WEBVTT
1
00:00:25.800 --> 00:00:30.120
You are listening to WMPG Gorham, Partland. Welcome to Let's
2
00:00:30.120 --> 00:00:32.479
Connect great to Portland, a show about the changes and
3
00:00:32.560 --> 00:00:36.079
challenges and opportunities in our region and the people leading
4
00:00:36.119 --> 00:00:40.159
the way. What do we really know about China Today
5
00:00:40.200 --> 00:00:44.960
we're having a conversation about culture, innovation, and misconceptions. My
6
00:00:45.039 --> 00:00:48.719
guess is Hazel Shang, a mapping and data analyst at
7
00:00:48.719 --> 00:00:53.200
the Greater Portland Council of Governments, who recently returned from
8
00:00:53.320 --> 00:00:57.039
a three week trip to China. And we're going to
9
00:00:57.079 --> 00:01:00.280
talk about what was it like for Hazel to return home,
10
00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:04.400
how China is embracing new technology, and some of the
11
00:01:04.400 --> 00:01:08.799
differences and similarities she sees between life and China and
12
00:01:08.879 --> 00:01:13.280
life in the United States. Listeners join the conversation call
13
00:01:13.400 --> 00:01:16.480
us at seven eight oh four nine nine seven eight
14
00:01:16.560 --> 00:01:21.000
oh four nine nine. Hazel, Welcome to Let's Connect Grea
15
00:01:21.000 --> 00:01:21.519
to Portland.
16
00:01:21.640 --> 00:01:23.680
Hello, it's really good to be here.
17
00:01:24.400 --> 00:01:27.920
Before we begin our journey to China, tell us a
18
00:01:27.920 --> 00:01:30.760
little bit about yourself. Where did you grow up.
19
00:01:31.439 --> 00:01:37.400
Yeah, I'm Hazel and I'm a photographer. I'm a data analyst,
20
00:01:37.680 --> 00:01:41.560
but also I'm from China. I have been to the
21
00:01:41.680 --> 00:01:46.359
US for four years. And I grew up in northwest
22
00:01:46.359 --> 00:01:49.840
of China. It's not a big city. It's called Lanzho
23
00:01:51.680 --> 00:01:56.480
and it's it has The city has around four millions
24
00:01:56.519 --> 00:02:01.680
of population. It's a middle sized city in China.
25
00:02:02.319 --> 00:02:05.439
And where did you study and what first brought you
26
00:02:05.519 --> 00:02:06.400
to the United States?
27
00:02:07.280 --> 00:02:11.400
I came to here because for grad school I studied
28
00:02:11.719 --> 00:02:16.439
urban planning related stuff. And I feel because the US
29
00:02:16.479 --> 00:02:23.000
have more democratic urban planning, bottom up urban planning, So
30
00:02:23.039 --> 00:02:25.319
I really want to come to hear and then learn
31
00:02:26.479 --> 00:02:27.319
a new system.
32
00:02:28.599 --> 00:02:31.759
And what kind of mapping in data work do you
33
00:02:31.879 --> 00:02:36.000
do with the Greater Porcelain Council of Governments.
34
00:02:34.960 --> 00:02:40.599
I'm mostly doing a lot of sustainability work and transportation
35
00:02:40.759 --> 00:02:46.159
and housing. So it's using data numbers to show the
36
00:02:46.199 --> 00:02:51.120
trending of the region or geographically how it looks like
37
00:02:51.960 --> 00:02:57.800
of like flooding or housing. Where are they? Is there
38
00:02:57.840 --> 00:02:59.840
any trend in the region?
39
00:03:00.080 --> 00:03:03.280
Yeah, this is a big question. We can spend the
40
00:03:03.319 --> 00:03:05.800
whole show on it. But has your understanding of the
41
00:03:05.879 --> 00:03:08.759
United States change during the four years you lived here?
42
00:03:08.840 --> 00:03:14.960
Ooh, that's a really good question. I think I understand
43
00:03:15.159 --> 00:03:19.280
parts of it, but for my understanding, I don't feel
44
00:03:19.400 --> 00:03:21.120
US has changed a lot.
45
00:03:22.759 --> 00:03:24.479
How about your understanding of the US.
46
00:03:24.599 --> 00:03:29.240
Oh, my understanding of the US. Ah, yes, before I
47
00:03:29.280 --> 00:03:33.360
came to here, I have a imagination of the US
48
00:03:33.479 --> 00:03:38.080
is perfect, and people are voting for the people for
49
00:03:38.240 --> 00:03:41.319
the president they want, and they're choosing all of this
50
00:03:41.479 --> 00:03:46.479
stuff by voting, and people can go on the street
51
00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:51.120
and then protest and free speech. All of these is
52
00:03:52.199 --> 00:03:55.199
what I didn't have when I was in China. And
53
00:03:55.240 --> 00:04:00.439
now I started to realize, Oh, it's still a sism
54
00:04:00.680 --> 00:04:05.479
and we can't really control the result we want, and
55
00:04:05.520 --> 00:04:09.759
it is democracy, but in the same time, it's that
56
00:04:10.039 --> 00:04:17.199
it's not really efficient another way. Yeah, it's interesting. My
57
00:04:17.279 --> 00:04:21.040
bubble was broken when I after I came to here.
58
00:04:22.079 --> 00:04:25.079
So you've been here four years? Yeah, and during all
59
00:04:25.120 --> 00:04:27.319
that time, have you been back to China? No?
60
00:04:27.720 --> 00:04:31.800
I didn't, So it was a big thing for me.
61
00:04:32.720 --> 00:04:37.160
And and tell me who's at home for you? Your parents? Yes,
62
00:04:37.639 --> 00:04:39.560
my family, your brothers and sisters.
63
00:04:39.759 --> 00:04:43.839
No, I'm the single child because of the single child policy.
64
00:04:44.120 --> 00:04:45.800
So they're only child.
65
00:04:46.120 --> 00:04:48.079
Oh, the only child policy.
66
00:04:47.759 --> 00:04:51.279
And is here in America? And how do they your
67
00:04:51.279 --> 00:04:52.240
parents feel about that?
68
00:04:54.759 --> 00:04:59.639
It's really tough for them. They really want me to
69
00:04:59.680 --> 00:05:04.079
be a around because they have spending all their time
70
00:05:04.240 --> 00:05:06.319
on me to educate, to help me to have a
71
00:05:06.319 --> 00:05:09.920
better education in the whole time when I growing up.
72
00:05:10.759 --> 00:05:14.319
So I think our dream is still to be together
73
00:05:14.439 --> 00:05:15.120
in the future.
74
00:05:16.279 --> 00:05:20.000
So tell me about your journey home, just sort of
75
00:05:20.040 --> 00:05:22.000
how how did you get there?
76
00:05:23.279 --> 00:05:27.600
I had a lot of layovers. I spent around thirty
77
00:05:27.680 --> 00:05:33.839
hours from Portland taking bus to Boston and then Boston,
78
00:05:34.000 --> 00:05:37.959
flight to Hong Kong, and then Hong Kong, layover to Shanghai,
79
00:05:38.639 --> 00:05:42.319
and then Shanghai go back to my parents where I
80
00:05:42.319 --> 00:05:43.360
grew up Lando.
81
00:05:44.199 --> 00:05:45.839
How long does it take you to get from Shanghai
82
00:05:45.920 --> 00:05:47.120
to where you grew up.
83
00:05:47.480 --> 00:05:52.720
It's like two hours flight, so it's not close either.
84
00:05:53.439 --> 00:05:55.720
So did you just spend any time in Shanghai and
85
00:05:55.759 --> 00:05:56.959
that stopover.
86
00:05:56.720 --> 00:06:02.439
Yes, I did. I even tried the hospital system when
87
00:06:02.480 --> 00:06:06.319
I was in Shanghai because I got a fishbone stuck
88
00:06:06.360 --> 00:06:10.240
in my throat the tenth hours when I was in Shanghai,
89
00:06:10.720 --> 00:06:13.319
so I went to the er and I experienced a
90
00:06:13.399 --> 00:06:17.759
whole that side of China.
91
00:06:17.879 --> 00:06:20.759
So what was it like to to to you know,
92
00:06:20.839 --> 00:06:23.319
to your Portland is a tiny little city in a
93
00:06:23.399 --> 00:06:25.759
rural state, and Shanghai is one of the largest cities
94
00:06:25.759 --> 00:06:28.439
in the world. Right, So what's it like to be
95
00:06:28.519 --> 00:06:31.199
transformed from Little Portland, Maine to Shanghai.
96
00:06:32.199 --> 00:06:39.920
It was really overstimulated. I felt overwhelmed. I felt the
97
00:06:39.959 --> 00:06:44.319
air was hot, and everyone is really loud. I have
98
00:06:44.480 --> 00:06:48.319
so many people around surrounding me, and plus the jet lag,
99
00:06:48.639 --> 00:06:53.079
it really feels I was in a dream even if
100
00:06:53.199 --> 00:06:57.560
I grew up in that environment. But I was still fine.
