Another professor and I went to the Wuhan University cultural event today and we loved it.  Had we known how awesome this event would be we would have required our students to attend.  I would have gotten a bus from campus to take us all.  The only down side to the event is that many people walked around to take picture with the students in their traditional clothing like they were tourist attractions and not people.

We were thinking that if we ever did something like this at our university, we would require the students to interact more with the international representatives because it should be more about cultural exchange.  We spoke with some of the students who were representing their countries and found that many of them felt that their cultural exchanges were spent dispelling popular misconceptions and/or sterotypes.

For example, the Ukranian girls were often told that they were the prettiest on campus.  It is true Ukranian girls are really pretty but they are more than pretty.  My Ukranian friend from law school was often told that she was pretty by the Chinese students but she was also nice, friendly, hard working, and a really good contracts person which seems to have been lost in translation…

We spoke to a really nice student from Afghanistan who told us that people often tell him that he could not possibly be from Afghanistan because he is not wearing Taliban clothes.  I think those students were thinking of Osama Bin Laden’s garb but he was not from Afghanistan – he is actually a disowned prince from Saudi Arabia.

Now these are the comments these international students are getting from people at Wuhan University which is a very international university.  There are so many international exchanges and collaborative opportunities there, lord knows what the staff and students in our institution think about students and citizens from those countries.

Our institution does not have as many foreign collaborations which we are currently working on changing.  Got to work on three MOUs so far with different countries in Africa so hopefully by the end of my year term, there will be more.  I want to be able to achieve my cultural exchange goal at the largest scale possible.

Look at all these cool ideas and things from the Wuhan University Cultural Event.  They have had 11 years to make this good so my friend and I are going to pilfer 😀

Some of my family members and friends think that I am lucky and can do no wrong because I always seem to get what I want.  On the other hand, my brother thinks that I am too much like Mother Theresa, but not in a good way as saints usually die painful and miserably deaths – you can see we both went to Catholic school.  My mom told me that I am too stupidly nice to others and too many people take advantage of me.  My dad thinks that I am an idiot for being so idealistic and not charging everyone for the favors I do.

Frankly, I think that I receive quite a bit of awesome karma in the universe because I give way more than I receive.  If I was as selfish and as close minded as the rest, I would not be me and worst of all, I would be you.  Maybe being idealistic does not necessarily benefit my wallet or my status as much as those who believe in selfish practicality or self-preservation, but I like to think that I can succeed in this world just by being me.  I would like to think that being a good person counts for something and does not make me stupid.

I know that some of the professors on campus gripe about my stupidity, specifically in reference to my lack of brown nosing capabilities and inability to comprehend the necessity of backstabbing others.  However, I want to be me and not anyone else.  While what I am is incomprehensible to others, I don’t care because I am who I am and make no apologies for wanting to succeed on my own terms.

Frankly, I receive very little compared to what I give but life is good 😀

My Chinese friends – professors as well as those in other occupations – do not seem to understand why I love the university I teach at.  They told me that I should be at any other university that is higher ranked, treats me better, and/or gives me more pay. However, what they do not understand is that I like challenges and I like underdogs.

There is little ability to institute change at institutions with higher ranks as they do not see the value of change until it is too late.  The possibility to help and motivate people to achieve greatness is way more fun then sitting around brain storming ideas which most will never use.

This post is the result of a conversation that a Professor and I were having about our school’s ranking and its ability to recruit talent.  The professor claimed that the reason why we cannot recruit good teachers is because the school is ranked low.  In that professor’s opinion, the school is also unable to give more opportunities to its professors because the school’s rank is low.  However, when I asked what the ranks are based on, the answer is that the school ranking is significantly based on research papers, more specifically professor’s research papers.  So frankly, I feel that if you have an issue with rankings and you want that to change then collectively you need to work harder to make this a better place.

The professor claimed that the other problem with the system is that the university has no famous graduates.  We have a really famous, former, now adviser to Beijing University President.  Her fame was helpful to the university as most environmental lawyers in the field know of this institution now because she is so famous in China.  However, we do not have famous students who give back.

My assessment of the problem is as follows: the students and teachers talk about superficial things and gossip but for the most part, they do not trust each other and certainly do not bother to take the time out to get to know each other.  Most of the students and professors will gossip about famous movie stars, other teachers, and chat about events on campus but if there is a huge problem, the students will not go to the teachers and even if some of the teachers know there is a problem, most of teachers would not do anything to help because it does not benefit them monetarily  The concept of charity and being involved just to do good is not accepted here.  Most professors think I am stupid for even trying to affect change that is beneficial because they do not see any immediate benefits.

But if the issue is that you cannot obtain grant money and cannot retain good talent because of your low ranking then stop whining and try to do something about it because if you expect to stay at the institution until retirement then it is in your best interest to help those students and your colleagues.  From what I can tell, most of the professors claim that they have all these things to do but all of these things are self serving.  Paper writing, research, and all the other social activities most of the professors participate in seem to be related to their own promotion.

