華裔少年的浙江尋根之旅

● 七 里

遇見深藏在基因里的中華味道

這些美國(guó)學(xué)生都來自地處溫帶的美國(guó)密西根州，幾乎都具有華裔血統(tǒng)，也都能說上一口流利的中文。雖然他們也時(shí)常跟著父母回國(guó)探親，在家庭的交流中也使用中文，但是如此深入地了解中國(guó)、了解同胞，還是第一次。

洞頭一中的學(xué)生跟著華裔少年一起學(xué)習(xí)編程、機(jī)器人課程。Students of the Dongtou No. 1 Middle School work together with their American counterparts at the summer camp to build and program robots.

酷熱的夏天，38攝氏度的高溫，2019國(guó)際青少年科技論壇中國(guó)行暨洞頭支教夏令營(yíng)開營(yíng)。

這是全美浙江總商會(huì)與密西根青少年勵(lì)能基金會(huì)舉辦的公益夏令營(yíng)，除了讓生于美國(guó)的華裔二代更好地了解中國(guó)文化及傳統(tǒng)外，更多的意義在于其公益性和服務(wù)性。營(yíng)里的19位美國(guó)高中生，這次在浙江的主要任務(wù)是文化交流與公益支教。

這些美國(guó)學(xué)生都來自地處溫帶的美國(guó)密西根州，幾乎都具有華裔血統(tǒng)，也都能說上一口流利的中文。對(duì)于居住在溫帶的他們來說，這樣的高溫讓人很不適應(yīng)，但是好奇心和新鮮感讓他們忽略了對(duì)高溫的感知。

參觀上海大眾、阿里巴巴，參加校際交流、中學(xué)支教……上海、杭州、溫州三地奔波，這樣的夏令營(yíng)線路讓19位美國(guó)的高中生們像是來到了一個(gè)新世界。雖然他們也時(shí)常跟著父母回國(guó)探親，在家庭的交流中也使用中文，但是如此深入地了解中國(guó)，了解同胞，還是第一次。

這19位少年中有兩位，彬彬和驄驄，是我的外甥，我姐姐也借此從美國(guó)一路跟著回了杭州，趁機(jī)回國(guó)休假。

對(duì)美食的熱愛，深藏基因里

20年前，我和在大洋彼岸的姐姐們互通音訊，至少需要1個(gè)月的時(shí)間——寄一封航空信件過去花時(shí)半月，姐姐們看完寫好回信再寄來又需半月。如果只是聊些家長(zhǎng)里短，我們會(huì)更多地選擇便宜些的海郵，單程長(zhǎng)達(dá)1個(gè)月。國(guó)際電話太貴，一分鐘16元，除了急事，只有媽媽想女兒想得狠了，才會(huì)掐著時(shí)間說上那么一分鐘互相聽聽聲音。那會(huì)兒媽媽總是念叨：“這一輩子也不知道還能見上幾面。”20年后，我的生于美國(guó)的外甥們每年都會(huì)回來一次，今年因?yàn)閰⒓酉牧顮I(yíng)已經(jīng)回來兩次了。

當(dāng)遠(yuǎn)距離的思念得以舒緩，美食便開始占據(jù)鄉(xiāng)愁的最主要部分。從前姐姐們每次回美國(guó)，總要把箱子裝滿才會(huì)心滿意足，里面有筍干、香菇、木耳和茶葉。現(xiàn)在，除了新茶，其他的都能從美國(guó)的中國(guó)超市里買到，于是對(duì)于美食的渴望便替換成了回國(guó)好好地吃香喝辣，借以擺脫左宗棠雞、酸甜咕嚕肉的陰影。

垃圾經(jīng)柴油機(jī)煙氣干燥后可以全部焚燒，參照城市生活垃圾焚燒成本，因工藝不同處理費(fèi)用為 60～250 元 /t［20］不等，取平均值為 155 元 /t，垃圾干燥器運(yùn)營(yíng)成本（主要為工人工資）取32.5萬元（5人計(jì)，工資5萬元/人，社保30%計(jì)），折舊費(fèi)取14.3萬元，每年焚燒成本為：

華裔少年在上海城隍廟買南翔小籠包。The young Chinese Americans pose with a small steamer of mini-Baozi made in the Nanxiang Style at the Temple of City God in Shanghai.