101
00:06:57.600 --> 00:07:01.439
It's really hard to adjusted.
102
00:07:02.639 --> 00:07:05.319
And what was the air like in the atmosphere? Was
103
00:07:05.319 --> 00:07:06.680
it like heavy and humid?
104
00:07:06.800 --> 00:07:13.160
And yes, it's really hot and humid. And because people
105
00:07:13.199 --> 00:07:17.000
don't really have a lot of patience in China, so
106
00:07:17.079 --> 00:07:20.000
it's also feels rush Russia.
107
00:07:21.040 --> 00:07:24.000
Was there anything about China that immediately felt familiar?
108
00:07:24.639 --> 00:07:32.120
Ooh h, I think it's the language. The moment I
109
00:07:32.319 --> 00:07:35.279
was there, I realized, oh, I can say whatever I want.
110
00:07:35.560 --> 00:07:37.800
I have the full control of the language.
111
00:07:39.160 --> 00:07:43.040
Was there anything that felt unfamiliar even though it was
112
00:07:43.079 --> 00:07:43.879
your home country.
113
00:07:45.920 --> 00:07:50.920
One thing I remember clearly is about the traffic. I
114
00:07:51.240 --> 00:07:56.680
found people on the street don't really stop for pedestrians,
115
00:07:57.560 --> 00:08:00.040
so it's you need to find your own way to
116
00:08:00.079 --> 00:08:01.879
ross the crosswalk.
117
00:08:03.360 --> 00:08:07.000
Every man fro himself, yes, and what did you notice
118
00:08:08.079 --> 00:08:09.839
because you had been living in the United States that
119
00:08:09.879 --> 00:08:11.399
you might not have noticed.
120
00:08:11.079 --> 00:08:14.600
Before after I come back to the US.
121
00:08:14.920 --> 00:08:17.199
No, no, sort of you've been living in the US
122
00:08:17.600 --> 00:08:19.439
and something you noticed in China that you would not
123
00:08:19.480 --> 00:08:21.759
have noticed if you had lived before you came here.
124
00:08:23.600 --> 00:08:28.560
I think it's how convenient it is. When I lived
125
00:08:28.680 --> 00:08:33.440
in the hotel, the hotel have the robot to delivering
126
00:08:33.519 --> 00:08:39.360
packages for me, and I take public transportation a lot,
127
00:08:39.480 --> 00:08:44.240
and it's fully connected. I don't really need to drive
128
00:08:44.679 --> 00:08:48.600
or take wouber. I can just from point A to
129
00:08:48.679 --> 00:08:51.120
point B. I can just transfer transfer and then get
130
00:08:51.159 --> 00:08:54.960
to the place I want. And yeah, it just feels
131
00:08:55.039 --> 00:08:57.559
super convenient, fast.
132
00:08:57.320 --> 00:09:02.000
Speed, and people there have really embraced technology.
133
00:09:02.480 --> 00:09:07.919
Yes, oh yeah, that's another part I found interesting. It's
134
00:09:07.960 --> 00:09:12.519
for our generation. Most of my friend in the US,
135
00:09:12.720 --> 00:09:16.759
I feel they're kind of anti technology. But most of
136
00:09:16.799 --> 00:09:19.879
my friends in China they love technology and they want
137
00:09:19.919 --> 00:09:22.120
to be part of it, like to go to tech
138
00:09:22.200 --> 00:09:25.159
company and then or to be an influencer.
139
00:09:26.639 --> 00:09:29.360
And in America there's a lot of opposition to AI, right,
140
00:09:30.279 --> 00:09:33.240
but is that different in China it's totally different.
141
00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:39.799
I think it's also because China was benefit from the
142
00:09:39.919 --> 00:09:44.559
technology improvement in the past twenty years. So people feel
143
00:09:44.600 --> 00:09:49.679
really positive about technology and AI and think about where
144
00:09:49.759 --> 00:09:57.440
can be a developed country by this technology, and everyone
145
00:09:57.480 --> 00:09:58.519
want to be parts of it.
146
00:09:59.399 --> 00:10:02.440
Was there a particular moment when you thought, I'm really
147
00:10:02.440 --> 00:10:03.120
back in China?
148
00:10:03.720 --> 00:10:07.320
Oh, there are a lot actually.
149
00:10:09.960 --> 00:10:12.879
Any foods for example, that you were you missed that
150
00:10:12.919 --> 00:10:14.279
you finally were able to eat.
151
00:10:14.240 --> 00:10:18.440
Or yes, yes, a lot of that. But in the
152
00:10:18.480 --> 00:10:22.080
same time, I got the feeling of a lot of
153
00:10:22.120 --> 00:10:28.519
food feels overprocessed, and I kind of missing the salad,
154
00:10:29.000 --> 00:10:33.639
the raw stuff, that type of feeling that feels more
155
00:10:34.120 --> 00:10:35.080
natural to me.
156
00:10:35.840 --> 00:10:40.240
That people in restaurants in Maine are really into serving
157
00:10:40.480 --> 00:10:45.639
right different. Yeah, So tell me a bit about your
158
00:10:45.720 --> 00:10:51.039
journey home. Now you get you recover from the hospital, Yes,
159
00:10:51.200 --> 00:10:54.840
get back on the plane and you fly two hours. Yeah,
160
00:10:54.919 --> 00:10:56.960
and so where are you going?
161
00:10:57.679 --> 00:11:02.679
I'm going to No, north west of China. It's pretty
162
00:11:03.080 --> 00:11:07.200
It's called Gansu Province. It's part of the Silk Road
163
00:11:08.159 --> 00:11:12.480
back to I don't know, it's always been part of
164
00:11:12.519 --> 00:11:20.039
the Silk Road. And it's high elevation. It's really dry. Yeah.
165
00:11:20.440 --> 00:11:24.240
In the city is called Lando, and is it cold
166
00:11:24.279 --> 00:11:32.879
in winter. Yeah, it's it would be like thirty twenty degree.
167
00:11:33.240 --> 00:11:35.840
Okay, not as cool in the winter, no.
168
00:11:36.399 --> 00:11:38.720
And not a lot of snow because it's a really
169
00:11:38.799 --> 00:11:40.879
dry area.
170
00:11:41.519 --> 00:11:43.120
Your parents must have been so thrilled to see you
171
00:11:43.200 --> 00:11:44.039
after four years.
172
00:11:44.320 --> 00:11:49.159
Yes, it was. It was really exciting to see them.
173
00:11:49.840 --> 00:11:52.480
In the same time, it makes the goodbye a lot
174
00:11:52.559 --> 00:11:53.600
harder too.
175
00:11:55.639 --> 00:12:01.480
Is there particular a song it reminds you of your region?
176
00:12:02.840 --> 00:12:09.000
My region is That region is called Lowis Plateau and
177
00:12:09.679 --> 00:12:14.639
that kind of means a sandy high elevation playing. So
178
00:12:15.960 --> 00:12:18.320
there is one song it's specific for that.
179
00:12:18.840 --> 00:12:20.399
Okay, well let's take a listen to it.
180
00:12:20.639 --> 00:12:22.000
Yeah, let's do it.
181
00:13:18.279 --> 00:13:21.039
If you're just tuning in, I'm Tom Bell and this
182
00:13:21.080 --> 00:13:26.200
is Let's connect great to Portland. We're talking about China.
183
00:13:26.320 --> 00:13:28.480
What do we really know about China today? We're having
184
00:13:28.480 --> 00:13:32.840
a conversation about culture, innovation, and misconceptions. My guess is
185
00:13:32.840 --> 00:13:35.879
Hazel Jang, a mapping and data analysts at the Greater
186
00:13:35.960 --> 00:13:39.240
Portland Council of Governments, recently returned from a three week
187
00:13:39.679 --> 00:13:44.559
trip to China. Hazel, this music I'm listening to it's
188
00:13:45.120 --> 00:13:47.279
really beautiful. What are the lyrics?
189
00:13:48.200 --> 00:13:52.559
So I just translate part of it. It's called it's
190
00:13:52.559 --> 00:13:57.519
saying my home lines on the lowest plateau where strong
191
00:13:57.559 --> 00:14:01.480
winds sweep across those slopes with the scent.
192
00:14:03.399 --> 00:14:11.039
Beautiful. So was there any particular moment or in the
193
00:14:11.480 --> 00:14:13.399
family reunion that really stayed with you?
194
00:14:14.440 --> 00:14:14.639
Yeah?
195
00:14:14.679 --> 00:14:17.960
I guess it's the time to spend with my dad
196
00:14:18.240 --> 00:14:23.480
because he's not a really good communicator through the fall,
197
00:14:24.200 --> 00:14:27.759
but he's a really in person person. So we actually
198
00:14:27.799 --> 00:14:32.440
got to talk to each other a lot, just two
199
00:14:32.480 --> 00:14:33.600
of us.
