Zhang Yitag:blog.vcu.edu,2007:/zhangy27//8602007-08-04T02:42:36Zlife in VCUMovable Type 3.34Daytrip to UVAtag:blog.vcu.edu,2007:/zhangy27//860.73992007-08-04T02:42:22Z2007-08-04T02:42:36ZIt’s a nice day. We take our trip to the University of Virginia and Darden Business School. Before that, we go to pick the peach first in an orchard. It’s totally free for you to eat peaches in the orchard...
It’s a nice day. We take our trip to the University of Virginia and Darden Business School. Before that, we go to pick the peach first in an orchard. It’s totally free for you to eat peaches in the orchard which is quite different from China. In China, the host of the orchard will charge you every little thing you do in the orchard. But here, you can eat as many as you can!
UVA is great. I still remember when I first come to VCU that the campus and the inside infrastructure were much better than Fudan University. But UVA is much more beautiful than VCU. Thomas Jeffison designed the main building for UVA. That’s why so many people still call UVA the university of Jeffison.
Darden Business School was my dream school. Now I realize that why America business education is the first class education worldwide. Darden was glamorous. It has beautiful gardens, fabulous meeting halls. Everything inside was delicate and nice. You can walk inside and no one will stop you. But in China, the gate guard will suspect you as a thief or something like that. That’s the difference! The poorer the country is, the less human rights you have.
Wonderful Jazz Performancetag:blog.vcu.edu,2007:/zhangy27//860.73022007-08-02T16:12:34Z2007-08-02T16:27:51ZThough it was not the first time for me to watch a live jazz performance, I still like it so much. Actually, I preferred to think of this performance as a intro-class of Jazz music to a short performance. I...
Though it was not the first time for me to watch a live jazz performance, I still like it so much. Actually, I preferred to think of this performance as a intro-class of Jazz music to a short performance. I really learned a lot about Jazz. I usually go to some pubs or clubs in China or just enjoy Jazz CD at home. I can remember a lot melodies of good Jazz music, but I just cannot remember who played it because I never think too much about Jazz or Jazz culture and history. For me, Jazz is just one kind of music I can relax myself with.
However, after the performance on that night, I became so keen on Jazz. I really like its style of improvision. You can fully express yourself, your idea and thought in a free way just like water flows. When I was a little girl, my only interest was to play the Jazz drum. I used to play with chopsticks and hit the bowl after having meal. It was so funny. Unfortunately, I gave up playing drum just because I had so many home assignment to do when I entered the secondary school. I just want to say that the Jazz performance on that day re-light my passion for music, for Jazz drum. Thus you can imagine how excited I was after the performance.
Art and Acting in VCUtag:blog.vcu.edu,2007:/zhangy27//860.73002007-08-02T15:37:03Z2007-08-02T16:12:14ZWe took a lecture about art the other day. It was so amazing! We do not offer the art practise in Fudan University, not to mention drawing pictures in classroom in front of the whole students. It was my first...
We took a lecture about art the other day. It was so amazing! We do not offer the art practise in Fudan University, not to mention drawing pictures in classroom in front of the whole students. It was my first time to watch the whole process of drawing a picture. I thought it was so magic. Actually I am not good at painting at all. So you can imagine how amazed I was when professor turned the craft picture into a so mimic portray just as a real photo.
What was more exciting was the lecture in the afternoon. It was about acting. To tell the truth, I seldom draw my attention to acting in China expect those theory I see on television. I never take acting seriously when I am in China. But here, I am surrounded by the art. You can tell that how much students love art in VCU. You can see graffiti everywhere and almost everyone can play some instrument more or less. There is even a great theater for acting major students in VCU in which they can fully enjoy acting performance. I found that the college life in America is so colorful in that it is all the students who organize various kinds of activity and develop the social life. It is not done by anyone else. All are done by students themselves.
College is kind of a small society. It helps you adapt the real world and become mature. Thanks to all the self-doing things in America, I can probably see why so many American college students are so outstanding and independent.
