In Y150, Y.W. will graduate with an Arts degree with a major in History and a minor in economics. Y.W. is from Nanjing China, a place known for its extraordinary tea and equally remarkable rocks, as the School of One learned during background discussions for this collaborative e-space. She has been very interested in learning about Canada as an International Student and just as enthusiastic about teaching Chinese culture and traditions to Canadians. A short while after her arrival to Edmonton she began to contribute to "local living history" when she worked for a non-profit organization devoted to providing a hand up to inner-city inhabitants in need of assistance. She has also lent her keen insights and abilities to the "China Alive" program, a web-based inititative directed towards providing primary school students in Canada knowledge about her country. Recently, Y.W. amd some of her peers from abroad have endeavoured to improve the way International Students adapt to Western ways at university and to enhance the understanding of Western instructors of International Students. In short, she proves to be a thoughtful cultural mediator, one who is also committed to breaking down stereotypes found in East and West within the larger goal of scholarly excellence in post-secondary global education.

The unassuming stone for this carving was found in and around the environs of the district of Homeglen, Alberta, in late Summer 2016. The carving seemed to be the perfect companion for Y.W., especially when it was placed next to a bag of Nanjing Tea produced by independent farmers she had observed during a trip home for "Christmas Break", 2016-2017. Nanjing T. YEG-GA began its travels in earnest with Y.W. just before the Lunar New Year (Year of Rooster). Given the remarkable attributes of its travel companion, it should not be surprising to learn that this YEG-GA is dedicated to the individual historical agency, accomplishments and contributions of female students of the Liberal Arts from Nanjing China, past, present and future, especially those of them who maintain an interest in History and International Political Economy.

Bridging Cultures
University of Alberta, March 16, 2017. 2°C/-7°C. Snow!

Two of my friends and I signed up for the Festival of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (FURCA). We spent several weeks working on our project directed towards finding ways to break down stereotypes and to bridge the cultural divide frequently faced by International students. Today, we showcased the goals and the outcomes of our research project for the university community. I felt really nervous about this because it was the first time I have participated in this kind of school activity. Very early in the early morning we came to the on the main floor of Centennial Centre for Interdisciplinary Science (CCIS) to set up our exhibit, and, after our poster explaining our research was secured, I left the building for my morning class. When that lecture was over, I went home to change my clothes into a “semi-formal style”.

After I returned to CCIS with Nanjing T. YEG-GA and we waited for the judges to arrive to evaluate our work, my colleagues and I spent the afternoon explaining how our research was directed towards improving the cross-cultural understandings between International students and university faculty. There were three judges who visited our exhibit. Sadly, the last judge did not give us a high grade so we missed out on the award for best project. Even though we did not get a prize for our efforts, this experience was really important for us as International students from China. Throughout the afternoon we received lots of positive compliments and observations from other university professors, students, and staff who visited our exhibit. That recognition and support proved to be much more important and memorable for me than any award.

Links:

Details regarding the event may be found at: FURCA

Chinese Lunar New Year
Edmonton, January 27, 2017. 5.2°C/-3.3°C No snow!

Today is the Chinese Lunar New Year Eve. This is oldest and most important festival in China and family members get together to celebrate, just like Christmas in the West. This year is the fourth Lunar New Year I have spent in Canada without my family. My friends and decided that we would go out to have hotpot together instead of taking the time to cook. I had a very pleasant time with my friends at the Asian Express Hotpot.