Monday, July 31, 2017

Update on my fieldwork in Majuli, India!


Hi readers! I’ve spent a good part of my summer in Majuli, a 189-square mile river island, located in Indian state of Assam. Majuli is girdled by Brahmaputra* and is one of the many islands that experiences severe erosion both from natural causes, such as seismic activity and flooding which alter the course of the river, and from man-made causes such as badly planned flood prevention methods and the rapid mushrooming of development projects along the course of the river. My project examines the lives that are shaped by this erosion on Majuli, particularly the practice of two religions: one a 17th century neo-Vaishnavite sect of Hinduism called Eksarana, and the other, an indigenous religion called Donyi Polo. In this blog post, I’d like to describe two festivals that took place in the final week of May, even as the island prepared for the monsoon, and even as cyclone Mora crossed the Bangladesh coast.

While the festivals I will describe in this blogpost are celebrated across the island of Majuli, the particular ones that I attended took place in and near Garmur, a town that has grown around two monasteries or Satras where Eksarana is practiced. Surrounding this town are villages where people of the Mishing tribe live, practicing both Hinduism as well as an indigenous religion called Donyi Polo.
Caption: Picture taken while walking along the riverbanks in Majuli. The bamboo structures at the edge are called 'porcupines' and are placed to reduce the force of the river current and prevent erosion along the banks.

On May 28, 2017, I went to the smaller or minor Garmur Satra to join the celebration of an annual festival that brings together the wards of that particular Satra or people who live on the lands owned by the monastery to pray for their well-being and the well-being of the area that falls within this monastery’s jurisdiction. While Majuli is very much integrated into the modern state of India and its ‘well-being’ is now completely governed by an elected democratic government seated in the city of Guwahati in Assam, this festival is telling of a time when monastic jurisdiction was the major form of governance across the Brahmaputra.**

The minor Garmur Satra was a short walk from the Risong lodge, which has become my ‘home’ during my trips to Majuli. Bhajans and Keertans (two forms of songs) echoed across the Satra’s grounds during the entire day, and the Satra’s wards attended them in turn. I spent my day wandering around the town, buying mangoes and apples that had been brought in by boat from the nearby city of Jorhat for the festivities, and watching people travel through rain, and by muddy roads using vans and bikes to attend the day’s festivities.

At 5 pm, I showered and dressed in a pair of new Salwar-Kameez that I had kept aside for festivities and walked to the temple, both a little excited and a little afraid that I, as an outsider, would stand out in the crowd. While I was met not only with curiosity, I was also treated to the kindness of the men and the women who had come together for the final Keertan of the day. I watched the singing from a corner of the temple, trying my best to observe people, without interfering or disrupting the prayer. However, as soon as the last song was sung, Jyoti, a friend I’d made during my last trip came up to me and thanked me for making time to come. He asked me about my research, and then invited me to stay on for the Bhavna, a late-night performance that would celebrate the avatars of Vishnu through theatre and dance. That day, they would celebrate the story of Parasuram, a Brahminical avatar of Vishnu who was forced to prove his loyalty to his father by beheading his mother. Terrifying as that story sounded, I felt excited to be invited to stay and watch the Bhavna, a form of prayer that the Eksarana monasteries are famous for in the Brahmaputra valley.

The performance started a little after 10 pm and continued well past midnight, as the time stamps in my photographs will show. The actors were all male wards of the monastery, trained in the many locally created thespian arts that train them to dress and act as human and non-human characters that span the gender spectrum. While this was low-budget production, the performances were splendid and so moving that it made several members of the audience weep along with the characters of the story. While I did not cry, I could not help me moved by the question that the play seemed to be animating the play: can filial duty be so harsh as to make you choose between your parents? Even as I could see Parasuram struggle with the burden of this choice and with the sadness and guilt of killing his mother for his father, I could not help but also question the gendered nature of this dilemma. Would the mother have asked her son to behead the father if she had been as frustrated with him as he was with her? The performance uses the idea of karma to answer the question. After Parasuram behead his mother, the story punishes the father and rewards the mother. After proving his filial piety, Parasuram asks his father to use his divine strength and bring his mother back to life. Not shortly after this, the father himself is killed in a battle with a king. While Parasuram is once again asked to fulfill his filial duties by killing the King, his father remains dead, leaving Parasuram, at the end of the play, with one parent: the mother, who does not need proof of filial piety, nor is aggressive enough to ask her son to kill for her.

