Thursday, May 30

Wendy Liu

Group photo with the kind couple from the village

Hi blog! Time flies by when you are having fun. Today marks the end of one full week in China! After Beijing and Anyang, we are headed for Hebi. On the way there, we stopped by a village called Si Ma Cun (司马村) with 3,000 residents and was invited into the humble home of one of the residents there. She is 73 this year and her husband is 76, but they look much younger than their age. The husband has been to a few cities before, including Beijing, but the woman has not been to any major cities in her life, except the provincial capital of Zhengzhou. The couple was very friendly and welcoming, even offering us tea and was not afraid to show us around their house. They have three daughters and one son. Their son and his wife currently work in Canton and make the drive back to the village around three times a year to visit their family. After we left their home, we explored more of the village and came across a wedding. Unfortunately, we couldn’t stay until the bride and groom came out, but it was nice to witness the set up of fancy cars parked around the home of the bride and the auspicious decorations.

We left the village and stopped by Hua County for a delicious lunch before walking around the old parts of Anyang. We met several shy kids on our walk and a number of people wanted photos with some members of our group since foreigners were a rare sight there. Finally, we arrived at the hotel in Hebi and settled in. As there was still time before the group dinner, research groups met up and started working on the thesis for their papers. After dinner, we went into the mall next to the hotel and continued our fieldwork in our respective groups before ending the day.

Mikaella Ahn

Group photo at the wedding in the village

One of the first things the group did was have breakfast at the Han Shui Bay International Hotel. Luckily, I have been having more luck with enjoying the food in Anyang than I did in Beijing. It was very sad to leave this hotel because it felt like I was living in a palace. Once on the road, Professor Sheehan decided to take us to a little excursion and visit the village. At the village, we met an elderly woman who was planting vegetables in her front yard. Professor Sheehan was able to ask her if we could see her home. Fortunately, she said yes! The woman was so nice and sweet. She let us into her living room and showed us her grandchildren’s room. Her husband also came out to meet us. I asked Professor Sheehan if he could ask them how they met. They told us that they met through mutual friends (I need friends like that!). After meeting the lovely couple, we decided to walk around. Fortunately, the group happened to stumble upon a wedding ceremony. What are the odds? We were able to take photos with the people at the wedding. Our TA, Jeremy, let us know that the people with flowers on their shirts were either family or close friends of the bride and groom. I wish the couple a life full of fortune and happiness.

On the bus, I asked Professor Sheehan if he had ever stumbled upon a wedding before, and he said it was the first for Global East Asia. Wow! Once we finally arrived in Hebi, we had an amazing dinner. Again, the food we have had in Anyang and Hebi has been so delicious. Noah toasted today, and he said how the events today really meant so much for him. I won’t forget this day either, Noah!

Monday, May 27

Sarah Ajise & Marissa Yee

During our last morning in Beijing, we had to wake up early, check-out, enjoy our last Beijing breakfast buffet, and board our tour bus by 7am. Because of the rain in Beijing yesterday, the morning skies were clear and blue, giving us a nice send off. Our tour guide, Alex, was so kind to help us through security at the train station and see us board the train. Many thanks to Alex!

During the 2.5 hour train ride to Anyang, some students relaxed, slept, and enjoyed the scenery, while other students enjoyed a few rounds of Sushi Go, one of the card games Professor Sheehan brought along the trip.

We arrived in Anyang around noon and met our new tour guide for Anyang and Hebi, Johnson. On the way to lunch, many of us commented on the peculiarity of the apartment buildings here. Each block seems to have five or more identical apartment towers, with different building designs stretching for blocks on end. The tour bus took us to a restaurant for lunch, with some of the best dishes so far! Popular dishes included millet porridge, duck, steamed fish, handmade tofu, and Henan buns. We’re certainly hoping for more delicious food as we continue our time in Henan province.

Apartment buildings in Anyang

Emma, Wendy, and Eric at lunch in Anyang

After checking in, unpacking, and resting in the hotel, the entire group went to Wanda Plaza, one of the malls in Anyang. Brew Crew, Pop & Sicle team, and Team Tampon were all able to find their products in the supermarket. Makeup Moguls found their eye cream in stands outside of the supermarket. Hot pot team spent most of their time on the third floor of the mall which was dedicated entirely to restaurants.