200
00:14:35.279 --> 00:14:38.759
And there was there anything about your hometown that feel
201
00:14:39.200 --> 00:14:43.559
different than before? Did it feel much bigger or noisier
202
00:14:43.559 --> 00:14:44.879
than maybe you had remembered it.
203
00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:50.279
I think everywhere is a lot noisier than I remembered.
204
00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:57.279
I just didn't remember it's so crowded and so everyone
205
00:14:57.440 --> 00:15:03.639
is really don't have patience. That was one thing that
206
00:15:03.759 --> 00:15:04.480
stand out to me.
207
00:15:06.440 --> 00:15:09.360
And did you find yourself seeing your home through both
208
00:15:09.440 --> 00:15:10.840
Chinese and American eyes?
209
00:15:11.000 --> 00:15:11.320
Yeah?
210
00:15:12.559 --> 00:15:15.600
Like, tell me about that. What would be like when
211
00:15:15.639 --> 00:15:17.279
you're looking at it through your American eyes? What did
212
00:15:17.320 --> 00:15:17.919
you notice?
213
00:15:18.360 --> 00:15:24.320
I saw a lot of cool traditional traditional art, like
214
00:15:25.200 --> 00:15:29.519
a painting on a wall or the stone carving thing
215
00:15:29.799 --> 00:15:34.039
on a temple. I found out myself really appreciate this
216
00:15:34.159 --> 00:15:36.600
type of art, and we went to We took a
217
00:15:36.639 --> 00:15:41.919
trip to a lot of different temples, either Buddhism temple
218
00:15:42.200 --> 00:15:46.519
or Muslim temple, and then I found the art in
219
00:15:46.600 --> 00:15:53.000
there are all beautiful. And how people are religious like
220
00:15:53.240 --> 00:15:58.799
fully respect that religion also really inspired me.
221
00:16:00.320 --> 00:16:03.320
Were people from your home area is into technology as
222
00:16:03.320 --> 00:16:04.759
they were in Shanghai.
223
00:16:04.879 --> 00:16:08.559
Not as much. The people from my area is more
224
00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:13.639
like might going to be replaced by AI in the future.
225
00:16:14.720 --> 00:16:20.039
So the economy is not really good and a lot
226
00:16:20.039 --> 00:16:23.759
of people starting to find other ways to make money.
227
00:16:24.960 --> 00:16:29.720
You mentioned to me before how the telephone. Yeah, that
228
00:16:29.840 --> 00:16:32.200
everywhere you went people were looking at their telephone. Yes,
229
00:16:32.879 --> 00:16:33.639
why are they doing that?
230
00:16:34.360 --> 00:16:37.279
I think one of the reasons is most of the
231
00:16:37.360 --> 00:16:41.039
service you want to get you have to use telephone
232
00:16:41.080 --> 00:16:48.279
to access it, including pay for the taxes or like
233
00:16:48.360 --> 00:16:52.120
all the e payment is really advanced. Nobody is carrying
234
00:16:52.360 --> 00:16:57.600
card or cash anywhere. And for booking stuff you also
235
00:16:57.639 --> 00:17:04.119
need your phone. Yeah, just anything you have to use phone.
236
00:17:04.279 --> 00:17:07.279
And the more frequent you take out your phone, the
237
00:17:07.279 --> 00:17:11.519
more easier you will be attracted or distracted by the
238
00:17:11.519 --> 00:17:12.839
content on the phone.
239
00:17:14.079 --> 00:17:17.440
You mentioned before to me that this concept of a
240
00:17:17.519 --> 00:17:20.599
K shape economy. Oh yeah, you've noticed that in China
241
00:17:20.680 --> 00:17:22.319
during your trip home. Tell me about that.
242
00:17:22.720 --> 00:17:28.359
Yeah, so I did a little bit research on that.
243
00:17:29.200 --> 00:17:33.839
It's called K shaped divergence, which refers to a situation
244
00:17:34.440 --> 00:17:38.279
where different parts of an economy moving opposite direction at
245
00:17:38.279 --> 00:17:42.599
the same time. And I have noticed this because my
246
00:17:42.720 --> 00:17:46.599
parents will keep complaining with me about how bad the
247
00:17:46.720 --> 00:17:51.160
economy China is. Their company are not paying salary to
248
00:17:51.279 --> 00:17:55.559
them and people are losing their jobs. But in the
249
00:17:55.599 --> 00:17:58.240
same time, a lot of my friends works in the
250
00:17:58.359 --> 00:18:02.240
AI company. H They're earning a lot of money and
251
00:18:02.279 --> 00:18:06.079
they're just having a great time. And then I found
252
00:18:06.319 --> 00:18:14.960
this theory and it's showing like in China, some industry
253
00:18:15.000 --> 00:18:21.519
are going booming, like AI, robot, microchips, all of these
254
00:18:21.880 --> 00:18:27.559
are leading in the world. But opposite like construction or
255
00:18:27.599 --> 00:18:35.200
service delivering, all of these industries are losing money and
256
00:18:35.279 --> 00:18:39.359
people are losing jobs. So this, my potentially leads to
257
00:18:39.480 --> 00:18:43.400
a consequence is China is gonna go to a more
258
00:18:43.839 --> 00:18:49.519
inequity society potentially.
259
00:18:50.279 --> 00:18:54.960
And the other thing you mentioned is how hard people
260
00:18:55.000 --> 00:18:55.519
are working.
261
00:18:56.279 --> 00:19:02.839
Yes, yeah, I'm not. Five of my college friend and
262
00:19:02.920 --> 00:19:06.799
three of them are working from ten am to ten
263
00:19:06.880 --> 00:19:12.319
pm and like more than five days a week, and
264
00:19:12.880 --> 00:19:18.240
one is working really intensely. She is working seven days
265
00:19:18.279 --> 00:19:22.519
a week and then from nine am to ten pm.
266
00:19:23.000 --> 00:19:25.599
So people are working really, really hard because of the
267
00:19:25.680 --> 00:19:28.759
high competition in China.
268
00:19:29.319 --> 00:19:32.319
And if you're in the portion of that ca shape
269
00:19:32.519 --> 00:19:36.680
economy going down, you're working more and more. Just try
270
00:19:36.720 --> 00:19:37.400
to stay ahead.
271
00:19:37.640 --> 00:19:43.279
Yes, yes, I was feeling sad about I want to
272
00:19:43.359 --> 00:19:48.039
do my nails in my hometown and they spent four
273
00:19:48.039 --> 00:19:52.599
hours on my nail and then they only earned twenty bucks.
274
00:19:53.640 --> 00:19:56.920
So it's really sad.
275
00:19:57.480 --> 00:20:01.400
And when Americans hear the work China, the conversation often
276
00:20:01.480 --> 00:20:05.160
immediately becomes political. And what gets lost when we look
277
00:20:05.200 --> 00:20:06.839
at China only through politics.
278
00:20:07.200 --> 00:20:12.880
What got lost is like, if this means when we're
279
00:20:12.920 --> 00:20:18.279
talking about China, what part are we missing? Hmm, that's
280
00:20:18.319 --> 00:20:19.119
a good question.
281
00:20:19.640 --> 00:20:25.279
That's another question. What do Americans commonly misunderstand about everyday
282
00:20:25.319 --> 00:20:25.960
life in China.
283
00:20:26.119 --> 00:20:29.519
I saw there's a trending on short video is I
284
00:20:29.559 --> 00:20:32.640
want to leave. I'm leaving my Chinese life right now.
285
00:20:33.200 --> 00:20:38.000
And people are appreciating China more and more on the
286
00:20:38.079 --> 00:20:41.960
internet for the younger generation, and I found that's interesting.
287
00:20:42.200 --> 00:20:46.200
That is interesting because there is a stereotype in the
288
00:20:46.319 --> 00:20:52.200
US right before it is Chinese are what. I actually
289
00:20:52.240 --> 00:20:56.599
don't know what stearotype US have to Chinese China.
290
00:20:57.160 --> 00:20:59.960
Actually, I think it depends upon what age the person says.
291
00:21:00.039 --> 00:21:04.440
An older older people remember China as being a communist country,
292
00:21:04.839 --> 00:21:08.400
and they're going to be focused on uh kind of
293
00:21:08.480 --> 00:21:13.759
you know, the suppression of free speech and the state control.
294
00:21:14.160 --> 00:21:15.920
And I think I think maybe they may have an
295
00:21:16.000 --> 00:21:20.759
unfavorable China. Well, maybe the younger people are watching these
296
00:21:20.799 --> 00:21:26.480
internet videos and seeing that China is becoming a modern country.
297
00:21:26.799 --> 00:21:27.000
Yeah.