Photo captions (from top to bottom): 1. Song and Dance performances by young monks 2. Parasuram's father meditates 3. Parasuram's mother looks on 4.Vishnu and Lakshmi comment on the story and question filial piety. 5. A young Parasuram makes his entrance 6. Parasuram kills his mother.

As I found my way through the darkness to my lodge, walking along the muddy roads produced by the short but powerful bouts of rain that were forerunners to the monsoon, I could not help but wonder how these performances dictated gendered norms for both men and women on the island. The play wasn’t without a critique, and yet its understanding of gender and the ways in which justice was meted out to gendered violence pivoted around the theosophical idea of karma. Majuli, however, was now a part of a secular Indian state, where it was a democratic judicial system and not cosmically determined karma that would mete out justice. I could not help but wonder at the ways in which two forms of governance and judiciary—one monastic and the other democratic—were intertwined on Majuli.

Gendered norms took a very different turn in the festival I attended two days later in Sitadhar Phuk, a village where the Mishing where gathering to celebrate Dobur, a festival that Donyi Polo followers celebrate to honor Kine Nane, the goddess who takes care of the earth. This festival too is marked by several songs. The prayer however is performed only once a day—around noon—and there are no theatrical events that follow. Instead, a large community comes together to cook and eat food, particularly the meat of an animal sacrificed in the honor of the goddess. That day, a chicken was sacrificed and later cooked with lentils and vegetables, in a spicy sauce and served with a plate of rice, fried fish, greens and potatoes. In this gathering, I was struck by the way in which men and women worked together both in the prayer hall and in the kitchen. While men presided over the festivities, women were very vocal throughout and actively shaped the ideas that were then formally presented as ‘prayer’ to Kine Nane and other Donyi Polo deities.

However that day, the festivities were also disrupted by strong winds blowing from the south, and I later learned that these winds had raged across Majuli around the time that cyclone Mora had hit the coast Bangladesh. After the festivities, a few women and I went to one of their houses, for snacks and a chat, and by the time we called it a day, stronger winds were blowing across the island, and bringing with them heavy bouts of rain. Later that night, a storm crossed the island, and knocked down a few trees. When I asked my female interlocutors if their routines had been disrupted by these, they only laughed, and said, that the fallen trees would make it easier for them to get firewood for the upcoming rainy season. Worshipping Kine Nane, to them, was about being prepared for the disorder that was inevitable during monsoon, and learning to live with it. The only thing that worried them was the unnatural changes that were shaping the monsoons and erosion in addition to the natural environmental disorder that they were already prepared for.

Photo captions (from top to bottom): 1. The Donyi Polo flag 2. Cooking for the masses 3. Momi, Naina and Manalisa, whose powerful voices echoed through the day of celebrations.

In my next blog post, I will describe more of what my interlocutors meant by learning to live with environmental disorder and the chaos during the monsoon. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the photographs from the two festivities, and continue to think about overlapping forms of governance and gender politics, as I do.

Caption: A day after heavy bouts of rain.
*The Brahmaputra originates in China and flows through the state of Assam in India, before cruising into Bangladesh, where it joins the country’s complex river systems and finally empties into the Bay of Bengal.
**Indrani Chatterjee’s archival research in Forgotten Friendships (2013) provides more information on monastic governance in this area.











