[Kim Leng]

 

Thanks for the book recommendation.  I decided to browse inside Michael Meyer’s The Last Days of Old Beijing: Life in the Vanishing Backstreets of a City Transformed and now I’m hooked!  And so I’ve just placed the book on hold at LAPL.  The book cover with the cycle rickshaw in the foreground against the blue fencing immediately caught my attention.  Here is something that I don’t see in Los Angeles. Beijing has a cycle rickshaw which is just a step away from a man powered rickshaw that was invented around the mid 1800s.  What’s more, beyond the fence is a construction site with a crane and skyscrapers.  We see something that is modern rising behind a simple cycle rickshaw.  The cover image alone captures the title of the book.  How long will Old Beijing last with the rise of modernization and its cities full of skyscrapers?

The first couple pages of the book captured my immediate interest.  I love the immediate map of the neighborhood.  I see a noodle shop, mosque, vegetable stand, supermarket, dumplings, and more.  Then I noticed that there is a McDonald’s outside the immediately neighborhood.  When I read the first paragraph of the book, it confirmed my observation that the book cover and image captured an old way on the verge of disappearance.  Meyers wrote, “The Widow has lived in this neighborhood for most of her eighty years. She can’t imagine moving to the glassy high-rise landscape that encroaches on all sides….the Widow, like most hutong residents, will not have a choice.” This passage is a reminder that the old way is going to be gone whether the residents like it or not.

[Kim Leng]

“East Asia Since 1800” is a fascinating topic that has taught me much. Prior to attending this seminar I did not know that South Korea and Japan were in territorial disputes over the Dokdo Islands or Takeshima Islands.  I also did not know that when the Japanese invaded Korea, the Koreans were mandated to have Japanese names. With such contact, the two countries have had many disputes over the years. This includes the painful history of Korean comfort women from 1932-1945. Girls as young as 14 years old were taken from their home to become sex slaves to Japanese soldiers.  This seminar has been an eye-opening experience for me and I look forward to incorporating what I’ve learned back into the classroom when I collaborate with teachers.

As a school librarian, I collaborate with teachers on research projects and other assignments. One project that I want to work on is creating a book list of fiction and nonfiction books that focuses on East Asian History.  I was inspired to create this after Professor Lynne Miyake’s lecture.  I truly enjoyed her handouts about the various readings.  One handout was titled “Meiji, Taisho, and Early Showa Readings” and I pictured creating a list of my own that will highlight the library collection according to various historical time periods.  For example, under “World War II,” I would add When My Name Was Keoko by Linda Sue Park and Barefoot Gen by Keiji Nakazawa. Also, if students are curious about the Chinese Rebellion, I would add Gene Luen Yang’s Boxers and Saints under that time period.

Thank you for a wonderful fall semester of learning.  Although our Monday sessions began almost immediately after a full work day, I looked forward to attending each class session. I can bring so many of the resources and ideas gathered during this fall session back to the classroom. Once again, attending a seminar with the USC US-China Institute has proven to be well worth my time.

 

[Kim Leng]

South Korea sounds like a magical land to visit. If you want to go to South Korea after reading “Top Ten Things to Know about Korea in the 21st Century," seeing images on this article will probably inspire you to book a ticket this summer: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/south-korea-beautiful-places/index.html.  Boseong Green Tea Field looks so breathtaking that I can’t imagine what the experience would be like to stand there and take in the view.  I learned from the article that the Boseaong region produces over 40% of Korea's tea!

As for measures South Koreans are taking to help preserve the environment, I found this article about green energy: http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2012/05/09/Korea-s-Global-Commitment-to-Green-Growth. The articled mentioned that Korea wants to reduce "its greenhouse gas emissions 30% by 2020."  As 2020 is just around the corner, it might be interesting to look for more articles to get an update on this issue.

[Kim Leng]

Hi Margaret,

Mangas and graphic novels are awesome!  I still have Barefoot Gen on my to read list.   I'm sharing my graphic novels book list on this forum.  I find that this meduim does reach out to some of our reluctant readers. Common Sense Media has compiled a list of "Graphic Novels that Teach History": https://www.commonsensemedia.org/lists/graphic-novels-that-teach-history.

And share with your students that First Book is giving away FREE BOOKS this Saturday!  I've a ttached a flyer for the event.  I'm going to share this resource with my students.  They may get in line and take 10 brand new books home for FREE.  Maybe this will spark more interest in reading as they may start their own library.  The event is free for all families and educators.

