IUPeople
Inter-
University
Program for
Chinese
Language
Studies
V O L . 2 , I S S U E 8 清 华 I U P 中 文 中 心
Letter from the Director
清 resident Paul Mooney. The
华 Dear IUPers:
We've had an eventful fall
great trip to Changsha,
where I think we all learned
series will continue with
Peking University political
science researcher Zhi Zhen-
feng who will talk to us
大
semester here at IUP so far, Thursday in Chinese about
and now thanks to newslet- jurisprudence in China. The
ter editor Larissa Jesanis, we rest of the schedule is as
now have a chance to reflect follows:
学
on it as we move forward
through the year. In this is- Oct. 29: Musician, Writer,
sue Ma Yinqiu Laoshi writes and Entrepreneur Kaiser
about her first experiences Kuo (English)
and impressions as an IUP Dec. 3: Peking University
teacher. Kathleen Bucking- Economist Chen Dong
ham offers an article (in (Chinese)
Chinese!) about her trip to Dec. 17: Palace Museum
In this Issue: present her research at the Charles Laughlin (罗福林): Researcher Alfreda Murck
World Bamboo Congress in (English)
2 Resident Director
初试IUP Thailand, and Cecelia Chen
writes about a self-organized We are also planning an
中国的竹林对 3 trip IUP classmates took to that good Hunan cuisine is a alumni event in November
Heilongjiang and the charms world unto itself, and one of (TBA) at 798 which will
环保的大贡献 of staying in a bathhouse! the few things you cannot likely include a talk by an
Exploring China 3 get in Beijing (at least not important contemporary
with IUP This is an exciting group; easily). Those of us who woman writer . . . more on
during orientation week you went to Yali Middle School that as the event shapes up!
Picture Page 4 spontaneously set up dinners also got a first-hand glimpse
and parties and continue to of one of Yale University's So please enjoy this issue,
do so (don't forget IUP can oldest connections in China, share it with your friends
“Spas”
support themed events if you and met some of the most (also electronically, through
5
let us know in advance). excellent high school stu- IUPeople.com), and look
Some have gone on outings dents in China (the Yale- forward to a lot more as the
Upcoming 6 to 798 and musical and the- China Association assigns year progresses!
Events at IUP atrical performances as well. Yale College graduates to
and in the Bei- As for IUP-organized Yali and other schools as
jing Area events, we went to the teachers for two year stints).
Marco Polo Bridge and the — Charles A. Laughlin
Acknowledge- 6 Peking Man excavation site We also began our lecture 罗福林
ments in September (see photos!), series with freelance jour-