Sunday, July 30, 2017

An update from Taiwan

Finally got around to uploading my first vlog! My thoughts on studying Chinese in Taiwan:


Zachary Haver is a Sigur Center 2017 Asian Language Fellow. A rising sophomore studying at George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs, Zachary is majoring in International Affairs with a concentration in Asia and minoring in Mandarin Chinese.

Final Update from Nagoya, Japan - VLOG


As promised, a compilation of pictures and video from my trip to Kyoto and a special surprise near the end!


Friday, July 28, 2017

Studying Mandarin in Taiwan: A lesson in cultural and historical perspective.




Having a neighbor like China (The People's Republic of China) it is easy to overlook the thriving island state of Taiwan (The Republic of China). It is only recently, after living abroad in China, that I have come to understand the subtle yet significant differences between political and cultural identities between Taiwan and China. Oddly enough, this epiphany was brought about from attempting to understand my father’s fixation on the Civil War. Yeah, I am not talking about the civil war that took place in China...
Since I was little, I can remember my father’s fascination with the American Civil War. Given the opportunity, my dad would drag me to as many reenactments as he could. While there, my father would tell me about the gallantry of the Confederate soldier and take countless pictures with them. My father’s interest in the Confederates and the American Civil War was always a bit curious and bizarre. Not only because we lived in Southern California, far from any meaningful Civil War history, but also because my father is Chinese.
I grew up associating the Confederate South with ignorance and racial intolerance. So why was my father, a first generation Chinese immigrant, romanticizing their cause and defeat? I finally understood why when my father told me the story of his family’s arduous escape from Mainland China to Taiwan in 1949. He told me about his grandfather’s attempt to relocate his entire university student body from China, and of the number of casualties they endured during their journey. From then on, I had a better understanding of why my father held such an interest in the Confederate South. During my years of berating my father about his “Southern sympathies,” I had failed to consider how identity could play a part in my father’s historical perspective. I had failed to consider that my father’s romanticized views of a defeated group of people were a product of being a boy born into a family of refugees who had supported the losing side of a bloody civil war.  Since this revelation, I have endeavored to understand and experience the different cultural, historical and political perspective of China and Taiwan.
Most notably, I have found that language has been a great way of analyzing these differences.
In my second year living and working in the China I had naively thought that my understanding of Chinese culture and Mandarin would equally translate while traveling to Taiwan for a short Lunar New Year excursion. However, upon arriving in Taipei and meeting my distant family members, I had quickly realized that the language, the culture, and the people were far different from what I have seen and experienced in China. It was then that I came to the understanding that despite having a grasp of the language that both nations shared, I was naive to the fact that simply knowing Chinese Mandarin did not make me fluent in Taiwanese Mandarin, or the linguistic system shared by the Taiwanese people. After my short time in Taiwan, I had become fascinated by how the people’s use of traditional Chinese characters, their colloquialisms, the culinary culture, popular media and film, and their politics were all characteristics that helped encompass a unique Taiwanese identity.

So far my time here in Taipei, Taiwan has allowed me to really immerse myself in the lifestyle and history of the island. In my next posts, I hope to highlight the main aspects of Taiwan's distinctive political, historical and cultural perspective!

Tracie M. Yang M.A Asian Studies, Class of 2018
Sigur Center 2017, Asian Language Fellow
National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan (ROC)
President, Organization of Asian Studies (OAS)






Thursday, July 27, 2017

2 Months in Taipei, Taiwan (Vlog 2)


Hello again! It is my last day here in Taiwan, time just flew by. I am so thankful for the Sigur Center for giving me this amazing opportunity to learn more about Taiwanese culture, study Mandarin, and explore new parts of the world. This last video is a collection of my videos from throughout my time here in Taiwan, enjoy!


-Erin Mulhearn


Congressional-Executive Commission on China Staff Openings

The Congressional-Executive Commission on China is a bipartisan commission created by Congress in 2000 to monitor and report on human rights and rule of law developments in China. The Commission consists of Senators, Members of the House of Representatives, and senior officials from the Executive Branch. The Commission holds hearings, issues an Annual Report, and maintains a database of political prisoners in China, among other activities. For more information on the Commission, see www.cecc.gov.


