ASSIGNMENT #2

I received this from my professor in China after being in Xi’an for about a month:

ASSIGNMENT #2

Now that you have spent some time getting used to your surroundings, it is time to step back and remember what it was like view your surroundings with completely fresh eyes. For the second assignment to turn in to me, I’d like you to reflect upon how your journal entries may now reflect a bit of an "old China hand" attitude! In order to facilitate this I would like you put your observations in an imaginary framework as follows:

Pretend that I am an American who wants to know something about China. Maybe a grant agency, or a market researcher or someone looking for an alternative way of life. I know nothing about China or your topic. Tell me what I need to know about Chinese art, medicine, business practices, practicing Taiji, taxi cabs, leisure reading, learning English, everyday values, what have you.

- Tell me what I may have to FORGET about my intuitive ideas of what goes on.

Tell me what I about what DOES go on, as far as you can see so far.

Propose some questions that you wish to pursue, AND give me some idea of how you might be able to pursue these questions

Tell me if there are any reasons why pursuing these questions may difficult or uncomfortable, and what I can to do minimize these sorts of problems

Tell me why the student of this realm of life is important

Make use of further "focused observations" (like the ones you did last time) while you explain these things.

This Notebook Analysis is part of retrospective of my life taken from emails that I sent or received on the First of the Month.