China wasn't at all what I imagined it would be. I imagined people eating fried bugs, and frogs, fish pedicures, people being afraid of the police, no sign of any holiday spirit, and I was prepared to be a defensive victim at every turn. Defensive of my rights - my liberty that I am so used to having.
Well, I've learned that it takes a lot of effort to peak into the true life of Communist China. I stayed in or around Beijing, China for nearly 3 weeks. Granted, it was a small window of the country - with more time and money I might have traveled to Hangzou, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Chengdu, and maybe a few other hoppin locations that I've have yet to hear about. Instead I spent 3 weeks between suburban Beijing in Hebei Province, and the center of Beijing. I'm glad that I stayed put getting to know my environment and spending time with my God sister, and I certainly learned a lot from the experience.
Of course, what I have to say about life in China and communism is based on my limited experience - 3 weeks in one city is not saying too much. As I observed, some Chinese (particularly those who haven't traveled beyond China) don't even realize that they are living in a country so strict, and so limiting compared to the rest of the world. Whereas others feel the full effects of the adverse ways of life. Something crucial that I learned (having never really studied China in my free time) was that there is no judicial system in place. No judges. No lawyers. No trials. If a rule is broken, the person goes to prison, work camp (the same as that which I have been taught about during World War II in Nazi Germany), or they are killed. No questions asked. If they are lucky, their entire family will not face the same punishment. As I understand it, that sort of luck is uncommon.
I never felt unsafe in China. In fact, traveling around, accessibility of supermarkets, taxis, public transportation, and street markets, was familiar to me as if I were in a Chinese version of New York City. It was the most Western-feeling place that I had been in over a month. There were paved roads - wide ones - and even sidewalks with street lights. I was grateful to be staying with my godsister. We enjoyed the holidays together, and learned together. She taught me many of the dos and don'ts and helped guide my way. After one day in China, there was no question about it, having a guide is an enormous benefit. No one speaks English. No one. Hardly anything is written in English. Hardly anything. There's no doubt that I would have found my way (particularly with the skillful communication of body language and hand gestures) but it might have taken a lot of misdirection first. In a country where the language is routed in Latin, Greek, or Germanic, I would have been able to figure it out - but Chinese may as well be a bunch of clicks and ticks or cat scratches on a wood panel. There is no way to just "figure it out."
I never had a desire to come to China before. Having studied so thoroughly the effects of communism in European history, it was my goal to stay as far away from communism as possible. I didn't even want to be a tourist supporting their economic growth - to me its a slap in the face to the people who remain oppressed no matter what the government gains. I came to spend the holidays with my godsister, and it was worth it to see her, get to know her better, and learn about her life in China. However, after several days in Beijing, and getting to know many different Chinese locals, expats, and travelers, I can say that I wish I had seen more of China, met more people, had even more experiences. I would certainly consider going back - maybe after learning some basic Chinese.
Although my opinion of communism is fairly low, that's not to say that I'm ignorant to how America functions as a government as well. They do things in secret. They kill innocent people. They fuel the fires of oppression in many ways. Sometimes I am happy to be an uninvolved citizen, and sometimes I feel the need to stand up for goodness and fairness. However, Americans still have a million freedoms that the Chinese don't, straight down to how schools are run, how people live in their homes, how much money is spent on pleasures, what you should or shouldn't freely say, etc. In America, I never questioned whether I could have a hot shower every day, or how publically I could celebrate my holidays or my religion. American government might do some sleazy stuff, but we Americans still receive a great deal in our lives.
No matter how I feel about the government and communism, the people are truly authentic here, and many of them are deeply oppressed. They are oppressed in every way that I imagine. I have never been so grateful for my liberties, opportunities, and overall spoiledness that comes with being American.
In China the people are friendly, but not helpful. They give their opinions, but not loudly. Helping each other is not encouraged by the government. There is no law after all. If a fight breaks out, people will watch, maybe use words to calm the situation, or just walk by. This behavior would make them a bystander in the United States, it might be deemed selfish and cowardly. But what if a simple spontaneous decision to be brave over an everyday problem means death or life in a prison? I would be a lot more likely to think first, act later, or never - depending. Getting involved in other peoples business means that you are subject to the same suffering or benefits as that person. Most people would rather not take the chances of getting in trouble.
