China trip creates lasting impressions

  • Published
  • By Butch Wehry
  • Academy Spirit staff writer
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --  A former Academy chemistry department deputy accompanied cadets on a 16-day visit to the middle kingdom last month. 

Maj. Patrick Castle escorted Cadets 2nd Class Megan Biles, Jennifer Ebert, Sean Long and Alexander Paladino as part of a joint venture between the Academy Marathon Club and the Great Wall of China Marathon during an Olmsted cultural immersion trip May 13-29. 

The adventure opened the scents, sights, sounds and people of the world's most populated nation to them. 

"This was everyone's first trip to China, and none of us spoke the language, although we tried," Major Castle said. "Our travels were split up between Beijing, Guilin near Vietnam, and Shanghai. We stayed in hotels but interacted with the Chinese culture whenever possible." 

Their modus operandi? When in China, do as the Chinese. 

SEEK OUT UNKNOWN TURF 

One thing that Cadet Biles did not expect was where she learned the most about the Chinese culture. 

"Instead of in museums and historical buildings, the vast majority of my growth came from walking the streets and just speaking with people," Cadet Biles said. "There was never a shortage of locals who wanted to come up and talk to us. By interacting with the local artists or bargaining at the street shops, I discovered a part of China that you don't see in the temples or library books." 

She learned that perception is not always reality. 

"In order to really understand a way of life you need to actually plunge yourself into it," she said. "Although I know that I'm nowhere close to fully understanding the Chinese culture, I feel that this immersion program was a great foot in the door. Experience has taught me to better seek out unknown turf and to never be afraid to ask a question or seek out an answer." 

COMMUNICATING WITH ANOTHER CULTURE 

The trip was an eye-opener for Cadet Ebert, who plans to become an intelligence officer after she graduates. 

"I initially thought that communicating with someone from another culture was as simple as having a language in common and knowing which social faux pas to avoid," she said. "I now know that it is a bit more complicated than that, and that the specifics depend on the culture. For example, in China, it's important to have small talk first before rushing into business, realize that most things they do are 'better for everyone together,' in Li Li's (a cadet tour guide's) words, and to understand their social hierarchy, specifically the level of respect demonstrated for elders. It is important to realize that the values held by different cultures are reflected in their communication style." 

SPEAKING TOO FAST 

"We say soccer here," the 22-year old English teacher said as Cadet Long and fellow travelers tried to talk in front of a class of around 20. 

The students weren't just learning English. They were trying to learn to interact with Americans in Guilin. The cadets were there to provide a source of entertainment for an hour in a day otherwise filled with extensive English study. 

"Jenny and I struggled with the students," Cadet Long said. "I found myself speaking too fast. As I grew frustrated, my instinct was to only speak faster. The teacher pulled me aside and pointed out my mistake. I paid more attention to my choice of words and made an attempt to speak more slowly. Some of the students in the class were new; while, others had been studying for years. " 

The class looked a lot like a normal American high school class, he said. 

"A few students asked us questions, some sat quietly in the back disinterested, and others just stared at us. After a few minutes, Jenny and I separated. Jenny was quickly surrounded by a group of teenage girls. A couple of guys came over and asked me questions. We talked about sports then books. I was reading 'Into the Wild' by Jon Krakauer and had the book in my backpack." 

Students passed the book around the classroom. 

"One girl finally told me in perfect English, 'This book is too difficult for us.'" Cadet Long said. "Such a comment seemed strange given that the class had discussed Romeo and Juliet, according to a couple of the students, but my book was far from a classic." 

Cadet Long also talked with some students about their plans after they graduate from the English school. 

"In China, there is a distinction between colleges and universities. The teacher told me only a few from this class would make it to a full university," he said. "Most of the students had no idea about what was next for them. " 

'PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE' 

China was Cadet 2nd Class Alexander Paladino's first experience with a culture very different from his own. 

"There were different physical appearances, food, arts and entertainment, language, and so many other aspects of life," Cadet Paladino said. "Even the simple practice of getting off the airplane was a new experience: I found that the Chinese had very little concept of queuing or lines, and I had to physically force myself in front of the multitude of passengers attempting to get in front of me." 

One of his most memorable experiences was seeing Chinese history from a Chinese perspective. 

"Reading about the Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution as led by Chairman Mao (Tse-Tsung), I had always wondered why the Chinese had admired a man that had done so many terrible things to their nation," the cadet said. "I found that while my personal opinion of the historical figure did not change, I gained a greater understanding of why the Chinese admired him so much -- he made their nation a world power after they had been humiliated by the Japanese. I feel this kind of understanding between cultures by itself affirms the value of cultural immersion programs." 

Cadet Long learned to expect the unexpected. 

"One aspect of China that caught me off guard was the huge diversity of lifestyles between the rural country and the big cities," The cadet said. "Shanghai was a cosmopolitan metropolis, bustling with more than 18 million people living in 30-story apartment buildings, where as the lifestyle of rural farmers seemed very simple in comparison: a couple of light bulbs in a small house, with maybe a television as the only other electrical appliance. The quality of services, such as healthcare and education, seemed to follow the great disparity of wealth between people of the city and people of the countryside." 

Cadet Long returned to the Academy with new insights. 

"My experience in China will serve me well as a future Air Force officer because it offered a greater understanding of the Chinese people through an intimate cultural experience in the country," Cadet Long said. "Even while China's government often has a negative connotation in American military and political contexts, one of the greatest lessons I learned in China is that people are people," he said. "No matter what kind of government people are under, they are fundamentally the same as us - they are for the most part kind, good people."