My Most Memorable Experience
At Middle School Number Fifteen

The group at Middle School No. 15

Danielle Epstein
Edward R. Murrow High School
Brooklyn, New York

The People's Republic of China was by far the most spectacular place I have ever visited. Everything I saw and learned was amazing and almost indescribable with the proper words. If however, there were one thing that sticks out most in my mind, it would be visiting the schools. While in China we visited three different schools but Middle School Number Fifteen was my most preeminent experience on the trip.
The first school, and the most interesting to visit, was Middle School Number Fifteen. There we spent the day with several students of our own age or close to our age. Visiting the school and spending time with the children was the first time I was really able to compare my culture and my life to that of the Chinese people. When I sat in on an English class, I was completely amazed. There skill in English exceeded any level of foreign language class in the United States and their devotion to learning was immense. Furthermore, it was amazing to see how restricted the Chinese students were in the classroom compared to students in the United States. When asked for their own opinion, it seemed to be words that came right out of the book. Very few students even dared say anything controversial or anything that might perhaps raise any question in the mind of the teacher. The students were greatly respectful and highly watchful of their environment.
I was also able to learn quite how influential the Chinese belief systems, such as filial piety, are in the everyday lives of the Chinese. When asked for example, "What is a truly happy life?" one of the things I noticed was the majority of students who included "Helping my mother and father" in their response. I was absolutely amazed at the importance placed on serving one's mother and father, as I had previously learned in pre departure lessons.
My next lesson at Middle School Number Fifteen went beyond the English class we observed. When I spent time with the Chinese students alone I learned about the Chinese mentality and what is stressed as important in the life of a youth. Unlike in the United States, little attention is paid to the emotional development and social freedom of teenagers. The only focus placed in the lives of the students at Middle School Number Fifteen was schoolwork. I took a glance at their notebooks and clearly the students were more advanced in physics and math but when I conversed with them about relationships or sexuality, all they could really do was giggle. Maybe they were too shy to talk about it, unlike those of us in America. It was so amazing to learn directly from the students how the Chinese culture influences the lives of citizens and in what aspects my life differs or resembles theirs.
Though everything in China was memorable and enriching, I know that I will never forget the
students at Middle School Number Fifteen. They taught me more about the Chinese people and culture in one day than any number of classroom lessons could. I was able to see how similar we are although we live on the opposite side of the world but I was also able to witness first hand, what makes the Chinese so different from the Americans. I learned about the influence of Chinese culture has on the people and could finally understand what makes China such a remarkable place.

Danielle and Danny Mangual posing with students	Danny Messing bonding with male students
Lunch at No. 15 cafeteria	Danielle practices dumpling preparation