Professor Marjorie Silver - Winding Down in India

So I’ve figured out how to maximize one’s bargaining position: open your wallet and show the shopkeeper that you only have X number of rupees left. It has worked pretty well for me a couple of times now—it also means I’ve come home sans rupees more than once!

As I said to Marianne on the way back from yet another shopping spree, I believe I’m done with my shopping—at least until I buy something else. It’s absolutely an addiction here. Only way to cure it, I fear, is to return to New York. But I am the proud owner of several exquisite pieces. Including my first Thangka!

Things are certainly winding down. Students are distracted by exams and plans for afterward. The level of commitment in class—at least in my class—has certainly fallen off considerably from where it was the first three weeks. Three students absent yesterday, with nary an explanation. Five today (one, Daniel, was actually ill). The explanation is fairly clear to me—they figure they can cut my class to study for their other exams with minimum repercussions, given my take-home exam for which they have had half the program. There is, however, the professionalism component to their grade for my course.

Despite that, there has been a sufficient critical mass to keep the discussion in class both flowing and interesting. Still, it is a disappointment.

Out and about:

On Sunday, Marianne, Doug and I hiked up to Dharamcot, via Bhagsu. We didn’t mean to take the Bhagsu road, and wished we hadn’t—the traffic was horrible, the fumes spoiling our “walk in the woods.” But it was a good workout, and the return trip from Dharamcot a lot more pastoral. Sunday evening, Ved, Catharine and I checked out a traditional Tibetan music hour, a sort of fundraiser for a benefit of vague description. One announcer, one performer, two instruments, some singing, some dancing. More quaint than compelling. At a school with another great vista, however. Oh, those snow-capped mountains!

Marianne and I walked the outer road around the Monastery Monday. It’s magical—great vistas, interesting Tibetan carvings and paintings on the rocks, a small temple here and there. And then had another terrific pizza at what Marianne calls the Dalai Lama’s pizza parlor. Who knew some of the best pizza anywhere was to be found in McLeod Ganj!?!

An elephant walked through town yesterday, accompanied by old men with beards and begging bowls. Happily, I spotted it from a distance on Temple Road and was able to capture its approach with my Flip. Click here to view the videos.

By Professor Marjorie Silver, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in India

Professor Doug Colbert – Visit with the Karmapa Lama/Class Discussions in Dharamsala

I thought you would like to see the picture we took today when we visited the Karmapa, the head lama of the Kagyud sect of Tibetan Buddhism. He only had time for a photo-op but I think you'll agree it was definitely worthwhile to see him. I had a chance to say a few words like, "Good to see you again," and he nodded and agreed. I told him, "I teach International Human Rights and these are my faculty colleagues and students." I also told him, "You are looking fine but a bit older than the last time I saw you," and the Karmapa replied, "You think so? You think I am looking okay?" I said absolutely and then the Karmapa turned to Professor Ved Nanda who had more to say. Students were slightly disappointed that they didn’t have a chance to speak to him, but seemed pleased at having met him. We then visited Norbulingka and the Transit School. What an afternoon!


I love Dharamsala. My mornings are lovely. My walk/jog around the monastery is accompanied by a variety of old and young, monks and nuns, all going to the same morning service where they will celebrate the new day by singing and then throwing powder in the air. As the only jogger, I am definitely the strange bird in the crowd, but am welcomed as much as any outsider could expect. Afterwards, I continue on my run, finding it impossible to continue up a very long, steep hill before finally catching my breath enough to resume running, while always appreciating what I have just experienced. I then return for a sumptuous breakfast at one of the most special and loveliest of hotels, the Tibetan Chonor House, where I am staying once again in the Wild Animals room. I then join my morning class which has been engaged in discussions about U.S. and India policy and human rights practices. Class conversations are lively and informative, as students exchange ideas about subjects ranging from the prohibition against torture, and the economic and social rights of children, women and working people. It is never easy for a national of any country to discover their country has violated a treaty agreement or not ratified several of the main human rights treaties. U.S. students pondered the meaning of their government being one of only two countries that failed to ratify the Covenant on the Rights of the Child, as one example; Indian students reflected on their progressive constitution and activist judicial branch, while wondering whether the problems of child labor and illiteracy are intractable or will, one day, be eliminated.