 

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[Kim Leng]

Kathryn,

I found Deng Xiaoping's life and reform to be an exciting chapter in China's history too!  I think more people have heard of Mao compared to Deng.  Why  is that?  From what I've learned in this seminar about Deng, it appears that he is a major player in contributing to China's rise to power.  The Washington Post article (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2018/12/19/40-years-ago-deng-xiaoping-changed-china-and-the-world/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.92e9bd3c9604) I read mentioned that Deng's take over in 1978 changed not only China, but the entire world!  That's a huge impact!

 

[Kim Leng]

When Professor Dube mentioned that Deng Xiaoping never took the top titles in Chinese politics, I found that statement to be quite intriguing.  I would like to read a biography on him.  Was it a personal choice to not be the number one guy?  Or can one accomplish much more change being the second guy?  A guy who flies under the radar, but managed to effect change? 

I learned that since Deng came into power, China has experienced reform since 1978.

According to this article (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2018/12/19/40-years-ago-deng-xiaoping-changed-china-and-the-world/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.c4ed52efc1c5), Deng “incorporated free-enterprise.”  I don’t understand all of Deng’s reform, but it appears that his policies guided China into the 21^st century.  He opened diplomatic relations with other countries and a couple years after his death, China entered the World Trade Organization.

[Kim Leng]

Duolingo https://www.duolingo.com/ offers 33 free language courses for English speakers that includes popular Asian languages such as Chinese, Korean, and Japanese with over three million active learners each. An account is not required to access the content, but I highly recommend logging in through Facebook or Google in order to track one’s progress.  Teachers interested in tracking student progress may create a Duolingo for School account here: https://schools.duolingo.com/.  

Learners may enroll in more than one course and set personal daily learning goals in five levels: Basic, Casual, Regular, Serious, and Insane.  I set my personal learning goal for Chinese to Casual which will learn 10 XP points that translates to just 5 minutes per day.

Duolingo is easy to use and fun.  The homepage displays a colorful learning tree with basic language skills in various categories.  These categories create mini lessons that are very manageable.  The first category for Chinese is “Greetings.”  In order to advance to the next skill, one is required to complete three lessons to achieve a level 1 success.  Having set my learning goal to just 10 XP points, I can just complete one lesson to achieve the goal. The lessons include character recognition, sound recognition, and translation.

I am very impressed with Duolingo.  The page is not cluttered and the graphics are fun and colorful.  The site offers learning badges and tracks progress in a visual way.  I think students will enjoy Duolingo because it feels like a game towards unlocking new skills for advancement to the next level.

[Kim Leng]

I found this article, “China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative,” on Australia’s government website.  It provides the initiatives of the program along with reactions, criticism, and impact on Austrialia.  There’s also an article on the economist found here: https://www.economist.com/leaders/2018/07/26/chinas-belt-and-road-plans-are-to-be-welcomed-and-worried-about.  What do you think of this article: https://www.theguardian.com/cities/ng-interactive/2018/jul/30/what-china-belt-road-initiative-silk-road-explainer?  I think the Guardian article contains some useful graphics and does a great job explaining what exactly is China's Belt and Road Initiative (as stated in its title) and addresses some concerns:

As Belt and Road expands in scope so do concerns it is a form of economic imperialism that gives China too much leverage over other countries, often those that are smaller and poorer.

I'm curious to know what will happen to the countries that will owe China so much money.  Will China also claim some territories to make up for the debt?  As the Guardian article mentioned,  "In 2011, China wrote off an undisclosed debt owed by Tajikistan in exchange for 1,158 sq km (447 sq miles) of disputed territory."

[Kim Leng]

Professor Yamashita’s lecture peaked my interest immediately when he asked the question, “Why was Perry’s flotilla in Japanese waters on 7/8/1853?” He contextualized three main reasons for Perry’s visit: profit, progress, and military power.  With these reasons, the west forced Japan to open up its ports, and set the stage for the “Five Main Actors.”  I think providing a history lesson using this method of contextualizing an event with various main historical characters can make history come alive.  The lecture felt like a play in three acts with background information about the state of the Tokugawa Regime and the Euro-American View of the world in 1850s.  In the case of Profit, Perry’s flotilla in Japanese waters sought to open Japan’s port for market.  The industrial revolution brought vast changes to the west.  There’s steam power and faster machinery.  The west viewed themselves as “civilized.”  I think the quote that Professor Yamashita displayed for us regarding the Euro-American View of the world in 1850s provides the reason for Perry’s flotilla:

 

“The compulsory seclusion of the Japanese is wrong not only to themselves, but to the civilized world…The Japanese undoubtedly have an exclusive right to the possession of their territory; but they must not abuse that right to the extent of debarring all other nations from a participation in its riches and virtues. The only secure title to property, whether it be a hovel or an empire, is the exclusive possession of one is for the benefit of all.”