At this rate, even if we do have some awesome and famous students graduate from this institution, none of those students would give back to the school and help other alumni or students because they are going to remember these selfish and egotistical professors.

We have so many professors and administrative persons who are very into what everyone else is doing but refuse to talk about themselves.  From what I can see, everyone is trying to compare what they have to what others have but they do not want to put in the time and effort to achieve something.  Now the professor justified talking about others because he claimed it is harmless.  However, if it was really that harmless then why are you not talking about yourselves?  The only person you are truly an authority on is yourself.

For example, some of the professors and staff in my own department were complaining about how I am not always on campus like they are.  However, when I am not on campus, I am still working to either negotiate something for the university or still working on projects with other professors and students.  I do not see you putting in the time to negotiate and ask for things which have no bearing on your own salary or promotion potential.  I CANNOT ever obtain tenure at a Chinese university because I am not fluent in Chinese, my negotiations for the school and its students will never lead to an economic bonus for me.  At best it gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling.

Frankly, I believe you should do good just to be good but if you do a cost benefit analysis you should still do what I believe because of the reasons above.

Here are my goals for my time in China other then studying for the UBE and writing some really good research papers for publication and finishing the PhD:

1. Motivate the best students to apply for research grants and opportunities to work and study abroad.
2. Motivate all students to have an open mind.
3. Motivate the administration to have an open mind and to change status quo.  Why should your institution stay in Tier 2 when you can be a Tier 1 school?
4. Change the professional teaching culture at my university.  I want the other professors to stop being so selfish with their time and salaries and live up to the profession.  We are suppose to be teachers first which means you should give a damn about the students.  You cannot expect the students to achieve and be the best they can be when you are disenchanted, do not care about them, and act like a selfish brats.
5. Give opportunities to foster cultural exchange.  People and cultures are not books, movies, or other media.  People are people.  All media is crafted to serve a purpose or agenda.
6. Teach that media is not fact nor is it truth.  We have too many idiots who say but I heard, I saw, etc.  These people are obviously not lawyers nor are they independently minded.  I put in a five second, never mind a five minute delay in any recording and I can change it to say or be anything.  Students in my oceanography class and hopefully my law class from last semester know this.  Showed them the same photos and recordings of things last semester and everyone had multiple conclusions because they looked and sounded different.  Frankly, my American students better know this unless they failed my oceanography class.
7. Increase the number of truly international professors who engage with the students in my school.  We have a handful of foreign professors and the majority of them are very white.  As the North Carolinian friends of mine would say, they are vanilla to the core.  The problem with this is that my one African American friend and I account for the school’s diversity.  Our students and even some professors and staff need to realize that intellect and experts come in all shapes, sizes, and colors.  When everyone looks the same, this does not help the diversity cause.  I am not saying I support affirmative action, as I do not – I believe in merit based accounting for everything.  However, there are good people who come from different backgrounds and our students need to be exposed to them.  Seeing is believing after all.  Sometimes I take for granted that I am raised in NYC and see all sorts of people doing all sorts of things – good and bad.

France has endured quite a bit the last few days.  But we need to pray for them to whatever God or Gods you believe in.  Even if it is some sort of sprite.  If you are an aethiest then express your condolences as people who cannot sympathize are those who will experience the same pain twice over.  This is the French version of the American 911.

While it is not a surprise that crazy fanatics decided that the best way to deal with a grievance was to kill random people who have had nothing to do with the policies you are riling against, everyone needs to keep their wits about them to identify the ones who actually were responsible and not innocent people who fit some description or imagination of guilt…

French TGV high-speed train derails near Stratsbourg – http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34822666

Paris Attacks, Prosecutor Molins Says Three Teams Were Involved – http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34823938

Paris Attacks: Islamic Militants Change Tactics – http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34824375

Although I am teaching a basic American Constitutional Rights class at the law school here, I was asked not to discuss gay marriage and other similar cases during the class.  To respect the wished of the law school administration, I do not discuss my feelings on the issue within the classroom setting.  However, on my personal time and during meals outside of the classroom, I am going to be spouting my pro-LGBT rights views.

Seriously, why deny anyone the right to get married and adopt children?  More money for the divorce lawyers when things fail and in the mean time more people to take in children who need homes…   I know this is a cheeky way to view the world but honestly, people should be able to make their own choices and live with the consequences.

Nothing is perfect but as long as you are not hurting anyone else, why should you care who sleeps with who?

Utah Judge Reverses His Ruling on Lesbian Parents – http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-34813352

So we all know that it is time that I got back into the flow with the blog.  Now the weekly animal news is of course going up first because I miss Peanut due to the overflowing cuteness attack of geese flooding a road way in China and a picture of a Spicy Rabbit Head dish from Sichuan on my friend’s we chat moment.

