Our dear friend Veronica has gifted us this book: China Characteristics. With a mixed feeling I am presented the book here. Some says that it is a book that look down on Chinese; others think it has portraited the old China in a humorous way.
In my opinion it has described the China in the 1920th and probably before that from the eyes of a western scholars. The 2 systems are clashing. The author tried his best to understand Chinese and probably felt frustrated as there seemed to be no way. His mission in China was to bring the Gospels, yet he found out that he could not understand Chinese at all.
I laughed about some of the examples he used in the book. For example, when he asked how far is from A to B and got an answer and when he asked how far is from B to A and got a different answer. In his accurate "scientific" mind, this is simply not perceivable. Yet it was happening and there was an interesting reason behind it. He eventually found out the reason and was fascinated that could be called a reason at all.
It could be strange to him, but it is not to me. Although China has changed so much, I could still see people behave similarly. To understand China, you need to be open minded; actually you need to use your heart rather than your mind. ;) In my observation, Chinese society is still a "close" society which stubbornly hold on to the old customs and values. Chinese will not always take on the foreign civilizations very easily -- we take it and change it to our benefit. Take the communist as an example, we changed it conveniently to the Chinese Characteristics. Often Chinese will not answer the "why"s to the "foreigners" because there is usually a long long story behind it. And to understand that story, you need to take a class first. So often what you've got are the quick answers of "how"s. Yikes!
I think no one could really give a whole picture of Chinese with just a few books. It is like a colorful portrait, you could see it and try to describe it using words. But you bound to be incomplete with your words. It is also like Chinese medicine, the experienced doctors know it well in their mind, and the it works out efficiently with a few grass and a niddle; yet no one could explain it at the atom level and no text book could make one a good Chinese medicine doctor.
Another interesting blog about the book and the author could be found here.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Dear Lanqing,
I just left you a long message, but I had to re-enter my info in order to send it, so now I will try to recreate my original post.
Thank you for your insight into the Chinese people and their way of life. Did you hear The Great Wall has been voted as one of the new "Seven Wonders of the World?"
It is one of the few that we have not seen, so it is definitely on our list, along with the "Terra-Cotta Soldiers." Have you seen them?
I visited Mom this weekend. She is doing well, and has been discharged from Hospice as she is no longer "Terminally ill."
Please give my love to R and D.
I look forward to your next post..
Love,
Franca
I guess I should take the positive view on her being discharged from the hospice. I am so glad that she is doing so well. My cousin Wenqing was visiting Beijing for the last 2 weeks and she asked about mom and was surprised that she moved to Wisconsin. If you don't recognize her name, she is my cousin living in Chicago and working in Rush hospital.
Yes, I heard that "Great Wall" has been voted as one of the "seven wonders". And that is probably the only one of the seven that I've seen. You are so lucky that you've seen most of them. If you come to China, sure we will go to see it again. It has a part that is not far from Beijing.
I have not seen the TerraCotta army in Xi'an yet, but guess what, there is two duplicates right on the entrance of my office building and they looked very serious . :-)
Love,
--L.
Post a Comment