My last article in The Wooster Daily Record appeared on Sunday, June 28. I'll keep this blog alive as I plan my next travel foray. Spring, 2010: PackLite Travels swings back into action with a trip to Italy!
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Ni hao. Make that hello, because I am back in Wooster after a semester at Henan University in Kaifeng, China, where I was teaching for a semester.
What did China teach me?
I learned that the Chinese people are friendly and hospitable. They're always ready for a laugh and generally easy to get along with.
Just about every price in China is negotiable. The shopper should sharpen her bargaining skills. Still, I often could break through the process and chat a little with the merchant. Most of the time they treated me as a person and not just another wallet.
Chinese culture is very focused on health. Good diet and exercise are fundamental components in their lifestyle. I was a reluctant witness to this since my apartment was right across the lane from the university's main playing field. Just about every morning at around 6 a.m. I was awakened by army candidates drilling and tennis balls bouncing off the walls. Kids jogged around the field, sometimes in their school clothes since they didn't have anything else. A walk around campus revealed an invasion of retirees who trooped to the quiet spaces to do tai chi and other unique activities. All day long birdies hurled across badminton nets real and imaginary. At night groups of women practiced synchronized fan dances and couples flooded outdoor clubs for ballroom dancing. Chinese like to do everything in groups.
The young women watch their weight on the free scales in every pharmacy. If the indicator points to slightly over slim they're likely to skip a meal or two.
I learned that China is a country in transition. In one of the largest migrations in human history, a rural nation is transforming to an urban society. People moved from the countryside to the cities in America about a century ago, but there is a crucial difference in our national experiences. Many Americans came from faraway farms in the Old World. The Chinese retain a connection with their ancestral homes. If the economy slows or business fails, they return to the family patch. With time that connection will loosen but for now, people are still obedient to natural rhythms. Most Chinese are early to bed and to rise. The cities are fairly dead after 11 p.m.
I saw that China is pouring money into infrastructure. It has the advantage of starting almost from scratch. The airports are new or redone. The tollbooths explain how China has so quickly built a network of superhighways. The train system is extensive and the state-of-the-art D-class trains are fast, comfortable and clean. Although capitalism has been loosed, the government remains coordinator of the economy. It's building a formidable powerhouse.
I learned how important harmony is in China. From family to nation, from philosophy to politics, from Confucius to Hu Jintao, the current leader, harmony is the central idea that defines Chinese society and life. It helped me understand guanxi, the system of connections and influence. Harmony underlies Chinese pride and nationalism. It explains why dissent is so muted and the necessity for those out of synch to apologize, repent and conform.
Harmony gave me insight to face, the Chinese version of pride and dignity. Failure in America means picking up and trying again. In China it's disgrace. That's why I had to make up two sets of final exams. If a student failed the first, there was a second chance. It's hard to get into a Chinese university but it's darn near impossible to flunk out.
The Chinese strive for harmony. We settle for consensus. Conflict is the stuff of American life. We are a community of individuals restlessly jostling one another, protective of our privacy, and often eager to assert our independence and our opinions. We never give up trying to convince others to agree with us.
I loved the students in China but I missed the readiness to question and to argue what one finds in an American classroom. If we are going to retain our position as the world's preeminent superpower, it will be by freedom of thought. Our greatest strength is the willingness to grapple with new ideas and courage to put them into action.
Helping keep that alive is what sends me back into the classrooms of Wayne College. I'll keep my travel kit loaded and my passport current. International travel is one of the reigning passions in my life. The challenges and joys of discovery are ever new. Prior knowledge is like the old coloring books I loved as a kid -- heavy black outlines waiting for color. Every trip I break out the crayons. I'm planning to take a group to Italy over spring break and then ... well, it's an enticing planet. I sure hope I can return to China. There are still a lot of rocks I want to turn over.
Thanks for reading these columns. Maybe you'll see me another time in these pages. 'Til then, zai jian -- see you again.
