My research at Wuhan University on
thermo-stable serine proteases was a valuable experience,
and really gave
me the impression of how truly international science
is. The facilities and equipment in the Department
of Life Sciences at Wuhan University are
very impressive, and new ideas and equipment arrive weekly.
Dr. Bing Tang and
his students welcomed me into their lab and into their
lives, allowing me to learn much about their research
and the Chinese culture.
Not surprising, China just isn't like the US. For
instance, we would never describe a teeming metropolis
of 8 million people as "medium size town" or
be able to find a restaurant whose most famous dish is
dog meat. Though most people have heard about China's
explosive economic growth (it passed Great Britain as
the world's 3rd largest economy last year), its preparation
for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and its heritage as
one of the world's oldest surviving civilizations,
these facts represent only a small part of China’s
multifaceted national identity.
If I had to think of two words that epitomized my experience
in China, I would have to say “Chinese food”.
No, this is not the stuff you have delivered on a Thursday
night in Styrofoam boxes and balance precariously on
your lap while watching “The OC”. While you
can almost guarantee that it will include rice or noodles,
real Chinese food is far from mundane. While I will not
claim to have tried a representative selection of food
in China (though if I had another few months or years
in China I would be happy to try), I will mention a few
notable meals. One very traditional way of eating is
called “hot pot”. A pot of boiling water
with coals or a burner to keep it hot is placed in the
middle of the table, while various raw vegetables and
meats are brought to the table for you to cook in the
water. The idea is to choose a combination of meat and
vegetables that satisfy your appetite. Of critical importance
to the success of this meal is the selection of a good
sauce to dip the food in (my favorite was a sesame paste
sauce), as well as the ability to retrieve you food from
the boiling water with your chopsticks. Food from Sichuan
(a province in China) has a reputation as the spiciest
in China, but if you can handle the heat, it is also
delicious. Other dishes I tried included fried scorpions,
hot dried noodles (a dish native to Wuhan, the city I
stayed in), Beijing duck, spiced pig ear that numbs your
tongue, smoked duck neck and dog.
I also had a chance to visit some of China’s natural,
cultural and historical sights. While they were often
packed with Chinese and foreign tourists, they were certainly
worth the hassle. The Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan, Tiananmen
Square and the Forbidden Palace in Beijing, the Three
Gorges (and the Three Gorges Dam) near Yi Chang, Yu Yuan
Gardens and the Bund in Shanghai, the Great Wall north
of Beijing and the Terracotta Soldiers in Xian are all
amazing sights that offer a glimpse of the wealth of
culture and beauty that China has to offer. China’s
modern cities are also alive with energy. Beijing is
a city that reflects both the cultural heritage of China
and the era of modernity that China has entered, while
Shanghai is truly an international city. The city of
Wuhan, where I stayed, is one of the industrial powerhouses
of China. In contrast to the ancient cultural sites and
peaceful natural wonders, the cities in China are monuments
to industrialization. Air pollution and buildings grey
with coal dust are reminders of the economic growth and
industrialization taking place at unprecedented rates
in China. While skyscrapers dominate the skyline in any
major Chinese city, the hum of cranes lifting building
materials and the beeping of construction equipment are
constant reminders of the astounding construction boom
that is underway.
My trip to China was truly a life-changing experience.
I remain amazed at the level of excitement and energy
of the Chinese people as their economy and indeed the
whole country is undergoing major changes. Though I left
China eager to see friends and family at home, I also
left knowing that I will have to return.
Kevin Chandler, UBRPer in Dr. Raina Maier's lab, Soil,
Water & Environmental Science
My research at Wuhan University on
thermo-stable serine proteases was a valuable experience,
and really gave
me the impression of how truly international science
is. The facilities and equipment in the Department
of Life Sciences at Wuhan University are
very impressive, and new ideas and equipment arrive weekly.
Dr. Bing Tang and
his students welcomed me into their lab and into their
lives, allowing me to learn much about their research
and the Chinese culture.
instance, we would never describe a teeming metropolis
of 8 million people as "medium size town" or
be able to find a restaurant whose most famous dish is
dog meat. Though most people have heard about China's
explosive economic growth (it passed Great Britain as
the world's 3rd largest economy last year), its preparation
for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and its heritage as
one of the world's oldest surviving civilizations,
these facts represent only a small part of China’s
multifaceted national identity.
If I had to think of two words that epitomized my experience
in China, I would have to say “Chinese food”.
No, this is not the stuff you have delivered on a Thursday
night in Styrofoam boxes and balance precariously on
your lap while watching “The OC”. While you
can almost guarantee that it will include rice or noodles,
real Chinese food is far from mundane. While I will not
claim to have tried a representative selection of food
in China (though if I had another few months or years
in China I would be happy to try), I will mention a few
notable meals. One very traditional way of eating is
called “hot pot”. A pot of boiling water
with coals or a burner to keep it hot is placed in the
middle of the table, while various raw vegetables and
meats are brought to the table for you to cook in the
water. The idea is to choose a combination of meat and
vegetables that satisfy your appetite. Of critical importance
to the success of this meal is the selection of a good
sauce to dip the food in (my favorite was a sesame paste
sauce), as well as the ability to retrieve you food from
the boiling water with your chopsticks. Food from Sichuan
(a province in China) has a reputation as the spiciest
in China, but if you can handle the heat, it is also
delicious. Other dishes I tried included fried scorpions,
hot dried noodles (a dish native to Wuhan, the city I
stayed in), Beijing duck, spiced pig ear that numbs your
tongue, smoked duck neck and dog.
I also had a chance to visit some of China’s natural,
cultural and historical sights. While they were often
packed with Chinese and foreign tourists, they were certainly
worth the hassle. The Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan, Tiananmen
Square and the Forbidden Palace in Beijing, the Three
Gorges (and the Three Gorges Dam) near Yi Chang, Yu Yuan
Gardens and the Bund in Shanghai, the Great Wall north
of Beijing and the Terracotta Soldiers in Xian are all
amazing sights that offer a glimpse of the wealth of
culture and beauty that China has to offer. China’s
modern cities are also alive with energy. Beijing is
a city that reflects both the cultural heritage of China
and the era of modernity that China has entered, while
Shanghai is truly an international city. The city of
Wuhan, where I stayed, is one of the industrial powerhouses
of China. In contrast to the ancient cultural sites and
peaceful natural wonders, the cities in China are monuments
to industrialization. Air pollution and buildings grey
with coal dust are reminders of the economic growth and
industrialization taking place at unprecedented rates
in China. While skyscrapers dominate the skyline in any
major Chinese city, the hum of cranes lifting building
materials and the beeping of construction equipment are
constant reminders of the astounding construction boom
that is underway.
My trip to China was truly a life-changing experience.
I remain amazed at the level of excitement and energy
of the Chinese people as their economy and indeed the
whole country is undergoing major changes. Though I left
China eager to see friends and family at home, I also
left knowing that I will have to return.
