Shanghai was my second choice. I wanted to study abroad in Hong Kong when I filled out my study abroad application. However, I have no doubt in my mind that fell into the right place for me. I feel that I would have missed out on a lot of the nuances about life and business in Mainland China had I studied in Hong Kong, but I probably would have traveled much more. In my opinion, Mainland China is not a tourist destination, at least not January through March. It’s chilly which impacts the experience and a lot of the history has been demolished. Despite this, I still believe that I came here at the best time. I was able to balance travel with getting to know the ways of life. I still can't believe that I celebrated the Chinese New Year with a Chinese family in a “small” town.
What interests me most about China is their way of life and way of doing business. If you come here for a week or even two as a tourist, you miss out on that aspect of the country. You get to see the Great Wall and have some dumplings, but there is so much more to discover about this country. I hope my blog posts have taught you some new things and made you think about China in a new way.
This country is ahead of us in some respects (always willing to learn from other countries so that they won’t have to be as dependent on others in the future), but they are also very behind (everyone spits in the streets and the sound is not attractive). I have been trying to wrap my head around this contradiction. People in the metro who will push and shove. People did not stop to help me when I fell. (Apparently they are nicer to me since I appear to be foreign, and they are less gentle with Chinese-Americans who they assume are just Chinese.) It appears as if there is little empathy for other people. At the very same time, I have spent time with a very kind Chinese family and had another Chinese friend take time out of his schedule to show me around. What is it about the culture that creates such a difference in behavior? I thought I found the answer when I learned that Chinese behavior is influenced by Confucianism. According to one book I read, people are divided into three different groups, family, friends and strangers. Strangers are basically viewed as invisible. I don’t know if is the explanation I was searching for because another book suggests that it also has to do with the influence of politics and laws. It seems that there is no value system in place. That same book says that there are two semi-religions in China - materialism and nationalism. I've also found that it's hard to generalize about China or the Chinese because the country is so big, which has made it also difficult to find answers.
It also is amazing how much the country has grown in just a short amount of time. It has so much history, yet it feels like it was only created in the past 20 years. The country has adapted to the speed of change, and yet cultural norms from the West have not been embraced. For example, you see kids running on planes that are on the runway instead of sitting in their seat, or people standing up to grab their luggage the very second the plane touches the ground. I’ve learned that what is considered “normal” or “logical” to someone like me does not hold true for everyone else. In this world, there is no such thing as "normal" or "logical." Everything is just different.
I have adapted. For example, I have had to be aggressive, and I even pushed a woman out of the train in order to get out when she wouldn't move. To some extent, I’ve begun to care less about the people around me and think of them as strangers that are in my way. I had to change in order to survive. If I was polite, I would never make it anywhere. What I fear is that I will take this mentality with me when I get back to the US, at least initially.
Though I have learned so much during my experience in China, I feel as though I have only skimmed the surface. I have more questions than I do answers. If you are like me and want to learn more, a couple people have recommended books about China. The first book is called Oracle Bones: A Journey Between China's Past and Present by Peter Hessler. I've started reading it since departing China, and I recommend it as well. The second book, recommended by a couple of people, is called The Party by Richard McGregor. I hope to read it in the future.
I've now completed my chapter on China. Next stop...South East Asia.
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