在洞頭漁家和當(dāng)?shù)貙W(xué)生用土灶生火做漁家咸飯。Some Chinese and American summer campers make and enjoy a rice meal at a fisherman's home in Dongtou.

對(duì)于美食的熱愛和想念，大概是每位華裔不可擺脫的魔咒。有位向來對(duì)吃飯如同完成任務(wù)的朋友，去美國(guó)沒兩年，也開始在朋友圈發(fā)些自做的中餐圖片，想來也對(duì)西方食物的單調(diào)有些忍無可忍。

嘗過中華料理的兩個(gè)外甥，在夏令營(yíng)必做的一件事便是每一天向媽媽匯報(bào)今天吃了什么，并加以好吃或不好吃的評(píng)論。在上海的第一天，夏令營(yíng)組織參觀城隍廟，一營(yíng)的人捧著著名的南翔小籠包合影，一臉的興高采烈。營(yíng)里的少年幾乎都具有華裔血統(tǒng)，每天都對(duì)一日三餐很是期待。他們吃到了多刺的白條魚，吃到了帶骨的雞鴨魚肉，吃到了帶澆頭的面條……

在溫州洞頭一中支教的第一周，夏令營(yíng)安排的是美式團(tuán)餐，很快就按同學(xué)的要求，換成了國(guó)內(nèi)的套餐。因?yàn)槭窃诙搭^支教，所以伙食就按學(xué)校的常規(guī)飲食來安排。夏令營(yíng)每天的伙食和洞頭的孩子們是一樣的。每天的早餐是中國(guó)南方的傳統(tǒng)早點(diǎn)，豆?jié){白粥油條大肉包，大家吃得興高采烈。

此時(shí)，我的另一位姐姐正在紐約逛吃逛吃，每天在微信朋友圈里發(fā)些行程動(dòng)態(tài)，每一條都有關(guān)中華料理的信息，比如昨天去吃了過橋米線和“西安名吃”連鎖店的肉夾饃，今天又打算去曼哈頓的法拉盛中國(guó)城吃喝。

對(duì)于美食的好奇和熱愛，深藏在華人的基因里。

旅行在外，我們總希望可以融入當(dāng)?shù)兀呐率菑倪@個(gè)城市到另一個(gè)城市；而如果能夠融入另一個(gè)國(guó)家，那更是令人欣喜。出生在美國(guó)的華裔，就有著這樣天然的便利和條件，從小就在中英文間切換，無論是語言還是思維。

打開一扇窗，看見彼此

年輕人間的交流，比之成年人更為純粹與順暢。因此夏令營(yíng)每到一地，都會(huì)與當(dāng)?shù)氐闹袑W(xué)生交流切磋。在杭州，同學(xué)們與杭州高級(jí)中學(xué)、杭州源清中學(xué)、杭州江南實(shí)驗(yàn)學(xué)校的同學(xué)們一起組隊(duì)，在50分鐘內(nèi)完成了Space Cube（太空盒子）挑戰(zhàn)賽。

在溫州洞頭一中，說是支教，還不如說是一場(chǎng)持續(xù)的大型聯(lián)歡和兩國(guó)高中學(xué)生間的文化交流更為合適。

每天晨會(huì)，中美雙方的孩子們便各自展露出拿手絕活，自高中生活圈里最流行的語言和文化，唱歌跳舞樂器演奏，一下就將雙方的關(guān)系拉近了。同齡人之間總能找到許多共同的話題，尤其是對(duì)彼此雙方日常生活都很好奇的這幾十名孩子來說。

支教內(nèi)容系統(tǒng)而深入，不是傳授基礎(chǔ)學(xué)科知識(shí)，而是選擇了一些美國(guó)高中比較流行的課程，比如機(jī)器人競(jìng)賽基礎(chǔ)、英語思維、趣味科學(xué)、海報(bào)設(shè)計(jì)，甚至還有戶外運(yùn)動(dòng)課。夏令營(yíng)的組織者、密西根青少年勵(lì)能基金會(huì)的Grace女士負(fù)責(zé)課程設(shè)計(jì)，她說，“我們的目的在于盡可能地給當(dāng)?shù)睾⒆訋タ萍紕?chuàng)新理念和學(xué)習(xí)思路，盡可能地讓他們的思維更開闊、眼界更高遠(yuǎn)，這才是我們支教的目的。”