Anyang Wanda Plaza

Dinner at the noodle shop in Anyang

After conducting research in our groups, we came together for a meal in one of the mall restaurants. During dinner, we’ve started saying our “rose”, “thorn”, and “bud” for the day – a happy and unhappy moment from the day, and something you’re looking forward to in the future. Many of our roses included being on a bullet train, enjoying the spacious Anyang hotel, and today’s lunch. Many were hopeful that Anyang would be a fun city to explore for the next few days. Post dinner, some students and Professor Sheehan decided to get foot massages. It looks like they had an excellent time!

Getting a massage in Anyang

Thank you for reading our blog post! We’re sad that our journey in Beijing has come to a close, but are certainly excited for what is to come in Anyang!

Sunday, May 26

Sarah Ajise & Marissa Yee

Hi blog!

Today was a free day in Beijing. Many of us decided to head to the Temple of Heaven in the morning, which was a short 15-minute walk from our hotel. The Temple of Heaven is a three-tier circular temple. It was a lot larger than it seemed in pictures! We also walked around in the surrounding park, where a lot of locals were practicing Tai Chi and playing mahjong.

Corridor at the Temple of Heaven

Students in front of the Temple of Heaven

We met our Beijing Normal students at the Xidan Station later in the morning. Although the sky was gloomy when we entered the subway, it was pouring rain when we got out 20 minutes later. The Hot Pot research team visited many hot pot restaurants in various Xidan area malls. There was even an entire floor dedicated to hot pot restaurants in one of the malls. Our Beijing students were so helpful in finding new restaurants for us to visit and conduct research. For lunch, Hot Pot team, Pop & Sicle team, and Makeup Moguls ate at Haidilao, a trendy hot pot chain in China. Known for their service, the servers continued to bring us warm towels, pour us sweet tea, and switch our plates. The restaurant even had food service robots and toothbrushes in the restrooms. Definitely a favorite meal for many!

On the Beijing subway

The Brew Crew and Team Tampon met up at a different hot pot restaurant not far from the other teams. Since only one person could speak Chinese, ordering lunch was a bit challenging. With the help of Google Translate and Jerry’s beginner Chinese skills, we managed to eat some really delicious food. We didn’t eat a whole lot since there was a language barrier, and none of us wanted to struggle to communicate with the waitress. As a result, we found our way to KFC and had surprisingly good food; some would say it was even better than American KFC!

Beijing book store

After lunch, Hot Pot team, Pop & Sicle team, and Makeup Moguls continued to research in the Xidan area. In the afternoon we headed to Silk Street, which is known to sell fake goods. Emma was especially good at bargaining and purchased matching Peppa the Pig T-shirts for herself and her sister. Brew Crew and Team Tampon went back to the hotel to rest after their lunch. Later, they met up with the rest of the class for dinner in Sanlitun, an area of Beijing known for its walkability and nightlife. Some of us ate Xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) and the rest of the group ate at Blue Frog. It was definitely a fun last night in Beijing!

Soup Dumplings – called xiao long bao in Chinese

Catch us on tomorrow’s blog!

Welcome to Beijing, here’s the old and the new! – May 24

Noah Blackman

Hey There, Mr. Mao

Hey y’all, its Noah again with the Global East Asia blog post reporting from Beijing, China! Our first full day here is one for the memory books. We begin our day by drudging through the dense Beijing traffic on our way to the historical center of the Chinese capital, The Forbidden City, which is surrounded by Tiananmen Square and other important sites.

Beijing Traffic…

Tiananmen Square, similar to the city it centers, is a bustling scene. Quickly my peers and I discovered that the Chinese tourism market is not inhabited purely by foreigners such as ourselves, but many Chinese nationals from outside cities and “China Proper” come and join tour groups as well. The timing for visiting the site was quite interesting, for it was nearly 30 years ago that the 1989 June student protests happened on the ground in which we stood, reminding us of the enormous freedoms we experience in the US. The Square itself houses the mausoleum where late Chairman Mao rests, mummified on public display to allow spectators and mourners to come appreciate, or contemplate, Mao’s contributions to China. We did not get to visit due to the site being closed for the day, none-the-less we explored the rest of the square which included the National People’s Congress, the National Museum of China, and the Monument to the People’s Heroes, a 30+ foot tall memorial to the revolutionaries who shaped China after the fall of the Qing Dynasty.