and just got back from a nalist and long-term Beijing

PAGE 2
初试IUP
要是放在以前，我怎么也 勤工作的重心。由于培训 的学生来自世界各地，专
没想到自己有一天会成为 任务繁重，每天我们都得 业也是从政治、经济到文
一名对外汉语的老师。倒 挑灯苦读，初上讲台的紧 学、艺术，五花八门、多
不是觉得此项工作有什么 张加上“仿真学生”的刁 种多样。还有不少人类
不好，只是觉得凭着自己 难，真是让我们承受的身 学、社会学的同行们，偶
“只有在汉 高中的那点功底扎在一群 心的双重“折磨”。好在 尔可以和我切磋一下“武
学汉语言文学、中文、对 功夫不负苦心人，经历了 艺”。从文化人类学角度
外汉语等的老师中间，难 枪林弹雨，我们依然挺 来看，IUP不失为一个不
语方面，我 免会相形见绌。 立。 错的田野基地，不同的文
化背景、不同的成长环
说来也巧，今年的四月 二。 水平不低 境，每个人的言谈举止中
们能成为他 份，刚刚结束为期半年的 都附着浓厚的文化元素。
田野调查的我，不得不转 还记得来IUP听的第一堂 在这里，似乎有一个浓缩
身投入到找工作的大潮 吅班课是廖老师的材料 的“联吅国”，可以感受
中。虽说经济危机对中国
们的老师， 学生的就业率影响不算太
课，当时是讲钱钟书先生 到，在文化在碰撞中融化
《围城》的节选。原来以 与涵化。
大，但我们身在其中，还
为，这样的课也就是老师
是能感受到些许的波动。
在很多其他 想着传播文化就是人类学
帮助学生理解文章的内 四。兄弟姐妹:
容，毕竟想要把钱老先生
的宗旨，而语言则是传播
的书看懂还是得经过一番 都说IUP像个大家庭，兄
过程中不可或缺的途径，
推敲的。等到上了课，着
的方面，学 我抱着尝试的态度来到了
实让我吃了一惊，老师的
弟姐妹其乐融融，真的置
身其中，你会觉得一点都
IUP应试。没想到，自己 话并不多，三名美国美女 不假。因为IUP，学生、
还真就顺利通关了，有幸 讨论得兴高采烈，哪里是
生都是我们 成了IUP的一名新老师。 比喻，哪里是讽刺，哪里
老师都不再只是匆匆过
客。上课时，我们各抒己
在这里，借这个机会，和 特别幽默，分析的头头是 见；午餐时，大家谈笑风
大家一起分享我来IUP的 道，一个中国人都未必能 生；讨论时，可以互通有
的老师”。 一些感受。 读得如此仔细，着实让我
无。可以说，来IUP是所
有点惭愧。下课以后，廖
谓的一举多得，认识朊
一。 培训严格 老师解开了我心中的疑
友、增长知识，集体的生
—廖老师 问，她告诉我一句话：
活，足有家一样的感觉。
真可谓“不做不知道，一 “只有在汉语方面，我们
能成为他们的老师，在很
做吓一跳”。初来IUP时
多其他的方面，学生都是 可能总是会有人问，为什
经历的“折磨”现在依然
历历在目。为了让我们尽 我们的老师。”IUP的学 么我学的是人类学却喜欢
生还真是不能小觑。 在IUP，呵呵，可能从这
快适应IUP的教学模式，
IUP采用实战教学法，先 里就可以找到答案啦。
三。 文化多元
让我们去旁听别的老师上
课，然后练习备课。平时
一周的课时，需要我们在 刚来IUP的时候，我以为 — 马吟秋老师
当日内完成，“仿真的学 所有的学生都是从美国来
生”+“仿真的老师”就 的，后来才发现，自己又
成了那一段时间我们的辛 犯了一个错误。原来IUP
IUPeople

VOL. 2, ISSUE 8 PAGE 3
中国的竹林对环保的大贡献
什么关系？”我想 碳汇潜力任重而道远。 根据
凯瑟琳 给你们介绍，竹子 自然状态下，如果竹林是天然
并不只是熊猫的饭 林不是工人林, 竹株的平均寿
同学的
而已， 竹子有各种 命为7—10年，之后通过生物量 “中国的竹
演讲 各样的用途。 分解将CO2 释放到大气中。
另外各方面不管竹子是天然或 林不但面
在泰国会议上， 对 人工林, 而且很多竹种因开花
气候变化这个主题很多人重视 死亡会造成高浓度的CO2 释
放. 积很大而
全世界都重视气候变化这个热 碳库 (carbon sequestra-
门主题。 每个国家的政府都 tion)。 有些专家认为竹林碳
尽管气候变化是世界竹类委员 且种类比
考虑怎样能够应付世界上最突 汇能力达40 吨 CO2 英每亩
会关注的热点，然而对于竹类
出得问题之一。世界缺乏自然 (ha)。 科学家估计生物碳可
与气候变化关系的相关研究还
资源，所以我们都该重视可特 能是积累CO2最快的方式。 生
不足。因为我们缺乏自然资源
较丰富。
续发展 (sustainable devel- 物碳是由有机物经高温生成的
一种农业次生物，其来源于土 我们该想办法用竹子替代森
opment)。那竹子能不能应付
壤又归还于土壤。如果对3年 林。 为了达到可特续发展,替
对竹子的
气候变化的问题呢？
以上的竹林进行采伐，每年伐 代品是必不可少的。中国的竹
我9月份逃课去泰国参加了
其生物量的20%，则人工竹林
林不但面积很大而且种类比较
潜力大家
可能维持50-70年高强度的碳
“世界竹业组织第八届世界竹 汇能力。 丰富。 对竹子的潜力大家都
子大会”。今年的题目是竹子 应该很有信心。 都应该很
与环境和气候变化。 有些人 但有些专家对于竹碳汇的潜力
— 凯瑟琳同学
可能认为“气候变化与竹子有 存在分歧。我们目前开发竹林 (Kathleen Buckingham) 有信心”。
Exploring China with IUP
IUP is famous for its high stan- On the weekend of October 9 a All in all, IUP has pro- vocabulary; we also gain
dards and rigorous curriculum. record high of over seventy vided us this semester an intimate knowledge of
But that doesn’t mean that IU- students, teachers, and friends with several unique cul- Chinese culture.