為了這次支教，基金會(huì)早在兩個(gè)多月前便開始了課程設(shè)計(jì)和培訓(xùn)——上什么課？要達(dá)到什么樣的教學(xué)目的？每一個(gè)隊(duì)員負(fù)責(zé)什么環(huán)節(jié)？19位隊(duì)員按照課程被分成幾個(gè)小組，不斷培訓(xùn)、演練。為了編程課，還從美國(guó)專門帶了EV3機(jī)器人。

每一項(xiàng)課程在經(jīng)歷5天的系統(tǒng)學(xué)習(xí)后，最終都會(huì)被要求以完整的結(jié)果來展示。比如機(jī)器人編程課會(huì)將中方學(xué)生分成兩隊(duì)，各自設(shè)計(jì)一套編程，完成要求的項(xiàng)目，進(jìn)行雙方對(duì)抗；AP課程則是通過物理原理，設(shè)計(jì)出可以讓裝水氣球從高空扔下而不破的保護(hù)傘；運(yùn)動(dòng)課則上演了一場(chǎng)足球賽；音樂劇課為最后的告別晚會(huì)排練了一場(chǎng)歌舞劇——《This is me》（這就是我）。

交流團(tuán)合影。Chinese and American summer campers, teachers and officials pose for a group photo at the stadium of Dongtou No. 1 Middle School.

這些課程對(duì)小老師們的學(xué)識(shí)及中英文轉(zhuǎn)換能力要求頗高，所以在行前，這支夏令營(yíng)的19名成員都經(jīng)過了嚴(yán)格的5選1考核才入選，每個(gè)人都有自己的專業(yè)特長(zhǎng)和拿手項(xiàng)目。有的是學(xué)校機(jī)器人隊(duì)的主力，有的得過美國(guó)各類科技、藝術(shù)競(jìng)賽金獎(jiǎng)……

我的外甥驄驄所在的小組負(fù)責(zé)科學(xué)玩具設(shè)計(jì)及制作，其中一項(xiàng)水氣球?qū)嶒?yàn)是這樣的——往氣球里灌滿水，扎緊口子，然后把水氣球從教學(xué)樓頂樓6樓往地面扔。要讓氣球不破，關(guān)鍵是用常見的材料比如報(bào)紙、膠水等做一個(gè)保護(hù)傘，以減緩水氣球的沖擊力，讓它最終軟著陸而不破裂。而設(shè)計(jì)需要用到物理知識(shí)和微分公式，所以驄驄首先給大家上了高等物理課。

平時(shí)流利的中文，并不代表能夠在這種深度的科學(xué)課上也能應(yīng)用自如，涉及學(xué)科上的專業(yè)名詞，還是會(huì)有一定的溝通障礙。

在上物理課之前，為了能夠順暢地和同學(xué)們交流，驄驄在備課筆記上將所有涉及的內(nèi)容都作了英中文的翻譯轉(zhuǎn)化，不過這樣的準(zhǔn)備在實(shí)際使用時(shí)似乎仍顯不夠，碰到一些學(xué)術(shù)上的詞，還需要臺(tái)下聽課的洞頭一中同學(xué)補(bǔ)充翻譯。

不過結(jié)果都很美妙，水氣球背著保護(hù)傘成功地從6樓掉下并緩緩降落在地面；機(jī)器人對(duì)抗賽在兩隊(duì)中方學(xué)生間展開，大家僅用了5天時(shí)間便初步掌握了編程要義；英語課則為最后的告別晚會(huì)排練了一場(chǎng)歌舞劇。短短5天的支教結(jié)束，美方孩子的鋼琴伴唱《Remember Me》回蕩在學(xué)校體育館里時(shí)，臺(tái)下傾聽的許多孩子悄悄地抹開了淚。

