This is from a friend who is teaching English in China.
A Newcomer's Impressions The first words I learned upon arriving to Xiamen from New York City three weeks ago were "Ni Hao" and "Xiexie". Since then, I have learned a few others, but these words still count among the most useful because of the new friends I have made and the many ways in which they have helped me. Arriving in a country where you can't speak the language, read the street signs or menus, and don't know anyone presents a challenge that people would call either foolish or courageous to take on. I had no idea when I got here where I would live, or find work, or study Chinese and yet, miraculously, in less than three weeks, I have found all of these things. This is entirely due to the hospitality and kindness of people who did not know me, but treated me as a friend. A Chinese woman explained to me that, "Helping people with no expectation of getting something back is part of the culture here. It's how we are raised." American culture is quite different in that respect. There, the individual is the focus, and all efforts are aimed at improving one's own situation. A popular philosophy is, "Look out for number one" and a current advertisement has a successful businessman saying, "I believe in the market. I believe in me." The cultural message is that selfishness is somehow commendable. Look out for your own benefit, and only worry about the people around you if they happen to be your family or close friends. Especially in big cities, if you dare to offer help to a stranger it can be viewed with suspicion because it is so far from the norm, and the recipient may worry about your motives and what you are looking for in return. Imagine my surprise when Chinese people I didn't know would reach out to me with kindness. To me, such unselfish giving is confusing, and to use an American term, mind-blowing. A recent exception to the American practice of looking out for number one was the recent crisis on September 11th, 2001. I was living in New York City at the time, and still feel heartache when I think about the terrible shock of those first days after the collapse of the Twin Towers. I rode my bicycle down to the barricades near the site of Ground Zero, and spoke with a fireman named Rocky who had been saving lives all morning. He was covered with thick white dust, his eyes swollen and bright red, and he told me he considered himself lucky to have survived the catastrophe. Not only rescue workers were heroes, but for a brief period, many Americans reached out to each other, to give in whatever way they could to whoever needed their help. And people joined in from all over the world, to send support and prayers to those suffering. The period of openness and compassion didn't last, however, and now the current administration seems bent on a course of aggression, rather than continuing to build on the international and domestic unity that the tragedy inspired. I must admit that I was a little nervous about how I would be received as an American in China, given the current political climate of tensions with both Iraq and the DPRK. At the different English Corners I've visited, people often ask whether many Americans support the current administration. A friend of mine who has been teaching here for several months tells her students, "I didn't vote for him, and no one I know did!" Fortunately, they are generous enough not to hold her responsible for US foreign policy. Other questions frequently asked are why there is so much crime in America, and why the divorce rate is so high. Social problems are not unique to the United States, and personally I lived eight years in New York City and never was mugged or had my apartment burglarized--nor have I ever been divorced, but maybe that's because I haven't married. As the Chinese economy continues to grow, and China emerges as a world power, the country will face many challenges of its own, such as unemployment and an unequal pattern of development between the coastal cities and the interior. Regardless of the changes that China is sure to go through in the coming years, I hope that the genuine concern for the well-being of others is one aspect of the culture that remains intact. (That and the tradition of excellent cuisine! Maybe the next column I write can be about the sumptuous delicacies my tastebuds have enjoyed since coming to Xiamen.) As I go on to learn more Chinese words than "xiexie," I'm nonetheless certain that I'll continue to rely heavily on that most helpful of words, among a people who take pleasure in giving. Nina Segal Word Count: 814 _________________________________________________________________ The new MSN 8 is here: Try it free* for 2 months http://join.msn.com/?page=dept/dialup ------ End of Forwarded Message