The Commission is seeking professional staff members to assist in monitoring and reporting on substantive issues pertaining to the Tibet, Criminal Justice, Human Trafficking and Public Health portfolios. The professional staff members will assist in assessing China's compliance or noncompliance with international human rights standards and Chinese domestic law. Successful candidates should have substantive background and/or an interest in one or more of these issue areas. Successful candidates should also possess the necessary Chinese language, English writing, and communication skills to effectively research, analyze, and explain such developments to U.S. policymakers and the broader public.  Tibet language skills preferred, not required for applicants interested in covering that portfolio.

Main duties:
  • Monitoring and researching Chinese and English language sources (media, government, NGO) for developments relating to their issue area.
  • Identifying and analyzing key developments and reporting their significance orally and in writing, including through drafting sections of the Commission's Annual Report, short analysis pieces, public statements, and press releases.
  •  Researching political prisoner cases and creating and maintaining case records in the CECC Political Prisoner Database. 
  • Assisting in organizing CECC public hearings and roundtables.
  •   Potential travel to U.S. cities, China, or other foreign locations on official business.

Qualifications: 

  • Candidates must be a U.S. citizen. 
  • Very strong demonstrated ability to speak, read, write, and perform research in Chinese (Mandarin) is required. 
  • The successful candidate will likely have worked or studied in mainland China, Taiwan, or Hong Kong. 
  • Candidates will preferably have a law degree or a Ph.D. or M.A. in political science, history, business, economics, or other social sciences. B.A. candidates with very strong credentials will also be considered. 
  • Strong oral and written communication skills, and the interpersonal skills and enthusiasm to work under tight deadlines and as part of a team.

Application Procedure:

Please submit a brief cover letter, resume, short writing sample (5 pages or less), and the names and contact information for two references to Judy Wright, CECC Director of Administration, via e-mail at judy.wright@mail.house.gov or via FAX at 202-226-2915. PLEASE NO PHONE CALLS. The deadline for applications is Tuesday, August 15, 2017 by 11:59 PM, EDT. Applications received after this deadline will not be considered.


Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Update from Nagoya, Japan - A Night on the Town!




こんばんは~!

__________________________________________________



Last Friday in Japanese class, we had just started learning how to politely ask for permission. Little did I know, that grammar structure would become very useful that same night.

After class, a couple friends and I bought unlimited weekend metro passes with the intention of seeing as much of Nagoya as we could in 72 hours. Our first stop-- Sakae.




Sakae is the "downtown" area of Nagoya, famous for its many animal cafes, eateries, stores, and vibrant nightlife. We got off at Sakae station and immediately stumbled into a bunny cafe. It was like a rabbit-themed Starbucks. Animal cafes are a growing trend in the United States but have been a staple in Japan for almost a decade. This was my first time going to one and found it to be a great way to unwind, especially after a long week of classes.


After we got our fill of hot chocolate and cute bunnies, we set off to shop. One thing I noticed almost immediately when I arrived in Nagoya was the difference in fashion. Outside of business attire, people dress rather modestly. Rather than tank tops and short shorts, most women wear loose-fitting blouses, flare pants, below-the-knee length dresses or skirts, and high heels. As for men, loose-fitting t-shirts, joggers, and sandals are the norm. Notably, jeans are rather uncommon for both men and women. The stores we visited reflected these more modest fashion preferences, some even selling kimono, yukata, and other traditional Japanese garments.

Before we knew it, the sun had set. Shopping bags in hand, we were looking for our next stop when we started to hear the rumble of drums. We followed the sound to its source and found a live band playing a rendition of "Payphone" by Maroon 5. The band's name was "Doos". On their website, they describe themselves as "Nagoya's instrumental street-performers". Growing up near New York City, I'd seen street performers many times before. Being a drummer and having attended and performed at shows myself, I can say with confidence that Doos' quality of performance was comparable to that of a sold-out concert.


