My first week at Dandelion felt like forever while it happened, but sitting here in my kid’s art class a week later and thinking about it, it flew by. Time is funny that way. I feel like over this week, I began to distinguish certain characteristics of the people and culture at the school from the initial whirlwind of arriving in Beijing that I experienced. It took a couple days to settle in, but I think I established the groundwork for some relationships that will grow into something pretty meaningful.
The school itself, for me, is an interesting clash between similarities and polar opposites of American middle schools. I absolutely love the kids here. There are some universal characteristics about children this age that are constant despite the country or the economic class: These kids are inquisitive, good natured, and interested in everything we have to say. They treat adults in the school with respect, more so than in America, and I think this comes from a much more distinct hierarchy at the school between the teachers and the students. The kids just seem to love people in general, and that is reflected in how openly they seem to have accepted us. But the similarities stop there. These kids are young: so young. This fact comes into play with the biggest cultural difference I have experienced so far: These kids are faced with an immense amount of stress at an early age, and their future is already in their hands. High school isn’t a given, and only about a third of these kids will go to high school. Their days are extremely long and intense. Thinking about their 7th grade experience compared to mine is both mind blowing and mildly upsetting. On my end, I feel like these kids are missing out on some of the carefree nature of childhood. Where is the recess, the 6 classes a day, the afternoons to go play a sport or simply watch TV? That attitude has no room to exist here, and it is something I will continue to have to adjust to. Things are different on the other side of the world.
The teachers here have been nothing but welcoming. I expected some tension coming here: I was a privileged American white kid who barely spoke Chinese, and I was invading on their established authority. But nothing could be further from that. I have made relationships and friendships (just in the first week!) that I know will grow and improve. These teachers are very strict and disciplinarian in front of the kids, but none of that shows in their normal interactions with us. We joke around, poke fun, play sports, and constantly help each other break down the language barrier. At Dandelion, the relationship between the staff and the volunteers is definitely supposed to be symbiotic. The Chinese culture is vehemently against the white savior complex: if we are coming to help them here, they want to help us just as much. They take us out for food, and have plans to teach us in calligraphy, tai chi, traditional dance, Chinese classes, and Chinese games. It is going to be really cool to see how our relationships grow as we continue to learn about each other and from each other. In the coming weeks, I want to explore more on how the culture I have found at the school spreads beyond its gates, and see China outside of our Dandelion bubble.
The school itself, for me, is an interesting clash between similarities and polar opposites of American middle schools. I absolutely love the kids here. There are some universal characteristics about children this age that are constant despite the country or the economic class: These kids are inquisitive, good natured, and interested in everything we have to say. They treat adults in the school with respect, more so than in America, and I think this comes from a much more distinct hierarchy at the school between the teachers and the students. The kids just seem to love people in general, and that is reflected in how openly they seem to have accepted us. But the similarities stop there. These kids are young: so young. This fact comes into play with the biggest cultural difference I have experienced so far: These kids are faced with an immense amount of stress at an early age, and their future is already in their hands. High school isn’t a given, and only about a third of these kids will go to high school. Their days are extremely long and intense. Thinking about their 7th grade experience compared to mine is both mind blowing and mildly upsetting. On my end, I feel like these kids are missing out on some of the carefree nature of childhood. Where is the recess, the 6 classes a day, the afternoons to go play a sport or simply watch TV? That attitude has no room to exist here, and it is something I will continue to have to adjust to. Things are different on the other side of the world.
The teachers here have been nothing but welcoming. I expected some tension coming here: I was a privileged American white kid who barely spoke Chinese, and I was invading on their established authority. But nothing could be further from that. I have made relationships and friendships (just in the first week!) that I know will grow and improve. These teachers are very strict and disciplinarian in front of the kids, but none of that shows in their normal interactions with us. We joke around, poke fun, play sports, and constantly help each other break down the language barrier. At Dandelion, the relationship between the staff and the volunteers is definitely supposed to be symbiotic. The Chinese culture is vehemently against the white savior complex: if we are coming to help them here, they want to help us just as much. They take us out for food, and have plans to teach us in calligraphy, tai chi, traditional dance, Chinese classes, and Chinese games. It is going to be really cool to see how our relationships grow as we continue to learn about each other and from each other. In the coming weeks, I want to explore more on how the culture I have found at the school spreads beyond its gates, and see China outside of our Dandelion bubble.