Panoramic shot of the bustling square

The square led to the entrance to the Forbidden City, where the Qing and Ming emperors governed their kingdom. Seeing the palace was an event that astonished me due to the fact that one person used to have the whole complex as their home, not a bad time at all. Everything was elegant, strong, and meticulously designed to fit the standards of the most important figures in China. My favorite part of the city was the garden by the north gate.

Forbidden City Gardens

Forbidden City

After we left the Forbidden City we went back to modernity in Wangfujing, a consumer center with a large variety of shopping and dining locations, complete with robots who would assist you in finding whatever product you’re looking for. When we got there all the research groups split up and we officially began our fieldwork!

Customer Assistance Robot

After fieldwork, different groups met up and went out for our first solo dinners in China. Personally, I went and had BBQ, one of my favorite types of food. There was no better way to end the first day in China than with some great food and even better company.

BBQ on a stick!

Arrival Day! – May 22-23

Megan Bennett

Hi everyone, my name is Megan and I’m taking over the blog for Wednesday and Thursday! Wednesday marked the end of our time in LA as we spent about 13 hours flying to Beijing. Thankfully, everyone made it to the airport on time, though we had some close calls. The flight itself was pretty uneventful, we got two meals and a few snacks, and there were a bunch of movies to choose from.

Departing from LAX!

Once we landed in Beijing, we were able to get through customs pretty quickly and meet up with our tour guide, Alex. It was hot outside, about 95 degrees, but thankfully our bus had air conditioning. As we drove through Beijing, Alex talked a bit about China and its history. I was surprised by how open he was talking about controversial things like Tiananmen Square, which I thought most people generally didn’t talk about.

View landing from the plane

We had some extra time before dinner and went into a nearby supermarket to explore. We had some fun looking at both Chinese products and American brands that were changed for Chinese consumers. For example, we found Lays chips that were cucumber flavored and others that were butter and garlic flavored. My group project is on feminine hygiene products, so we also looked around for a bit in that section.

Our dinner was served lazy susan style, and Professor Sheehan made sure we knew the proper etiquette for eating this way before we started. We also do a toast every meal, leading up to the final banquet where we will all give toasts. At our table, Matt started a tradition of doing a round of rose, thorn, bud at dinner, where everyone goes around and gives highlights and lowlights from their day.

First dinner in China

Finally, we went to the hotel and got settled in. Some of us then went out to explore a bit but only Clarence, Connor, and Eric had the energy to stay out longer than 30 minutes. Overall, it was a pretty exciting day, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the trip will bring!

Zhengzhou and on to Shanghai

By: Cindy, Anbar, Rowan

Our two days in Zhengzhou provided us the opportunity to devote more time to field work, while honing in our research focuses and enjoying the city. The nearly endless traffic meant we relied on public transit, namely the Zhengzhou metro which is currently in the process of expansion. We all started field work at Erqi Square, the main monument in Zhengzhou, which a few energetic members of our group climbed. For our group (Team C.A.R), the ubiquitous nature of electronic stores around Erqi Square was certainly advantageous. While the mobile phone advertisements were very similar to Hebi, the special organization of stores, as well as brands carried differed in interesting ways. Other groups had similarly valuable experiences, with team Bingbing finding sports stores they hadn’t seen before, and team Momo locating a large street devoted entirely to street food.

Zhengzhou from hotel conference room

Zhengzhou from hotel conference room

All the groups and Professor Sheehan rallied together for a group lunch, and for simplicity’s sake (and a sense of curiosity to see if there are any differences), we all settled for McDonald’s. At this time, many of the teams started seriously inventorying evidence acquired from fieldwork, and working on developing frameworks for arguments and final projects. Team C.A.R arranged all of our advertisement photos, and created a chart that reflected different categories based on price and reputation of the smart phone producer, and price of the actual models. After meeting with Professor Sheehan, almost all teams were struck with ideas over the framework of our projects, which we recorded on impromptu paper (McDonald’s place mats).