There are many beautiful and authentic things about China. As I'm sure you can imagine that the government doesn't entirely define you or your life, so it is the same in China. It has much to offer the world and it treats whiter skinned foreigners, like myself, like gold. China wants a good worldly reputation, so tourists are treated very well. I've even heard of white people being paid to be in promotional videos and photos for money. Most Chinese are not so lucky to have a large apartment, with internet, a hot shower, and heating system. The students at the local University have to wait in line - in the cold, or any other season - to use the showers, and they have to pay. They have to pay money that some people don't even have.
Beijing to me, is fascinating. It's bigger and far more spread out than New York City. The foods are different than anything I have ever seen. Some are in thick sweet sauces, just like American Chinese food, there are a thousand different things that I have seen pre-packaged (that looks slimy and undesirable). The street food is excessive, delicious, and as amazing as an endless food court, there are lots of noodles and rice, and yummy Hot Pot. In case you didn't know, because I didn't, Hot Pot is a soup based fondue. It was my first meal in China. My godsister and I went to a local restaurant, ordered vegetables and thinly sliced meats, and cooked them in the soup broth, then removed them after cooking and feasted. It appears as though the people in China always eat family style, and always order excessively at restaurants. One order per person is just a silly idea, even though (when the food does come out) it is a platter-full of eats. Thank God "take-away" is a norm in this country.
The subways are another adventure. After navigating through at least 10 different subway systems in major cities throughout Europe and America, I feel I am pretty accustomed to how they typically work. After all, they are all fairly similar. Beijing's subway was no different. If anything, it was more organized and higher security than any subway I had ever been on.
I've been told by many different people that helping each other is not cultural in China, just as shoving is not discourteous. On the subways people shove into, past, and even through each other like hypnotized cattle. During rush hour, cramming into a car requires effort, moving towards the door to get ready to exit requires effort, and holding on for dear life so as not to be swept out of the train by the foot traffic can even be dangerous! The swarms of people shoving and moving like a mob of fish reminded me of the abused horses I saw while trekking in Nepal. The horses would push right past whoever was in their path, if they didn't do what they were supposed to they would be whipped, so my only option was to get the hell out of their way! I have my own methods on the train during times when its full. I tuck my arms in, clip my backpack tightly, and get away from the door if it's not my stop to get off.
Everything I became accustomed to doing in NYC exists in a Chinese version here - the subway, the food, the shopping, the schools, the street food, the tourists spots, and the different burroughs of the city.
People here are the same as the average person in New York. They behave (obey the law), do as their told, go to work, and keep to themselves so there are no problems. One of the major differences is that people do not break the law nearly as often. There is no pick pocketing. No fighting (or far less). People don't commit crimes - at least not serious ones. If they do, they may as well be committing themselves to a brutal prison system, and maybe take their family along with them. Luckily, theft is not an issue on the busy subways - I mean, do you think theft would be an issue if the possible punishment is death or life in prison for you and your entire family? I didn't think so. The person who breaks the law in China is selfish, desperate, or both.
Communism has found a way to keep order through fear, and if people here stay in order then they can also have a false sense of freedom. Children and University students have no freedom. Every waking hour they are practicing something, or studying something, and the living conditions can be terrible for anybody.
The simple understanding of how college students are selected, treated, and what jobs they receive is a perfect example of lack of liberty that I would never stand for in my own life. Luckily, I have a choice.
A high school student is required to take a college entrance exam that will essentially determine the course of their entire life. The exam determines which University they will attend, whether it will be a Chinese University, what they will study, and what their post graduate profession will be. There is no choice otherwise. You can imagine, that doing well in school - cheating - is very common. Everyone cheats, not just on the entrance exam but throughout college. Failure is not an option because a small misstep could change the course or life.
Read more from the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/01/world/asia/burden-of-chinas-college-entrance-test-sets-off-wide-debate.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
There are ways to be defiant to some extent. In Beijing there were Christmas lights, cardboard cutouts of Santa's face on windows, and Christmas trees in many plazas. Christianity here is allowed by the communist run churches, but celebrating a holiday that is not a government holiday so openly, is looked down upon by the government. I except that a crack-down will happen after such a widely expressive Christmas season in the city. The Christmas tree lights were beautiful lining some of the streets in different districts. Beforehand, I imagined that everything would be bare - there would be no holiday spirit, everything would be black and white with no colorful expression. I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was holiday cheer in the air, and some version of Christmas songs playing in many of the supermarkets I went into. I learned that some locals don't like the communist run Christian churches. For example, on July 1st, which is a national holiday, the churches say all of the same prayers as usual, but rather than praising Jesus, they praise the communist party. That is something I would refuse to do. The people who are like me have secret churches, underground, in basements, or their friends houses. They have services, and exercise their human rights to believe in and praise whoever they want.
