I've been home for about a month now. The Olympics have already begun. I miss the cool places I could go on the weekends, or on days when I didn't have class, I miss the food, I miss speaking Chinese. But most of all I miss the people.
Now that I'm home, I've been doing a lot of reading. Materials that I: 1. can't read in Chinese 2. didn't have access to in China. And I've come to the understanding that the Chinese people and the government are really two separate identities. This seems like a simple idea - of course, right? Not really. You don't realize until you start talking to people and do some serious reading. There are things that the government hides from its own people that the rest of the world knows. And things that the government hides from the rest of the world that it's own people know. While I was in China, I knew nothing about the protests in Tibet until someone told me, someone who had regular access to family members in America who told him what had been happening. Most people in America don't really know of the Chinese police's brutality until you talk to a member of the Falun Gong or know someone who has gone there and seen it. So, naturally it's difficult, sometimes, to discern what are common thoughts of the people and what actually coming from the government.
I found most people there very interested in my presence, eager to talk to me, and welcoming for the most part. What's more, they have no qualms about sharing personal space with others (foreigners or otherwise). The subways are unbearably crowded as well as the busses, and if you go to a crowded restaurant, you'll be seated at a table with complete strangers if there's no where else to sit. That's the way it works, and you deal with people on a daily basis because you must. Out of a necessity of life, really. There is no other choice.
So coming home, I find most people particularly unwelcoming and cold, moreso than ever before. We Americans live in a big country with a pretty small population (compared to China) so we can afford to be afraid and to talk to no one. While in China, I noticed many groupd of Americans who were spending a week or two in China and had no interest in learning the language. They stuck in their small, American groups, didn't talk to anyone, and weren't interested in learning about Chinese culture. All they wanted to do were things like eat dinner at Pizza Hut, get massages, and return to their hotel room to read. It was very disheartening.
After about a month or two in China, I realized (thanks to a very good friend) that I was doing the exact same thing. And I was wasting my time. So I decided to STOP wasting my time, and whether it was on my own or with a group of new friends, I was determined to step out of my comfort zone and explore new places, meet new people, and increase my language ability. I have become a much happier person for it. However, when I meet people in America and try to make small talk or wave 'hello' to a stranger, they get uncomfortable. They don't know how to respond, and think that I'm 'strange' or awkward. And sharing a table with a complete stranger is unthinkable in this country.
So, that being said, I challenge those of you who are reading this to step outside of their 'comfort bubble' and talk to a stranger today. Wave 'hi' or wish them a good day, something like that. Maybe, sit with someone you've never met before in the cafeteria and strike up a conversation. Do not be afraid to take the public bus, and when you say you are going to call someone back, actually call them back, even if it's to cancel plans (which Americans almost NEVER do). Be a person of action. You might find that you are much happier afterward..
With Friends at Simatai - The Real Great Wall
After our hike - "Mist Over the Great Wall"
