LSC '07 Short Video

Upon returning home

The following reflections were captured on the plane on the way home from Beijing. Some team members were not with the group at the time, so their comments will be added later.

Felipe — Throughout my trip in China, I realized that this trip was a once in a lifetime dream. Seeing that the trip is soon to be over I cannot believe that we have been here for only 15 days. It feels like we have been here for about four days because I am having so much fun. As a whole all I can say is that it has been a dream come true and that it has been one of the best experiences of my life.

Ariel — My experience in China has been too incredible for words. China is such a culturally rich country with extremely hospitable people and delicious food. I loved being able to travel to many different parts of this country and getting a chance to study China's water and other environmental issues really intrigued me. I hope to continue to learn about China and come visit here again in the future.

Rosey — For all the joking I have done in the past few days about wanting nothing more than to get to Beijing and to make the flight home, I will be very sorry in a few hours to be finished with this truly life changing trip. Getting the chance to speak with and to befriend all the wonderful Chinese people who worked with us on this trip was both amazingly fun and also eye opening. This trip has been awesome, and I hope to be able to come back to China again soon!

Margaret — I liked that each of the three parts of the trip was different, but still covered the overall theme of water. We were able to see suburban Beijing, urban Beijing as well as the beautiful, more rural Fujian province. Wherever we went, our Chinese friends were kind and generous. The students worked very well with everyone. Chen and Kate organized an informative, fun-filled trip. I am thankful to be able experience a trip like this.

Oscar — As the airplane took off many memories came to my mind; all the places we went, the things we learned but most important to me, the people that we met. The feeling that I was leaving a place that received us with such hospitality made feel sad. But I also have the hope of one day come back to such beautiful country because thanks to this trip now I feel that I have some ties to China, and I guess that everyone who came to China would feel the same way. This trip changed my life and definitively will change my habits of water consumption.

Quentin — I refuse to say goodbye to China as we fly over it. Only I'll see you again some day. Hopefully some day soon and not to return as tourist but to rekindle the friendships that we have made with the students of China, to come back to take even more of the culture in which I have studied in books. Words on a page do not compare to the smiles on the faces of people as you speak to them hear the language. Although you can't understand the words, here they made me feel safe in that I could trust whatever they were saying. Truly I must return, and experience as many like this as I can. Thank you China, and CIE for making a fantasy come true.

Cornelius — I came, I saw and was convinced about the situations in China. This was a learning experience for me as well as my school. The trip was both rewarding and informative in addition to being enriching.. The possibility of a world wide water shortage opened my eyes to the possibility of world wide global action as the next generation prepares to take the helm of leadership. I do hope that the phrase "One Dream, One World" impacts more than the Olympics so that every one realizes that we all live in a global village. I look forward to a spirited debate on global warming and its impact on water needs world wide.

Cynthia — What an incredible privilege it was for me to participate in the first LearnServe Chia trip! I have learned about so many different aspects of China and its people. I have a deeper understanding of the water situation, but I also have a greater appreciation for the kindness and generosity of the Chinese people who gave their time and energy to us and considered the honor theirs. I will be forever changed by my encounters with the students and teachers here who work with so much less than I have and still do a wonderful job. I'm excited about starting a continuing collaboration between our students through e-mails.

Jonathan — When I think back to all of the places I have traveled to, I would have to say that China has definitely been one of my more memorable experiences. Upon arriving in Beijing I thought back to when I was first filling out the forms to travel to China, and before I knew it I was there: and now look where we are. It just goes to show you how fast time flies when you're having fun. What made the trip so worth it's while were the constant activities and places that we traveled to. Whether it was visiting famous global monuments, such as the Great Wall, or learning how to prepare authentic homemade dumplings, LearnServe China really made this trip both a memorable one and one to cherish for the rest of my life. Thank you.

Tonia — I had always wanted to travel to China and hoped to someday make the trip. I never imagined the opportunity would come in this manner: with other American teachers and students collaborating and learning from Chinese students and teachers and Roots and Shoots! I had an understanding of China's economic gains which unfortunately go hand in hand with pollution of their water and air. However, seeing it and experiencing it has impacted me tremendously! I want to be able to convey to my family, friends and students the importance of conservation of our resources, but more so the importance of educating their families and friends; just like the Chinese people are doing! The two most important things I will remember about this trip will be strength and hope: Throughout so many political, economic and environmental changes throughout their history, the Chinese people remain strong about their culture (which is rich in music, literature, cuisine) and hopeful that positive change will be achieved through education and collaboration with other nations. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity that I will share with many.

Cori — What a fantastic adventure! My eyes have been opened to China's balancing act - between ancient and modern, rich and poor, pristine and polluted. This is a culture of uncommon hospitality and respect. It was a pleasure to experience this culture first hand and to see how they are using these strengths to reach out to the rest of the world with open arms.