If I were Chinese, I just assume practice my religion in private. I wouldn't want to go to a communist-run church, but I also wouldn't feel the need to risk my life by going to a secret church. My body is the temple after all.
Well, I've learned that it takes a lot of effort to peak into the true life of Communist China. I stayed in or around Beijing, China for nearly 3 weeks. Granted, it was a small window of the country - with more time and money I might have traveled to Hangzou, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Chengdu, and maybe a few other hoppin locations that I've have yet to hear about. Instead I spent 3 weeks between suburban Beijing in Hebei Province, and the center of Beijing. I'm glad that I stayed put getting to know my environment and spending time with my God sister, and I certainly learned a lot from the experience.
Of course, what I have to say about life in China and communism is based on my limited experience - 3 weeks in one city is not saying too much. As I observed, some Chinese (particularly those who haven't traveled beyond China) don't even realize that they are living in a country so strict, and so limiting compared to the rest of the world. Whereas others feel the full effects of the adverse ways of life. Something crucial that I learned (having never really studied China in my free time) was that there is no judicial system in place. No judges. No lawyers. No trials. If a rule is broken, the person goes to prison, work camp (the same as that which I have been taught about during World War II in Nazi Germany), or they are killed. No questions asked. If they are lucky, their entire family will not face the same punishment. As I understand it, that sort of luck is uncommon.
I never felt unsafe in China. In fact, traveling around, accessibility of supermarkets, taxis, public transportation, and street markets, was familiar to me as if I were in a Chinese version of New York City. It was the most Western-feeling place that I had been in over a month. There were paved roads - wide ones - and even sidewalks with street lights. I was grateful to be staying with my godsister. We enjoyed the holidays together, and learned together. She taught me many of the dos and don'ts and helped guide my way. After one day in China, there was no question about it, having a guide is an enormous benefit. No one speaks English. No one. Hardly anything is written in English. Hardly anything. There's no doubt that I would have found my way (particularly with the skillful communication of body language and hand gestures) but it might have taken a lot of misdirection first. In a country where the language is routed in Latin, Greek, or Germanic, I would have been able to figure it out - but Chinese may as well be a bunch of clicks and ticks or cat scratches on a wood panel. There is no way to just "figure it out."
I never had a desire to come to China before. Having studied so thoroughly the effects of communism in European history, it was my goal to stay as far away from communism as possible. I didn't even want to be a tourist supporting their economic growth - to me its a slap in the face to the people who remain oppressed no matter what the government gains. I came to spend the holidays with my godsister, and it was worth it to see her, get to know her better, and learn about her life in China. However, after several days in Beijing, and getting to know many different Chinese locals, expats, and travelers, I can say that I wish I had seen more of China, met more people, had even more experiences. I would certainly consider going back - maybe after learning some basic Chinese.
Although my opinion of communism is fairly low, that's not to say that I'm ignorant to how America functions as a government as well. They do things in secret. They kill innocent people. They fuel the fires of oppression in many ways. Sometimes I am happy to be an uninvolved citizen, and sometimes I feel the need to stand up for goodness and fairness. However, Americans still have a million freedoms that the Chinese don't, straight down to how schools are run, how people live in their homes, how much money is spent on pleasures, what you should or shouldn't freely say, etc. In America, I never questioned whether I could have a hot shower every day, or how publically I could celebrate my holidays or my religion. American government might do some sleazy stuff, but we Americans still receive a great deal in our lives.
No matter how I feel about the government and communism, the people are truly authentic here, and many of them are deeply oppressed. They are oppressed in every way that I imagine. I have never been so grateful for my liberties, opportunities, and overall spoiledness that comes with being American.
In China the people are friendly, but not helpful. They give their opinions, but not loudly. Helping each other is not encouraged by the government. There is no law after all. If a fight breaks out, people will watch, maybe use words to calm the situation, or just walk by. This behavior would make them a bystander in the United States, it might be deemed selfish and cowardly. But what if a simple spontaneous decision to be brave over an everyday problem means death or life in a prison? I would be a lot more likely to think first, act later, or never - depending. Getting involved in other peoples business means that you are subject to the same suffering or benefits as that person. Most people would rather not take the chances of getting in trouble.