正如夏令營(yíng)組織方所說，短短5天，同學(xué)們留下的是真摯的情感和友誼，這將作為紐帶，為中美學(xué)生成長(zhǎng)起到點(diǎn)睛作用。

Chinese American Youngsters Feel at Home at Summer Camp in Zhejiang

By Qi Li

July 21st, 2019 saw the opening of a 6-day summer camp on Dongtou Island, Wenzhou in southeastern Zhejiang Province. The summer camp aimed to bring Chinese and American youngsters together to learn more about the local culture and lifestyle of the island. All of the American youngsters were from Michigan, USA and nineteen of them were Chinese American, whose parents were migrants who grew up in China and settled down on the other side of the Pacific Ocean. Some students from a local middle school on the island took part in the summer camp as American counterparts.They mixed well.

The summer camp was held on the campus of Dongtou First Middle School. The 6-day event was considered part of a largescale cultural exchange programs. On the first day, the campers visited a village cultural center on the island and visited a museum of shell carving, a regional folk art on Zhejiang's list of intangible cultural heritage since 2007.

一起做實(shí)驗(yàn)。Chinese and American summer campers do an experiment together.

洞頭一中的學(xué)生每天用海報(bào)來記錄一天的夏令營(yíng)生活。This picture diary in English chronicles what the young Chinese and American campers do in Dongtou.

The exchange program touched on ten subjects such as robotics and advanced mathematics. The 19 Chinese Americans were both students learning something from their counterparts and teachers while sharing what they knew with their Chinese counterparts same time. After all, they had been selected from a large crowd of applicants and only one of every three was picked.

The camp on the island wasn't the whole of the summer tour. The American youngsters also visited Hangzhou and Shanghai on their summer tour in China. In Hangzhou they visited the headquarters of Alibaba, the world's number one Internet e-business, and in Shanghai they visited a Volkswagen factory and the City God Temple, one of the best tourist attractions in the city's downtown. The 19 Chinese American youngsters found the summer event fascinating and opening a new world to them, even though some of them had come back to visit their families in China many times and most of them speak Chinese with their parents at home. This trip across the ocean and across Zhejiang and Shanghai gave them an unprecedented perspective to see their ancestral roots and embrace the home where their parents came from.

Chinese food appealed very much to the Chinese American youngsters. On Dongtou Island, the middle school at first provided them with American-styled food such as stake. But after looking at the seafood their Chinese counterparts had, the Chinese Americans wanted to switch to seafood. They said they could enjoy stake back at home and they wanted to enjoy seafood in Dongtou. So seafood was served. They had traditional Chinese breakfast usually composed of soy milk, porridge, pancake and Youtiao (deep-fried dough stick). During the summer camp days, the traditional Chinese food they had included the sharpbelly (Hemiculter leucisculus) with a lot of vexing fish bones, chicken and duck, and noodle topped with juicy vegetable and meat. They happily shared with their parents what food they had in China on a daily basis on their social media.

Some of these Chinese Americans are so good at Chinese that they are able to read Chinese web novels in Chinese. And they enjoy these novels. Their parents are pleased to see their children's passion for Chinese readings. The parents know these web novels are by no means top-class literature stuffs, but they are written in Chinese and the language is the crucial part of the mother-tongue of these second-generation Chinese Americans.

And these young Chinese Americans could easily mix with locals where they went in searching for best delicacies wherever they traveled. They could switch seamlessly from English to Chinese and restaurant operators would have the slightest idea that they were chatting with Americans. During their sightseeing at the City God Temple, a local attraction in downtown Shanghai, they were seen being photographed, each holding a small steamer of mini-Baozi made in the Nanxiang Style and smiling happily from ear to ear.

The only thing that made these young Michiganders a little bit uncomfortable was the sweltering temperatures in the summer days in Zhejiang and Shanghai, as most of these Chinese Americans are accustomed to mild weather conditions in Michigan, a state in the north of USA in the temperate zone. But the hot days couldn't smother their curiosity about China. Their energy was great and their interactions with Chinese counterparts were highly animating. In Hangzhou they competed with Chinese students in brainy games.