Without a stage, they commanded attention. Traffic notably slowed and passersby soon formed a crowd. Doos' energy was so contagious that even the sternest-looking business men and women in the back of the crowd started bopping their heads to the beat. After their last set, my friends and I rushed to join the line to meet the band and buy a copy of their CD. While waiting, we frantically rehearsed what we would say to them in Japanese. I'd remembered that earlier in the day in class, we had just learned how to politely ask for permission. I brought it up and joked that I should ask to play on their drum set. Thinking I was serious, my friends immediately grasped onto the idea and urged me to do it. In truth, I'm usually very hesitant to ask for favors, let alone make such a bold request and in a foreign language.

We got to the front. My voice trembling, I finally said, "すみません、宜しければ、ドラムをさせていただけませんか。" which roughly translates to, "Excuse me, if it's okay, would you give me the pleasure of playing on the drum set?" To my surprise, they said yes! In fact, they joined in with my playing and we improvised for about ten minutes. The last thing I expected when I chose to study abroad in Japan was to perform with a rock band in front of a live audience, but there I was. The nerves from before melted away-- I was at home.


Thanks to this program, not only did I get a chance to immediately apply what I had learned in the classroom, but I also got to create something beautiful. I think it's incredible how despite having never met before, despite the language barrier, and despite all the our differences in background and culture, we were still able to come together and breathe the same rhythm. That night is easily one of my most cherished memories ever. I am incredibly humbled and grateful.

Be on the lookout for my vlog on my trip to Kyoto!

Until then!


Irene Mutwiri
George Washington University - Elliott School of International Affairs
B.A. International Affairs
Sigur Center 2017 Asian Language Fellow
Nanzan University - Summer Japanese Program, Japan

Fall 2017 Course: US-Asian Relations

Looking for a stimulating course for the fall semester? Space is still available for Professor Gregg Brazinsky's fall graduate seminar: History 6301.11 US-Asian Relations. The class will be held on Wednesdays, from 5:10 - 7:00 PM.


About the Course: This course will explore the history of U.S.-Asian Relations in the twentieth century. The rise of East Asia during this period was a world transforming historical event. Understanding America's role in the process is critical to understanding contemporary East Asia. The course will cover the evolution of America's relationships with Japan, China, and the two Koreas through reading some of the most important new literature on the subject. It will help students to better understand the economic, political, strategic and cultural interactions that occurred between the U.S. and Asia. The course can be counted toward a regional concentration in Asia for the ESIA.

About the Instructor: Gregg A. Brazinsky has written two important books on U.S.-Asian relations: Nation Building in South Korea: Koreans, Americans and the Making of a Democracy and Winning the Third World: Sino-American Rivalry during the Cold War. He is proficient in both Mandarin Chinese and Korean.

