update of first week in Beijing

The last time I wrote, which was two Wednesdays ago, we had just been given word that we would all be going to China with certified visas (a sigh of relief for everyone). Friday, the day of our flight, we all piled into our plane at 3:30pm for take-off—I knew I would be in for a long trip, but underestimated just how long the 12 hour flight would be to Tokyo. Mistakenly, I decided before our flight that a window seat would be the way to go since I like to look outside the cabin upon take-off and landing; however, this preference for scenery cost me in accessibility to the bathroom. On top of that newly-weds sat in the two seats to my right, which added excess scenery that I could have done without. As you may expect the connecting flight from Tokyo-Narita to Beijing went much more smoothly. Our landing in Beijing finally brought a sense of realization that I had made it half way around the world from point A to point B. On the Beijing highway to our new home for the next two months we passed the “Bird’s Nest”, which will be the stadium for the Olympic Games. Since I am a big Olympic sports buff, I pulled out my camera to take a few pics of the blue-lit Stadium in the night sky. Although the Olympic stadium was a fantastic sight, the best sight of the night was a freshly made bed at our Wan Liu apartment residence; there’s no better felling than a comfortable bed to sleep in after complete exhaustion.

The next day we toured the Forbidden City where we saw buildings and artifacts from the Ming and Qing dynasty of China. Many of the animal sculptures in the city I found the most intriguing to take pictures of, including tortoises, lions, storkes, and dragons. One revelation that came to light during this tour is the question of who first came up with the idea of dragons as a mystical creature in China and why they are so revered…quite possibly from an early emperor’s dream (my own hypothesis). Later we went to see Tiananmen Square and the lowering of the Chinese flag by the soldiers. This is done every night, while the flag is put back up at high-staff every morning. I failed to ask why this is done at the time; however, it is likely a precedent incorporated during the time of Mao since my Chinese roommate Xu has no idea either.

The following days after the Forbidden City tour consisted of familiarizing ourselves with the Peking University Campus and the research group that we will be working with. For the next couple months I will be working with a fellow undergrad in Zhongfan Liu’s group, which is focused on nanotube design. I am told that my work, which begins the Monday after next, will involve shaping nanotubes with a particular metallic oxide. Although my previous/current research at U of M has been focused in the biochemical arena, I am eager to learn more about lab methodology involving physical chemistry. I hope by the end of the program to have a better understanding of how nanotubes and nanodevices are designed so that I can learn of ways nanotechnology can be used in the field of cancer (as has been shown with the Kanzius RF therapy), since that is where my interest lies.

The rest of the last few days have involved the regular routine of Chinese language class in the morning, lunch, and a Chinese culture lesson in the afternoon. I think our language teacher Liu Nian is glad to have me in the class because I along with Spencer provide a sense of comic relief. In regards to our culture lessons, the one that I found most interesting was the talk given by Prof. James Lee on the educational system in China and how focused this system is on standardized tests, much more focused on such tests than America. The talk left me with the question of how many students with other exceptional talents besides test-taking fall through the cracks of this system.

The experience in China has been up to this point one to remember with more sight-seeing planned for tomorrow and Sunday, where we will see a Confucius Temple and the Great Wall of China! I hope at the Great Wall to listen to Billy’s Joel’s song entitled by the same name…wonder if it has ever been done before by a tourist. If not maybe I’ll be the first.