Home Visittag:blog.vcu.edu,2007:/zhangy27//860.70552007-07-30T22:53:04Z2007-07-30T22:55:01ZFinally, we were so lucky to go to the library’s home, Dan Ream’s home for the native family visit. Dan’s home is typically a middle class home. Located in the forest on a hill, the house was not big but...
Finally, we were so lucky to go to the library’s home, Dan Ream’s home for the native family visit. Dan’s home is typically a middle class home. Located in the forest on a hill, the house was not big but very comfortable. Near the house, there are several swimming pools and a natural swallow lake. The drive path was narrow because residents don’t want someone outside the neighborhood to come in. It is an area for all these residents. They want peace, not traffic.
The family was very nice. They not only provide us with typical American food which was very delicious, but chat with us a lot about American life and American culture. They were very curious about China. The first picture they can think of China was the foundation date of the new China. Of course we talked a lot with them about the recent development of China and Shanghai. I like the decorations inside the house which made the house looked very comfortable. I cannot help but feel grateful to their kindness. I would be very please to host them in China should they came to China in the future.
Carytown Againtag:blog.vcu.edu,2007:/zhangy27//860.70542007-07-30T22:52:44Z2007-07-30T22:53:01ZIt’s our free day today. I decided to go to the Carytown again. I have no car and I don’t want to bother those interns. Thus, I have to walk there, on foot! To my surprise, Carytown’s out of the...
It’s our free day today. I decided to go to the Carytown again. I have no car and I don’t want to bother those interns. Thus, I have to walk there, on foot! To my surprise, Carytown’s out of the map, maybe ten blocks away for the GRC. You can seldom see people walking on the street. Almost all of them drive. Finally I got to the Carytown and I found it was not very far. It’s only about 30 minutes walk. I suddenly thought up with a cause why Americans are fat. Perhaps because they drive too much, sit too long. On one hand, they complain about the soaring gas price, on the other hand, they are so dependent to driving. Instead, if they walk to some places. They will both get jogging exercises and save the gas money. It’s really a bargain!
About paperstag:blog.vcu.edu,2007:/zhangy27//860.70522007-07-30T22:49:24Z2007-07-30T22:50:39ZI was told that the deadline of the paper was this Friday! This Friday, how can we make it with high quality only in 4 days? I thought we are supposed to write our papers at the end of this...
I was told that the deadline of the paper was this Friday! This Friday, how can we make it with high quality only in 4 days? I thought we are supposed to write our papers at the end of this trip. But on Friday, even before we set out for New York!
I need to day a lot of preparation before the paper. Four days is by no means impossible to hang on a high-qualified paper. We need to attend the lectures everyday and have activities every evening. What is worse is that we have to think of any words or sentences by ourselves. If we want to quote some one’s words, we must note what it comes from. If we can’t change the deadline, the only thing that we can do is to stand up late and cram for the paper there days. Thus, I highly think that we need more time to write paper or let us hang on the paper after we go back to China.
true picture of Virginiatag:blog.vcu.edu,2007:/zhangy27//860.70512007-07-30T22:47:58Z2007-07-30T22:49:21ZHaving spent almost 20 days in Virginia, we finally came to know what is true about Virginia. Virginia is not a place for business, for tourist attraction, for cityscape or something else. Virginia is place for life, a place for...
Having spent almost 20 days in Virginia, we finally came to know what is true about Virginia. Virginia is not a place for business, for tourist attraction, for cityscape or something else. Virginia is place for life, a place for enjoying life. The true picture of Virginia’s not about Richmond, not VCU, not UVA. The true picture lies along the highway. The beautiful mountain and hill, beautiful cabin and plain, sunset and fog around the remote mountains is what Virginia should be proud of.
gymtag:blog.vcu.edu,2007:/zhangy27//860.69102007-07-27T03:34:21Z2007-07-27T03:50:38ZI like this old gym. Even if it has a little smell of those antique walls and structures, a little painting smell, or a little furniture smell. I like this place because it's free, it has all the useful facilities,...
