I think that because this is the last journal for the class, I should reflect on my growth over the past seven weeks.
Let me start by listing some of the things I learned in this course:
- Something is better than nothing, everything is a process
- Always have a smile on your face
- Get through the tough stuff, it’s the only way to grow
- Keep pondering and reflecting
Of course, I learned some awesome things about Suzhou, design-thinking, and intercultural communication, but I would like to say that I truly learned these things outside of the class on my trip to Suzhou to film this video.
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Open in new tab For our final project, we had to find creative ways to use the things we learned in class to show a potential tourist around Suzhou. Some students made pamphlets, photo albums, and interactive maps, but I made a video. For me, video is the easiest way to get things across since it’s the closest thing to real-life interactions we have. For a course on intercultural communication and Suzhou, I felt video was the best way I could bring justice to it.
My topic was the student-tourist dilemma: should I do my work or travel? My problem was that we always saw it as an “or” thing when it can be an “and” thing. My video was to show students my method, The Silk Threads Method, of exploring different “threads” of Suzhou while doing homework. The way to do that is to find a “thread” you want to explore based on your workload, whether that be a famous garden, museum, or a more modern area. Tasks like reading, reflecting, and journaling happen better in gardens (for example, 网师园). Planning and tedious tasks are better done in the museum (my particular example was of the café at Suzhou Museum West) or somewhere around there. If you need to hunker down and do more deep work, go to the more modern Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) to lock in.
Right now, as a senior, the main thing standing in the way between me and my graduation is my senior thesis. It’s a lot of work that requires all three. Because of how busy I was, I only really had one day to go to Suzhou and film. This was a test for me too: should I do work (senior thesis) or travel to Suzhou? I implemented The Silk Threads Method myself by picking the “thread” to be the SIP because I needed to write and edit for a prolonged period. I also had to film my experience, so I filmed myself working as proof that anybody can as well. This process is where I learned the most.
Something is better than nothing.
I had to film under very constrained circumstances and didn’t film everything the way I wanted to. You’ll notice some errors, and that some things weren’t complete. That’s okay. Life is weird, unpredictable, and never perfect. I’m just glad I have something, a video.
Always have a smile on your face.
In interactions crossing language and cultural barriers, it is important to rely on more universal things. In this case, my particular case, it is a smile. I like to smile, showing that I’m friendly and want to only be a positive energy. I asked the woman in the video with whom I spoke if I could film her. I asked and talked with her, all while smiling. I’m not saying I’m extremely charming or anything, but I’d like to think the conversation went more smoothly because I was smiling. Think about if I’d had my RBF on. I don’t think so.
Get through the tough stuff, it’s the only way to grow.
It’s true. It’s interesting, too. Our greatest showcase of growth happens under great constraint. We are interesting in that in times of difficulty or new endeavors, we grow more. We need an uncomfortable environment to improve. That being said, maybe try doing that on purpose. You’ll learn more. Try new things like food, talking to strangers, and trying on new clothes. I’d take an occasional bad experience over the regret of not taking the experience at all any day.
Keep pondering and reflecting.
I think this is the most important lesson. This is where we take our experiences and growth and push it even more. We can reflect and improve. We can learn. We must take time out of our day to reflect in whatever form that may be. Writing in these journals has been particularly fruitful for me, but it may be different for you. I enjoy reflection. You appreciate the little things more, you open yourself to seeing life in new ways. You learn more. We need to be mindful of who we are and our actions. We need to make sure we act in positive ways. We need to keep learning how to be the best we can be. An important way to get to effective cross-cultural communication is learning from previous mistakes, reflecting, and implementing our lessons in the future to get better.
This course taught me a lot about the importance of introspection and reflection. I think about how many instances of cross-cultural communication I encounter daily. I believe that because of how much I’m exposed to it, I have a greater responsibility to improve it. I am a representative of the US in China. I need to make sure that I represent us well by being kind, well-intentioned, and friendly.
I’ve learned a lot, and I want to say thank you to my Professor and her hard work. I also want to thank my classmates for helping me and coming on this journey with me. Thank you guys, this course will be missed.
再回。