Pers don’t know how to have braved a seventeen-hour train tural experiences that
fun! On two occasions so far ride to explore the capital of few foreigners (or even — Larissa Jesanis
this semester we have managed Hunan Province: Changsha. Chinese) ever get to en- (贾日姗同学)
to drag ourselves away from There they discovered the joy . . . and believe me,
our textbooks and Chinese- beauty of the Yuelu Hill Park, we definitely enjoyed
English dictionaries to explore visited IUP alum Carol Yu at ourselves.
the country we love so much. Yali High School, and learned
about Hunan’s rich history at A few IUPers have gen-
On September 12th more than the Hunan Provincial Museum. erously offered to share
twenty IUPers expanded their Many even ventured off into the their pictures with our
knowledge of Chinese history Hunanese countryside to visit IUPeople readers. So just
at the Marco Polo Bridge (卢沟 Chairman Mao’s former resi- turn the page to see for
桥) and the Peking Man exhibit. dence in Shaoshan Village. yourself that at IUP we
do more than just learn
世界竹业组织
第八届世界竹子大会

PAGE 4
PICTURE
PAGE
“Travel is
“At IUP we more than
do more the seeing of
than just sights; it is a
learn change that
vocabulary; goes on,
we also gain deep and
an intimate permanent,
in the ideas
knowledge of
of living.”
Chinese
– Miriam
culture.”
Beard
旅游
IUPeople

VOL. 2, ISSUE 8 PAGE 5
“Spas”
Improper set us back thousands of RMB each wondered how such luxurious yet
―Host Mom, what is a 洗浴中心(xǐyù night. cheap establishments were sustainable,
zhōngxīn)?‖ I asked casually in the car. Kevin realized that I wasn’t kidding
Wikipedia turned our lives about the existence of both scholarly
―Oh, those are bad places,‖ replied my around. Robert’s Wikipedia Travel and pornographic magazines in the
host mom in her gentle, mellifluous printouts casually mentioned that ―spas‖ library. Oh well, no time to ponder!
voice, ―洗浴中心 are filled with ques- are popular venues in the Northeast and Our buffet dinner had been splendid
tionable visitors and even more ques- listed two recommended places. Pere- and we were off to enjoy some much-
tionable practices. It’s well, hmm, in- grine was relieved one such place, 上海滩 needed massages.
volved with the, hmm, prostitution in- (Shànghǎitān), was not in the seedy area
dustry.‖ My host mom finished near a next to the train station; Robert and Descent
whisper as she tried to keep the Kevin, with hopes of finding warmer ―师傅! Take us to the city’s most ex-
―improper‖ word out of my young host showers, cast in their vote; Larissa was pensive 洗浴中心!‖ we cried to our con-
sister’s hearing. ―Why do you ask?‖ curious; and I was drawn by the mention fused taxi driver the moment we got
of my hometown in the spa’s into Shenyang. We got what we
―Oh, nothing! My friends and I passed name. Since we needed a place to nap wanted: a palatial complex complete
by some while traveling and were curi- before our 1:45am train, we went to the with exercise rooms, book rooms,
ous what they were,‖ I added hastily, ―spa.‖ whirlpools, dry and wet saunas, mas-
knowing immediately that I could no sage pools, and even our own personal
longer share with my morally upright Liveried doormen and professionally- locker-opening attendants,
host family the degree of our curiosity. attired employees greeted our entrance all for 48RMB per “„师傅！Take
into the brightly illuminated lobby, ush- night. By now, we had
We didn’t simply pass by the 洗浴中心 ered us onto plushy sofas, brought us already gotten used to us to the city‟s
(―spas‖ was the euphemism we chose in sanitized slippers, and patiently stood by separate attendants who
favor of ―bathhouses‖), we lived in to introduce all of our options. 24 hours would put shoes on our most expensive
them for 4 nights of our 7-day journey of rest, buffet breakfast, a free towel, feet, hand us towels, lead
洗浴中心!‟ we
up into China’s scenic Northeast. It all usage of the shower and sauna facilities, us up and down the stair-
started with some disgust, some curios- and access to the library could all be cases, and charge our cried to our
ity, and some adventurism for the un- ours for just 38RMB. A 60-minute mas- phones for us. We had also
known. sage was available for 50RMB gotten into the habit of confused taxi
more. We consented and proceeded to requesting ever-longer
Addiction enjoy the most powerful jet stream massages and receiving driver the
We started out like normal college back- shower since arriving in China. Dressed ever-longer bills. As for moment we got
packers, roughing it out with enormous snuggly in sanitized pajamas, we girls other sights in Shenyang,
hiking packs and staying in pre-booked proceeded past the main resting area well, what sights? The into Shenyang.”
