Monica Xu: News Reporter in D.C.

Monica is my undergraduate classmate at Shanghai International Studies University. She comes from Hangzhou, China and attended Hangzhou Foreign Language School, one of the most famous high schools in China. She is a colonial of George Washington University majoring in American Studies and is currently working in a news agency as a reporter. It is her third year in the States.

She is a voracious reader, a diligent thinker, a curious learner and a talented cook. This time as I stay with her, she works pm shift, i.e. 1-9pm. We spent the mornings going to the IMF bookstore or cooking lunch. On May 17 we attended the Commencement of George Washington University at the National Mall and listened to Tim Cook's speech. A privilege that nowhere can be found except in D.C. She is a member of BikeShare, a bike rental system in the city, which allows you use a bike for 30 minutes for free at an annual fee of around 80 dollars. Sometimes she goes to work by bike. I also used her bike key for a day, but spent a lot of time locating the bike station thus went over time once.

I went to her office and observed her working. Right before hourly news, she practices reading her scripts, marks the words which need special attention, or check the dictionary for the correct pronunciation. When the time comes, she gulps down some water and rushes off to the studio. When she comes back, apparently more relaxed than 15 minutes ago, she checks for news updates. If there is no update, she chats with me as we enjoy the Tiramisu she made in the morning. Today as I am about to leave for the road trip, I did this interview with the Dad has Come Home, a Chinese TV show playing on her MacBook. 

Time: 11:00pm, Sunday, May 17

Place: her apartment in D.C. 

Flora: What do you think of D.C.?

Monica: Here you can learn many different things. There are free museums and free lectures from think tanks, sometimes lunch included. Though government agencies may operate at a slower speed than companies, college graduates can still learn many things here. Sometimes the embassies have Open Day and you can go visit. Sometimes there are cultural festivals, which can't be found in other places. For outdoors activities, you can go hiking and to the beach if you drive a little further. Overall I think this is a great city. 

Flora: How do you think of your job in D.C.? What accomplishment have you made? 

Monica: For a fresh graduate I think I can learn many things from my job. Many editors are very knowledgeable and diligent. I also get trained for English to Chinese translation both in quality and in speed. Also I am interested in world affairs, and my job does that exactly, so it agrees with my characters.
I also made some very good friends from work. A colleague is of similar age of mine. We had great conversations and I went to bar for the first time with her. She also offers me an opportunity to write scripts for documentaries, which is like opening another door for me. 

My accomplishment was a report on the introduction of Saturday Night Live into China sponsored by Sohu. At that time, there was a lot of news coverage on Sohu, but nothing on the American producer of the show. I was the first to interview the American producer. Through my interview, I found that contrary to many assumptions, it was the American producer that initiated the entry of the show in the Chinese market, not Sohu. It was finalized after a year of negotiation. Many Chinese internet users who know about the show also concern whether it can be transplanted in China, as it often talks about political sensitive topics, or make parodies of political figures, such as the parody of Sarah Palin. They wonder whether the same style can be kept in China. The producer also gave his answers. Besides, he pointed out that the show began in the 70s, a time when TV was somewhat strictly regulated. As the show went on, it also helped change the overall dynamic of media in the States. The producer hoped that the introduction of the show in China would do the same thing. To complete that report, I also interviewed an insider, that is Brother Sway, a Chinese talkshow host in the States. Unlike his image in front of the camera, he actually was quite serious. He also talked about the talkshow groups and criticized that their shows usually caters to popular taste rather than provides insightful views about China, which was something that I was unfamiliar of. 

Flora: Do you have other things to share?

Monica: The more I read news and connect pieces of news, the more I am confused and wondered. For example, Nigeria was captured by Boku Haram as if the whole country went to chaos with president election delayed. But today I saw that my colleague posted a Weibo feed on some activity held by the Embassy of Nigeria today, which is the "fashion godfather" in Nigeria. I began to wonder, it seemed that the country was not in as bad a shape as I thought. So what is the truth? News only covers the strange and the unusual for the public, but what is the rest of reality? That is the constant question in my mind.