Chinese professor visits Rocky Gap

By MILLIE ROTHROCK/Staff

Students from Rocky Gap High School took a quick trip to China on Monday, learning all kinds of information about life there along the way. For example, the Chinese prefer trains over cars, never filet their fish or chicken, and school days over there are much longer than the ones here.

Wang Zhaojun, an English linguistics professor at the Institute of Education in Nanjing, China, led the tour, entertaining Rocky Gap eighth- and ninth-graders with stories and photos about everyday life in his country. His visit was sponsored by Bluefield College, which has an exchange program with Wang’s school.

Working with the global education department at the college is a great way to expose students to other cultures, said RGHS Principal Joe Makolandra. “The students were captivated by Professor Wang’s speech,” he said. “They asked lots of questions and that is always good.”   

During the 90-minute journey, Wang told the students that China is so populated with 1.3 billion citizens that small towns there have at least 100,000 people. Large cities, such as Nanjing, have tens of millions of residents.

In response to its enormous population, China has developed state-of-the-art public transportation systems that are dependable, fast and run on time. Bullet trains speed between major cities at speeds in excess of 200 mph. People own cars, but rarely use them, opting for trains instead. Wang said.

“Our trains are much more comfortable than planes,” Wang explained. “The ride is smooth. You can set a glass of water down at your seat and water will not spill out during your trip. If you had such trains running to D.C. and New York, you might give up your cars, too.”

Food was a hot topic among the students, who peppered Wang with questions about popular dishes in his native land. One of his region’s most famous meals is a soup that features the blood of ducks, the professor told the suddenly quiet crowd. And, yes, there are McDonald’s everywhere in China, too, but an Asian Big Mac does not taste the same as its American counterpart because each country uses different spices.

McNuggets are not the same, either.

“We always cook our chicken and fish with the bones,” Wang said. “And we enjoy duck feet, duck neck and eels.”

Wang said he loves all kinds of food, so the culinary differences between the two countries do not bother him. However, most Chinese people do not eat salad because they cook all of their food, so the thought of eating raw food is not very appealing, he explained.

As for the age-old question of whether or not Chinese people eat dog meat, Wang said that yes, they do. But they only kill wild dogs and never consume pet dogs.

An educator, Wang explained that he is interested in the lives of students in other countries versus the lives of Chinese students. The typical school day in China runs from about 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. Wang said his 16-year-old daughter is in school by 6:40 a.m. and arrives home between 8:30 and 9 p.m. After a quick meal, she studies until bedtime at 11 p.m.

Chinese students are also expected to keep up with national and international news each day, Wang said, adding that teachers will throw current event questions into tests to make sure students are keeping up.

Makolandra said he hopes to invite more foreign speakers to the high school.

“I think it is vitally important for the students to learn about other cultures and nationalities, so they can realize what they have and don’t have.”

Contact Millie Rothrock at 1-800-655-1406 or mrothrock@wythenews.com.