298
00:21:27.559 --> 00:21:32.519
And then the politics, of course China is looming threat
299
00:21:32.880 --> 00:21:39.839
that politicians keep talking about. Yeah, and and and is
300
00:21:39.880 --> 00:21:43.000
that what are you as of someone living in America
301
00:21:43.119 --> 00:21:47.720
that's kind of seeing China being viewed as a as
302
00:21:47.920 --> 00:21:49.519
a as a threat to the United States.
303
00:21:49.839 --> 00:21:53.079
I think it definitely is based on what I've seen
304
00:21:53.160 --> 00:21:57.200
because it's super convenient and a lot of infrastructure are
305
00:21:58.680 --> 00:22:02.680
fully built. It's just really convenient in China, and everyone
306
00:22:02.759 --> 00:22:08.759
are working really hard. So I think in this way, yes,
307
00:22:08.960 --> 00:22:12.640
China is a threaten to the US. In the same time,
308
00:22:13.240 --> 00:22:18.640
if we look at individual different people are having really
309
00:22:18.680 --> 00:22:26.319
different lifestyle. Yeah, and I think one thing I want
310
00:22:26.680 --> 00:22:32.480
I found interesting is people are competitive and creative in
311
00:22:32.599 --> 00:22:39.440
China and they're providing a lot of full service to people,
312
00:22:40.200 --> 00:22:43.480
like when you go to anywhere. When you go to
313
00:22:43.519 --> 00:22:48.960
a place, it feels like a full experience.
314
00:22:50.920 --> 00:22:55.480
So three weeks go by, Yeah, you said, go by
315
00:22:55.480 --> 00:23:01.359
to your poor parents, back to America. What does it
316
00:23:01.400 --> 00:23:02.799
feel like to come here? Come home?
317
00:23:03.759 --> 00:23:08.599
I found here is really quiet and the air is
318
00:23:08.640 --> 00:23:13.079
really fresh. And I remember you had a comment it
319
00:23:13.240 --> 00:23:16.480
so as the North Pole, right.
320
00:23:17.920 --> 00:23:20.960
Yeah, I was thinking that's a great compliment until you
321
00:23:21.000 --> 00:23:23.240
realize and North Pole the air is also very fresh.
322
00:23:23.279 --> 00:23:24.240
It's also very quiet.
323
00:23:25.039 --> 00:23:27.440
And I think I have a lot of free time
324
00:23:27.599 --> 00:23:32.359
to think about myself because China is so busy and
325
00:23:32.440 --> 00:23:36.039
there are so many things happens on the same time always,
326
00:23:36.799 --> 00:23:41.079
so I feel I was passively receiving a lot of messages,
327
00:23:41.400 --> 00:23:46.119
but I'm not thinking actively when I was there. But
328
00:23:46.319 --> 00:23:50.079
after come back, I finally have the time to debrief.
329
00:23:51.640 --> 00:23:58.039
China is embracing technology so quickly and building new infrastructure
330
00:23:58.160 --> 00:24:02.319
and yeah, bullet trains and so quickly. It's coming back
331
00:24:02.319 --> 00:24:05.359
to the United States that they feel like in a
332
00:24:05.359 --> 00:24:07.279
way kind of going back in time.
333
00:24:08.279 --> 00:24:13.319
I think based on convenient, it feels like come back
334
00:24:13.440 --> 00:24:17.599
because it's really not convenient here and we're still talking
335
00:24:17.640 --> 00:24:25.200
about protected bike lanes or let's not build, let's not drive,
336
00:24:25.559 --> 00:24:29.799
let's take public transportation in this way, Yes, I feel
337
00:24:31.319 --> 00:24:33.359
less convenient here.
338
00:24:34.440 --> 00:24:40.599
And other things about that. Chinese people misunderstand about life
339
00:24:40.599 --> 00:24:42.440
in the United States, so you probably had to do
340
00:24:42.480 --> 00:24:44.799
a lot of explaining to people about your life in
341
00:24:44.839 --> 00:24:46.799
America and you heard a lot of questions. I'm just
342
00:24:46.920 --> 00:24:48.759
interested what those questions were, Like.
343
00:24:50.079 --> 00:24:58.039
They really curious about my working schedule and they found oh,
344
00:24:58.279 --> 00:25:02.200
you're leaving a really work life. I've balanced life. And
345
00:25:02.279 --> 00:25:07.839
another thing is I think they're surprised by how inconvenient
346
00:25:07.880 --> 00:25:11.559
the US is when we're talking about we have to
347
00:25:11.640 --> 00:25:17.880
drive around to do a lot of stuff that surprises them.
348
00:25:18.000 --> 00:25:22.119
And another thing I think it's cool is I have
349
00:25:22.200 --> 00:25:27.319
to explain what is Bernie Man for them. It's a
350
00:25:27.359 --> 00:25:31.279
wild concept for my friends, and that was interesting, Like
351
00:25:31.440 --> 00:25:36.039
to explain DIY culture, the art scene. It's hard for
352
00:25:37.319 --> 00:25:38.680
them to understand.
353
00:25:39.720 --> 00:25:42.440
So we're coming to near the end of the show,
354
00:25:42.960 --> 00:25:44.799
but our listeners don't have to say good bye to
355
00:25:44.839 --> 00:25:48.680
you because you are a DJ here WMPG and they
356
00:25:48.720 --> 00:25:50.720
can hear you every other week. Tell me about your show.
357
00:25:51.079 --> 00:25:54.799
Yes, So my DJ name is two which one and
358
00:25:56.480 --> 00:25:59.720
me and my partner DJ you Andami have a show
359
00:25:59.759 --> 00:26:04.039
called Asynka Wait is every other Friday from ten to
360
00:26:04.119 --> 00:26:09.400
eleven pm, ten to eleven thirty pm. And it will
361
00:26:09.440 --> 00:26:12.000
be next Friday.
362
00:26:12.799 --> 00:26:14.160
Not this Friday, but next Friday.
363
00:26:14.240 --> 00:26:15.279
Yes, next Friday.
364
00:26:15.759 --> 00:26:17.880
And what kind of music do you play?
365
00:26:18.079 --> 00:26:21.000
I like to play electronic music, but also have a
366
00:26:21.000 --> 00:26:24.359
lot of other elements in it, like folk music or
367
00:26:25.359 --> 00:26:30.720
different instrument or jazz electronic like the fusion electronic music.
368
00:26:31.519 --> 00:26:34.559
I asked you to bring an example the kind of
369
00:26:34.640 --> 00:26:37.359
music that you play in the show. Could you tell
370
00:26:37.400 --> 00:26:38.519
me about the song?
371
00:26:39.039 --> 00:26:44.119
Yeah, So the track is from an artist called the
372
00:26:44.160 --> 00:26:51.480
Shanghai Restoration Projects. And I found it really beautiful because
373
00:26:51.480 --> 00:26:57.079
it's also a song is mimiting a radio show and
374
00:26:57.680 --> 00:27:00.960
it has beautiful elements in it and it hot say
375
00:27:01.720 --> 00:27:03.640
it has like music.
376
00:27:04.160 --> 00:27:35.759
Yeah.
377
00:27:37.440 --> 00:27:40.519
I want to thank you, Hazel. Hazel Jawing and mapping
378
00:27:40.559 --> 00:27:43.279
and data analysts at the Greater Portland Council of Governments
379
00:27:43.799 --> 00:27:48.000
thanks to Camur Sound Engineer Today and WMPG our partner
380
00:27:48.119 --> 00:27:50.599
producing the show with the Greater Portland Consol of Governments.
381
00:27:51.200 --> 00:27:53.839
You can find us on Instagram at Let's Connect Radio,
382
00:27:53.880 --> 00:27:55.680
and you can listen to the show as a podcast
383
00:27:55.759 --> 00:28:00.160
along with past episodes wherever you get your podcasts. Join
384
00:28:00.240 --> 00:28:02.839
us next week for another conversation about the changes and
385
00:28:03.000 --> 00:28:07.599
challenges shaping our communities. Until then, becount yourself into each other.
386
00:28:08.519 --> 00:28:11.880
I'm Tom Bell. Thanks for listening to Let's Connect. Great
387
00:28:11.880 --> 00:28:12.279
A poor.
388
00:28:59.160 --> 00:29:05.519
Sister and the dingdren Herman Dada how find Sildren through Bally.
