China the Beautiful

Well all good things must come to an end. My time here in China has been so much more than I ever could have expected. As much as I miss Chris, my dogs, my family, my friends, I have to say I have found a home here in the People's Republic. This country is beautiful, filled with culture, full of kind, considerate people and just simply a great place to live. This is what I've been missing by living in the U.S. While writing in this blog, I've pointed out some things I've found to be funny or different, using my sense of humor to portray them. Well, here are some other things I've noticed about China and its people that are different from life back home in the states:

1. Chinese people do not suffer from exasperation when people bump into them or cut them off.

2. Chinese people, especially women, take great pride in looking nice and take every opportunity to wear fancy shoes or pretty dresses every time they leave the house.

3. China has a deep and rich culture and the people are proud of it, praise it, protect it and keep it alive in their daily lives.

4. Older Chinese people are very fit and active. They play games, dance, sing songs, do art..... all to keep themselves and their culture alive and well.

5. Television is not a part of daily life. People are out and about most of the day and evening.

6. Children are not overprotected because they are disciplined well and cared for by their families.

7. Large groups of people go out to eat or share outings together frequently. There is a strong sense of friendship here and food is shared by everyone at the table.

8. Chinese people communicate with each other so as not to harbor ill feelings, hold grudges or argue. They have a very healthy level of communication.

9. Chinese people work hard and do not have a sense of entitlement. They earn their way and they do not complain about their "rights."

10. Chinese people are thankful for the simplest things. They do not weigh themselves down with feelings of privilege, nor do they focus on what they don't have.

11. Chinese people do not get their pants in a twist when their government makes decisions that are clearly good for the overall public. They use common sense where these policies are concerned and don't protest in self righteousness.

There are so many more, but to be honest, I think I'd lose a lot of American readers out of boredom if I kept going. The bottom line is that if the United States and its people honestly believe they are the greatest nation in the world, they really have a lot to learn. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the great things about the U.S. and what the founders went through to make it a reality. But believe me when I say, our country has gone desperately astray.

It would do our country good to pay attention and learn from what countries like China are doing. The arrogance of the United States is really getting old and I'm not surprised that people are losing their patience with it. Here's a perfect example. The other night we celebrated opening ceremonies here in Beijing. It was a night that has been held in the hearts of every Chinese person for at least the last year but probably a lot longer. They have looked forward to this night with all their hopes and dreams and when it finally came they were elated. There was an energy in the air that I have never sensed before in my life.

Well, our group of American students went to Hou Hai to celebrate this occasion. There were parties going on all over the city but this was our favorite place. When we first got there, the entrances were blocked by strict security. It looked like no one was getting in without proper documentation, whatever that was. But we, the white Americans walked up to the military guards and without words or hesitation, they lifted the ropes and let us in. Of course the overprivileged Americans did not even notice the courtesy they had just been granted. Instead, they acted like they deserved it.

When we got to the bar where we had chosen to spend our evening, we found many Chinese people already there. Each bar had a huge screen to watch the ceremony and all of the bars were open to the outside but most of the seats were taken. The Americans walked in and sat down and were served drinks at a fraction of the cost while the Chinese all had to pay 500 kuai for a table and pay more for their drinks. This again went unnoticed. As the time came closer for the start of the ceremony, the Chinese got more and more excited but the Americans got more and more drunk. They were loud and obnoxious, belligerently drunk.

The Chinese kept looking at them and were getting restless because it was hard to hear the event they had waited so long to see. But they never complained. They wouldn't. They are too polite. The Americans on the other hand never recognized anyone else but themselves and were yelling and carrying on as if they were the only ones in the bar. You see, the concept of rights is so deeply ingrained in American culture that it has actually become a problem. Americans totally lack the ability to recognize others and how their "rights" affect other people. It does not even occur to them to consider other people.

As if things could not get worse, when the America team finally came out, the Americans in the bar dialed it up a few decibals and then began to scream "Fuck Bush!!!!" "We hate Bush!!!" That's great Americans. Good for you. It's your right to say you hate your president. But guess what? Tonight? It's not your night. It's not about you. It's not about your sentiments about your country's politics. It's not even about politics. This night is about the Chinese people. It's THEIR night. And they waited a long time for it. If anyone "deserved" anything that night, the Chinese people deserved the right to have their moment, to have it in peace. This night is about the athletes and their dreams. This night is about good will.

I'm saddened by the display but even more saddened by what it means. It means that I am a member of an elite group of people who do not appreciate what they have and will shit all over everyone else just because they can. If you want to talk about what people deserve, Americans don't deserve half of what they have because they don't appreciate it and they haven't done shit to earn it. At least not lately. The only Americans who can say they've earned anything are the military and veterans and even though lately they've had to fight under the very seriously flawed policies they work to protect, they are the only ones who have earned it. Too bad their job is to protect a bunch of assholes who think they can lay around all day being entertained by their television and complain that their job is unfair.

But on a lighter note, I'm glad I did this. It was an education, an enlightenment and now at least I know that although I'm an American as it is defined today, I can work hard to redefine what it means to be an American and I can try to leave this world better than I found it. The Chinese people do that everyday. I've learned a lot from them. For thirty years I've learned about my rights but for six weeks I learned how to treat other people. I guess I'll let you decide which is the more valuable lesson.