From my adopted home province of Hubei – the BBC presents 1,300 geese wandering to the market along the GuangZhou expressway… Adorable to look at.  Sad for the geese who are going to market to be sold for a variety of reasons.  Sad for the farmer who does not have a choice but to herd his geese to market via the highway to save money.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34758075

Also from China – Decoding the Panda Language.  However, sometimes I wonder if the Chinese Government spends too much money on the Pandas versus its citizens.  If we spent as much time and effort researching the way and mannerisms people communicate with each other, maybe the world would be a better place?  Just saying…

http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-34733258

Loane Teitiota was the man from Kiribati who went to New Zealand to try to claim climate refugee status,  There were many small island folks who were really invested in the outcome of his case as their homes are slowly sinking into the ocean.  Unfortunately, he lost his appeals and has been deported back to his home country of Kiribati.

Part of the discussions at the UN and during the Climate COP’s of recent years has been the compensation for small island nations which need to be resettled with the increase in sea level rise.  How exactly do you compensate people who are losing their lives, culture, and everything they have known?  They are not the reason for the increased sea level rise as none of the countries have had an industrial revolution with the puffing smoke and burning of natural resources.

Mr. Teitiota’s case is typical of the plight of many small island people.  He lives in housing which many first world citizens would not consider – a cinder block house.  He drinks water which is contaminated by sea water intrusion.  His children have health issues associated with malnutrition, lack of finances, and poor food security.

So while President Obama and President Xi have signed an agreement outlining a potential climate change policies for their respective countries, the question still remains if we are going to be able to truly affect change…  This is especially worrisome with the change in administration about to occur in the U.S. with Presidential elections right around the corner.

The Man Who Would Be the First Climate Change Refugee – http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34674374

Things I loved about Cambodia:

1. Direct flight from Guangzhou to Siem Reap which is only 2.5 hours each way courtesy of China Southern Airlines.
2. Meeting some really cool people in Cambodia randomly on a tour and hanging out with them for the whole trip.
3. Boutique Cambo Hotel is the best value because it is located 5 minutes from Pub Street, a stone’s throw from the Beer Garden, has a pool, free Wifi, great cuseomter service, free airport pick up, and free tuk tuk rides from the hotel to anywhere in town from 8am-8pm.
4. Angkor World Heritage Site was amazing and totally worth the 3 day pass although I wished that we stayed their longer to see the sunrise.  The sunset pictures were amazing but the day we went to see the sunrise it rained 🙁
5. Being able to obtain a visa at the airport within 10 minutes for 30 USD.
6. Traveling on my own again after 7 years and having a great time.

I learned lots of things about mosquitoes when I worked at the NYC Health Department during the West Niles Crisis.  NONE of those tips have helped me so far.

1) I have stopped eating bananas and fruits as any sugary items end up in your sweat and apparently attract mosquitoes even more – bananas are the worst offenders.

2) I have stopped using any of those floral body sprays and perfumes.  Certain scents are more noticeable for mosquitoes.

3) I have tried to avoid sleeping without the AC.  The cold temperatures make mosquitoes less active.

All of these precautions has led me to still create the biggest mosquito I have seen.  The bloody thing is really noticeable on my ceiling.

I currently have 5 bites from this apparently, very happily fed mosquito and they itch like crazy.  So I have the biggest welts on my legs and toes.

Attempts at killing this thing also has come to no avail.  Other than fumigating myself with poisonous levels of DEET and using all the Avon Skin So Soft Wipes which are amazing, I am stuck with this extremely arrogant and smug mosquito.

By the way this thing is sitting directly above my head.  Unfortunately, the thing is too far away to kill with my stubby arms, despite the flailing.  I thought about getting an electrified tennis racket but none of them were long enough.

It led to a significant clearing of all standing water in my office.  I decided to water the plants in the surrounding offices with a pot of water a green plant was sitting in because I saw 4-5 instar stage mosquito larvae swimming happily about.

I know you all have been waiting for my food posts because our Chinese food in the U.S. just cannot compare to those in the Hubei University of Economics Cafeterias and the street food across the street from the North Gate.

My favorite local breakfast food is the Tofu Skin dish which is suppose to be a specialty in Wuhan.  Basically it is friend tofu skin over rice with pieces of meat and scallion/green onion sprinkled on top.

One of my favorite street foods across the street from the main gate is grilled scallops with garlic, oil, shallots, and a little red pepper.  Who knew the seafood could taste so good and NOT get you sick.  As you know, I have a pretty sensitive stomach so Montezuma’s revenge for me is a constant problem.  I have yet to get sick from this seafood stand across the street so you know the food is sanitary and yummy 😀  They also have clams and this seafood soup thing which is pretty good but I forgot to take photos.  It is a mom and pop stand with their son (?) who helps them out.

Okay more food posts soon when I remember.  There is this guy who makes amazingly good bread with salted meat, pickled vegetables, and/or mixtures of all.  I need to ask him if its okay to take a picture of the food and them making it.