389
00:29:05.759 --> 00:29:10.319
I've got to take a Bodian time Tidian promise at
390
00:29:10.440 --> 00:29:13.359
Dad han't had a part issue? Puts you in your
391
00:29:13.400 --> 00:29:16.200
John GNI she bother? I see that at Alicia because
392
00:29:16.240 --> 00:29:24.759
the family Lucie shoot Aby looking him and agnot. That's
393
00:29:24.799 --> 00:29:28.359
a telling Ea girl the girlfriend he loves my lad
394
00:29:28.680 --> 00:29:32.319
you know cause your John shed mys
1
00:00:25.800 --> 00:00:30.120
You are listening to WMPG Gorham, Partland. Welcome to Let's
2
00:00:30.120 --> 00:00:32.479
Connect great to Portland, a show about the changes and
3
00:00:32.560 --> 00:00:36.079
challenges and opportunities in our region and the people leading
4
00:00:36.119 --> 00:00:40.159
the way. What do we really know about China Today
5
00:00:40.200 --> 00:00:44.960
we're having a conversation about culture, innovation, and misconceptions. My
6
00:00:45.039 --> 00:00:48.719
guess is Hazel Shang, a mapping and data analyst at
7
00:00:48.719 --> 00:00:53.200
the Greater Portland Council of Governments, who recently returned from
8
00:00:53.320 --> 00:00:57.039
a three week trip to China. And we're going to
9
00:00:57.079 --> 00:01:00.280
talk about what was it like for Hazel to return home,
10
00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:04.400
how China is embracing new technology, and some of the
11
00:01:04.400 --> 00:01:08.799
differences and similarities she sees between life and China and
12
00:01:08.879 --> 00:01:13.280
life in the United States. Listeners join the conversation call
13
00:01:13.400 --> 00:01:16.480
us at seven eight oh four nine nine seven eight
14
00:01:16.560 --> 00:01:21.000
oh four nine nine. Hazel, Welcome to Let's Connect Grea
15
00:01:21.000 --> 00:01:21.519
to Portland.
16
00:01:21.640 --> 00:01:23.680
Hello, it's really good to be here.
17
00:01:24.400 --> 00:01:27.920
Before we begin our journey to China, tell us a
18
00:01:27.920 --> 00:01:30.760
little bit about yourself. Where did you grow up.
19
00:01:31.439 --> 00:01:37.400
Yeah, I'm Hazel and I'm a photographer. I'm a data analyst,
20
00:01:37.680 --> 00:01:41.560
but also I'm from China. I have been to the
21
00:01:41.680 --> 00:01:46.359
US for four years. And I grew up in northwest
22
00:01:46.359 --> 00:01:49.840
of China. It's not a big city. It's called Lanzho
23
00:01:51.680 --> 00:01:56.480
and it's it has The city has around four millions
24
00:01:56.519 --> 00:02:01.680
of population. It's a middle sized city in China.
25
00:02:02.319 --> 00:02:05.439
And where did you study and what first brought you
26
00:02:05.519 --> 00:02:06.400
to the United States?
27
00:02:07.280 --> 00:02:11.400
I came to here because for grad school I studied
28
00:02:11.719 --> 00:02:16.439
urban planning related stuff. And I feel because the US
29
00:02:16.479 --> 00:02:23.000
have more democratic urban planning, bottom up urban planning, So
30
00:02:23.039 --> 00:02:25.319
I really want to come to hear and then learn
31
00:02:26.479 --> 00:02:27.319
a new system.
32
00:02:28.599 --> 00:02:31.759
And what kind of mapping in data work do you
33
00:02:31.879 --> 00:02:36.000
do with the Greater Porcelain Council of Governments.
34
00:02:34.960 --> 00:02:40.599
I'm mostly doing a lot of sustainability work and transportation
35
00:02:40.759 --> 00:02:46.159
and housing. So it's using data numbers to show the
36
00:02:46.199 --> 00:02:51.120
trending of the region or geographically how it looks like
37
00:02:51.960 --> 00:02:57.800
of like flooding or housing. Where are they? Is there
38
00:02:57.840 --> 00:02:59.840
any trend in the region?
39
00:03:00.080 --> 00:03:03.280
Yeah, this is a big question. We can spend the
40
00:03:03.319 --> 00:03:05.800
whole show on it. But has your understanding of the
41
00:03:05.879 --> 00:03:08.759
United States change during the four years you lived here?
42
00:03:08.840 --> 00:03:14.960
Ooh, that's a really good question. I think I understand
43
00:03:15.159 --> 00:03:19.280
parts of it, but for my understanding, I don't feel
44
00:03:19.400 --> 00:03:21.120
US has changed a lot.
45
00:03:22.759 --> 00:03:24.479
How about your understanding of the US.
46
00:03:24.599 --> 00:03:29.240
Oh, my understanding of the US. Ah, yes, before I
47
00:03:29.280 --> 00:03:33.360
came to here, I have a imagination of the US
48
00:03:33.479 --> 00:03:38.080
is perfect, and people are voting for the people for
49
00:03:38.240 --> 00:03:41.319
the president they want, and they're choosing all of this
50
00:03:41.479 --> 00:03:46.479
stuff by voting, and people can go on the street
51
00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:51.120
and then protest and free speech. All of these is
52
00:03:52.199 --> 00:03:55.199
what I didn't have when I was in China. And
53
00:03:55.240 --> 00:04:00.439
now I started to realize, Oh, it's still a sism
54
00:04:00.680 --> 00:04:05.479
and we can't really control the result we want, and
55
00:04:05.520 --> 00:04:09.759
it is democracy, but in the same time, it's that
56
00:04:10.039 --> 00:04:17.199
it's not really efficient another way. Yeah, it's interesting. My
57
00:04:17.279 --> 00:04:21.040
bubble was broken when I after I came to here.
58
00:04:22.079 --> 00:04:25.079
So you've been here four years? Yeah, and during all
59
00:04:25.120 --> 00:04:27.319
that time, have you been back to China? No?
60
00:04:27.720 --> 00:04:31.800
I didn't, So it was a big thing for me.
61
00:04:32.720 --> 00:04:37.160
And and tell me who's at home for you? Your parents? Yes,
62
00:04:37.639 --> 00:04:39.560
my family, your brothers and sisters.
63
00:04:39.759 --> 00:04:43.839
No, I'm the single child because of the single child policy.
64
00:04:44.120 --> 00:04:45.800
So they're only child.
65
00:04:46.120 --> 00:04:48.079
Oh, the only child policy.
66
00:04:47.759 --> 00:04:51.279
And is here in America? And how do they your
67
00:04:51.279 --> 00:04:52.240
parents feel about that?
68
00:04:54.759 --> 00:04:59.639
It's really tough for them. They really want me to
69
00:04:59.680 --> 00:05:04.079
be a around because they have spending all their time
70
00:05:04.240 --> 00:05:06.319
on me to educate, to help me to have a
71
00:05:06.319 --> 00:05:09.920
better education in the whole time when I growing up.
72
00:05:10.759 --> 00:05:14.319
So I think our dream is still to be together
73
00:05:14.439 --> 00:05:15.120
in the future.
74
00:05:16.279 --> 00:05:20.000
So tell me about your journey home, just sort of
75
00:05:20.040 --> 00:05:22.000
how how did you get there?
76
00:05:23.279 --> 00:05:27.600
I had a lot of layovers. I spent around thirty
77
00:05:27.680 --> 00:05:33.839
hours from Portland taking bus to Boston and then Boston,
78
00:05:34.000 --> 00:05:37.959
flight to Hong Kong, and then Hong Kong, layover to Shanghai,
79
00:05:38.639 --> 00:05:42.319
and then Shanghai go back to my parents where I
80
00:05:42.319 --> 00:05:43.360
grew up Lando.
81
00:05:44.199 --> 00:05:45.839
How long does it take you to get from Shanghai
82
00:05:45.920 --> 00:05:47.120
to where you grew up.
83
00:05:47.480 --> 00:05:52.720
It's like two hours flight, so it's not close either.
84
00:05:53.439 --> 00:05:55.720
So did you just spend any time in Shanghai and
85
00:05:55.759 --> 00:05:56.959
that stopover.
86
00:05:56.720 --> 00:06:02.439
Yes, I did. I even tried the hospital system when
87
00:06:02.480 --> 00:06:06.319
I was in Shanghai because I got a fishbone stuck
88
00:06:06.360 --> 00:06:10.240
in my throat the tenth hours when I was in Shanghai,
89
00:06:10.720 --> 00:06:13.319
so I went to the er and I experienced a
90
00:06:13.399 --> 00:06:17.759
whole that side of China.
91
00:06:17.879 --> 00:06:20.759
So what was it like to to to you know,
92
00:06:20.839 --> 00:06:23.319
to your Portland is a tiny little city in a
93
00:06:23.399 --> 00:06:25.759
rural state, and Shanghai is one of the largest cities
94
00:06:25.759 --> 00:06:28.439
in the world. Right, So what's it like to be
95
00:06:28.519 --> 00:06:31.199
transformed from Little Portland, Maine to Shanghai.
96
00:06:32.199 --> 00:06:39.920
It was really overstimulated. I felt overwhelmed. I felt the
97
00:06:39.959 --> 00:06:44.319
air was hot, and everyone is really loud. I have
98
00:06:44.480 --> 00:06:48.319
so many people around surrounding me, and plus the jet lag,
99
00:06:48.639 --> 00:06:53.079
it really feels I was in a dream even if
100
00:06:53.199 --> 00:06:57.560
I grew up in that environment. But I was still fine.