Monday, July 24, 2017

Research Internship - US-China Business Council

The US-China Business Council research arm seeks an intern to assist with research and analysis. The job is a paid internship requiring a 35-hour per week commitment at USCBC’s Washington, DC, office for a period of no less than six months and no more than one year. Starting pay is $11.50 per hour. Applicant must have US work authorization for the internship; CPT and OPT holders are encouraged to apply.
Duties include: 
  • Researching China-related business issues
  • Conducting independent research in support of full-time staff on a wide array of business and regulatory issues
  • Completing written translations in Chinese and English
  • Preparing daily reports in English of a variety of Chinese government and press sources
  • Researching and writing for USCBC’s biweekly newsletter China Market Intelligence and magazine China Business Review
  • Assisting in hosting and supporting USCBC events, including member briefings and roundtables, Chinese government delegations, and major programs such as USCBC Gala, Annual Meeting, and Forecast. 
  • Assisting full-time staff with administrative tasks such as arranging our conference room for programming, updating our member database, and other duties
Required Qualifications
  • Graduate degree or enrollment in a graduate program strongly preferred, although recent undergraduates may be considered
  • Knowledge of US-China economic and commercial issues, as well as a basic understanding of international economics and business terminology
  • Professional Chinese-language fluency, with a focus on reading and writing
  • Excellent written and spoken English
  • Commitment to work 35 hours per week for a minimum of six months; one-year commitment preferred
  • Strong, demonstrated research experience
  • Ability to work on multiple tasks at a time
  • Strong research, analytical, and writing skills; and knowledge of PRC political/economic systems
Application Materials
  1. Resume
  2. Cover letter (indicate legal work status and availability both in terms of dates and hours per week)
  3. Contact information for three references
  4. Brief writing sample (2-5 pages)
Deadline: Review of applications begins immediately; position is open until filled with an estimated start date as early as August or September 2017.
Submission Guidelines: Please submit materials via email to busadv@uschina.org. Please reference “BAS Internship” in the subject line of your email.
NO CALLS, PLEASE

2 Months in Taipei, Taiwan

Hello again! Because my time in Taiwan is coming to an end, I decided to travel a bit around the rest of the island. My perception of Taiwan before arriving was based off of my travels in China, so I was expecting Taiwan to be like one large city. However, upon arriving I soon found that not to be the case. Taiwan has a lot if different types of scenery, from beaches to mountains to forrest and cities. Taiwan is extremely cheap to travel around with respect to public transportation. Last weekend I traveled to Hualien (花連) via the normal train, not the high speed rail, for around $12. When the train seats are all booked, you are given the option to book a ticket with no seat, meaning you stand in the aisle or sit in between cars. We ended up standing on the way there, but the ride was relatively short (around 2 hours) and the scenery was breathtaking. Hualien is located on the east coast of Taiwan and the train was moving right along the coastline giving us a beautiful view of the ocean. The main attraction to Hualien is Taroko National Park, a park owned by the Taiwanese Aboriginal people. A friend and I rented scooters and drove through and around the park stopping along the way to hike and swim. I can honestly say that I have never seen clearer water than in this park. One of the trails lead us to crystal clear pools where we were able to swim and cool off. The park also had many temples and bell towers hidden away in the mountains which people could hike to. The next day we rode down the coast stopping along various beaches to swim and enjoy the scenery. Hualien wasn't what I was expecting, but ended up being 100 times better than what I expected. I have to say it is one of the most beautiful places that I've been to. 
Swimming in Taroko
Qingshui cliffs (清水斷崖)
Beaches along the coast


This past weekend I traveled down to Kaohsiung (高雄市) a city located in the south of Taiwan, a 5 hour train ride from Taipei. Again, I was blown away by how beautiful the scenery was. On our first day we traveled to Fu Guang Shan (佛光山) which is a Buddhist monastery, and one of the 3 places in the world to house one of the Buddha's teeth. The place was stunning and surprisingly empty for a popular tourist destination. We also visited lotus pond, which has over 42 different temples surrounding it; being able to see the differences in the places where different religions worship was very interesting. The next day we took a bus to Kenting National Park (墾丁) about a 2 hour journey from Kaohsiung. We ended up renting a scooter and driving around the park which was stunning; the view of the ocean from the cliffs was amazing. Around these areas I definitely used my Chinese more than I did in Taipei. Here people don't know English as well so being able to communicate in Chinese was a very proud moment for me. I know all my hard work is getting put to use!

 Fu Guang Shan (佛光山)
Dragon and Tiger Pagoda on Lotus Pond
Kenting National Park

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Virtual Student Foreign Service Opportunity at State Department

Do you enjoy creating visual content? Are you familiar with tracking social media statistics? The Department of State is looking for an intern to help create social media content and prepare analytics reports for the East Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau’s Twitter and Facebook platforms.

Find the full project description here.

Apply here, using project code: STATE-USA-EAP-220.

2 Months in Taipei, Taiwan (Vlog)




A quick update about my time in Taiwan.

