Best of intentions, the most misguided of results

If the Beijing Municipal Commission of Education (or as I will refer to it, the BMCE) has anything to do with it, soon all college students at Beijing universities will be required to take a course entitled, "Mental health for College Students" with a expanded section on 'relationship skills.'

According to the BMCE's plan, students would take a 16 to 18 hour class for one course credit. The course itself would cover nine chapters and follow a recently re-drafted syllabus outlined by the BMCE.

Upon hearing this news, I didn't know whether to laugh at be absurdity of it all or shake at my head at just shake my head at how misguided this entire idea seems.

After all, if love and relationships could be simply defined and outlined in a textbook, there wouldn't be millions upon millions of books, poems, songs, blogs, and even Twitter tags on the subject matter. But while many may wish it were so, relationships and love do not follow any set path nor do they they all fit in a certain mold. Perhaps if it did, then we could all take a class in high school, be done with it and literally move on with our lives.

Unfortunately, that's not how it works. What works for one person does not necessarily work for the next person. In fact, I'd personally argue that love's ability to morph and change according to the people and circumstances around it---much like a chameleon---is what makes it so mysterious and popular topic for literature, music and the like. With this in mind, I cannot see how anyone or any group of people could possibly outline in nine short chapters on what is is the 'right' and the 'wrong' way to handle relationships.

Shame on you PKU

Recently, Peking University (北京大学, or as it's more commonly known 北大) announced they were going to expand their program of offering "consultations" to students they deemed "problematic."

Included on the list of students that should receive such counseling are students who have academic problems, come from poor backgrounds, are addicted to the Internet and have "radical" ideas.

What exactly consistutes "radical ideas" is beyond me though. I thought college and  university was the best time for students to broaden their thinking and challenge their beliefs.

It's one thing to offer students support should they choose to seek it, it's another thing to single some students out as "problematic."

All I have to say is, Peking Univeristy, being the prestigious university you are, you ought to be ashamed of yourself.

The Telegraph (UK): Peking University to screen students for 'radical thoughts'
China.org.cn (China): PKU to expand problem student consultations

For the record, I'm a student at Beijing Normal University (北京师范大学), not Peking University. It's probably a good thing too, or else I'd probably deemed a problem student as well. At least I can say I'm American and use that as an excuse.

P.O. Box # Behind-the-Athletics-Building

This is how the Chinese students apparently pick-up their packages.

Yes, it's exactly how it looks. Everyday, the delivery man (or men, since there are several shipping companies) rides a bike onto campus with all the day's packages, parks his bike either behind or in front of the athletics building, and spreads out all the day's packages on the sidewalk. The students, in turn, come by and pick up their packages. It's a very trusting system.

Needless to say, this system would not work in the United States.

Return of the Study Bunny

Yep, it's that time again. Finals time. You know what means...

See you on the other side.

(PS. Only 3 more days until break! Finally! Hooray!)

Tensions on the Korean Pennisula

Just in case you've been living under a rock (or haven't been paying attention to international news), yesterday North Korea shelled a small South Korean island that lies in a disputed marine area off the eastern Korean shoreline. As a result, the tensions between South and North Korea have once again heightened.

Many of the Korean students here are very concerned about the current "crisis status" (as the South Korean government calls it) on the Korean peninsula. Since all of age South Korean males are required by law to serve at least two years in the military, many are afraid that if the situation does escalate, they would all be recalled back to South Korea to resume their military service. (Most, if not all of the Korean male students have already completed their mandatory two, if not more, years of service.)

Personally, I highly doubt that the tensions will escalate to anything further. Every year or every few months, it seems like North Korea launches some sort of "attack" on South Korea and tensions escalate for a while but then die down to their normal level of tension. Also from an international perspective, it would be an unwise move on North Korea's part to try to escalate the tensions considering South Korea has the backing of the western powers, including the United States; while China, who historically has backed North Korea, seems hesitant to back North Korea for fear of hurting it's relations with the United States and other Western countries.

Hopefully, though, I will not live to regret that last paragraph.

For more information about the situation on the Korean pennisula, take a look at some of these links:
'Crisis Status' in South Korea After North Shells Island (NYTimes)
China Faces a Nettlesome Neighbor in N. Korea (NYTimes)
Two Koreas Exchange Fire (China Daily)
China calls for restraint from DPRK and ROK (China Daily)
US and S.Korea to Hold War Games (Al Jazeera English)
World reacts to Korea Clashes (Al Jazeera English)

Sorry for the link overload, but if my classes at NYU taught me nothing else, I did learn that the news source is just as important (or sometimes, even more important) than the news itself. 

Marching, marching, marching

For several days now, the students at the high school next to my dorm have been practicing marching in their physical education classes and occasionally after school too. At first, I thought it might be apart of a program similar to the JROTC in the United States, that is designed to groom high school students for the military. However, it turns out all the loud marching and counting has been in preparation for an open house.

At the open house, spectators sat on the sidelines and watched as each class marched into the physical education area, around the track and onto the field where they lined up in perfectly-spaced, pre-designated spots. Now it has be to be said that these high school students' marching isn't the sloppy, slightly sauntering "march" American high school graduates do as they walk into a stadium or auditorium for graduation; this is real marching, similar to what you'd see at a military boot camp. The students are perfectly synced and impeccably spaced and they all have a chant they sing/chant in order to keep the rhythm of their marching correct.

In addition, each class adds a unique touch to their march around the track. One of the classes has all their students hold fake bouquets of flowers. In other classes, all the students wear hats or shirts of a particular colors. Others hold banners, have students on rollerblades or bouncing basketballs. Another one of the classes has four students playing (orderly) leap frog in front of the class as it marches along the track. Other classes classes even have a whole choreographed routine involving raising your arm on certain counts and waving on other counts.


Even the teachers have to take part in this exhibition. The teachers have an entire routine they have to do that includes various stretches, clapping and what looks like to me, kung-fu poses. The routine itself is set to a musical piece, most likely a march, with a male voice-over that enthusiastically announces the counts.

I'm not sure if exhibitions like this are normal for high schools in China or if it's just the school that's next to my dorm, but I have to say, you would never be able to pull off something similar to this in the United States. Yes, I know some schools have marching bands in the US, but marching band is voluntary and I have a hunch this exhibition is mandatory for these students.

Even if you were able to somehow organize an exhibition like this, I doubt you could get American students to take it seriously and really work as hard as these students do at making sure their routines are solid and marching is in sync. That's not to say that American high school students are all lazy or goofballs or anything, of course. It's just a different educational culture.

On one hand, the American education system is largely built around the idea that you should enjoy learning and learning should still respect each student's individuality. While on the other hand, the Chinese education system emphasizes more on the good of the whole, regardless of what an individual student may think or feel. Hence, here in China they can organize a big exhibition and have students march in it all for the good of the school's image, but in the United States, if you tried organize something similar, most likely, you'd have a large group of dissenting high school students who aren't afraid of voicing their strong dislike of the plan.

Personally, I'm glad my high school never made me perform in such an exhibition. However, I realize my reaction to this is very culturally based since basically all my schooling was in the United States. Perhaps if I grew up here in Beijing or maybe even in Hong Kong, I'd find this completely normal and maybe, just maybe, even enjoy it. Who knows.

That's all for now. I think the exhibition must be tomorrow since they have flowers, seats & a podium all set up already. Hopefully this means I don't have to listen to marching everyday anymore after tomorrow.

 Students practicing for the exhibition. 

They're very small in this picture, but do you see how orderly they are? And this is only the practice!