By: Zijing Liu, Jiapei Fu
Edited By: Wenjuan Wu, Sophia Pradels
Get to Know the Young Representatives of the “Shanghai-Nanjing Plus Exploring Perspectives on China-US Relations” Delegation
你认识这些年轻人吗？
——双城+2023“探索中美关系多元视角”代表团
The week-long “Shanghai-Nanjing Plus: Exploring Perspectives on China-US Relations” program (hereinafter referred to as “Shanghai-Nanjing Plus 2023”), jointly organized by the the Johns Hopkins University – Nanjing University Center for Chinese and American Studies (HNC) and the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS), was held in Shanghai, Nanjing, and Beijing from September 20 to 26, 2023. Scholars, researchers and enterprise representatives from the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and South Korea were invited to form a diverse delegation representing various cultures and multi-dimensional perspectives. Below is a presentation of each member of the delegation, and of the unique story they brought to the event.
2023年9月20日-26日，南京大学-约翰斯·霍普金斯大学中美文化研究中心（以下简称“中美中心”）与上海国际问题研究院（以下简称“上研院”）联合主办的双城+2023“探索中美关系多元视角”系列活动（以下简称“双城+2023”）在上海、南京、北京举行。来自美国、法国、英国、丹麦、韩国等国各行各业的青年领袖和学界代表，从世界各地飞抵中国，组成文化多元、行业多样、视角多维的世界性代表团。每一位代表团成员都有自己的故事，让我们一起认识这些年轻人和他们的故事。
Kia Muleta: “This is my first time in China”
Kia came to China for the first time to participate in “Shanghai-Nanjing Plus 2023.” Throughout the event, she was able to experience Shanghai’s urban pace, Nanjing’s rural scenery, and Beijing’s ancient architecture while learning about different sectors in China, such as the fast-paced work environment in Internet companies, the in-depth research done by think tanks, and the careful decision-making taking place in government departments. On her second night in Nanjing and after a warm reception, Kia and the rest of the delegation went on a night tour of Nanjing, from which some of the delegation members only came back at half-past one. The safety of cities in China, like Nanjing, especially late at night, was a welcome surprise for Kia. Kia was also very interested in learning about the career and marital status of Chinese women: “We are all the same, we all face family pressure to marry. But I think that, today, young people worldwide have more opportunities to choose their own way of life. ”
Kia Muleta:“这是我第一次来中国”
这是Kia第一次来到中国。她见识了上海的都市生活、南京的乡村景色、北京的古建风光，也领略了互联网企业的快节奏、智库机构的思考深度以及政府部门的决策的审慎。在南京的第二晚，20点到24点的欢乐酒会后，Kia和其他团员一起去夜游南京城，有些团员到凌晨一点半才回来。Kia对于中国大部分地方可以深夜安全出游感到惊喜。Kia也对中国女性的事业和婚姻状态非常感兴趣，“我们如果不结婚也会有来自家庭的压力，在这方面我们是一样的。但是我想当下的年轻人可以选择自己的生活方式。”
Joshua Eisenman: “I changed my surname to my wife’s surname, Ma 马”
Joshua first came to Nanjing in 2001-2002 to study at the HNC. Inspired by the long and mesmerizing Yangtze River in Nanjing, Joshua took a liking for the character jiang 江 (river）and eventually used it as his surname. For his given name, he chose the characters jiashi佳士 for their fortuitous meaning, “a person of good character or talent,” and because they make for a good transliteration of “Joshua.” Later in life, in 2014, he changed his name from Jiang Jiashi江佳士 to Ma Jiashi 马佳士, taking his wife’s surname Ma 马. “My Chinese name takes my wife’s surname, and my wife’s English name takes my surname,” Joshua explained. “When our children are in China they use our Chinese surname, and when they are in the US they use our English surname. In that way, we can achieve equality in everything, between men and women, and between China and the United States.”