Today, though, the conversation shifted to China. I had taken students to the Tibet Museum yesterday where they absorbed the moving photographs and accounts of the Tibetan struggle for independence. They saw a powerful, 90-minute movie which detailed and revealed the brutality of China's army and repressive political system toward the Tibetan people. I expect that explains the students' reaction in class today where I used Professor Richard Klein's article on cultural relativism as a way to explain China and the "Asian way" of respecting human rights. I was met with very strong resistance and was placed in the situation of presenting China's position, at least to the best of my abilities. Tomorrow, I hope to persuade the students of the importance of learning the other side of the argument, especially where they are convinced there is only one right side. Tomorrow we have a Tibetan NGO coming to class and a representative of the Youth Congress, too. I’ll keep you informed.

By Professor Doug Colbert, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in India

Kate Anderson, Summer Abroad Programs Coordinator - Waste Not

China may have lax environmental laws, but it is far from being a wasteful country. Everything is used. It’s rare to see garbage on the street. A common sight is people on bicycles pulling trailers piled high with cardboard boxes or paper. Or people begging to collect the empty plastic water bottles from tour buses. They weren’t begging for money. They wanted our empty plastic bottles. There isn’t a deposit on the bottles, but presumably the collectors get some compensation if they bring in enough bottles. Land is used. Looking through a fence hole, I saw a woman who lived in a huge apartment building collecting cucumbers from a plant she nurtured at the otherwise empty backyard of the building. There was only eight feet between the building and the fence. In the hutongs—the old-style way of living in Beijing, a sort of shantytown of connected courtyard residences centered around a water source—you see pots of vegetables and flowers and herbs growing in unlikely places. On the side of the highways you see thin rows of plants like corn, or fruit trees. And each swelling fruit is surrounded by its own burlap bag to protect it. When food makes it to the table, all of the animal is eaten. When a few of us went out for Peking Duck, the duck head, split in two, had its own special plate. I couldn’t face the eye or brain, but I did have a bit of duck cheek.

Kate Anderson at the Ming Tombs outside Beijing

Speaking of food, there are many differences. I enjoyed the eastern-ness of the “Western” buffet at the Beijing hotel: congee, bok choy, steamed pork buns, fried rice. And western foods not usually eaten for breakfast, namely soup and a salad bar. The meal fed to tourists at large restaurants was largely the same. Lots of dishes, and lots of variety, but again and again, pretty much the same: rice or fried rice, bok choy or another variety of cabbage, dumplings or spring rolls, chicken with peanuts in a spicy sauce, at least one dish with pork, another dish with beef, one with fish. Meat is fattier, and there is a much lower ratio of meat to vegetables than you find at Chinese restaurants in America. When the plate of watermelon slices comes out of the kitchen, you know the meal is over. Fortune cookies are not seen, as they are a completely American invention. Beijing street food is partially on display for tourists, or else why would there be English translations? The selection is staggering, and almost everything is served on a skewer, from fruit kebabs to grilled meat. Then there are the more unusual offerings: dog meat pot, starfish, mealies, scorpions, snake, sheep penis. These foods are not just there for show. Adventurous tourists order a slithery or crunchy skewer that then gets grilled or deep fried, but Chinese people are also ordering—and not on a dare.

By Kate Anderson, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in China

Kate Anderson, Summer Abroad Programs Coordinator - Boy Crazy

China has a One-Child Family policy; the rule allows married couples to have just one child or pay heavy fines. While I knew that the Chinese have a preference for boy babies over girl babies, it was amazing to see this policy in action and the ways it plays out in day-to-day life. When people learned that I have three children, and all three are boys, I felt like a bit of a celebrity. In China, it’s common to see two grandparents out with their one grandchild. The child holds a grandparents’ hand in each or his or her own, and has the undivided attention of the adults. There are no frazzled parents in stores with four whining children in tow like you see in America. But what will all those only children become—confident adults with high self-esteem or little emperors used to getting their way? All the women I met spoke openly about the Chinese preference for boys. It was just a fact. I spoke at length to a woman who is pregnant. Because she is from a different region than her husband, her mother-in-law hasn’t welcomed her to the family. My new friend’s life will be very different if she gives birth to a boy. Obviously she could find out the sex of the baby, but she hasn’t. Maybe it’s better to wait and see. And hope. When I was with her, strangers she met would tell her they hoped she has a boy. When she saw a little boy, she would rub his hair for good luck. If she has a boy, then her mother-in-law will gladly babysit and the mother will be able to work. If it’s a girl, the mother will not work and will raise the baby herself. Imagine both your career and your family life hanging in the balance based on the gender of your baby.