I like this old gym. Even if it has a little smell of those antique walls and structures, a little painting smell, or a little furniture smell. I like this place because it's free, it has all the useful facilities, like fans, drinking machine, benches, lockrooms, etc. I like this place also because I am so good at every kind of sports that I can fully enjoy there.
I think up with one cause why Americans, in some extent, are fat, from an economics perspective. The core explanation is they don't really care about lose weight because the cost of gaining weight was soooo... cheap. Actually, it cost zero if she works out in the school gym. But in China, if you eat too much, and if you want to keep slim and slander, you will again spend a lot of mony, no less than you spend in food, in shaping yourself in the gym. Thus, Chinese don't easily eat 100% full of the stomach which means this behavior will save you double money, right?
So clever is the Chinese.
a Chinese professor in VCUtag:blog.vcu.edu,2007:/zhangy27//860.69072007-07-27T03:07:04Z2007-07-27T03:33:55ZToday's lecture: process management. The lecture was okay. What was a coincidence was that the professor was a Chinese, a Shanghai-ese, a Fudan schoolmate. How can I find someone who was once so close to me in America? Unbelievable! I...
Today's lecture: process management. The lecture was okay. What was a coincidence was that the professor was a Chinese, a Shanghai-ese, a Fudan schoolmate. How can I find someone who was once so close to me in America? Unbelievable!
I do believe that there may exist some gap between Americans and foreigners. America's not a melting pot, but a salad in which different ingredients play their unique role. Mr. Zhang, our professor today, came to the "big salad" after accomplishing his master degree in Fudan. Almost every college student in China want to go to U.S.A for advanced education. America has first-class education in the world. Apparently, Mr. Zhang hasn't fully been used to the real American life style. I could see this from language. He used so much Chinese in the class. Becides, he even used the word "material flow" for logistics. That's so funny.
No wonder why so few interns did attend the lecture in the morning. "Lost in translation"
same daily routine, diff daily feelingstag:blog.vcu.edu,2007:/zhangy27//860.67512007-07-25T11:39:00Z2007-07-25T12:00:11Ztime passes so quickly. we almost have spent half of our days in Richmond. everyday we just keep on attending, walking, going till we are free in the late night. Tired? yes. but really interesting. I come to get used...
time passes so quickly. we almost have spent half of our days in Richmond. everyday we just keep on attending, walking, going till we are free in the late night. Tired? yes. but really interesting. I come to get used to everything here and make friends with everyone I can. I come to like this life style. I can feel the independence deep inside though figuring out every problem by myself. Rather than leaning on parents, I need to take care of myself all way long. Here, you are waiting for someone to arrange for you, what you need is to create you own day. Like the professor says: "Make your own history, do not let history makes you." I guess I am a passionate person and I try to have a look at everything I can in American, through some things disappoint me, like the Carytown.
Americans & Chinesetag:blog.vcu.edu,2007:/zhangy27//860.66742007-07-24T06:17:33Z2007-07-24T06:44:59ZThe friendship with those Americans seems to develop much more faster and further than I originally thought. After coming back from the beach, though Facebook, it seems to me that I already know them a lot or we become so...
The friendship with those Americans seems to develop much more faster and further than I originally thought. After coming back from the beach, though Facebook, it seems to me that I already know them a lot or we become so close right now. That's really a good sign. Hope it will last long and be better everyday.
Chatting with those guys on the beach, I really found that there's a such big difference between American youngers and Chinese ones. I don't know why, but this kind of feeling's really sort of complicated and embarrassing coz Americans, I mean those young people, are so independent and mature that we get paled when compared with them. They can drive their own Honda to anywhere they want to go, pay all the expenses and live by themselves. And they can fully enjoy their parties with friends regardless of parents' restraint. I don't know, I just, a little, envy them.
