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Home Away from Home - CIWC
Fri 05 Oct 2007 Post by : invisible
Category : news about Chengdu
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Author Heather Smith
Issue 4
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CIWC - Chengdu’s International Women’s Club
Transportation systems today allow many people to easily slip from country to country but expatriating to a new country isn’t as simple as buying the plane ticket and getting to the airport. Some foreign people living in China oscillate between their desire to experience “authentic” Chinese culture and the need to deal with the shock of being out of one’s comfort zone.
It was from this struggle that Chengdu’s International Women’s Club</url> was born. According to Kim Dallas, a mother of two who has been heading the club for about a year, the club helps expatriates adjust to their new life here in Chengdu by helping them make connections and lending a helping hand.
Due to the transitory nature of expatriates, the club’s origins are unclear, but Dallas figures that it was formed nearly ten years ago by “trailing spouses” who found it hard to integrate into the community. So they formed a network with which they could more easily organize events and share information.
Today, the club organizes regular and one-off events for its nearly 200 members, including crafters’ groups, cooking demonstrations, a tennis club, children’s play groups, coffee mornings and ladies’ nights out. There are also book-club meetings, hosted by a different member month. Another monthly event is “market-surfing” — a group outing to one of the city’s many markets. More recently, the club organized a biweekly mahjong group at the Bookworm; there is no betting involved, and no prior knowledge of the game is required.
In addition to helping foreigners transition into their new location, the club organizes fundraising for charitable causes. Last December they collaborated to raise money for a school in Tibet with a holiday bazaar, and this year they plan to give 50 percent of the proceeds to the SOS orphanage and the other 50 percent to <link=http://www.morningtears.com>Morning Tears.
Over the years, the club has grown, and the diversity of its membership has increased, reflecting rapid changes taking place in Chengdu and in China on the whole. While critics have attacked the club as exclusionary and the concept it was founded on as xenophobic, its policies do not preclude anybody from joining. Today, its members represent many different countries and age groups, from early 20s to mid-50s. And despite the club’s name, participation is not limited to women; indeed, some events encourage partner involvement. Events are generally conducted in English, but nonetheless, more and more Chinese women have joined — perhaps indicating an increased interest and openness to other cultures on both sides.
According to Dallas, this change is being reflected in many of the foreign-organized groups in the city. Other clubs have facilitated cross-cultural exchange effectively through sports. The Chengdu Rugby Club, for instance, has recently expanded with a surge in the number of local members, according to Dallas. The Chengdu Youth Football (Soccer) League was also recently started by foreigners and welcomes all children.
Membership to the CIWC is free and open to everyone, and participation in most events requires simply bringing a dish to share with everyone. The club also welcomes new ideas for activities and events. For more information, e-mail chengduiwc@gmail.com.
The article by Heather Smith was first published in chengdoo CITYLIFE issue No.4