马佳士（Joshua Eisenman）：“我改姓马了，随妻姓”
马佳士2001年第一次来到南京并在中美中心学习。在南京，他感受到了长江的波澜壮阔，喜欢上了“江”这个汉字并把它作为自己的姓氏。而名字“佳士”则是Joshaua的音译，也蕴含着美好的寓意。2014年，他选择随妻姓把名字“江佳士”改为“马佳士”。“我的中文名随妻姓，她的英文名随我姓。我们的孩子在中国用我们的中文姓，在美国用我们的英文姓，这是男女平等、中美平等，一切平等。”马佳士笑着说起他随妻姓的故事。
June Choi: “We share the same predicament.”
Originally from South Korea, June has found that she has a lot in common with Chinese women especially when discussing women’s issues in East Asia. Due to similarities in traditional societal structures in South Korea and China, traditional families in both countries harbor different expectations and pressures for men and women. “I know my grandfather and grandmother loved me, but they loved my brother even more. Even though the social status and rights of women in South Korea have improved a lot, you can still feel societal pressure prevalent in East Asian societies. For example, as a general rule , boys are preferred to girls, just like in China. As a Korean woman studying in the United States, I still often feel the pressure of East Asian family relationships. We all share the same dilemma.”
崔志云（June Choi）：“我们有相同的困境”
来自韩国的崔志云和同行的中国女性聊起东亚女性话题时有很多共同语言。韩国和中国有相似的社会结构，社会和家庭的传统对女性和男性的期待和压力是不一样的。“我觉得我的爷爷和奶奶是爱我的，但是他们更爱我的兄弟。即使韩国女性的社会地位和权益已经有了很大改善，你仍然能感到东亚社会的压力。比如说，韩国人更喜欢男孩。这和中国是一样的。作为一个在美国读书的韩国女星，我还是经常能感受到东亚家庭关系对我的拉扯。我们有相同的困境。”
Samuel Lipoff: “Do you know the Hakka Yam Abacus Seed?”
Samuel loves to travel and has lived in China, Singapore and Malaysia over the course of several years. He loves to share his travel experiences with everyone, and on the topic of the most memorable foods he’s eaten, he talked about the “Hakka Yam Abacus Seed” made with taro by Hakka people in Singapore. During his time living in China, Samuel realized how diverse the Hakka community is across East Asia. “I used to think that the Hakka were one homogenous community, ” Samuel said, “and I didn’t expect to meet so many Hakka people from various places in China, including Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Jiangxi, and Sichuan. Along with these regional differences also comes differences in language and cuisine. China is so big, though, that it only makes sense its culture would be so rich and diverse..”
李森牧（Samuel Lipoff）：“你知道客家人的美食‘算盘子’吗”
李森牧喜欢旅行，在中国、新加坡、马来西亚有过长期生活的经历。他经常和大家分享他的旅行体验。当说起印象深刻的美食时，他给大家分享了新加坡客家人用芋头做的美食“算盘子”。这次回中国，李森牧有了新发现，“我之前以为客家人都一样，没想到这次回来遇到中国不同地区的客家人，才知道广东、广西、福建、江西、四川都有客家人，而且不同地方的客家人可能语言、美食会有些差异。确实，中国这么大，文化肯定非常丰富多样。”
Michael Zhang: “I’m so happy to be back in Nanjing, the city where I was born.”
For the second stop of the trip, Michael was able to finally come back to Nanjing, the city where he was born. His grandmother still lives in Nanjing, and Michael specifically made time to visit her. Michael was raised in the United States, but he has witnessed how much China has changed since he was young. During the trip, Michael visited Huashu village in Nanjing and was happy to see that the countryside still retains its vibrancy. While observing Nanjing’s countryside, he was especially impressed by its modernization and integration with the city.
张笑尘（Michael Zhang）：“很高兴回到我出生的城市——南京”
行程第二站，张笑尘终于来到了南京，这是他出生的城市。张笑尘说他的外婆仍然生活在南京，他特意抽出一段时间去看望他的外婆。在南京出生，在美国长大，张笑尘感觉到在中国有很多变化，特别是南京乡村的现代化正和城市的气质很好地融合在一起。在行程中，张笑尘走访了南京的桦墅村，在那里他看到了曾经熟悉的南京乡村仍然保留着生气勃勃的样子。
Daniel Schoolenberg: “Birthdays on the road are very special.”