But, on the other hand, there's something in Chinese that they don't have. Why they are so eager at earning money? Is that because of the credit card debt? Yes, they are really independent. Then how is the relationship between children and parents? I've heard so many stories about that. Americans are realistic. I am not sure whether I am right. They just want to make as much money as possible to make up their consumption desire for everything they need in life. Of course they have reasons to spend a lot on cars, clothes, vacation, etc. coz they spend what they earn by themselves. So consumption might be the driving factor for their so realistic behavior. And that might be the reason why Americans enjoy such a high credit card debt.
I can't say which one's right and which is wrong. Actually, there is no judgement of right and wrong here. I just feel, as a double-edged sword, no one is perfect.
classestag:blog.vcu.edu,2007:/zhangy27//860.64562007-07-19T18:48:48Z2007-07-19T19:00:53ZClasses are totally different between US and China. Actually, the instructors here are much more humor than teachers in China as if Americans are born with humors. Besides the first difference, the facilities here are so updated technically compared with...
Classes are totally different between US and China.
Actually, the instructors here are much more humor than teachers in China as if Americans are born with humors. Besides the first difference, the facilities here are so updated technically compared with those in China. And the content of classes are really interesting, not only in what the instructor says in class but also in the form of multi-media. It is so attractive.
bowling funtag:blog.vcu.edu,2007:/zhangy27//860.64252007-07-19T05:14:27Z2007-07-19T05:43:40ZActrully we knew better after the bowling. Those interns know each other no longer than they know us. So language could be such a powerful gap between us. I do confess that personality plays a vital role in communication. Eh....I...
Actrully we knew better after the bowling. Those interns know each other no longer than they know us. So language could be such a powerful gap between us. I do confess that personality plays a vital role in communication. Eh....I suddenly find that there are so many factors, uncountable factors that will affect the process of two strangers from getting to know to keeping in touch with each other. So many factors that drive me to believe that one'e fate including anything is decided already before he takes action.
Just having got the news that there was a bomb in NYC. http://msn.ynet.com/view.jsp?oid=22228148 It's really horrible coz we've learnt that those Fudan University students of last year did stay near the site of the bomb. Hope everything will be good with us.
Safe is the first wealth.
Shoppingtag:blog.vcu.edu,2007:/zhangy27//860.62892007-07-18T04:52:42Z2007-07-18T21:50:54ZThat's right, today's a busy day, shopping day. I really did much shopping in the mall, if including window shopping. Actually, those clothes or cosmetics of famous brands are really a bargain here. I am astonished about the import tax...
That's right, today's a busy day, shopping day. I really did much shopping in the mall, if including window shopping. Actually, those clothes or cosmetics of famous brands are really a bargain here. I am astonished about the import tax of China, 100%? or 200%?
Wall-mart's great. I don't mean the food or the large square of it is great. What truly interests me is the self checkout machine. It's my first time to use that. It was kind of embarrassing coz we don't know how to use it. Right there a friendly security guy helped us. I have to confess this machine was magic. It's sooooo easy to check out!
No wonder this is America!
1st visit to Richmond downtowntag:blog.vcu.edu,2007:/zhangy27//860.62592007-07-17T06:03:23Z2007-07-18T04:51:53ZTaking a sightseeing by bus, we finally came to know the real picture of Richmond downtown. The citiscape, like skyscrapers, old railway trials and modern streets, is quite similar with that in Shanghai. However, the most attractive sight spot was...
Taking a sightseeing by bus, we finally came to know the real picture of Richmond downtown. The citiscape, like skyscrapers, old railway trials and modern streets, is quite similar with that in Shanghai. However, the most attractive sight spot was by all means the Capitol. What left me a deep impression was the sincere and elaborate narration there. I also appreciate the spirits of Americans--sticking to the truth. No matter how bad the scandal could be, they don't hide it. Just like the saying of Thomes Jeffison, only when all the people are well informed, they can be confidence with their government.