Kelsey — The trip to China was an outstanding educational and cultural experience. I learned about the water crisis in Beijing as well as the history and culture of China. One of the highlights of this trip was meeting and interacting with Chinese students in Beijing and Sanming. They were wonderfully helpful and welcoming. Getting to know the students helped me understand China in a way that cannot be done just through seeing the tourist attractions. The combination of making friends with Chinese students, visiting various historical sites, and learning about the water crisis enabled me to deeply appreciate this beautiful country.

Chen's "homecoming"

Yes, home—home, sweet home. Having lived in Beijing for seven years, I consider it a second home, and I was eager to see how it looked after being away for two years (though my excitement was dampened a bit by the haziness of the sky when our plane landed on Beijing). Still, this is the Beijing I remember, huge, crowded, old-line but new construction abundant everywhere.

I was wondering what I should introduce our group to other than food and shopping, the process of which just made me feel how little I know about this city I thought I knew well. The idea of water conservation was something I learned of when I was a little kid, being told in the school that water is the source of life and watching my mother wash clothes by hand and only use her washing machine as an extractor! But for the first time I began thinking about water conservation through the questions of where the water comes from and how it gets delivered and recycled. Thanks to our visits to Miyun Reservoir, the canal system, and Gaobeidian water treatment plant, I understand that water conservation is more of an effort than just an idea or a slogan.

Water Treatment Plant

Riding the buses in Beijing 'refreshed' my memory as I had almost forgotten the elbow-to-elbow part of bus-taking in Beijing. I felt bad that some passengers elbow one another to make way while some just rush onto the bus without waiting for people to get off, and I was more annoyed by the kind of indifferent attitude many people were showing. Of course there is a reason for everything: if I had to travel at least two times everyday like this, I might be as indifferent as they are. The city is growing at an unexpectedly fast pace, the process of which has undoubtedly consumed and is still consuming a lot of resources. Everything seems to be on the edge of being overdeveloped. I now have more questions in my mind than solutions concerning water issues in Beijing.

On the day we were creating our survey questions at BCIS, Cynthia asked whether we should include a question like, "Do you think about water conservation on a daily basis?" in our survey, as she figured that Beijingers already know about this situation and felt bad to ask them to use less water since we learned at the water treatment plant that Beijingers only consume 1/32 of the world average water use. It's wonderful to realize what we all learned about the water situation in Beijing, and the questions we raised are aimed more towards taking action to provide more clean water in Beijing. We must consider all the complicated factors such as its large population, rapid economic growth, and limited resources. Beyond this we can apply what we've learned to the water situation in some parts of the United States that may face similar water shortage problems in the years to come.

Then came my home province of Fujian. It is always good to come back, and the thunder and lightning on our way to Sanming just put me in mind of my hometown where we always have similar weather in the summer time and the smell of the grass afterwards! Sanming has dense forest coverage, of which the locals are proud. Mr. Zeng, who has been working as a security guard at the Sanming Forestry School for more than 10 years, told me that Sanming's development used to largely depend on the forestry industry. But since the government began to call for forestry conservation not allowing locals to harvest the forest, there are fewer opportunities for economic development. Still, he enjoys living in this small city with better air quality rather than living in a big city with fewer pressures like employment and transportation.

On the Shanqing river

I was so impressed by the reaction people had when they watched us pick up trash littering Zhaixia Grand Canyon in Taining County. Some people told their children, "Look, they are trying to protect the environment, so you shouldn't throw away trash." Some even responded to our action by joining us, which was great! Profit from tourism is a major revenue resource for Taining. While taking our boat cruise along the Golden Lake, we noticed that the water level had dropped significantly, mainly due to lower rainfall. The tour guide, Xiao Mei, explained that if we had come in August we might not be able to enjoy the beauty of the lake and the surrounding Danxia Landforms. Another concern is the pollution in the lake from leisure boats discharging wasted oil. The buildings and the way that people talk and behave in this area is so familiar to me, but when it comes to the dilemma between forestry/environment conservation and economic development, again I had more questions than solutions. But perhaps questioning is the first step toward sustainable change.

Farewell Dinner

Nothing felt better than watching our students mingle with the students from Sanming Forestry School, and they did look like they were having a lot of fun! I loved the outfit that Quenton was fully 'decorated' with—the red China tie, bone necklace, and all the gifts from the Sanming students. It was quite sad to see one Sanming student dabbing her eyes when our bus left after the hard-to-say goodbyes. I was told by many of the people we met that they learned a lot from us, which is the same way we all feel, I am sure.

Written by Chen Huang, Co-leader for LearnServe China '07

Our trip winds down enjoying the beauty of Taining County

These last two days have been the perfect beginning of the end of our trip. We've been traveling with ten students, teachers and staff from the Sanming Forestry School and members of the Fujian Province Forestry Department to enjoy the beauty of Taining County. For most of us, including the students and staff of the school, this is a first visit to the natural wonders of this unique place. The area is a geological phenomenon, with massive rock scapes, deep gorges, beautiful waterways, and deep, green canyons. Yesterday, we strolled through the Taoyuan Geologic Park. The steep cliffs, naturally carved rocks, lush foliage, and strange sounds of new-to-our-ears insects and birds caused Jonathan to remark, "This is like walking through Jurassic Park." In fact, we did learn that a species of fern found in this park goes back to the dinosaur era.

