Chinatown Week, My second week at the Inquirer

22/04/07
This week is Chinatown Gate week. I really enjoyed this assignment.

In China, most of the stories I did were controversy and sensitive and it was really difficult to get information. Before last July, besides covering trade I went outside Beijing for 7 to 10 days every month for urgent and important assignments about which I had no contacts, background or knowledge at all and I even didn’t expect people would speak out or to tell the truth when I approached them. I had worked like this for 15 months and then I decided to only cover trade and health. I was successful in almost all the assignments but my business trips were full of frustration and nightmare.

That is why I enjoyed working here. The topic was interesting and everybody liked to talk to me. I interviewed Americans in the daytime and Chinese at night. I was really relaxed.

I guess my one shortcoming is that I always over report. I interview too many people. Up till now I have interviewed 14 people for this story and will interview more in the next week. I was slowly not only because I interviewed many people but also because I would rather record then to just take notes.

You know I am still not confident on my listening comprehension. But this morning, I found I can write down all the important words my source has said. Wonderful!!

What will be my next story?

Next week my number one job is to build my own network. So my aim in the next week is: everyday meet one new person.

Today I met with a woman from the world affair council in Philadelphia. She invited me to attend their activities as guest. Next Tuesday I will attend a fundraising party for a city councilman. I will absolutely meet more new ones. By the way, I have my Inquirer business cards now!

Last week, Bob Moran, our crime reporter was so sympathetic that he invited me to work with him in the west Philadelphia. Then Andy asked him if possible to work with me for other stories. We went out for an event about death penalty. I did some transcript for him and I found my name was on byline. I felt a little embarrassed because I contributed only a little.

This Friday I felt better because I worked much more with Jeff, our health reporter on the story about mental health. But I felt embarrassed again when I found he put my name before his name. I asked him not to do so because he was the writer.

To tell the truth, the most important thing to me is I can really help people here but not to be a burden. Byline, though makes me feel comfortable when my fellows keep asking about my stories and showing their own, is not very important for me. Though I enjoyed working here and working alone is not a problem for me, I want to work with other journalists so that I can learn from different people and learn how the American society works.

My final aim is to find a way for the development of Chinese Journalism and Chinese society. The more people I talk to, the more things I observe or involve with, the more I can share with my colleagues and my readers in China.

I talked with Jennifer Lin, my mentor, about my training program. Besides working for the Inquirer, I also need time to do my own research which is the internet and the US-China trade. I want to learn how to use Bloomberg. I also want to go to the Metropolitan Museum again. I want more my own time to cook!

I am learning every minute. When I do transcript I recognize my wrong pronunciations so that I can fix them. I found a whole new world when I watched Jennifer and her son’s movie product. I learn what community is from the Gate story. I learn how to efficiently run a media by watching the Inquirer’s emails everyday. However, I am still looking for a cheaper way without Hermes.

The most important thing I learn from the program is how to deal with new comers or green hands. We have many green hands in my magazine with little experience but huge potential. They deserve more attention. To what extent they can contribute depends on to what extend we help and inspire them and provide a warm working environment. I do learn a lot from Andy, Jennifer, John Brumfield, Susan and Katie. For example, Andy is busy but sitting next to him is a kind of comfort to me.