Bridging the Gap: 2010-2011 in China: 陕西历史博物馆 Shaanxi History Museum

Greetings from... my apartment!

After two weeks of impatient-waiting, general confusion, and dissatisfaction, China Telecom finally set up my internet this morning. As a result, I feel much less isolated. My connection is even good enough to VPN into Pandora, so I'm quite content.

So after a week of settling in and another week of vacation with the boy (more on that later), I'm finally getting started here in Xi'an. Now that I'm officially registered with Shaanxi Normal University, I can register as a volunteer with Shaanxi History Museum. This is a big portion of my Fulbright--I'm going to be volunteering there during my 6 months in Xi'an to get behind-the-scenes at the museum, make a lot of contacts, and gain access to their records/talk with their staff.

Today I finally met my contact there, Mr. Cai. Things went really well--if my advisor is like my Chinese auntie, Mr. Cai is the Chinese uncle I never had. He's a researcher at the museum, and from what I can tell, very well published. Moreover, he is also a painter and calligrapher. His works centers primarily on ancient Chinese script, specifically from oracle bones and bronze inscriptions. He's really interested in the artistic, and emotive quality of these characters; his work is a fascinating blend of ancient and contemporary, traditional and abstract. What I respect and appreciate most about it is that it demonstrates a deep level of research and contemplation. To get a better idea, you can check out his blog here.

Much like my advisor, Mr. Cai is very supportive and generous. He similarly had a list of places that I should visit, and wants me to truly, deeply understand Chinese culture; not just from a scholarly, academic stance, but from a folk culture, everyday-life viewpoint as well. He's offered to introduce me to people that can help show me around different places. He's even offered to take me to some places primarily accessible by car, such as some of the ancient imperial tombs in the vicinity. For them, it will hopefully be an opportunity for language-practice and cultural exchange. As for me, it sounds like a lot of fun!

Regarding my work at the museum, it sounds like I'll be giving museum tours in English, training for Chinese docents to give tours in English, and also doing some translations. The docent work should not only be a lot of fun, but also a great opportunity to closely research Shaanxi history and the museum's collection. Not to mention, valuable insight into their programming, and the type of information that they convey to their general audience. He introduced me to another researcher at the museum, as well as some of the conservation team (when I walked in they actually had a Tang-dynasty wall painting on their work table!) He offered my services to both of them, which means a potential opportunities to work with different departments. Aside from just translation work-experience, its also a way to increase my art-specific vocabulary.

In sum, while things aren't entirely settled, they're headed for a great start. I feel so fortunate to have such warm, accommodating contacts, and I think this will make all the difference in my experience and opportunities.

So just to brag, Shaanxi History Museum is one of the top museums in China, and ranked in the top 25 in the world. The boy and I went for a visit when he came to Xi'an--I'll attach some photos that I snapped below with my new Canon Powershot G12 (really, its the camera, not me).