There are many beautiful and authentic things about China. As I'm sure you can imagine that the government doesn't entirely define you or your life, so it is the same in China. It has much to offer the world and it treats whiter skinned foreigners, like myself, like gold. China wants a good worldly reputation, so tourists are treated very well. I've even heard of white people being paid to be in promotional videos and photos for money. Most Chinese are not so lucky to have a large apartment, with internet, a hot shower, and heating system. The students at the local University have to wait in line - in the cold, or any other season - to use the showers, and they have to pay. They have to pay money that some people don't even have.
Beijing to me, is fascinating. It's bigger and far more spread out than New York City. The foods are different than anything I have ever seen. Some are in thick sweet sauces, just like American Chinese food, there are a thousand different things that I have seen pre-packaged (that looks slimy and undesirable). The street food is excessive, delicious, and as amazing as an endless food court, there are lots of noodles and rice, and yummy Hot Pot. In case you didn't know, because I didn't, Hot Pot is a soup based fondue. It was my first meal in China. My godsister and I went to a local restaurant, ordered vegetables and thinly sliced meats, and cooked them in the soup broth, then removed them after cooking and feasted. It appears as though the people in China always eat family style, and always order excessively at restaurants. One order per person is just a silly idea, even though (when the food does come out) it is a platter-full of eats. Thank God "take-away" is a norm in this country.
The subways are another adventure. After navigating through at least 10 different subway systems in major cities throughout Europe and America, I feel I am pretty accustomed to how they typically work. After all, they are all fairly similar. Beijing's subway was no different. If anything, it was more organized and higher security than any subway I had ever been on.
I've been told by many different people that helping each other is not cultural in China, just as shoving is not discourteous. On the subways people shove into, past, and even through each other like hypnotized cattle. During rush hour, cramming into a car requires effort, moving towards the door to get ready to exit requires effort, and holding on for dear life so as not to be swept out of the train by the foot traffic can even be dangerous! The swarms of people shoving and moving like a mob of fish reminded me of the abused horses I saw while trekking in Nepal. The horses would push right past whoever was in their path, if they didn't do what they were supposed to they would be whipped, so my only option was to get the hell out of their way! I have my own methods on the train during times when its full. I tuck my arms in, clip my backpack tightly, and get away from the door if it's not my stop to get off.
Everything I became accustomed to doing in NYC exists in a Chinese version here - the subway, the food, the shopping, the schools, the street food, the tourists spots, and the different burroughs of the city.
People here are the same as the average person in New York. They behave (obey the law), do as their told, go to work, and keep to themselves so there are no problems. One of the major differences is that people do not break the law nearly as often. There is no pick pocketing. No fighting (or far less). People don't commit crimes - at least not serious ones. If they do, they may as well be committing themselves to a brutal prison system, and maybe take their family along with them. Luckily, theft is not an issue on the busy subways - I mean, do you think theft would be an issue if the possible punishment is death or life in prison for you and your entire family? I didn't think so. The person who breaks the law in China is selfish, desperate, or both.
Communism has found a way to keep order through fear, and if people here stay in order then they can also have a false sense of freedom. Children and University students have no freedom. Every waking hour they are practicing something, or studying something, and the living conditions can be terrible for anybody.
The simple understanding of how college students are selected, treated, and what jobs they receive is a perfect example of lack of liberty that I would never stand for in my own life. Luckily, I have a choice.
A high school student is required to take a college entrance exam that will essentially determine the course of their entire life. The exam determines which University they will attend, whether it will be a Chinese University, what they will study, and what their post graduate profession will be. There is no choice otherwise. You can imagine, that doing well in school - cheating - is very common. Everyone cheats, not just on the entrance exam but throughout college. Failure is not an option because a small misstep could change the course or life.
