No, things still shock me. Here are two recent shocking moments:
1. I was asked to help with an English speech competition sponsored by a major Chinese educational book publisher. Oratory has an influential cultural history in China, so speech competitions are a big deal. The topic was being a good public citizen. One girl opened her speech with the following statement:
“We didn’t cause the earthquakes, but our hands built the buildings that failed. Our hands made the milk that killed the babies.”I was shocked to hear this spoken out loud, by a young girl, in public, at a speech competition attended by the school’s Party officials. These things are not spoken of here in this manner. They’re just not. My Chinese counterparts appeared to have no reaction at all. (In Chinese culture, such a clear non-reaction usually means something.) It is going to be interesting to see how this young generation of Chinese react to things as they move into positions of power.
2. I was at a taxi stand with friends in a shopping square and there was a really long line for a taxi. This woman with lots of shopping bags jumped the queue and hopped into the next taxi. Everyone waiting in line started yelling at her, which she ignored. (The Chinese yell at each other in public constantly, so this doesn’t have as much power as it would in America.) BUT, the security guard moderating the taxis' exit from the square parked himself in front of her taxi and would not let it pass. He kept walking back and forth in front of it to block it from leaving. We were shocked to see someone stand up for queuing norms! And even more shocked to see someone take the initiative to say, “This taxi isn’t leaving.” In general, the Chinese are taught to do the opposite of take the initiative; you wait until someone tells you what to do, or else.
The woman was having a hissy fit, yelling about how much money she had blah blah blah. Eventually she called the police and they got involved and she finally got to leave the square. But while were were standing there watching, we were in awe of this lone security guard, standing up for what was ‘right', regardless of how much money this woman had. We wanted to buy him a beer or two. Way to be, security guard, way to be.
Wow to both of those.
ReplyDeletePerhaps a turn in the tide?????
wow, the milk that killed the babies.. powerful stuff.
ReplyDeleteThe communisim will fall in China too, it's just going to take longer. They can't play with the Western world in business and not allow the natural order to a more western way of thinking to follow suit (ie, thinking for themselves).
The news as of late here has had quite a bit about strikes going on in China.
ReplyDeleteThis afternoon on the radio was the story of one worker who had an operation to remove part of his lung so he could show that it was full of dust (black lung, and not TB as the state clinic was insisting in denying his worker's disability).
Holy cow :-o
ReplyDeleteYou could never pay to have such experiences in your life. Wow.
Thanks AGAIN for sharing these tidbits with us, they are absolutely fascinating!! I will miss these posts once you are home, I admit...
** sob **
You definitely don't see scenes like those in America...although you see a lot of craziness in Miami, I can't imagine a security guard standing his ground like that. I's admirable.
ReplyDeleteThis is really fascinating... have you thought about doing some freelance writing for NPR (or another outlet).... when you get back? I think that would be really cool. You have SO "insider info" much to share.
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see how China changes over the coming decades... I think the new, younger generation isn't going to be as satisfied with the Communist dogma/decrees as the older generation was. I predict upheaval and change... ultimately... (not sure how long it will all take though).