Thinking about fieldwork in Uttar Pradesh



This summer’s fieldwork is partly a time to gather information for a paper on India’s new corporate social responsibility rules. However, it is also an opportunity to experience what it takes to translate research plans into reality, to think carefully about how to adapt fieldwork strategies to different sorts of research objectives, and to experiment with approaches to staying healthy and productive in very different field environments.

Part of my work looks at the organizational effects of changes in funding for non-profits in India. Here, I have had reasonable success in speaking with NGO officials, retired bureaucrats, academics, and others who have direct experience in this area. Perhaps they have been involved in regulating the non-profit sector, raising or allocating funds, or managing relations between non-profits and funders. These conversations are fairly easy, since I am talking with people about their areas of professional expertise. However, a second part of my work considers how the size of the non-state service sector affects relations between citizens and politicians. This is in some ways a more abstract question, and it requires that I speak with people about issues that they may think about only occasionally, and that may in fact be quite far removed from their day-to-day concerns. Although one could simply ask a farmer or laborer whether a new initiative in their village has changed their relationship with the state and with politics, in the end this is likely not a fruitful approach. Rather, one might ask people more indirect questions about their relations with political actors, look for evidence of behavioral change that might have resulted from a changed context, and consider whether the introduction of a large NGO initiative has led people to talk about politicians and the state differently. This style of work is quite different and, in some ways more challenging for an outside researcher, than speaking with government and non-profit professionals.

I have experimented with both approaches this summer, and in urban as well as rural settings. One important outcome will be a more informed dissertation prospectus. Not only do I know much more about my area of substantive interest than when I arrived in India in early June, but I have a more grounded perspective about how to push the project forward. Given the understanding I hope to build and the information I hope to collect, with whom should I be spending my time, how should I structure my research plan, and what challenges will I face? On a personal level, how is the experience of elite interviews different from more immersive ethnographic work, and what does this imply for how I live day-to-day in the field?

Several weeks remain in my summer travels. I’ve taken this week “off” for writing and a bit of relaxation in the hills. I’ll jump back into fieldwork next week as I travel to India’s financial hub, Mumbai, to speak with people involved in shaping corporate approaches to CSR and to see what several such initiatives look like on the ground in an urban setting. 


Sam Frantz
 is a doctoral student in political science, and a recipient of a 2017 Sigur Center Grant for Asian Field Research.


Lucknow University


Metro construction in Lucknow


Hardoi district, Uttar Pradesh

Hardoi Station, Uttar Pradesh

Monday, July 17, 2017

Part-time Contract Worker - Analyst, Party Watch Initiative

The Party Watch Initiative, a program affiliated with the Project 2049 Institute, is searching for a contract worker to serve up to one year as a part-time analyst.

Party Watch Initiative/Project 2049 Institute Introduction: 

The Party Watch Initiative is a new program that specializes in analysis of open source Chinese language materials. Its goal is to provide the China-watching community with valuable information on the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) activities, viewpoints, and developments. Its signature products include weekly, quarterly, and annual reports that study official Chinese sources in order to conduct original analysis from the lens of the country’s most powerful political institution. The result is a unique program that promotes better understanding of the CCP regime, which is the heart of all decision-making in China.

The Project 2049 Institute, established in January 2008, seeks to guide decision makers toward a more secure Asia by the century’s mid-point. The organization fills a gap in the public policy realm through forward-looking, region-specific research on alternative security and policy solutions. Its interdisciplinary approach draws on rigorous analysis of socioeconomic, governance, military, environmental,technological and political trends, and input from key players in the region, with an eye toward educating the public and informing policy debate.