hostels. The first night, as we dragged with individual reclining sofas and big attendants only allowed us
our travel-worn selves into the commu- screens into a room with semi-enclosed to leave the spa for a maximum of 2
nal bathroom, we couldn’t help groaning clusters of beds. Finding a cluster just hours before we would have to rereg-
at the disgusting stalls. By the next for us, we snuggled into the fresh laun- ister, and really, who would want to
morning, we were desperately trying to dered sheets and slept. stop parading around in clownish paja-
fit all of our belongings onto the lone mas all day anyways?
little hook in the shower stall, teeth chat- Alas, we were forced to wake up at mid-
tering from the shower’s lukewarm driz- night to catch the train. Yet, we were Hmm, now that we are back in Bei-
zle and Harbin’s chilly morning. The hooked. At our new destination in Mu- jing, maybe we should drop our apart-
thought of returning to our dismal hostel danjiang we found a cluster of police- ment leases and move into the city’s
at night was disheartening, but to travel men and asked them for the best 洗浴中心 most expensive 洗浴中心. After all,
economically like the poor students that in town. This one was slightly cheaper at how could we stand the IUP workload
we are we could only stare wistfully at 28RMB per night, and as we enjoyed without 24-hour long massages, right?
the more centrally located hotels. We free internet service in a mostly empty
tried to convince ourselves that all bath- reading room furnished with elaborate
rooms in China stunk, with the excep- wall paneling and fine leather chairs, we — Cecelia Chen (陈茜茜同学)
tion of those in 5-star hotels that would mused over our great find. While Robert

Upcoming Events at IUP and in the Beijing Area
Date and Time Event Location and Details
 Every Day until October 25,  Oktoberfest 2009  Paulaner Bräuhaus (no entrance fee)
18:00—23:00
 October 20, 15:00—17:00  Clean Energy, Climate Change and the  China World Hotel, Function Room 12
Future of US-China Relations (150/250 RMB)
 October 21, 8:00—9:30  US-China Information Technology  Capital Club (150/250RMB)
Products and Trade Issues
 October 22, 18:00  BConnected Networking Event  Centro Bar, Kerry Centre Hotel (40/80
RMB)
 October 23, 9:30  Spark Beijing Innovation Series  Hilton Beijing (480/580RMB)
 October 23, 13:00  US-China Advanced Technology Trade  Tsinghua School of Public Policy and
and Industrial Development Management (free for members)
 October 24, 17:30  AmCham-China Charity Ball 2009  China World Hotel (1,100 RMB
 October 29, 8:00  British Chamber of Commerce Book  Westin Beijing Chaoyang Hotel (200/400
Dialogue: ―When China Rules the RMB)
World‖
 October 29, 16:00 – 18:00  Managing Reputational Risk and Inter-  Westin Chaoyang Hotel – Ballroom
acting with Local Communities (250/400RMB)
 October 29  Guest Lecturer Kaiser Kuo  IUP
IUPeople is a bilingual publication produced for
the student, teacher, staff and alumni community The staff would also like to thank Jia
of the Inter-University Program for Chinese Lan- Yuting Laoshi, Cheng Xiuwen, and Lori
guage Studies at Tsinghua University. This issue Huneke for their assistance in the
has been written and compiled by a dedicated editing and logistics of this issue. We
group of IUP workers and volunteers. couldn’t have done it without you!
Supervisors:
Inter-University Program for Chinese
Charles Laughlin and Han Xu Language Studies at Tsinghua University
Wen Bei Lou, 502
Editor: Tsinghua University
Larissa Jesanis Beijing 100084
People’s Republic of China
Contributors: 86.10) 6277.1505 (phone)
(86.10) 6277.2221 (fax)
Charles Laughlin, Ma Yinqiu Laoshi , Kathleen
Buckingham and Cecelia Chen