Wedding Ceremony

Today we visited the famous Golden Lake. Again, beautiful landscapes, an ancient temple, and a grove where members of the Miao minority group entertained us with a performance of a traditional wedding ceremony. The beautifully costumed young women managed to convince some of our boys to participate.

A conversation with one of the guides on the cruise around the lake revealed concern about the diminishing water level of the lake and water pollution caused by increased boat traffic and tourism. As in many of our own water natural resources, the tension between protecting nature and making it accessible and enjoyable to more was evident.

Shanquing Rafting

The afternoon found us drifting on bamboo rafts down Shanquing Creek through a deep gorge. The students were in high spirits and couldn't resist water splashing contests, proving that US-Sino cooperation can take many forms!

The drive out and back to the scenic parks from our lodgings in Taining city is in and of itself a scenic delight and journey back in time. Rice paddies and other agricultural fields ring old-style rural villages. The traditional architecture of wood, wattle and daub, is a welcome change from the concrete, glass, tile and steel that seems to be replacing everything old in China. But farming these fields is not romantic—it's hard work, using only hand tools for cultivation and porting water with two buckets balanced on a rod across one's shoulders. But the sight of the free-range chickens pecking their way through the dust of the village at the exit of the park did make our Oscar nostalgic for a remembered life in El Salvador.

Written by Kate M-W, trip leader and a teacher at Washington International School

Day of Learning with Sanming Forestry School

Pruning fruit trees

This afternoon was full of experiences that got us moving and working with our hands. With a little guidance, we learned to prune orange trees and then made our own dumplings for dinner!

At the orchard, we were given three essential articles for proper pruning–clippers, gloves and our very own grass hat. Properly equipped, the students enjoyed jumping from one irrigation ridge to the next pruning with their Chinese partners along the way. It was very relaxing, really almost meditative, to be out of doors and working methodically on our task.

Making Dumplings

After a welcomed shower, the Sanming Forestry School had another activity for us—making dumplings! Thankfully, the cooks had already prepared the stuffing and the dough; we certainly had our hands full with rolling out the dough, stuffing and sealing the dumpling. I found most challenge rolling the dough so that the middle was thicker than the edges. My guide was very skilled in this technique and laughed at my frustration! As we continued, everyone's signature dumpling-style emerged. We were all delighted with our creations and with how delicious they were, though we agreed that the artistry would best be left to the masters!

Cori C., a teacher at Georgetown Day School

Aboard the riverboat

Forestry Headmaster

After the wonderful party at the Forestry School, the celebration continued with a dinner boat ride on the river that runs through Sanming. At first I thought we were the only ones on board because we had the cabin to ourselves. Once again, the food was impressive in taste and volume and there were many, many toasts. We sat together with the students, faculty and staff from the school and had a great time comparing notes on schools in China and the U.S. There are many similarities and many significant differences. For example, some of the students at the school are there to study for the college entrance exam. If students don't do well on that test, they will not be able to get into any of the public universities.

Boatride food

By the time we finished our meal, the cruise was underway. We were able to see a lot through the windows, but I was amazed to discover that there were two decks with other people traveling. This part of China is a popular tourist attraction for the Chinese, so many appeared to be people on vacation. We made our way to the top deck where we had the best view. All along the riverbank were hotels, stores, and apartment building all with bright neon lights blazing. They were so much fun to watch as they changed colors or flashed, and then see the reflections in the water. The officials from the school proudly pointed out their school sign—bright red high above us. Even the bridges were decorated with lights, but there would be no way to see them all except from the river.

We were conspicuous and attracted a lot of stares. Twin girls finally got up the nerve to approach us. We didn't have much to say since they hadn't started studying English yet, but we had a great "conversation" in sign language. Finally their parents convinced them to sing a couple of traditional Chinese children's songs for us; it was wonderful to hear them sung by the girls. By the end of the performance, we were all grinning from ear to ear!

We finally docked and made our way back to the bus, tired, but delighted with the chance to have had such an experience.

Written by Written by Cynthia A., a teacher at W.T. Woodson High School

Welcome Party

Kung Fu

A Medieval-style banquet is what our hospitable friends from the Forestry School refer to as a "party." Each of the students and teachers from both our LearnServe China group and from the Forestry School were seated around a large rectangular floor where the performances took place. The performances ranged from karaoke and musical appreciation, to table tennis and kung-fu; each one of the performances was both interactive and entertaining.

Musical Chairs

Not only did they perform for us, but they also got us involved by playing interactive games that we have played before, such as musical chairs and Simon Says, as well as some games that they were kind enough to teach us: the Rabbit dance, Three-legged balloon-pop game, and shuttle-cock juggling. Overall, the three-hour party said something about the music and culture in China, as well as helping our LearnServe team get to know the forestry school students and teachers much better.

Written by Jonathan B., a student at Washington International School