[Jane Shen]

In this morning's lecture ,Professor Yasar's  explained the Japanese film and families through the lense of the movie " Tokyo Story" made by Yasujiro Ozu in 1953.

 Through the lense of this movie. beside the directors filming skills and trade marked camera positions, what grabbed my interest is the in-law family relationship which is sensitive in almost every culture even though it could be more tense in Asian culture.

A widowed dauter-in-law Noriko ,whose husband was killed 8 years earlier in the war welcomed the visit of her parents-in-law. As some of us while watching the movie were curious about her crippy fake smile while talking with her in laws, just like a mask she wears the un-narual yet polite smile on all the time, her emotion or real thought were covered under her mask. Toward to the end of the movie, she was released by her father-in-law to start a new life ( hint new marrigae), the movie ended up with two lonely single person: Noriko and her father in law.

Compare with the Chinese and Korean in-law culture, Chinese saying that " 嫁出去的姑娘， 泼出去的水“ （ married daugter is like the waterd poured out", in Korean, " 죽어도 시댁에 귀신되라" ( married daughter need to died as the in law's ghost). In both Chinese and Korean traditional culture, once a daughter is married, she is no longer belongs to her original family, she has to be the member of her in-law. Even though widowed, she is not welcomed by his own family since she has the resposibilities to serve her parents-in-laws unless they released her.

Curious about the cultural similarities between Chinese, Korean and Japanese, I has a short conersation with Professor Yasar to confirm and clarify the Japanese in-law culture, professor explained that in Japanese culture, there are no obligation or responsibilies for a married women toward their parents-in-law as Chinese and Korean. However in the movie " Tokyo Story", it was Noriko's own choice to treat her in-laws .

 

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[Jane Shen]

Hi~ my name is Jane Shen, I am a 4th generation Korean who were born and grew up in China, now living in USA for 20 years. 

I am teaching Mandarin in a LAUSD high school in Hollywood for 2 years. And prior to that, I had been running my own Chinese language school for almost 10 years.

I love everything that pleasant to ears, to eyes and ofcurse yummy staff which satisfy my mouth.

I love reading children's book with my 10 year old boy, hiking and watching movies.

I wish through this one week workshop, I would be able to make some friends with you .

Jane Shen

[Jane Shen]

Hi Midori

I have been teaching Mandarin Chinese in my own private school for around 10 years before I teach in LAUSD high School. As a 4th generation Korean who was born in China, I was educated in China and graduated from a medical school there. Due to my background I can speak both Mandarin and Korean, familiar with both sides culture, And of cause my own experience had been always included in my daily teaching. They made who I am now and are also part of the testmonies of the culture education in my curriculum.

[Jane Shen]

In Professor Berry's lecture this afternoon, he showed a English textbook which include the translated Chinese political songs and slogans in English. Such as " Long Live Chariman Mao" " Redlight in the East" .

This recalled the first English sentence I learned in China: " Long live the Marxinism, Leninism, and Mao Ze-Dong Thoughts!", I also remembered that back then in China, every adults were calling each other " Comrade" , the waitress in a restaurant were called " comrade", the sales person in a store were called "comrade", even between husband and wife.

So throughout the English textbook, we can see the calling for each other was " comrade Li, comrade Wang....." I don't remember when did these textbooks were replaced with more culture appropriated ones ,but it was most likely accompanied with the openning of the Chinese borders for the foreign investors.

[Jane Shen]

I think that Kim Jong-Il who supervised the film making was using the universal family value that could be resonated be all audiences. The long child crying could manupulate the audience in to sympathy, furious, then turn this emotion in to anger towards the source of the tragedy, the landlord ( rich Korean masters) and the Japanese police who defended only the rich landlord's rights.

[Jane Shen]

Hi Donna,

When I was little, I did not understand the political message, but by watching the " Flower Girl", I still could understand the same family value with Chinese and Korean share in common. When watching these films again now, of cause the political message is clear, and both China and NK has the common political enemies in that period of time-USA and Japan. And if you watch some Chinese movies made in the same periods, you can see many in common or almost same besides the languages and the costumes.

[Jane Shen]

Through professor Kim's first part  lecture today about the North Korean movies from late 60s to early 90s. Although born and grew up in China during the same era, I had watched several movies that Pro. Kim presented. One of them was "Flower Girl" which was made in 1972. I remembered I watched this movie in China while I was in nursery with my mother. I did not understood any of the political manuplation from the movie makers with Kim Jong-il's supervision, however, the theme songs in the movie and the sad story line incribed in my memery. 

Another movie the Pro. Kim presented today "Love, Love, My Love" made in 1984 ,  I don't remember watching this movie, however I knew the theme song very well, I can also sing the song even now. It has been so popular in not only N. Korea, but also among the Korean Chinese living in the Northeast of China. This song is one of the most popular song even perfomed in nowaday stages in both N. Korea and China.