The Entrance to the Forbidden City in Beijing

By Kate Anderson, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in China

Kate Anderson, Summer Abroad Programs Coordinator - Getting Acquainted with China

The People’s Republic of China is getting ready for its 60th anniversary on October 1st of this year. I’ve traveled all over Europe and Australia, but it’s very different being in a country where the language has no commonality with English, and doesn’t even share the same alphabet. In China, saying something louder and more slowly—a strategy often applied by tourists in foreign countries—does not work at all. China could be a challenging country to visit without a guide, but that is not an issue for our program.

Many people speak English in Hong Kong—where our program begins. We had a tour guide for most of our visit to Beijing. And in Xiamen, where our program is based, we have a unique and propitious situation. As many as 40 volunteers from Xiamen University are on hand to help our students, faculty and guests. I knew about this program feature, but I couldn’t have imagined the importance of this, or the generosity of the Chinese students, without experiencing it firsthand. What’s in it for these volunteers? Practicing English. Getting some free meals. Being good ambassadors for their country. It’s all of these to a degree, but what the volunteers give is far, far more than what they get.

Touro Law 2009 Students in front of Olympic Stadium in Beijing

I had three volunteers helping me. Two people were assigned by the program to help me; the idea is that if one of the students is busy, the other might be available. Tide and Candy (they choose their own English names in school) spent just about every moment with me, and Tide’s friend Cindy came along as well. They took me to Nanputuo, an incredible Buddhist temple that attracts the devout from all across the country. The students showed me their campus and school buildings, they helped me shop for gifts in downtown Xiamen and on the island of Gulang Yu, and one of them even took me to the airport (the other two were on a school trip). I was overwhelmed by their generosity and helpfulness. We had fascinating discussions comparing life in China and America. With so many people and so much competition, students in China work hard. They dream of studying in America, but very few people achieve that dream. So they study in China, where dorm life is different. Clean clothes are hung to dry on the balcony of every building. Students only occasionally go out to clubs and bars. The electricity is shut off at midnight in the dorms, so one must get home before then or brush one’s teeth by flashlight. The students I met are positive and optimistic. They have economic freedom and opportunities their parents didn’t have, but still the government censors information and there is no freedom of speech. Is more enough?

Stree scene in Beijing

Street vendor in Beijing

China has become more expensive, but for Americans, mainland China is overall very inexpensive. The exchange rate of almost 7 RMB to the US dollar means that a ride on a bus, one yuan, costs about 14 cents. You pay double that for an air-conditioned bus, which is well worth it in summer. Taxis are also inexpensive on the mainland. Hong Kong is another story. Transportation is reasonable, but food prices are comparable to being in New York City. A drink at a fancy bar can be as expensive as an entire meal at a local joint. Beijing provides the most shopping opportunities, but be prepared to bargain. A number of our students were extraordinarily good at this. When you’re first quoted a price of 1600 RMB, but end up paying 60, you know there’s a huge mark-up for foreigners. Markets are awash in ‘double-A fakes,’ knock-offs of designer watches, wallets, purses, bags, and sunglasses. Quality varies, but imagine a department-store floor filled entirely with small stalls selling the same items. If the salespeople didn’t have what a shopper wanted, they made a call. A ‘sister’ would appear with the requested goods. You might get taken down to the basement for the transaction, or the purchase might literally take place under a table, as these are copies of trademarked goods.