After having the opportunity to have Professor Sheehan join us on field work to an electronics mall, the class headed for an excursion to Haagen-Dazs. While pricey, the ice cream at Haagen-Dazs was fantastic, and some even considered ordering a second ice cream dish. Dinner was a similarly elaborate affair, with the class heading to hot-pot, where we were able to cook our own meats and vegetables in boiling broth, and see the process of noodles being prepared at our table. With full stomachs, we all retreated back to the hotel, to relax, work and prepare for the next day.

Brandon Cheung, Jacob Lokshing, and Rowan McEvoy enjoy dinner.

Brandon Cheung, Jacob Lokshin, and Rowan McEvoy enjoy dinner.

Wednesday was one of the few days on our trip without planned meals and excursion, which gave us the opportunity to further explore areas of interest and conduct field work. It was also our only class meeting on the trip, where each group made a presentation that included a preliminary argument, and analysis of evidence related to our arguments. While some students took the opportunity to sleep in, others chose to explore a series of underground shopping areas in Central Zhengzhou, as well as preparing presentations. After nearly getting lost trying to find a Walmart, we returned and all gathered on the 23th floor for our presentations- with a fantastic view. Our team’s tentative framework reflected differences in advertising based on the tier of the smart phone company and prices of phones, suggesting a move from a consumer driven focus on basic functionality to a focus on lifestyle and finally aesthetics. Team Momo’s presentation focused on experiential and spatial differences in snack foods, while Bingbing focused on the use of celebrities in advertising sports clothing in both Chinese and international companies. A main aspect of the presentation was the ability to get feedback and questions from Professor Sheehan and the rest of the class, which was particularly valuable in considering the direction and focus of our projects. The journey to Shanghai will be bittersweet because while we are all excited to get to explore and experience Shanghai, it marks the last stop of our trip.

– Team C.A.R

June 5-6, 2016

June 5-6, 2016

By: Brandon, Jonathan, and Jasper

Greetings for the last time from Team MoMo! We’ve just arrived in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan Province. Here’s the run down on what we’ve done over the last two days:

Yesterday (Sunday, June 5) was our final day in Hebi. We spent the morning exploring the ancient city of Xunxian about an hour outside of Hebi. The city was built around a bell tower that stood at the intersection of two perpendicular, intersecting main streets. We walked the entire length of the city’s main road and took pictures under both of the city’s main gates, which were flanked on each side by ancient city walls. We were also able to get a good look at the Grand Canal, which passed right by the city’s main gate. The weather was the coolest it had been for our entire trip, hovering around the low 70’s with a light drizzle. It was a refreshing change from the heat and smog that we have become accustomed to here!

IMG_8428

Main gate at Xunxian

IMG_8431

The group posing in front of Xunxian’s ancient city wall

Though we only spent about an hour in this small city, this excursion was yet another valuable experience for all of us. In witnessing the startled looks on the faces of most people we passed (who were shocked at the sight of foreigners, especially those of us who are not Asian), we were reminded that this—which was incredibly far off the tourist’s beaten path—was the China that most of the outside world has never seen. This speaks to the invaluable role Global East Asia plays in exposing students to foreign peoples and places, and more importantly, in immersing them in the everyday life of those peoples and places.

IMG_8424

Taking a stroll down Xunxian’s ancient main street (bell tower in the background)

Following our excursion to Xunxian, we drove back to Hebi and had another lovely meal in our hotel. The pork belly dish of the day (we’ve had pork belly literally every day that we’ve been in China—no complaints here!) was a variant that utilized tea leaves as the primary garnish and source of flavor; it was delicious!

The afternoon was dedicated to fieldwork, so each of the three groups split up to conduct our final field research in Hebi. Team MoMo was fortunate enough to have PaPa Sheehan first, and we were very satisfied with the observations we were able to get in during the course of roughly two hours.  Jasper and Brandon concluded our field work with a celebratory round of remote control boat racing, which was located on the children’s level of the mall (and which was incredibly exhilarating—the Professor will concur). We then met up with the other groups at Hebi’s “Big Ben” clock tower (albeit a much smaller, humbler version), and handed off PaPa Sheehan to Team CAR.

