Last week I devoted an entire blog post to an excitement I had that day. I was excited about the news that our Chinese language department got a sister school in China. My excitement continues on this week.
On Monday, our teacher passed sign up sheets around. If we wanted to be a pen pal with a student from our sister school, then we were supposed to write our name down. Guess who's name was on the sheet? Mine. Fortunately, I wasn't the only one. I think some of my classmates are somewhat excited, too.
We will begin pen pal writing at the start of the next school year. That's quite a ways from now, but that doesn't keep my wheels from spinning. If you had the opportunity to ask a peer of yours from an entirely different part of the world any question, what would you ask??? Here's what I'm thinking to ask:
1) Who are you? What do you like to eat, dream, do, see?
2) What is it like to be a teenager living in China?
3) Tell me about your family and friends. What do you guys do to hang out?
4) What is your perception of America? Where did you gain this perception? Your parents, government, media??
5) Since our parents, government, and media could be doing the same thing, distorting the truth, what do you wish that I know about China?
6) Have you ever been to or want to come to America?
7) Last summer I went to China. Would you like to hear about my impressions/what I learned?
8) What elements of American/Western culture have fused with your culture?
9) What elements have not? In other words, what do you think makes our cultures unique or distinct from each other?
10) What aspects of your culture do you hope will remain unchanged my the influence of other cultures (American or not)?
11) What aspects do you hope will be influenced by outside cultures?
Like I said, we won't start pen pal writing for another 5 months or so. Between now and then, I anticipate this list to grow. My goal from this open line of communication is this: that my pal and I can teach each other the ins and outs of our own culture; that we will learn the ins and outs of the other's culture; and that by acquiring a primary depiction of each, we will successfully collided culturally. And that is one cardinal collision worth writing for.
On Monday, our teacher passed sign up sheets around. If we wanted to be a pen pal with a student from our sister school, then we were supposed to write our name down. Guess who's name was on the sheet? Mine. Fortunately, I wasn't the only one. I think some of my classmates are somewhat excited, too.
We will begin pen pal writing at the start of the next school year. That's quite a ways from now, but that doesn't keep my wheels from spinning. If you had the opportunity to ask a peer of yours from an entirely different part of the world any question, what would you ask??? Here's what I'm thinking to ask:
1) Who are you? What do you like to eat, dream, do, see?
2) What is it like to be a teenager living in China?
3) Tell me about your family and friends. What do you guys do to hang out?
4) What is your perception of America? Where did you gain this perception? Your parents, government, media??
5) Since our parents, government, and media could be doing the same thing, distorting the truth, what do you wish that I know about China?
6) Have you ever been to or want to come to America?
7) Last summer I went to China. Would you like to hear about my impressions/what I learned?
8) What elements of American/Western culture have fused with your culture?
9) What elements have not? In other words, what do you think makes our cultures unique or distinct from each other?
10) What aspects of your culture do you hope will remain unchanged my the influence of other cultures (American or not)?
11) What aspects do you hope will be influenced by outside cultures?
Like I said, we won't start pen pal writing for another 5 months or so. Between now and then, I anticipate this list to grow. My goal from this open line of communication is this: that my pal and I can teach each other the ins and outs of our own culture; that we will learn the ins and outs of the other's culture; and that by acquiring a primary depiction of each, we will successfully collided culturally. And that is one cardinal collision worth writing for.
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