The Long Corridor at the Summer Palace in Beijing

The signs are everywhere: I am humbly aware that I speak no Chinese, and what little I attempted was probably laughable and all wrong. But I loved the signs in China with unusual, humorous, and sometimes downright perplexing English translations. A few examples:

On a moving walkway:

"Maintenance in progress/Inconvenience Cause Regretted/Do not enter the dangerous!"

At the Ming Tombs:

"Notice: Cherish The Cultural Relics, Please Don't Climb up or Scribble."
"ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION OF THE SCENIC SPOT NEEDS YOUR CONSERVE"

Outside the Summer Palace:
"May we remind you: Please be self-restraint and be a good tourist to mold a well-mannered imagination."

Lynne Truss would have a field day....

By Kate Anderson, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in China

Professor Deborah Post - Music in China

Allie, a law student from Xia Da (short for Xiamen University), audited most of Sociology of Law and made significant contributions to the discussion of the idea of moral education, a big part of the educational program in China, which we compared to the U.S law schools instruction of law students in the ethical obligations of lawyers and the honor code that governs the conduct of law students.

Allie has been quite generous with her time, and she also has tried to include us in activities she thought might be of interest to us. One day she invited me to the recital for the students graduating from the music school at Xiamen. Xiamen has quite a musical tradition. There is a music park down the road from the stone writing park. There is a median in the highway just alongside the university with musical notes laid over the grass that light up at night. I am told that it is the song of the city. The concert to which I was invited was for the ancient Chinese harp, the guzheng. Two different students took turns playing selections. Sometimes they were accompanied by a pianist but other times it was the pipa (another ancient instrument that looks like a mandolin but is held straight up and down) and a flute or wind instrument that I did not recognize. Robert Anderson and John Bayard also attended.

The costumes were stunning. One was a gold sheer jacket with embroidery over a beautiful purple long gown. Allie said that it was in the tradition of the Han dynasty. One other was the traditional chipao, or the long mandarin dress introduced during the Qing dynasty. The concert included traditional and modern compositions for the harp. What amazes me is that the Chinese celebrate these ancient traditions and culture, to the point of making sure that people can still learn to play and be proficient on ancient instruments that are over 2,000 years old. I wonder whether any of the music schools in the U.S. instruct students in how to play the harpsichord?

All over the city there are signs that the government has put up extolling the benefits of a scientific approach to development. “Scientific” is a phrase that Mary says was popular in 1917, in an attempt to modernize China, then during the Revolution, one of the goals was to do away with superstition and to be more scientific, and finally, during the Cultural Revolution, there was a systematic effort to eradicate the “olds.” And yet, these cultural preferences don’t disappear. We are all grateful for that.

By Professor Deborah Post, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in China

Professor Deborah Post – Karaoke Night in Xiamen

We were acting out our own version of Lost in Translation when we all piled in taxis and headed off to the brand spanking new KTV, right down the block from the two-story KFC. Once inside we piled goodies into our tiny shopping cart – containers of buttered popcorn that turned out to have sugar on them, lychee flavored potato chips, juice for the Chinese students, wine for me and beer for the American students. We began our evening at about 8 pm and left at midnight. When we left, the lobby was full of people dressed up and ready to sing until the wee hours of the morning.

In our very full private room with our computerized selection of songs, we found a much larger number of songs in English than I had imagined, although sometimes the translations were a little questionable. Even I can sing along with Beyonce’s Irreplaceable or at least the refrain “to the left, to the left, all your stuff in the box to the left” (my own questionable rendering of the lyrics. ) The Chinese students loved a group called S.H.E. from Taiwan. They have a catchy little number “wo bu xiang zhang da.” In English that is “I don’t want to grow up.” Both the Chinese women and the American women seem to like Avril Lavigne but 50 Cent did not go over very well with the Chinese. I insisted that we sing at least one Karen Carpenter song - We've Only Just Begun. I thought that the Carpenters were still a cultural icon here in China, but maybe now that is all changing. So many things have changed in the ten years we have been here in China.

Samantha and Charles, coordinators of our student volunteers, insisted that one of the students accompany me home even though the party would go on for a bit longer. In the cab we discussed the evening, and Mike confided that he didn’t know many of the American artists but, he added “I like Karen Carpenter.”

By Professor Deborah Post, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in China