                                    Edinburgh Review, October 1852

 

This view stated in the Edinburgh Review provided the west with their view of the world.  The Japanese must not be allowed to stay in isolation.  It’s not only “wrong to themselves, but to the civilized world.”  Could it be that the west will use their “civilized” view points when it profits them to do so? 

[Kim Leng]

I truly enjoyed Professor Miyake’s lecture on Japanese literature.  She is knowledgeable about her field and I have a lot of new authors to add to my reading list. Of all the authors mentioned, Higuchi Ichiyo stood out most to me because she died so young (at the age of 24), but accomplished so much in her short life. She’s considered one of the most important Japanese writers from the Meiji period (1868-1912).  In Child’s Play, Ichiyo paints a vivid picture of children growing up in a Japanese town near a brothel.  She depicts the people’s occupation and way of life. There are escorts, priests, rickshaw drivers, and the children growing up in this town.  She does not shy away from the reality of life…however difficult.  I definitely want to read more about her and her other works, especially, In the Shade of Spring Leaves: The Life of Higuchi Ichiyo, with Nine of Her Best Stories. 

I am amazed that her inspiration for writing began when a friend successfully published a book.  It appears that she wrote between 1891-1896. She accomplished so much in just 5 years!

[Kim Leng]

The amount of opium that the British exported to China from 1729 – 1832 increased dramatically from just 200 chests in 1729 to 23,570 chests in 1832.  What a way to get people addicted and destroy its people from the inside!  The Chinese government was unable to stop opium from illegally coming into the country.

I think a great assignment for this time in history would be for students to create a visual presentation on https://piktochart.com/.  They can be creative about how to display the data.  I think when you visually take a look at 200 chests compared to 23,570 chests, it’s astonishing how many more chests were exported to China.  I played with around with the website and created a sample chart:  https://create.piktochart.com/output/35273013-untitled-infographic.

Students can also create one on the Nanking Treaty and compare how many ports were open prior to the treaty and after.

[Kim Leng]

I highly recommend The Occupational Outlook Handbook https://www.bls.gov/ooh/ for students to use for career research.  It’s very easy to use.  They may browse by “Occupational Groups,” and there are also selections by pay, level of education, and more.  If students know the name of the occupation, they may just search for it alphabetically or type in the name in the search query.  Once an occupation has been selected, the information about an occupation are displayed in easy to use tabs divided into these categories:  summary, what they do, work environment, how to become one, pay, job outlook, state and area data, and similar occupations.  If students can find a person to interview in their field of interest, that would be awesome. Finding work after college can be stressful.  It's a great assignment for students to think about their possible career choices now. 

[Kim Leng]

 

In "Top Ten Things to Know about Korea in the 21st Century," by Edward J. Shultz, I learned some interesting things about Korea in just four pages! I think this would be a great way for students to research and present their country research project.  A list of top 10 things, but I would have them include images and a works cited page.

Prior to reading this article, I did not know that “Korean is the twelfth most commonly used language in the world” (p. 7) or that Koreans are such nature lovers!  I learned about the Diamond Mountains in this article and looked up images of the mountains.  It really is breathtaking!  If I ever make my way to Korea one day, I definitely want to do a hike on Diamond Mountains.  I did know that Koreans are experts in ceramics because of the book, A Single Shard, by Linda Sue Park. I read the historial novel so many years ago and I enjoyed the book! 

[Kim Leng]

The encounter debate/forum was great. I think students will greatly benefit from this activity.  One must know the materials in order to participate in the encounter activity.  As a teacher, you'll know who has put in the work or not and it's fun way for students to focus their research.  They select one role, but that one role also requires knowledge in other areas.  I was able to witness an encounter activity with a US history class. A selected students were the founding fathers of the US constitution.  These students had publicists in sitting behind them who introduced them and the teacher asked the students questions.  The rest of the students in the class were the press.  They were able to ask questions as well. In this way, the whole class were active participants. 

[Kim Leng]

Professor Schaede is an amazing lecturer.  She hooked me immediately when she posed the question: How did Japan become an economic powerhouse?  The history of Japan becoming such an economic powerhouse is so interesting!  This small nation with limited resources is 3^rd in the world’s economy. That’s so powerful considering that Japan has a workforce of 65 million people.  If I were to create a list of “Top 5 Facts About Japan’s Economy,” that I gathered from the lecture it would be the following:

1. Prius is made only in Japan.
2. Japan is the 3^rd largest economy in the world.
3. Japan’s workforce is 65 million people.
4. Japan invented a term translated as “Industrial policy.”
5. After 1973 oil crisis, Japan focused on technology.

I wish we had more time with Professor Schaede.  She’s one of my favorite lecturers so far.

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