IMG_8457

Posing in front of Chinese Big Ben

Our team met up for dinner at Pizza Hut—a highly anticipated endeavor ever since we touched down in China. Pizza Hut is a nicer, sit-down restaurant on this side of the world, and many of us were excited for the experience. PaPa Sheehan, Cindy, and Brandon had a dinner date set for three, while the rest of the group shared a few pizzas and starters family style. While the food certainly wasn’t anything phenomenal, it was a bit of a welcome respite from the same kinds of dishes we have been having for the past week—and a warm reminder of home. After a group outing to Wal-Mart for dessert, most of the group went out for karaoke. The karaoke system didn’t have songs later than 2010, so we enjoyed the many throwbacks to our middle school days.

IMG_8486

Post-Pizza Hut ice cream!!! #walmart #globalization

The following morning, we were up bright and early to board our luxury bus to Zhengzhou. Before getting completely on our way, we stopped in the newer part of Hebi, which contained a brand new sports arena, apartment complexes, and impressive skyscrapers—almost all of which were completely unoccupied. This gave us quite  a tangible on-the-ground experience with the “build first” development policies many local governments around China have undertaken in the last decade or two.

IMG_8358

Happy group in our luxury bus, en route to Zhengzhou from Hebi

After roughly one-and-a-half hours on the road (which included an underwhelming crossing of the Yellow River), we arrived at the Yellow River Scenic Area, where we climbed what Brandon called “Chinese Mount Rushmore”: impressive stone faces of famous Chinese historical figures carved into the mountainside near the Yellow River. Most of us made the climb up, which provided quite a beautiful view of the entire Scenic Area. After leaving the scenic area (half an hour late, because a few unnamed group members decided to take a detour and go on a mountainside toboggan run), we had a late lunch and then checked into our hotel. Following a few hours of much-needed down time, we had dinner and celebrated Jacob and Anna’s birthdays with a wonderful birthday cake, courtesy of PaPa Sheehan and our fantastic tour guide Johnson. Dinner was followed by an optional excursion to the subway station and nearby mall, and everyone was quite ready for bed by 10PM.

IMG_8521

First evening in Zhengzhou!

Our remaining days in China are entirely fieldwork, with no set excursions planned. We are all in disbelief at how much we have gotten done during this trip—the places we’ve seen, the knowledge we’ve gained, and the lasting friendships we’ve made. Team MoMo can confidently speak on behalf on the entire group in saying how grateful we are to USC and the East Asian Studies Center for this amazing opportunity, and encourage anyone reading this blog to strongly consider enrolling in this program!!

Fight on!

Team Momo and Co. Take China

By: Brandon, Jonathan, and Jasper

This blog post is brought to you by Team Momo. When we last left off Team Momo and company were preparing for their flight to China… 

Luckily, the flight went off without a hitch: no spontaneous combustion, no emergency landing, and no casualties! The flight was incredible. We started in San Francisco, flew through Alaska, over Russia, and then finally arrived in China. Aboard United Flight 888, we were provided a robust selection of of in-flight entertainment. In addition, we were offered two meals: dinner and breakfast. The dinner options were either chicken and rice, or vegetarian. The breakfast options were either an omelet, or stir-fried noodles. For Papa Sheehan enthusiasts, let it be known that he selected the chicken and rice, as well as the omelet!

Upon landing, the first thing our class did was pick up our bags. We then found our Converse-loving tour guide from Super Vacation and boarded the bus to our first Chinese dinner! Though slightly underwhelming, Papa Sheehan assured the class that the best was yet to come. We re-boarded the bus, and finally made our way to the hotel. At this point, most of us were battling jet lag; however, we managed to make it to our rooms and a local convenience store before crashing.

IMG_0447

The First Supper in China!