101
00:06:57.600 --> 00:07:01.439
It's really hard to adjusted.
102
00:07:02.639 --> 00:07:05.319
And what was the air like in the atmosphere? Was
103
00:07:05.319 --> 00:07:06.680
it like heavy and humid?
104
00:07:06.800 --> 00:07:13.160
And yes, it's really hot and humid. And because people
105
00:07:13.199 --> 00:07:17.000
don't really have a lot of patience in China, so
106
00:07:17.079 --> 00:07:20.000
it's also feels rush Russia.
107
00:07:21.040 --> 00:07:24.000
Was there anything about China that immediately felt familiar?
108
00:07:24.639 --> 00:07:32.120
Ooh h, I think it's the language. The moment I
109
00:07:32.319 --> 00:07:35.279
was there, I realized, oh, I can say whatever I want.
110
00:07:35.560 --> 00:07:37.800
I have the full control of the language.
111
00:07:39.160 --> 00:07:43.040
Was there anything that felt unfamiliar even though it was
112
00:07:43.079 --> 00:07:43.879
your home country.
113
00:07:45.920 --> 00:07:50.920
One thing I remember clearly is about the traffic. I
114
00:07:51.240 --> 00:07:56.680
found people on the street don't really stop for pedestrians,
115
00:07:57.560 --> 00:08:00.040
so it's you need to find your own way to
116
00:08:00.079 --> 00:08:01.879
ross the crosswalk.
117
00:08:03.360 --> 00:08:07.000
Every man fro himself, yes, and what did you notice
118
00:08:08.079 --> 00:08:09.839
because you had been living in the United States that
119
00:08:09.879 --> 00:08:11.399
you might not have noticed.
120
00:08:11.079 --> 00:08:14.600
Before after I come back to the US.
121
00:08:14.920 --> 00:08:17.199
No, no, sort of you've been living in the US
122
00:08:17.600 --> 00:08:19.439
and something you noticed in China that you would not
123
00:08:19.480 --> 00:08:21.759
have noticed if you had lived before you came here.
124
00:08:23.600 --> 00:08:28.560
I think it's how convenient it is. When I lived
125
00:08:28.680 --> 00:08:33.440
in the hotel, the hotel have the robot to delivering
126
00:08:33.519 --> 00:08:39.360
packages for me, and I take public transportation a lot,
127
00:08:39.480 --> 00:08:44.240
and it's fully connected. I don't really need to drive
128
00:08:44.679 --> 00:08:48.600
or take wouber. I can just from point A to
129
00:08:48.679 --> 00:08:51.120
point B. I can just transfer transfer and then get
130
00:08:51.159 --> 00:08:54.960
to the place I want. And yeah, it just feels
131
00:08:55.039 --> 00:08:57.559
super convenient, fast.
132
00:08:57.320 --> 00:09:02.000
Speed, and people there have really embraced technology.
133
00:09:02.480 --> 00:09:07.919
Yes, oh yeah, that's another part I found interesting. It's
134
00:09:07.960 --> 00:09:12.519
for our generation. Most of my friend in the US,
135
00:09:12.720 --> 00:09:16.759
I feel they're kind of anti technology. But most of
136
00:09:16.799 --> 00:09:19.879
my friends in China they love technology and they want
137
00:09:19.919 --> 00:09:22.120
to be part of it, like to go to tech
138
00:09:22.200 --> 00:09:25.159
company and then or to be an influencer.
139
00:09:26.639 --> 00:09:29.360
And in America there's a lot of opposition to AI, right,
140
00:09:30.279 --> 00:09:33.240
but is that different in China it's totally different.
141
00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:39.799
I think it's also because China was benefit from the
142
00:09:39.919 --> 00:09:44.559
technology improvement in the past twenty years. So people feel
143
00:09:44.600 --> 00:09:49.679
really positive about technology and AI and think about where
144
00:09:49.759 --> 00:09:57.440
can be a developed country by this technology, and everyone
145
00:09:57.480 --> 00:09:58.519
want to be parts of it.
146
00:09:59.399 --> 00:10:02.440
Was there a particular moment when you thought, I'm really
147
00:10:02.440 --> 00:10:03.120
back in China?
148
00:10:03.720 --> 00:10:07.320
Oh, there are a lot actually.
149
00:10:09.960 --> 00:10:12.879
Any foods for example, that you were you missed that
150
00:10:12.919 --> 00:10:14.279
you finally were able to eat.
151
00:10:14.240 --> 00:10:18.440
Or yes, yes, a lot of that. But in the
152
00:10:18.480 --> 00:10:22.080
same time, I got the feeling of a lot of
153
00:10:22.120 --> 00:10:28.519
food feels overprocessed, and I kind of missing the salad,
154
00:10:29.000 --> 00:10:33.639
the raw stuff, that type of feeling that feels more
155
00:10:34.120 --> 00:10:35.080
natural to me.
156
00:10:35.840 --> 00:10:40.240
That people in restaurants in Maine are really into serving
157
00:10:40.480 --> 00:10:45.639
right different. Yeah, So tell me a bit about your
158
00:10:45.720 --> 00:10:51.039
journey home. Now you get you recover from the hospital, Yes,
159
00:10:51.200 --> 00:10:54.840
get back on the plane and you fly two hours. Yeah,
160
00:10:54.919 --> 00:10:56.960
and so where are you going?
161
00:10:57.679 --> 00:11:02.679
I'm going to No, north west of China. It's pretty
162
00:11:03.080 --> 00:11:07.200
It's called Gansu Province. It's part of the Silk Road
163
00:11:08.159 --> 00:11:12.480
back to I don't know, it's always been part of
164
00:11:12.519 --> 00:11:20.039
the Silk Road. And it's high elevation. It's really dry. Yeah.
165
00:11:20.440 --> 00:11:24.240
In the city is called Lando, and is it cold
166
00:11:24.279 --> 00:11:32.879
in winter. Yeah, it's it would be like thirty twenty degree.
167
00:11:33.240 --> 00:11:35.840
Okay, not as cool in the winter, no.
168
00:11:36.399 --> 00:11:38.720
And not a lot of snow because it's a really
169
00:11:38.799 --> 00:11:40.879
dry area.
170
00:11:41.519 --> 00:11:43.120
Your parents must have been so thrilled to see you
171
00:11:43.200 --> 00:11:44.039
after four years.
172
00:11:44.320 --> 00:11:49.159
Yes, it was. It was really exciting to see them.
173
00:11:49.840 --> 00:11:52.480
In the same time, it makes the goodbye a lot
174
00:11:52.559 --> 00:11:53.600
harder too.
175
00:11:55.639 --> 00:12:01.480
Is there particular a song it reminds you of your region?
176
00:12:02.840 --> 00:12:09.000
My region is That region is called Lowis Plateau and
177
00:12:09.679 --> 00:12:14.639
that kind of means a sandy high elevation playing. So
178
00:12:15.960 --> 00:12:18.320
there is one song it's specific for that.
179
00:12:18.840 --> 00:12:20.399
Okay, well let's take a listen to it.
180
00:12:20.639 --> 00:12:22.000
Yeah, let's do it.
181
00:13:18.279 --> 00:13:21.039
If you're just tuning in, I'm Tom Bell and this
182
00:13:21.080 --> 00:13:26.200
is Let's connect great to Portland. We're talking about China.
183
00:13:26.320 --> 00:13:28.480
What do we really know about China today? We're having
184
00:13:28.480 --> 00:13:32.840
a conversation about culture, innovation, and misconceptions. My guess is
185
00:13:32.840 --> 00:13:35.879
Hazel Jang, a mapping and data analysts at the Greater
186
00:13:35.960 --> 00:13:39.240
Portland Council of Governments, recently returned from a three week
187
00:13:39.679 --> 00:13:44.559
trip to China. Hazel, this music I'm listening to it's
188
00:13:45.120 --> 00:13:47.279
really beautiful. What are the lyrics?
189
00:13:48.200 --> 00:13:52.559
So I just translate part of it. It's called it's
190
00:13:52.559 --> 00:13:57.519
saying my home lines on the lowest plateau where strong
191
00:13:57.559 --> 00:14:01.480
winds sweep across those slopes with the scent.
192
00:14:03.399 --> 00:14:11.039
Beautiful. So was there any particular moment or in the
193
00:14:11.480 --> 00:14:13.399
family reunion that really stayed with you?
194
00:14:14.440 --> 00:14:14.639
Yeah?
195
00:14:14.679 --> 00:14:17.960
I guess it's the time to spend with my dad
196
00:14:18.240 --> 00:14:23.480
because he's not a really good communicator through the fall,
197
00:14:24.200 --> 00:14:27.759
but he's a really in person person. So we actually
198
00:14:27.799 --> 00:14:32.440
got to talk to each other a lot, just two
199
00:14:32.480 --> 00:14:33.600
of us.
