Today we woke up to a cloudy, bustling Shanghai and after a quick breakfast at the hotel we boarded a bus to the Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC). We were greeted by Matthew Syzmanski. Yes his name might sound familiar as he spent 17 years working in Congress. To be honest, I expected this presentation to be a boring overview of the products that SMIC makes and how their company runs and I was pleasantly surprised when Mr. Syzmanski focused more on SMIC's recruitment strategies and their "company town" and engaged us by discussing more about being an ex-pat living in China. SMIC has a residential campus for its employees across the street from their workplace as well as amenities like grocery stores, restaurants, a fitness center and others. The SMIC School is one of the best private schools in Shanghai and boasts a much cheaper tuition than other schools in the city. Mr. Syzmanski spent most of the time recanting his experiences and observations with Chinese culture. He had many interesting and engaging opinions about Chinese culture, but the one that stuck out to me the most was his opinion that Chinese people behave as if they are the only one on Earth. Strangers on the street don't even register to them, but the second you have any sort of connection, they are the friendliest most hospitable people. I have definitely noticed this here. I've gotten pushed and shoved trying to make my way around a crowded subway station but the second you ask someone for help or strike up a conversation with anyone on the street, they are the sweetest most helpful people. Mr. Syzmanski gave us all new insights into being a foreigner living in China and we were so lucky to have the opportunity to speak with him.
After leaving SMIC we headed over to Thumb Square for lunch. It is astonishing just how many commercial centers Shanghai has! It's almost as though we could visit one different shopping center every day and still wouldn't be able to see them all during our time here. Next we walked down the street to visit Li Bin, a former Red Guard, who now paints historical scenes reflecting on his experiences during the Mao era. When we first walked in we saw a stunning mural of Nelson Mandela commissioned by a wealthy businessman in South Africa. Li Bin walked us through a powerpoint of the evolution of his works. It was really interesting to put the style of his paintings in context with his life and Chinese history. His recent works are layered with euphemisms and symbolism in order to get his point across without drawing attention from the government. It's funny how the government inadvertently provokes creativity to get around the censorship practices.
Our last activity of today was the China Art Museum in the China pavilion. The architecture of the building really caught my eye. It is really unique and like nothing I've ever seen before. To get into the museum we had to take these enormous escalators up into the building. The exhibits were filled with beautiful landscape paintings and oil paintings. It was very fascinating to compare the works that filled this government sponsored museum versus the works of Li Bin. The art in the museum was all very literal, typically landscape paintings or inspiring, patriotic paintings of workers overcoming hardships and building the foundation of China.
Overall, today has given me much insight into the way China treats art officially and unofficially and I feel as though the more I learn about China the less I understand it. This incredible opportunity is one that I will remember for a very long time and as this Dialogue nears the end I'm saddened that I only have a few more days to spend with all these wonderful people and in this beautiful country.
- Milli C.
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