Since most of us had passed out before 9:00 PM China time, we were all up and about by around 5:00 AM. We had our first hotel breakfast, and were pleasantly surprised! We can’t speak for everyone’s experience with complimentary hotel breakfasts; however, ours, in the words of Zachary Kennedy, was “spectacular.” As our first planned day of research, we had plenty of work ahead of us. We left the hotel at around 9:00 AM after we were each given a brand new Chinese SIM card. Our first stop was the Forbidden City! Unfortunately, Tiananmen Square was closed for the day, but Papa Sheehan insisted we would still have fun. As always, Papa Sheehan proved himself right, and the Forbidden City was nothing less than incredible!

IMG_0510

Global East Asia Scholar Anna Lipscomb poses for a “Bad Ass” Picture with Papa Sheehan

Afterwards, we drove to our first field site, and met our student helpers from Beijing Capital Normal University! Each group was assisted by either one or two students, all of whom were women, and left to start their research: Team Momo went on a snack food exploration, Team BingBing left to investigate celebrities, and Team C.A.R. went to investigate electronics.

After our research, the teams rendezvoused at a restaurant 5 subway transfers from the initial location. The meal was amazing! Brandon Cheung was thrilled by the pork belly and xiaolongbiao (dumplings), and insisted that he will definitely go again! After dinner, we once again split up and explored one of the Beijing malls. The architecture was stunning, and the food looked incredible!

IMG_0670

Class Dinner with our Amazing Beijing Capital Normal Students! Photo: Jonathan Kim

IMG_0674

Class Dinner with our Amazing Beijing Capital Normal Students! Photo: Jonathan Kim

 At around 10:00 PM, everyone was in bed and ready to sleep. We had a long a day ahead of us, with the Ming Tombs and the Great Wall of China the following day, and we were all ready to head to pass out!

Team Momo out!

 

Beijing, here we come!

By: Zachary Kennedy, Anna Lipscomb and Jacob Lokshin

We can’t believe that these two weeks in LA have passed by so quickly! It seems like just yesterday we walked into VKC 154, spilled a few pretzels, and debated who is the best Bing Bing (Li Bing Bing or Fan Bing Bing? Choose your side. It’s also worth noting that this debate produced our group name – Team Bing Bing).

As the name suggests, Team Bing Bing will be examining the presence of celebrity endorsements in China. We will be especially focusing on foreign celebrities. We don’t know what exactly we will find in China, but we predict that there will be a mix of both foreign and Chinese celebrities used to advertise products. We also believe that foreign and western celebrities will be more popular and visible in more westernized, metropolitan cities such as Shanghai and Beijing than in Hebi and Zhengzhou. We also anticipate foreign brands to use foreign celebrities more frequently than Chinese brands. We will examine how these stars are used to advertise products related to their areas (movie stars advertising films, sports stars advertising sports products, etc) as well as products unrelated (food, technology, luxury goods, etc.).

Although Friday was our last official class, it’s only the beginning of Global East Asia.

After reviewing our trusty toolbox of knowledge about things such as deculturization, reculturization, and acculturization (a term whose definition is still being debated by the entire class), we discussed our readings on Shanghai and Zhengzhou. We also went over general travel information such as packing and currency.

image1

Professor Sheehan instills his knowledge and wise travel tips upon his enthusiastic pupils before they embark on their journey to a new hemisphere. He also shared a few thrilling stories of past GEA years, stimulating excitement and anticipation from the students about the adventures that lie ahead of them.

Although we come from a generation famous for being exceptionally tech-savvy, we were faced with our first challenge of many to come: installing the USC VPN on our phones and portable computers. Nevertheless, we put our minds together and overcame this obstacle.

We spent our Saturday scrambling to buy our sunscreens and bug spray (because it’s better to be safe than sorry, and Chinese insects are flying harbingers of death according to the USC Health Center), stuffing our suitcases full, emptying out our refrigerators, and contemplating the effects of globalization on our human existences.

On Sunday morning, we literally rised and shined. Between the times of 4-5 am, those of us on the group flight Uber’d to the airport (We encouraged Papa Sheehan to join the Uber bandwagon. Uber is now a Sheehan-approved mobile application).  Since we got there early, we had to entertain ourselves.

image1-2

As punctual Trojans, the Global East Asia students got to the airport 3+ hours early. While waiting for their flight, they passed the time by playing Sushi card games, working on this blog post, eating banana bread (thanks Papa Sheehan for looking after our empty stomachs!), and getting pumped for China (and internally panicking of the short layover time in SFO… oh, the joys of travel).