200
00:14:35.279 --> 00:14:38.759
And there was there anything about your hometown that feel
201
00:14:39.200 --> 00:14:43.559
different than before? Did it feel much bigger or noisier
202
00:14:43.559 --> 00:14:44.879
than maybe you had remembered it.
203
00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:50.279
I think everywhere is a lot noisier than I remembered.
204
00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:57.279
I just didn't remember it's so crowded and so everyone
205
00:14:57.440 --> 00:15:03.639
is really don't have patience. That was one thing that
206
00:15:03.759 --> 00:15:04.480
stand out to me.
207
00:15:06.440 --> 00:15:09.360
And did you find yourself seeing your home through both
208
00:15:09.440 --> 00:15:10.840
Chinese and American eyes?
209
00:15:11.000 --> 00:15:11.320
Yeah?
210
00:15:12.559 --> 00:15:15.600
Like, tell me about that. What would be like when
211
00:15:15.639 --> 00:15:17.279
you're looking at it through your American eyes? What did
212
00:15:17.320 --> 00:15:17.919
you notice?
213
00:15:18.360 --> 00:15:24.320
I saw a lot of cool traditional traditional art, like
214
00:15:25.200 --> 00:15:29.519
a painting on a wall or the stone carving thing
215
00:15:29.799 --> 00:15:34.039
on a temple. I found out myself really appreciate this
216
00:15:34.159 --> 00:15:36.600
type of art, and we went to We took a
217
00:15:36.639 --> 00:15:41.919
trip to a lot of different temples, either Buddhism temple
218
00:15:42.200 --> 00:15:46.519
or Muslim temple, and then I found the art in
219
00:15:46.600 --> 00:15:53.000
there are all beautiful. And how people are religious like
220
00:15:53.240 --> 00:15:58.799
fully respect that religion also really inspired me.
221
00:16:00.320 --> 00:16:03.320
Were people from your home area is into technology as
222
00:16:03.320 --> 00:16:04.759
they were in Shanghai.
223
00:16:04.879 --> 00:16:08.559
Not as much. The people from my area is more
224
00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:13.639
like might going to be replaced by AI in the future.
225
00:16:14.720 --> 00:16:20.039
So the economy is not really good and a lot
226
00:16:20.039 --> 00:16:23.759
of people starting to find other ways to make money.
227
00:16:24.960 --> 00:16:29.720
You mentioned to me before how the telephone. Yeah, that
228
00:16:29.840 --> 00:16:32.200
everywhere you went people were looking at their telephone. Yes,
229
00:16:32.879 --> 00:16:33.639
why are they doing that?
230
00:16:34.360 --> 00:16:37.279
I think one of the reasons is most of the
231
00:16:37.360 --> 00:16:41.039
service you want to get you have to use telephone
232
00:16:41.080 --> 00:16:48.279
to access it, including pay for the taxes or like
233
00:16:48.360 --> 00:16:52.120
all the e payment is really advanced. Nobody is carrying
234
00:16:52.360 --> 00:16:57.600
card or cash anywhere. And for booking stuff you also
235
00:16:57.639 --> 00:17:04.119
need your phone. Yeah, just anything you have to use phone.
236
00:17:04.279 --> 00:17:07.279
And the more frequent you take out your phone, the
237
00:17:07.279 --> 00:17:11.519
more easier you will be attracted or distracted by the
238
00:17:11.519 --> 00:17:12.839
content on the phone.
239
00:17:14.079 --> 00:17:17.440
You mentioned before to me that this concept of a
240
00:17:17.519 --> 00:17:20.599
K shape economy. Oh yeah, you've noticed that in China
241
00:17:20.680 --> 00:17:22.319
during your trip home. Tell me about that.
242
00:17:22.720 --> 00:17:28.359
Yeah, so I did a little bit research on that.
243
00:17:29.200 --> 00:17:33.839
It's called K shaped divergence, which refers to a situation
244
00:17:34.440 --> 00:17:38.279
where different parts of an economy moving opposite direction at
245
00:17:38.279 --> 00:17:42.599
the same time. And I have noticed this because my
246
00:17:42.720 --> 00:17:46.599
parents will keep complaining with me about how bad the
247
00:17:46.720 --> 00:17:51.160
economy China is. Their company are not paying salary to
248
00:17:51.279 --> 00:17:55.559
them and people are losing their jobs. But in the
249
00:17:55.599 --> 00:17:58.240
same time, a lot of my friends works in the
250
00:17:58.359 --> 00:18:02.240
AI company. H They're earning a lot of money and
251
00:18:02.279 --> 00:18:06.079
they're just having a great time. And then I found
252
00:18:06.319 --> 00:18:14.960
this theory and it's showing like in China, some industry
253
00:18:15.000 --> 00:18:21.519
are going booming, like AI, robot, microchips, all of these
254
00:18:21.880 --> 00:18:27.559
are leading in the world. But opposite like construction or
255
00:18:27.599 --> 00:18:35.200
service delivering, all of these industries are losing money and
256
00:18:35.279 --> 00:18:39.359
people are losing jobs. So this, my potentially leads to
257
00:18:39.480 --> 00:18:43.400
a consequence is China is gonna go to a more
258
00:18:43.839 --> 00:18:49.519
inequity society potentially.
259
00:18:50.279 --> 00:18:54.960
And the other thing you mentioned is how hard people
260
00:18:55.000 --> 00:18:55.519
are working.
261
00:18:56.279 --> 00:19:02.839
Yes, yeah, I'm not. Five of my college friend and
262
00:19:02.920 --> 00:19:06.799
three of them are working from ten am to ten
263
00:19:06.880 --> 00:19:12.319
pm and like more than five days a week, and
264
00:19:12.880 --> 00:19:18.240
one is working really intensely. She is working seven days
265
00:19:18.279 --> 00:19:22.519
a week and then from nine am to ten pm.
266
00:19:23.000 --> 00:19:25.599
So people are working really, really hard because of the
267
00:19:25.680 --> 00:19:28.759
high competition in China.
268
00:19:29.319 --> 00:19:32.319
And if you're in the portion of that ca shape
269
00:19:32.519 --> 00:19:36.680
economy going down, you're working more and more. Just try
270
00:19:36.720 --> 00:19:37.400
to stay ahead.
271
00:19:37.640 --> 00:19:43.279
Yes, yes, I was feeling sad about I want to
272
00:19:43.359 --> 00:19:48.039
do my nails in my hometown and they spent four
273
00:19:48.039 --> 00:19:52.599
hours on my nail and then they only earned twenty bucks.
274
00:19:53.640 --> 00:19:56.920
So it's really sad.
275
00:19:57.480 --> 00:20:01.400
And when Americans hear the work China, the conversation often
276
00:20:01.480 --> 00:20:05.160
immediately becomes political. And what gets lost when we look
277
00:20:05.200 --> 00:20:06.839
at China only through politics.
278
00:20:07.200 --> 00:20:12.880
What got lost is like, if this means when we're
279
00:20:12.920 --> 00:20:18.279
talking about China, what part are we missing? Hmm, that's
280
00:20:18.319 --> 00:20:19.119
a good question.
281
00:20:19.640 --> 00:20:25.279
That's another question. What do Americans commonly misunderstand about everyday
282
00:20:25.319 --> 00:20:25.960
life in China.
283
00:20:26.119 --> 00:20:29.519
I saw there's a trending on short video is I
284
00:20:29.559 --> 00:20:32.640
want to leave. I'm leaving my Chinese life right now.
285
00:20:33.200 --> 00:20:38.000
And people are appreciating China more and more on the
286
00:20:38.079 --> 00:20:41.960
internet for the younger generation, and I found that's interesting.
287
00:20:42.200 --> 00:20:46.200
That is interesting because there is a stereotype in the
288
00:20:46.319 --> 00:20:52.200
US right before it is Chinese are what. I actually
289
00:20:52.240 --> 00:20:56.599
don't know what stearotype US have to Chinese China.
290
00:20:57.160 --> 00:20:59.960
Actually, I think it depends upon what age the person says.
291
00:21:00.039 --> 00:21:04.440
An older older people remember China as being a communist country,
292
00:21:04.839 --> 00:21:08.400
and they're going to be focused on uh kind of
293
00:21:08.480 --> 00:21:13.759
you know, the suppression of free speech and the state control.
294
00:21:14.160 --> 00:21:15.920
And I think I think maybe they may have an
295
00:21:16.000 --> 00:21:20.759
unfavorable China. Well, maybe the younger people are watching these
296
00:21:20.799 --> 00:21:26.480
internet videos and seeing that China is becoming a modern country.
297
00:21:26.799 --> 00:21:27.000
Yeah.
