Other Fulbright Projects

In late February the Fulbright grantees, including those just having completed bachelor degrees, doctoral students, and senior scholars, from the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong congregated at my host university - The University of Hong Kong - for a 3.5 day conference and an optional trip to Macao. The conference was a very emotional experience for me. As was my time in Germany nine years ago, my time in Hong Kong now is full of highs and lows. I am grateful to have ten months to escape the humdrum of comfortable life. Here are some of the reasons why.

Having the opportunity to hear about the varied projects that my fellow American Fulbright colleagues are engaged in was quite stimulating! One male in China is trying, through the use of patient exit reports from all over China combined with reported pollution levels, to gage whether pollution levels, and thus, infant mortality, are on the increase or decrease after manufacturing plant closures in rural China. A female is interviewing and observing children who frequent McDonalds in China to study childhood obesity. One outgoing woman in Beijing is learning about how, if at all, sex education curricula is offered to middle school students. Needless to say, my mind was happily engaged in contemplating entangling social issues.
In trying to not see myself as an enlightened Westerner whose ways are infinitely superior to the East, I continue to try to train my brain to think in different ways. For example, when Fulbrighters from Mainland China shared the hygiene practices of some members of the public and of doctors performing medical examinations, I struggled to think of some ways in which China’s practices are better than those in the West. Perhaps on a given issue it is appropriate to acknowledge that one culture’s methods are superior to another’s. However, I must remain attentive to the balance between positive and negative characteristics I attribute to people from a given culture. As an example, when I inwardly cringe at some practices in China, I remind myself of the strength I see in so many Chinese women as they live their lives within constraints I would want to loudly but ineffectively protest against.

Meet The University of Hong Kong

I am already digressing from the purpose of this blog entry. So, allow me to return to my description of the exciting conference I took part in. As Fulbrighters familiarized themselves with the beautiful grounds of campus of the University of Hong Kong, I realized that I had psychologically begun to form an attachment to this academic institution even though I had only been here for just over a month. The University of Hong Kong has a proud and distinguished history. Near our Main Library is a tranquil lily pond. There is a tinkling waterfall near where some of the Fulbrighters and I sat contemplating what we’d learned from conducting research in China.
We have some of the best minds in Asia as students and faculty at the University of Hong Kong. This conjecture is borne out by the interactions I’ve been privileged to have with students and faculty alike. Even 21-year-old Hong Kong U students display levels of maturity seldom seen by me in university students from the States.

The Conference continues

On the third day of the conference we traveled to the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in Saikung. Our luncheon there consisted of a buffet with Western food! Those of you who have not lived in a foreign country might not appreciate the significance of the previous statement (no condescension intended). The food was satisfying to my Western pallet. So, despite my constant tiredness while here - a topic for another post - all was good with the world. At lunch I talked with a fascinating woman from New Orleans who is doing her project in Western China with a minority group. She is one year younger than me. So, we had much more in common with one another than with the Fulbrighters who had recently graduated with their baccalaureate degrees. While having dessert, I got to know a woman who is studying Tibetan pop music in China. The lectures given that afternoon were riveting, as was every workshop offered during the conference.
After our time at that university, we were given an hour to stroll along a pier. I disembarked from the bus and waited to see if anyone would offer to accompany and guide me. A senior scholar Fulbrighter studying poetry in Beijing offered to walk with me. For once, the sidewalks were wide enough for us to stroll side-by-side without worrying about falling off of the curb or hitting storefronts. What a joy it was to talk with a mature American while taking in the sounds and smells of Hong Kong! John, my companion, rented a fishing boat for the next morning. I wonder how his fishing expedition in Hong Kong went. I couldn’t go, as I had other plans.

Adventures in Hong Kong

The next day was my most exciting one in Hong Kong so far! We took a hydrophoil jet ferry from Victoria Harbor on Hong Kong Island to the former Portuguese colony of Macao.
Before I retell my impressions of Macao, I must explain this ferry ride in greater detail. Considering the hour-long journey by hydrophoil ferry, the ticket price of HKD 130 is quite reasonable. For those of us used to thinking in terms of U.S. Dollars, that’s around $20.00.
We took a tour bus from the hotel where the Fulbrighters not from Hong Kong had been staying to the ferry pier. We purchased our tickets and cued up for the ferry. Someone else kindly grabbed my suitcase off of the bus. But, I worried that they would forget it. My helpers, from this point on in the conference they were the staff from the Hong Kong America Center, assured me that the person who had my suitcase was responsible.
We rode up and down numerous escalators and asked special permission to use lifts instead of stairs. I held my figurative breath that I wouldn’t fall, as self-appointed helpers with whom I could not speak due to my lack of proficiency in Cantonese grabbed my arms as I stepped onto or alighted from escalators. I reminded myself to smile as they unintentionally pulled me off balance. Stepping onto the ferry itself was the grande finale of this “helpfulness” as people who weigh half of what I do tried to support me by grabbing my arms as I tried to wrench my arms from their grasps so that I could find the edge of the ferry with my cane. Due, I’m sure, to a bevy of angels protecting me, I safely boarded the ferry and was guided to a seat.
Unlike the Star Ferry which has hard seats outside, the accommodations on the ferry to Macao are much more luxurious. We had airplane-type cushioned seats with safety belts. The seats were arranged in rows of perhaps six chairs. When everyone was boarded, a siren sound permeated the atmosphere. I was later informed by one of the Fulbrighters that this sound was made as some of the hydrophoil apparatus was being inflated. While we were still going slowly, I could feel the ocean swells rather acutely. But, as we accelerated, the ride smoothed out considerably. My companion was Mae from the Centre on Asian Studies at Hong Kong U. She is a very kind woman whose son is studying in Japan. She has a rambunctious cat who tears things in her apartment up when she leaves her alone for too long.
When we arrived in Macao, we had two more thrills! Dr. Glenn Shive, the head of the Hong Kong America Centre who was the lead sponsor for this event, suggested that Mae and I cue up in the diplomatic line for getting our passports stamped! So, I got to play diplomat for a few minutes and was able to proceed much more quickly than the other Fulbrighters. I shouldn’t gloat about that, but it was really fun! And, getting a stamp on my passport always excites me! One of the Fulbrighters with whom I made friends had to get more pages put into her passport. That’s one of my life goals, along with sky diving. Anyhow, onto our time in Macao.