The first day of the event in Beijing, when everyone arrived, happened to be Daniel’s birthday. To celebrate the occasion, the delegation went to a Barbecue & Beer Party that night at a restaurant in one of Beijing’s hutongs. Everyone had a wonderful time under the moonlight on the rooftops within this hutong, eating barbecue, drinking beer, and chatting merrily throughout the night. Daniel didn’t expect to have a birthday party during the trip but was delighted to be able to celebrate it on the rooftops of Beijing’s hutongs, which was a very special first-time experience. “The best memory of the trip was having a nice party together during our down-time,” he said.
石博文（Daniel Schoolenberg）：“旅途中的生日非常特别”
到达北京的第一天是石博文的生日，当晚参访团在北京胡同里的一家特色烧烤店为他庆祝生日。大家在北京胡同的屋顶晒月亮、吃烧烤、喝酒、聊天。石博文没想到会在旅行中度过他的生日，而且是第一次在北京胡同屋顶举行生日派对，这是非常特别的体验。他说：“旅途中最美好最动人的回忆是在日程活动之外，大家一起享用丰盛晚餐、进行自由交流。”
Aaron J. Walayat: “Nanjing is my favorite city”
While Aaron doesn’t have a Chinese name at the moment, he and his wife, who is from China, are in the process of choosing a suitable Chinese name. Aaron’s favorite Chinese city is Nanjing: “I’ve been to China many times, but each time it was always to see my family. This is my first business trip to China. I’ve been to many Chinese cities, but Nanjing is very special to me. It has a very modern side but has also managed to preserve its deep cultural heritage. I don’t know how such a special combination came about, but it could be that such a special combination is the reason why Nanjing is a perfect fit for the HNC. ”
Aaron J. Walayat：“南京是我最喜欢的城市”
Aaron说目前他并没有一个中文名，但他和他来自中国的太太正在商量取一个合适的中文名，目前还没有定下来。Aaron最喜欢的中国城市是南京，他说：“我来过中国很多次，但以前都是陪家人来旅行，这是第一次因为出差来中国。我曾经去过很多中国城市，但南京十分特别。它有很现代的一面，但也有很深厚的文化积累。我不知道这么特殊的组合是如何产生的，但也许正是这么特殊的南京才有办法提供场域承载中美中心。”
Augusta Reinhart: “Staying in the big city is like getting to know China only through Beijing and Shanghai.”
Augusta is from France, and while this is not her first time in China, this visit has given her a better understanding of China. She was deeply impressed by the orderly yet comfortable lifestyle of Huashu Village in Nanjing, which helped her discover the lovely countryside of China. Augusta talked to the owner of the homestay, who told her that in traditional Chinese culture, there is an ideal of “escapism,” whereby people aspire to return to the countryside to live out their happy days in harmony with nature. Augusta emphasized the importance of experiencing the countryside in China, stating, “You can’t really understand China just through Beijing and Shanghai. That would be as reductive as staying in Paris and saying you know France.”
Augusta Reinhart：“只待在大城市就像只通过北京上海来了解中国一样”
Augusta来自法国，这次参访不是她第一次来中国，却让她更加了解中国。走访南京的桦墅村让她觉得印象深刻，这种秩序井然但是安逸的生活让她认识到了中国乡村的美好。Augusta找民宿老板交谈，民宿老板跟她说，中国传统文化中有一种“避世”的传统，这是一种回归乡野、认真生活并于自然和谐共处的态度与人生哲学。Augusta说：“仅仅通过北京和上海来理解中国，就和只待在巴黎却说自己认识法国一样片面。”
Such interactions and people-to-people exchanges that span cultures and sectors not only help produce new human stories and experiences, but also help weave new ties of friendship connecting us to a shared future.
更多的故事就在“面对面”和“人与人”的交流中产生，跨国界和跨领域的交流不仅产生故事，还产生新的纽带，去联结未来。