298
00:21:27.559 --> 00:21:32.519
And then the politics, of course China is looming threat
299
00:21:32.880 --> 00:21:39.839
that politicians keep talking about. Yeah, and and and is
300
00:21:39.880 --> 00:21:43.000
that what are you as of someone living in America
301
00:21:43.119 --> 00:21:47.720
that's kind of seeing China being viewed as a as
302
00:21:47.920 --> 00:21:49.519
a as a threat to the United States.
303
00:21:49.839 --> 00:21:53.079
I think it definitely is based on what I've seen
304
00:21:53.160 --> 00:21:57.200
because it's super convenient and a lot of infrastructure are
305
00:21:58.680 --> 00:22:02.680
fully built. It's just really convenient in China, and everyone
306
00:22:02.759 --> 00:22:08.759
are working really hard. So I think in this way, yes,
307
00:22:08.960 --> 00:22:12.640
China is a threaten to the US. In the same time,
308
00:22:13.240 --> 00:22:18.640
if we look at individual different people are having really
309
00:22:18.680 --> 00:22:26.319
different lifestyle. Yeah, and I think one thing I want
310
00:22:26.680 --> 00:22:32.480
I found interesting is people are competitive and creative in
311
00:22:32.599 --> 00:22:39.440
China and they're providing a lot of full service to people,
312
00:22:40.200 --> 00:22:43.480
like when you go to anywhere. When you go to
313
00:22:43.519 --> 00:22:48.960
a place, it feels like a full experience.
314
00:22:50.920 --> 00:22:55.480
So three weeks go by, Yeah, you said, go by
315
00:22:55.480 --> 00:23:01.359
to your poor parents, back to America. What does it
316
00:23:01.400 --> 00:23:02.799
feel like to come here? Come home?
317
00:23:03.759 --> 00:23:08.599
I found here is really quiet and the air is
318
00:23:08.640 --> 00:23:13.079
really fresh. And I remember you had a comment it
319
00:23:13.240 --> 00:23:16.480
so as the North Pole, right.
320
00:23:17.920 --> 00:23:20.960
Yeah, I was thinking that's a great compliment until you
321
00:23:21.000 --> 00:23:23.240
realize and North Pole the air is also very fresh.
322
00:23:23.279 --> 00:23:24.240
It's also very quiet.
323
00:23:25.039 --> 00:23:27.440
And I think I have a lot of free time
324
00:23:27.599 --> 00:23:32.359
to think about myself because China is so busy and
325
00:23:32.440 --> 00:23:36.039
there are so many things happens on the same time always,
326
00:23:36.799 --> 00:23:41.079
so I feel I was passively receiving a lot of messages,
327
00:23:41.400 --> 00:23:46.119
but I'm not thinking actively when I was there. But
328
00:23:46.319 --> 00:23:50.079
after come back, I finally have the time to debrief.
329
00:23:51.640 --> 00:23:58.039
China is embracing technology so quickly and building new infrastructure
330
00:23:58.160 --> 00:24:02.319
and yeah, bullet trains and so quickly. It's coming back
331
00:24:02.319 --> 00:24:05.359
to the United States that they feel like in a
332
00:24:05.359 --> 00:24:07.279
way kind of going back in time.
333
00:24:08.279 --> 00:24:13.319
I think based on convenient, it feels like come back
334
00:24:13.440 --> 00:24:17.599
because it's really not convenient here and we're still talking
335
00:24:17.640 --> 00:24:25.200
about protected bike lanes or let's not build, let's not drive,
336
00:24:25.559 --> 00:24:29.799
let's take public transportation in this way, Yes, I feel
337
00:24:31.319 --> 00:24:33.359
less convenient here.
338
00:24:34.440 --> 00:24:40.599
And other things about that. Chinese people misunderstand about life
339
00:24:40.599 --> 00:24:42.440
in the United States, so you probably had to do
340
00:24:42.480 --> 00:24:44.799
a lot of explaining to people about your life in
341
00:24:44.839 --> 00:24:46.799
America and you heard a lot of questions. I'm just
342
00:24:46.920 --> 00:24:48.759
interested what those questions were, Like.
343
00:24:50.079 --> 00:24:58.039
They really curious about my working schedule and they found oh,
344
00:24:58.279 --> 00:25:02.200
you're leaving a really work life. I've balanced life. And
345
00:25:02.279 --> 00:25:07.839
another thing is I think they're surprised by how inconvenient
346
00:25:07.880 --> 00:25:11.559
the US is when we're talking about we have to
347
00:25:11.640 --> 00:25:17.880
drive around to do a lot of stuff that surprises them.
348
00:25:18.000 --> 00:25:22.119
And another thing I think it's cool is I have
349
00:25:22.200 --> 00:25:27.319
to explain what is Bernie Man for them. It's a
350
00:25:27.359 --> 00:25:31.279
wild concept for my friends, and that was interesting, Like
351
00:25:31.440 --> 00:25:36.039
to explain DIY culture, the art scene. It's hard for
352
00:25:37.319 --> 00:25:38.680
them to understand.
353
00:25:39.720 --> 00:25:42.440
So we're coming to near the end of the show,
354
00:25:42.960 --> 00:25:44.799
but our listeners don't have to say good bye to
355
00:25:44.839 --> 00:25:48.680
you because you are a DJ here WMPG and they
356
00:25:48.720 --> 00:25:50.720
can hear you every other week. Tell me about your show.
357
00:25:51.079 --> 00:25:54.799
Yes, So my DJ name is two which one and
358
00:25:56.480 --> 00:25:59.720
me and my partner DJ you Andami have a show
359
00:25:59.759 --> 00:26:04.039
called Asynka Wait is every other Friday from ten to
360
00:26:04.119 --> 00:26:09.400
eleven pm, ten to eleven thirty pm. And it will
361
00:26:09.440 --> 00:26:12.000
be next Friday.
362
00:26:12.799 --> 00:26:14.160
Not this Friday, but next Friday.
363
00:26:14.240 --> 00:26:15.279
Yes, next Friday.
364
00:26:15.759 --> 00:26:17.880
And what kind of music do you play?
365
00:26:18.079 --> 00:26:21.000
I like to play electronic music, but also have a
366
00:26:21.000 --> 00:26:24.359
lot of other elements in it, like folk music or
367
00:26:25.359 --> 00:26:30.720
different instrument or jazz electronic like the fusion electronic music.
368
00:26:31.519 --> 00:26:34.559
I asked you to bring an example the kind of
369
00:26:34.640 --> 00:26:37.359
music that you play in the show. Could you tell
370
00:26:37.400 --> 00:26:38.519
me about the song?
371
00:26:39.039 --> 00:26:44.119
Yeah, So the track is from an artist called the
372
00:26:44.160 --> 00:26:51.480
Shanghai Restoration Projects. And I found it really beautiful because
373
00:26:51.480 --> 00:26:57.079
it's also a song is mimiting a radio show and
374
00:26:57.680 --> 00:27:00.960
it has beautiful elements in it and it hot say
375
00:27:01.720 --> 00:27:03.640
it has like music.
376
00:27:04.160 --> 00:27:35.759
Yeah.
377
00:27:37.440 --> 00:27:40.519
I want to thank you, Hazel. Hazel Jawing and mapping
378
00:27:40.559 --> 00:27:43.279
and data analysts at the Greater Portland Council of Governments
379
00:27:43.799 --> 00:27:48.000
thanks to Camur Sound Engineer Today and WMPG our partner
380
00:27:48.119 --> 00:27:50.599
producing the show with the Greater Portland Consol of Governments.
381
00:27:51.200 --> 00:27:53.839
You can find us on Instagram at Let's Connect Radio,
382
00:27:53.880 --> 00:27:55.680
and you can listen to the show as a podcast
383
00:27:55.759 --> 00:28:00.160
along with past episodes wherever you get your podcasts. Join
384
00:28:00.240 --> 00:28:02.839
us next week for another conversation about the changes and
385
00:28:03.000 --> 00:28:07.599
challenges shaping our communities. Until then, becount yourself into each other.
386
00:28:08.519 --> 00:28:11.880
I'm Tom Bell. Thanks for listening to Let's Connect. Great
387
00:28:11.880 --> 00:28:12.279
A poor.
388
00:28:59.160 --> 00:29:05.519
Sister and the dingdren Herman Dada how find Sildren through Bally.
389
00:29:05.759 --> 00:29:10.319
I've got to take a Bodian time Tidian promise at
390
00:29:10.440 --> 00:29:13.359
Dad han't had a part issue? Puts you in your
391
00:29:13.400 --> 00:29:16.200
John GNI she bother? I see that at Alicia because
392
00:29:16.240 --> 00:29:24.759
the family Lucie shoot Aby looking him and agnot. That's
393
00:29:24.799 --> 00:29:28.359
a telling Ea girl the girlfriend he loves my lad
394
00:29:28.680 --> 00:29:32.319
you know cause your John shed mys