If my memory serves me correctly, Macao was officially returned to China in 1999. While it was the more popular destination than Hong Kong during the 1500’s it was soon eclipsed by Hong Kong because of the superiority of Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor. Macao has benefited less from the economic prosperity spreading over so much of Asia. Its main industry is gaming, and there is a general air of neglect on the small island. However, its lack of commercialism lends it a compelling charm. According to my kind sighted guides, the architecture boasts strong European influences in the midst of Chinese ambiance.
On our night in Macao we visited a church which had been built by the Portuguese in the 1600’s but had been gutted by fire in 1835. Mae showed me the decorative stone work on the windows. Then, we hurried down to a shopping district where I bought presents for Amy, the woman who does my laundry here and Bess, one of the women who brings me my meals. Apparently, when Hong Kongers go to Macao, they buy almond cakes (which to me, taste like glorified cardboard) and chunks of dried beef. Amy and Bess seemed quite pleased by my presents. That made me very happy to play Santa Claus for them!
While having dinner at the University of Macao, I sat next to an official from the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. The poise with which so many of the State Department officials carry themselves is astounding to me. Just as a professor who has been lecturing to students for years has a pleasing voice and cadence to their speech, so too these professionals are probably thinking a mile a minute about important matters of state while holding a perfectly civilized and completely appropriate conversation with me.
After dinner many of us decided to go for dessert in Macao. Apparently, it is known for its delicious ice cream and other delights. The roads were typically narrow and uneven. I had dressed up for the day. So, my shoes prohibited me from walking as safely as I might have. But, thanks to God’s providence, I didn’t fall or twist an ankle. The desserts were good, but I had visions of something containing chocolate. Since our dinner had been compellingly Western with sautéed vegetables and delicious pork ribs, I was ready for a pleasingly rich or sweet dessert. I had mango slices with mango ice cream instead. Mind you, it was good. But, I don’t know that it was worth the walk with an unfamiliar guide in a city with many rambunctious motorcycle drivers. I made it to the hotel where I collapsed in sleep and didn’t stir until the wake-up call jangled me out of bliss at 7:00 a.m.
The next day we went to the University of Macao where we listened to three lectures about Macao’s history, political movements, and economic prospects. The highlight of the day for me was our chance to talk with students from the University of Macao. As I often am, I was troubled by the apparent lack of regard with which many Americans speak with those whose first language is not English. Some in our group talked at a typical rate of speed and used slang and idioms with astonishing frequency. But, I think they finally realized that the students could not understand them. So, in the end, we had a very interesting conversation with the better English speakers in the group. I just hope that the others from Macao were not too frustrated or bored by the level of English we used. Our conversation focused on the need for more adequate social programs in Macao. Several students expressed anxiety about the lack of life planning displayed by their peers whose goals peak at securing jobs at local casinos. Macanese are understandably concerned about the economic ramifications should China or Hong Kong legalize gambling.
We toured several interesting locales in Macao, including a lighthouse, a historically significant home that now serves as a museum, and the former senate building for Macao which contains a library stocked with modern and colonial-period tomes. One of our final stops was the oldest theatre in Asia where the Macao Symphony still performs.
One of our senior scholars, Oliver Williams from North Carolina State University, had his 70th birthday that day. So, we all sang him “Happy Birthday” in the theatre! Many of you are aware of my fondness for elders. What an honor it was to have someone of such distinction with us in our conference. Oliver sits on the national committee which reviews all Fulbright projects. I am happy to report that I will be having dinner with Oliver and another Fulbrighter and his wife next week!
On our trip back from Macao, I got a taste of the preferential treatment that scholars are given in Asia. The ferry leaves hourly from Macao to Hong Kong. One ferry was due to leave in approximately 15 minutes. Some staff in our group asked the ferry customer service representatives if the Fulbright group could cut in front of passengers who had been waiting longer than we had to board this ferry so that we wouldn’t have to wait for the next one. We got on the ferry. I don’t know how many of the regular customers did.
There were so many other impressions and realizations that I came to during the Fulbright conference week. I’ll relate some of them to you in later postings, as this posting is already rather lengthy. I keep receiving emails from others who have discovered my blog. Welcome to all of you! I hope the issues I discuss and the events I relate are thought-provoking and pleasing to you. Stay tuned for my recounting of my first independent bus traveling experience in Hong Kong and my first volunteering experience at the Ebenezer School and Home for the Visually Impaired. I promise to share lots of insights with you!

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