Another interesting finding from the late 60s to early 90s N.Korean movie, I found the same movie trend in China, from political revolutionized national loyalty movies in 60s, to emotional manupulating political story movies in 70s, then to love stories and martial arts movies in 80s while Hong Kong Martial art movies dominating the world movie markets. In movie "Hong Gil-Dong" ( 1986) ) made by the  Shin Sang-ok , I saw so similar movements and filming techs which were seen in the Chinse movies and dramas. 

It is very astonishing to watch the N.K movies and compare them with the Chinese movie trends. Great experice today!!

[Jane Shen]

Hi Jing Shuang, 

I am so glad that you are in this seminar. I have met you in several other workshops and also texted you late in the evening last night.

Hope that we both will have a good time here.

Jane Shen

[Jane Shen]

 

I remembered that when I was in first grade in China, the DaZhai spirit was used as the Chinese peasants' spirits which to some extend closed to brain wash. I learned in school, “人有多大胆， 地有多大产” ， which means in English " How bold people, how much to produce". Later on, we learned that from here and there in China, every day from here and there, the peasants were breaking the records of the producing grain quantities. The production rate of the farm land had been reaching to an unrealistic records which many years later I realized that all of them were fake numbers in order to please and honor Mao.

 

[Jane Shen]

I am among the protested students in 1989. I remembered that the whole school was empty, all the classrooms were empty. The students learders were moving around the dometories inciting the students to join the protest. The whole environments leads to a situation that the protest is not an choice. It has been almost an obligation.

At that time, I don't think I remembered understading exatly why they are protesting, and why do I need to join them, but as the protest spread to nationwide, I was scared. So scared that I left school and wend back home by train. 

And that summer, all of the students in our university were banned from the summer break. We had to stay in school for political confession. Each of us was required to write a 30,000 characters journal for what we have done and whar we say. Then we were told to write another 3,000 character summary .

We needed to share our thoughts among small groups while having one of us recording what each of us said. I just remembered that I was very scared and there were no lectures at school however we all had to take finals.

[Jane Shen]

Chinese New Year-The Spring Festival is the largest festival in China, there are many legend relate with this festival. I would want my  high school students to do some research about the legends and the customes related.

1. The lengend of Nian.

2. The spring couplets

3. The red evelopes.

[Jane Shen]

This Fall, I watched 2 movies that I would like to write review:

1. Reuification: a documentary movie which describes one family, 2 generation's lives after their immigration from Hongkong to USA.

2. Above teh Drowing Sea: another documentary movie about a line of Jewels' lives expel from Nazi to Shanghai.

[Jane Shen]

Nira, you questioned if marriag will grant a city hukou.

As far as I know, in China, marriage will not grant a city hukkou automaticly as in USA marrying a US citizen could open the pass to a illeal immigrant to obtain a perminant green card.

Marriage between two different city residents could followed by rellocation of one party. Then throught the new job and complecated process, hokou could be trasfered to the other city. However, the bigger the city is, the harder the Hukou could be obtained. For example, the Beijing or Shanghai hukow might be much harder to receive than a smaller city.

[Jane Shen]

Cindy, I am glad that you questioned if Hong Kong is as the same prosperous as it once being under the British govern. Personally I went to China twince, once was in 1997, several months before the transfer from the British to China, and another time was in 2014 Christmas. I felt some differences according to my own experience. Part of the differences were because of my own position change. The first time I visited Hong Kong was from Mainland China to Hong Kong. I felt that the fashion streets were so busy, the jewery shops were filled with shoppers from all over the world. There were many travelors at that time. However, I can sense the anxiety from the residence there because the transfering date was approaching. "97" was a popular number symbolzing the transfer in 1997. Back then, the Hong Kong movies, especially the martial art movies were still popular among Asian countries and the world. there were no Korean K-pops yet. 

However, the trip in 2014 was different. Flew from America to Hong Kong, I felt like the shopping was much more affordable compare to the first trip. There were K-pops everywhere. Business was not as prosperous as the first time and the reason was not only the transfer, but also the worldwise economy crisis. No one living there were talking about the "97". the residence's lives seemed to be adjusted to the transfer yet still struggling to survive from the high expensed, limited livng spaces and competitive market shares.

[Jane Shen]

I was amazed to find out that most of my students know Bruce lee, and even watched more than one movie casted by Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee died almost 30 years before the birth of my students, however, his martial art movie can still attract them.

Even though after Bruce Lee, there are some other Chinese martial arts big names such as Jackie Chan, Jet Lee, but personnaly I think the ladders befefits from what Bruce Lee had been working so hard to gain.

[Author]

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