Job Summary:

The Party Watch Initiative is recruiting part-time contract workers to serve as analysts for up to a one year period (October 2017-October 2018) who can provide research, analytical, and managerial support for the Initiative’s activities regarding China’s domestic and international political and security affairs. Ideal candidates are graduate-level students that have considerable knowledge on China’s political system and foreign policy, excellent Chinese language research skills, and excellent writing skills. They should feel comfortable managing a team of interns and in public speaking roles. The Initiative’s work is partly conducted remotely on the Internet, but group work in Project 2049 Institute offices and other public locations will be regular. Duties are as follows: 
  • Conducting Chinese language research using openly available Internet sources, writing and analysis for articles, conference reports, grant proposals, and other such projects in accordance with the Initiative’s needs.
  • Producing presentations, projects, and reports.
  • Managing a team of volunteer research interns. 
  • Contributing to further development of the Party Watch Initiative.
  • Performing a variety of other duties.

Required Attributes:
  • Currently enrolled in or recently graduated from a master’s degree program related to China/Asian Affairs.
  • Familiarity with the mission and work of the Project 2049 Institute.
  • Eligibility to work in the United States.
  • Located in the Washington, DC area. 
  • Able to commit to 20-25 hours a week.
  • Excellent Chinese language research skills. Ability to pass timed language assessment.
  • Excellent analysis, writing, and communication skills.
  • Strong discipline to work independently/remotely.
  • Ability to complete tasks efficiently through focused and undistracted work.
  • Experience with social media is also valued. 

Compensation/Schedule:

Contracted Analysts are compensated at the rate of $25/hour. The analyst is expected to work 20-25 hours per week. However, flexibility in accommodating the analyst’s student obligations will be maintained

Application:

Applicants will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Please apply no later than August 31, 2017. Applicants must submit the following:
  1. 1-2 page resume, PDF
  2. 1 paragraph cover letter in body of email explaining why the applicant is interested.
  3. A short writing sample demonstrating Chinese language research abilities.
  4. A list of 3 references (including reference’s name, title, affiliation, email address, and phone
    number).
Please send all materials to:

David Gitter, Director, Party Watch Initiative
davegitter@gmail.com


Tuesday, July 11, 2017

2 Months in Taipei, Taiwan



Hello everyone! My name is Erin Mulhearn and I was fortunate enough to receive a grant to learn Mandarin in Taiwan this summer. Its been five weeks since I arrived in Taipei and I am absolutely loving it so far. I am studying at a small language school in the Zhongzheng district called Taiwan Mandarin Institute (TMI). The classes are very small, mine only has three including myself, so I feel like I am learning at a more intimate level. 

Before coming to Taiwan I had a very limited knowledge of the language, I only knew how to introduce myself and a few various words about food. One month into the program, I feel that my Mandarin has improved immensely. Firstly, I knew that Mandarin was a tonal language but I didn't realize the extent to which the tones matter. For example the pinyin for buy is mǎi with the third tone, however the pinyin for sell is also mài with the forth tone. Because English is not a tonal language learning the differences between the tones has been very difficult. 

Secondly, here in Taiwan the people use traditional writing instead of simplified that is used in mainland China. I already knew the writing was difficult but traditional writing is even harder than the simplified writing that I have seen before. However, this was one of the reasons why I chose to study in Taiwan over China, most of the meaning of the word is lost in the transition from traditional to simplified. For example the character for love in traditional is  with the character for heart () inside. This is much different from the simplified as the character for heart is removed an written as . In the transition from traditional to simplified the heart was removed from love which I think removes a lot of the meaning as well.


 
Practicing calligraphy (書法) at the school 



Being forced to actually speak the language to survive is making leaning the language even easier and its great practice. One of the things that I noticed right away is how nice the locals are here. Whenever I order food everyone asks where I am from, why I'm here in Taiwan, and if I mispronounce a tone they will correct it and have me repeat so I can learn. Taipei is a great city filled with history and culture but I've only experienced a fraction of what it has to offer so far. 

Chiang Kai Shek Memorial (中正紀念堂)
The view of Taipei 101 from Elephant Mountain (像山)
(慈祐宮) Ciyou Temple outside Raohe Night Market