Read more from the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/01/world/asia/burden-of-chinas-college-entrance-test-sets-off-wide-debate.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
There are ways to be defiant to some extent. In Beijing there were Christmas lights, cardboard cutouts of Santa's face on windows, and Christmas trees in many plazas. Christianity here is allowed by the communist run churches, but celebrating a holiday that is not a government holiday so openly, is looked down upon by the government. I except that a crack-down will happen after such a widely expressive Christmas season in the city. The Christmas tree lights were beautiful lining some of the streets in different districts. Beforehand, I imagined that everything would be bare - there would be no holiday spirit, everything would be black and white with no colorful expression. I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was holiday cheer in the air, and some version of Christmas songs playing in many of the supermarkets I went into. I learned that some locals don't like the communist run Christian churches. For example, on July 1st, which is a national holiday, the churches say all of the same prayers as usual, but rather than praising Jesus, they praise the communist party. That is something I would refuse to do. The people who are like me have secret churches, underground, in basements, or their friends houses. They have services, and exercise their human rights to believe in and praise whoever they want.
If I were Chinese, I just assume practice my religion in private. I wouldn't want to go to a communist-run church, but I also wouldn't feel the need to risk my life by going to a secret church. My body is the temple after all.
To dig deeper on all of the human rights, religious rights, and freedom of speech issues, I had an interesting conversation with a few different local people concerning my work as a social worker. Social workers don't really exist in China. The homeless go to prison. The mentally ill are either killed via infanticide (most likely, since there are no official records), taken care of by their family, or arrested doing something they shouldn't and sent to a work camp. Mental illness does not exist in China. People know about it, they know the names for different illnesses (as much as any American would), and they are kind to one another. However, there is no empathy, no trial, if a mentally ill person gets in a fight, steals, runs away from home, makes a scene of any kind, or breaks any other kind of law - thats their one strike to get out. The police know what mental illness is, but the arrested mentally ill person will either be sent home or sent to a work camp after committing a crime. There is no program, no treatment for mental illness. In Viet Nam and Thailand, there is also no treatment. No need really... the "undocumented" rates of infanticide in these parts of the world would be probably be disturbing. Other than a limping walk (most likely from old age), I have not seen one person with any kind of physical disability. I am currently in the greater city area of Beijing where the population is upwards of 20 million (verses NYC's 8.4 million in 2013). I have seen two black people, and no disabled people in the course of 18 days.
Mental illness sufferers get locked in cages. Political prisoners get sent to mental institutions.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/06/world/asia/china-mental-health/
According to an American newspaper:
But what is the treatment? How are they cared for? It's all lacking. The entire institution and approach to mental illness is enough to make someone in the helping profession nauseous. The conversation where I first began to learn all of this before researching on my own, it made me feel sad and sick when I was told the facts out loud.
You might be wondering, as I would be if I were you, how I was able to even find this information while in China. Facebook, instagram, gmail, international new sites, etc - are all blocked or banned in China. Luckily, I paid for a VPN a few months ago so that I could occasionally watch American movies on the internet, and even more lucky is that the VPN works phenomenally while in China. If I were in China without a VPN than all of this information would be utterly inaccessible.
It's such a simple thing, being able to research news information, that it never occurred to me as something I should be grateful for being able to do! Grateful for a computer, yeah because many people can't afford one. Grateful for internet, yeah because some people don't lived in a developed world where internet is accessible. But, for the people who have computers, and internet, I never thought about being grateful for what I can access with it.
It's such a simple thing, being able to research news information, that it never occurred to me as something I should be grateful for being able to do! Grateful for a computer, yeah because many people can't afford one. Grateful for internet, yeah because some people don't lived in a developed world where internet is accessible. But, for the people who have computers, and internet, I never thought about being grateful for what I can access with it.
My experience in China has made me all-the-more grateful for the life I have back in the United States. For example, the air in China can have extremely high pollution on some days, and on others (particularly after a good windy day) have none. I never really understood why I've seen Chinese people wearing face masks in public, but now I welcome it for myself simply so that my head is clear breathing in clean air. Some days, when the pollution was bad, I didn't feel well. On an average pollution day, I could feel the burning in my nose like I might have a nose bleed at any second. I couldn't imagine not being able to exercise outside regularly. It's such a simple thing to think about.
China made me grateful for so many simple things, straight down to the air that I breathe, private stalls in the women's bathroom, going to church, exercising outside, speaking English, access to Google, and on and on it goes. Being reminded to be grateful for all of these things which I have back in the United States did not make me less grateful for the amazing experience of China. Whatever I lost, I gained something else tenfold through my experiences.. Having less just leaves opportunity for gaining more - both in spirit and character. I appreciate all that I was able to learn just by seeing how the other half (of the world) lives.