The 45-minute layover in San Francisco was quite an experience. Although our flight was only about an hour, we spent roughly half an hour sitting in the plane at SFO because we couldn’t get off since another plane was still at our gate. When we finally got off, we dashed to the international terminal – it was extremely close, but we made it!

Since we wanted to get adjusted to China time, most of us pulled all-nighters before (or we were frantically trying to pack our bags and figuring out where we put our passports). Therefore, most of us spent the 12-hour flight sleeping and watching movies/TV shows on our mobile devices. Some of us stretched our legs and walked around the airplane looking for snacks.

IMG_4510

A view of Beijing from the airplane window.

When we finally got to Beijing it was May 30th (thanks to the 15 hour time difference)! Although we may be a slightly jet-lagged, we can’t wait for all the adventures and stories and crazy experiences to come!

Last Day in China

By: Yunwen Gao

Now that all the Global East Asia (GEA) scholars are flying over the Pacific Ocean back to LA, when I am organizing the photos I took along the trip I still can’t believe our summer program has come to an end. As Professor Sheehan’s metaphor goes… “coming to China is like going through a worm hole, time is both elongated and shortened.” It feels like our GEA family has been living together for more than a year, and yet we have only been together for a month. I can’t describe how immensely this summer course has reshaped many of our assumptions about Chinese consumerism and globalization, for both the scholars and myself as well. As someone born and brought up in China, this trip to Beijing, Kaifeng, and Shanghai is a process of rediscovering China through a fresh lens.

The final day consisted of the final project delivery and farewell banquet. Despite the last minute rush, as any last day of USC courses would have, our amazing scholars delivered their final projects at a high level of professionalism and insightfulness. The Foodies (Christopher Carpenter and Alice Kim) examined fast food restaurants and food courts in shopping malls in Beijing, Shanghai, and Kaifeng with our course tools, and compared the fast food industries in first tier cities versus a third tier city like Kaifeng.

P1020774

The Foodies Take on China: Christopher Carpenter (left) and Alice Kim (right) presenting their final project

P1020776

The Fast Food Restaurants of China’s Malls: A Claim to Global Cosmopolitanism

The Skins (Phoebe Yin, Megan Lee, and Ashley Szydel) focused on the cosmetics industry, in particular, face masks produced internationally and domestically, and formulated their observation of the three prevailing models of marketing strategy, the luxury, mainstream, and niche models supported by extensive research and interviews.

P1020779

The Face of the Chinese Cosmetics Market: Megan Lee (left), Ashley Szydel (middle), and Phoebe Yin (right) presenting their final project

P1020778

The Face of the Chinese Cosmetics Market: The Faces of Globalization

The Arhats (Jonathan Peppin, Psalm Chang, and Michelle Ngan) took the issue of the commodification of religion in China and enriched the dialogue of globalization greatly. Their visits to jewelry stores, Buddhist and Daoist temples, restaurants, etc., provided us with a new picture of how religion has been commodified to convey the sense of piety, pragmatism, and playfulness. With the help of Professor Sheehan, all three teams successfully elevated their observations and analysis of Chinese consumerism and globalization to a whole new level.

P1020781

Commodification of Religion in Contemporary China: Jonathan Peppin (left), Psalm Chang (middle), and Michelle Ngan (right) presenting their final project

P1020780

Piety, Pragmatism, and Playfulness: The Temple Model of Consumption in Contemporary China and the World

As we were waiting to be checked in at the Pudong airport, some of us started analyzing the advertisements around us. Looking at each other, we realized that walking out of this class, none of us could view advertisements or commercials as we used to do without examining what’s behind them. As the TA of this class, I feel proud of everyone in this program just as Professor Sheehan does and look forward to seeing each of them succeed in the future.

1982232_10152827423745738_5529512885762175692_n

Proud Papa Sheehan!

P1020785

Farewell Banquet in Shanghai