Friday, August 24, 2012

"Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start"

Hello and welcome to White Rice, the greatest blog in the whole wide world. Well actually, just a blog about my life in China.

 For those of you who don't know me (I'm very impressed that you're reading a boring blog about a person you don't know), I just graduated from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY in May with majors in Chinese and International Studies. Originally from Atlanta, I'm moving to China for the next 14 months under the Fulbright Fellowship*. This fall with the Fulbright Critical Language Enhancement Award (CLEA), I will be studying Mandarin at IUP in Beijing. And my amazing bestie and forever roommate, Zan, is moving to Beijing with me! Then in January, I will be moving to Xi'an to begin my research project. While auditing courses at Xi'an Jiaotong University, I will be conducting research on the role of NGOs in women's political empowerment. What does that actually mean I'll be doing? No idea... (just kidding anyone from Fulbright who's reading...I have a very well thought out proposal...right?)

 What should you expect from this blog? Lots of hilarious and witty stories about my life in china, a few academic "nerding out" moments when something intellectually thrilling happens, and my general thoughts on life. I plan to update weekly, but I'm sure I'll be very busy being important, making new friends, posing for photos with Chinese people, etc. so who knows... WARNING: I tend to write really long messages, mostly cuz I like to hear myself talk...I applaud you if you make it to the end of each one. 

 Crushed by the thought that you can't send me snail mail anymore?! You're in luck! You can still write to me and send me enormous packages of delicious USA treats!
北京            Name:__Julia Nethero________  
清华大学             Tsinghua University  
文北楼502            Wen Bei Lou 502
清华IUP 中文中心     Beijing  100084
邮编100084           CHINA


Are you a child of modern technology/want to hear my sweet voice & see my angelic face/have no idea what I'm talking about, but need to get in touch with me? You can skype me at "julianethero", tweet at "juliacass1204", facebook me, and whatsapp me (that's free internet-based texting). Also email at julianethero@gmail.com

 Want to have intellectual discussions with me about different aspects of Chinese life, society, culture, history, politics, etc./try to understand what my daily life will be like in China/really bored cuz you haven't found a job yet? Here are some of my (and Jeffrey Wasserstrom's) recommended educational (and entertaining) materials: 

 Personal Recommendations (mostly fiction):
  • I love books by Anchee Min. Some are memoirs and some are historical fiction. Pearl of China is great and about a real woman who's the author of the next book below. Becoming Madame Mao is a historical fiction all about Madame Mao (Mao's wife, who all the Chinese blame for every bad that Mao ever did). Min's memoir, Red Azalea is probably my favorite of her books, about her life growing up (adolescent, sexuality) during the cultural revolution- so interesting! 
  • The Good Earth by Pearl Buck, is about an average Chinese man and his life in the late 1800s. Buck grew up in China and also wrote other great books. She won the pulitizer prize for The Good Earth so it's a must read for Sinophiles like me.
  • Lisa See is supposed to be a great historical fiction writer, but I haven't read any of her books. The most popular are Shanghai Girls, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, and Peony in Love. They're all on myreading list too. 
  • On China by Henry Kissinger- I think it's really long. I should read it at some point...
  • Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China by Ezra Vogel- he's a big deal in china history. this is a bio about deng xiaoping, the chinese leader who "opened" china during the 70s and 80s. Vogel came to Vassar last year and I ate dinner with him. he's a awesome. 
  • China: Fragile Superpower by Susan Shirk- I just read this. great insight into china's internal rifts. 
Recommendations from various Fulbright people (mostly nonfiction):
  • Leta Hong-Fincher: scholar on women in China. I haven't read anything of hers yet, but it's on my summer to do list obvi.
  • The Cultural Revolution, a very short introduction by Richard Curt Kraus- literally 152 pages so very short if you're interested in this...
  • The Party: The Secret World of China's Communist Rulers by Richard McGregor- I'm so excited to read this, 
  • Zachary Karabell, on the US and China economy
  • Ian Johnson, on religion in China
  • Eating Bitterness: Stories from the Front Lines of China's Urban Migration by Michelle Dammon Loyalka, about migrant workers in Xi'an- where I'm going next year! 
  • Factory Girls by Leslie T Chang- I heard this is really good and engaging
  • Peter Hessler- he's a big deal in China studies about everything
  • Tide Players: The Movers and Shakers of a Rising China by Jianying Zha, about 6 different intellectual and biz people's lives in "rising" china
  • The Last Days of Old Beijing by Michael Meyer- about "old" beijing architecture and lifestyle being torn down
  • Modern China: A Very Short Introduction by Rana Mitter- also very very short, probably a great overview of china today
  • Search for Modern China by Jonathan Spence, about 4 centuries of history condensed into 1 book
  • China in Ten Words by Yu Hua, looks pretty good, short stories about life in china today, also produced the amazing movie, "To Live" listed below...
  • The Forbidden City by Geremie Barme, not totally sure what this is about, I think it's a history of the actual place
  • Timothy Oaks, on minorities and geography
  • Critical Han Studies & Coming to Terms with the Nation by Thomas S Mullaney, both about minorities in China
  • Paul French
  • Unnatural Selection: Choosing Boys over Girls  by Mara Hvistendahl about the 1 child policy, looks really good
  • Smoke and Mirrors: An experience of China by Pavalli Aiyar, about an indian women living in China
Blogs/cool sites:
Movies/Documentaries:
  • "The Morning Sun"- amazing documentary on the cultural revolution, might be hard to find. I watched it at Vassar
  • "Huo Zhe" or "To Live"- tear jerker, about a guy's life during cultural revolution, before and after. so good
  • "Under the Hawthorn Tree"- this is the movie that is based off the text I partially translated for my Chinese senior project. very very amazing. 
  • "Raise the Red Lantern"- about women's lives in the late 1800s/early 1900s just before the end of imperial china. awesome insight into imperial chinese life
  • "Farewell my Concubine"- supposed to be awesome, I haven't seen it yet.
  • "The Gate of Heavenly Peace"- haven't seen it yet, but am trying to get my hands on it. about the tiananmen massacre of 1989. documentary. 


 Interesting tidbits about my journey thus far: 

  • One (yes there were 2 checked, and 3 carry ons- shhh! don't tell the flight attendant!) of my bags weighed 80 pounds. But seriously, how could I make in China with my leopard print fur coat (aka Kitty), my sequined bebe black party dress, and 1 hr supply of dental floss?!
  • Delta doesn't do precheck internationally. Very disappointing. 
Why is this post so long already and I'm not even in China yet? Because I'm bored on a plane flying over memphis (I think), where one of my besties Whitney Seltman is moving to eye dr school today! 

Ok, I'll leave you alone now. I promise that most of my posts won't be so rambling and unimportant. Maybe. 

Ta ta for now!

-White Rice


 *This blog solely represents my own thoughts and opinions. It is not endorsed by and does not represent the views of the US government, the US State Department, or the Fulbright Program. 
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1 comment:

  1. Jillian GorelickAugust 25, 2012 at 8:22 AM

    My favorite part is the title. I hope you brought the movie with you....otherwise we actually will have to screenshare watching parties.

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