the traditional ear cleaning. In Lijiang, we enjoyed kayaking on the lake, fishing with the lo- cals, and participating in local traditions, such as releasing lotus lanterns down one of the many rivers in the Ancient Town with personal wishes. We toured an embroidery school in Lijiang, where traditional and heritage skills and art were taught and supported. We were able to purchase beautiful embroideries and have our names translated and written in Naxi pictographs by a Dongba priest. In Hong Kong, students were able to let their inner child out at the marine-themed Ocean Park. With an area of 170 acres, it is the largest ocean park in Asia. Given the commercial atmosphere of Hong Kong, there were also many shopping opportunities at local outlet parks that gave students further practice in communicating with others, which even in- cluded Caleb Pollack ‘19 negotiating prices in Mandarin.
No international trip would be complete without experienc- ing the food. Students definitely stepped out of their comfort zone and tried a variety of authentic Asian cuisine that each city had to offer. In the mornings, students tried items typical of a Chinese breakfast such as porridge, noo- dle soups, condensed milk, and pastries. In Chengdu, students en- joyed the hot and spicy hot pots. Students also explored the famous Jinli Food Street that offered var- ious regional foods and snacks. A couple of students also tried the snack made for pandas at the Panda Base and commented that it tasted like bran muffins. In Lijiang, students tried local Naxi lotus root pockets and blood sticky rice sau-
sage. In Hong Kong, students bravely tasted roasted quails and ducks, which even included the heads and brains! They were open-minded about the Chinese philosophy of honoring the sac- rifice of the death of an animal by eating every possible part of it instead of throwing anything away.
During the entire trip, students kept a daily journal out- lining their activities and reflections. They definitely brought the amazing community spirit of Priory to China, and highly demonstrated what it meant to be a global citizen. They knew the importance of trying to make a connection to the commu- nity they were involved with, whether it was by trying to com- municate the language or by understanding and respecting the cultural differences. Students were intentional about keeping an open mind and fully immersing themselves into the Chi- nese culture and history. Upon return to school, Rachel Goines ‘17and Kieran Pandey ‘18 gave insightful and personal reflec- tions about the trip at the all-school chapel gathering. They shared that they were able to go beyond preconceived notions of the Chinese culture and experience the beautiful truths for themselves. At the school visits, instead of feeling separated due to language and cultural differences, they bonded with their Chinese school partners over their mutual desires to learn, love, and explore. With these respectful mentalities and insights, all of the students were able to go beyond cultural dif- ferences and find that they had similar dreams and aspirations with all the communities they interacted with, that they were indeed part of a common humanity.
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