Writing — Jessica Fan

[China] The Old Schoolhouse

Mengjinzhuang Village, Hebei Province, China (2013)

I spent this past summer in China, working on a project at Tsinghua University and spending time with relatives. It had been over 8 years since I visited my father's village in Hebei, and I was eager to see the changing rural landscape.

Photography, TravelJessica FanDecember 14, 2013Comment

[China] A trucking life

When I called Da Jie (my oldest cousin) to tell her I was back in the village, I was surprised to find that she was in Xinjiang – all the way on the other side of the country. “Don’t worry, I should be back in time for the holiday!” she assured me. Da Jie has been on the road for the last 5 years. She travels in a long-distance delivery truck with her husband Da Jie Fu and 19-year old son Leilei.

Jessica FanJuly 11, 2013

[China] “Trust doctors, but never completely”

An inside look at China’s medical system

TravelJessica FanJuly 7, 2013

[China] Better times, but still a nongmin

Jessica FanJune 30, 2013Comment

[China] A village life

Jessica FanJune 25, 2013 Comment

[China] A factory life

On the bus, I happened to sit next to Xiao Wang – a round-faced 24 year old man with an infectious smile. After breaking the ice by offering him a cookie, I asked him where he was headed. Xiao Wang was visiting a friend in Baigou in hopes of finding a new job there. He had been working in a Beijing factory making boxes for the past 2 months and had grown tired of it. “I don’t have any specific job in mind. I’ll see when I get there. It takes about a day to find work, at most 3 days.”

TravelJessica FanJune 11, 2013China

[China] A city life

My father grew up in the countryside of Hebei with his older and younger brother. Due to the hukou system, rural dwellers were not allowed to move into the cities. Since my grandfather had been working in the city of Tianjin before the restrictions, he was given “city dweller” status, which he eventually passed on to my youngest uncle (Lao Shu). It was Lao Shu and Lao Niang (his wife) who picked me up from the train station.

Jessica FanJune 8, 2013

[China] In the Clouds - Mr. Li's Take on Changing China

I've already met quite a few characters with great stories to tell. On the flight here, I had a long conversation with Mr. Li who sat next to me. He was a Beijing native and a product manager for a large tech company, on his way back from a business trip. He had spent a few years in Canada before moving back home, realizing that it was easier to find a job in Asia after the tech bubble. We talked about everything from China's state capitalism, to government accountability, to healthcare.

TravelJessica FanMay 30, 2013Comment

[China] Sichuan and Shanghai World Expo

I recently posted photos from my last trip to China on Behance. I wanted to get them all up before I head out on my next adventure. You can view the photosets below:

TravelJessica FanMay 9, 2013 Comment

Return to the Motherland - Coming Full Circle

I just got my visa and will be off to China at the end of this month! I will be spending 2 months at Tsinghua University in Beijing, working on a community supported agriculture (CSA)project led by Professor Liu (Deputy Director of the Sustainable Design Institute). This project is part of the "Rural-Urban China" thematic cluster under the umbrella of the DESIS Network.

TravelJessica FanMay 9, 2013China Comments

Beginner-Friendly Web Programming Resources

When I finally decided to roll up the sleeves and make new my website from scratch, there were tons of resources out there (thanks to all my engineering/design buddies for sending them to me!) Since there are many people wondering where to begin, I thought I would share with you some of the resources I used and what I learned.

TechnologyJessica FanApril 30, 2013 Comments

[China] After the quake

Jessica FanOctober 9, 2010Comment