It's obvious that I didn't have many positive thing to say about communism, but that doesn't necessarily speak to my personal experience in China either. At first, my deeply rooted empathy for humanity made it all the more difficult to have any involvement with such negative and harmful environments as communism provides. However, while in China I experienced all kinds of humanity on an interpersonal, and micro scale. I watched Chinese people help each other, and on several occasions people helped me find my way, understand new information, even simple things like find the right kind of lotion in a corner store. Despite the limited communication, I had a fantastic one-on-one experience of Chinese people. I watched couples in love and saw the defiance in it. Rather than follow the old traditions of marrying for status, the young Chinese generation is moving towards marrying for love, and being honest with their partner. I met several couples, and many Chinese travelers, who spoke English, and shared with me their experiences, their ups and downs, and their private opinions about what life is like for them.
I've known many Chinese Americans throughout my life. Particularly after attending school at NYU, I felt as though there was a Chinese takeover coming to the States. Chinatown just keeps growing and growing - Little Italy is almost non-existent anymore. I never fully understood the profound nature of their culture, the challenge of the language, or the importance of upholding an essence of their way of life. There's a Chinatown in countless major cities in the U.S. and I think now I can at least begin to understand why. What sets the Chinese apart from other cultural Americans? I imagine that taking the beautiful Chinese culture in China, and giving the people freedom and liberty too, can do a whole lot for their way of life. It's a transformation. A loud, exciting, loving, hospitable, and respectful culture suddenly has permission to become louder, friendlier, and more helpful just because their fears of government are taken away. They have the freedom to share themselves with others, which probably makes it even more important to them than the average American who never had that sort of strictness, fear, and struggle present in their immediate lineage. Its the same as a culture coming from war, except for the battle is within themselves - every day they must have poise and obedience. Every day they must walk the line and not stagger.
The Chinese people are truly magical, interesting, and fantastic to learn from.
I am so grateful that, despite my anticipation entering into the country, I was able to leave loving the people and therefore slowly but surely falling in love with their authentic ways of life.
China made me grateful for so many simple things, straight down to the air that I breathe, private stalls in the women's bathroom, going to church, exercising outside, speaking English, access to Google, and on and on it goes. Being reminded to be grateful for all of these things which I have back in the United States did not make me less grateful for the amazing experience of China. Whatever I lost, I gained something else tenfold through my experiences.. Having less just leaves opportunity for gaining more - both in spirit and character. I appreciate all that I was able to learn just by seeing how the other half (of the world) lives.
It's obvious that I didn't have many positive thing to say about communism, but that doesn't necessarily speak to my personal experience in China either. At first, my deeply rooted empathy for humanity made it all the more difficult to have any involvement with such negative and harmful environments as communism provides. However, while in China I experienced all kinds of humanity on an interpersonal, and micro scale. I watched Chinese people help each other, and on several occasions people helped me find my way, understand new information, even simple things like find the right kind of lotion in a corner store. Despite the limited communication, I had a fantastic one-on-one experience of Chinese people. I watched couples in love and saw the defiance in it. Rather than follow the old traditions of marrying for status, the young Chinese generation is moving towards marrying for love, and being honest with their partner. I met several couples, and many Chinese travelers, who spoke English, and shared with me their experiences, their ups and downs, and their private opinions about what life is like for them.
I've known many Chinese Americans throughout my life. Particularly after attending school at NYU, I felt as though there was a Chinese takeover coming to the States. Chinatown just keeps growing and growing - Little Italy is almost non-existent anymore. I never fully understood the profound nature of their culture, the challenge of the language, or the importance of upholding an essence of their way of life. There's a Chinatown in countless major cities in the U.S. and I think now I can at least begin to understand why. What sets the Chinese apart from other cultural Americans? I imagine that taking the beautiful Chinese culture in China, and giving the people freedom and liberty too, can do a whole lot for their way of life. It's a transformation. A loud, exciting, loving, hospitable, and respectful culture suddenly has permission to become louder, friendlier, and more helpful just because their fears of government are taken away. They have the freedom to share themselves with others, which probably makes it even more important to them than the average American who never had that sort of strictness, fear, and struggle present in their immediate lineage. Its the same as a culture coming from war, except for the battle is within themselves - every day they must have poise and obedience. Every day they must walk the line and not stagger.
The Chinese people are truly magical, interesting, and fantastic to learn from.
I am so grateful that, despite my anticipation entering into the country, I was able to leave loving the people and therefore slowly but surely falling in love with their authentic ways of life.
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