What do you love about China

[david_dawei]

My list is so long.. that I'll keep myself in check for a while.... as Hank would say, "Let it all hang go baby !"

[tmkeith]

I'll just say that, with every visit, the place and the people have just blown away any preconceived notion I had of it, and I am more and more impressed and captivated each day.

[david_dawei]

I'm the same.. I'm as Sinophile as it gets... I can't find a thing wrong with it yet .. B)

[awch]

Cheapness of everything and wonderful public transportation.

 

That's about it.

 

I'm ready to go home.

[vibes1313]

Yes Amberzhu, prices are great. Food, clothes, rent, everything. The first line in my "bothers me" post was "visiting and living in China are no comparison". I firmly believe this contributes tremendously to one's attitude.

[Yuanyang]

I love the strong sense of Family. Lots of talk about it here, but they live it over there.

[david_dawei]

I love the strong sense of Family.  Lots of talk about it here, but they live it over there.

137939[/snapback]

Isn't that the essence of who they are.. actions speak louder than words?

 

I have studied eastern philosophy and my SO is actually very knowledgeable about ancient stories, writing, poetry, etc. She exudes the philosophy in every way.

 

So one day, I ask her to describe to me eastern philosophy... you would of thought I asked her for Bernoulli's Equation... She looked at me completely blank. I probed and probed... and she just laughed at me and said, "crazy american".

 

She could not discuss it at all.. yet everyday, would live and breath it...

Edited July 18, 2005 by DavidZixuan (see edit history)

[frank1538]

This may sound trite and will fall on deaf ears of the younger generations. When I first went to China to visit Jingwen and her family (not my first trip to China), it was like traveling back in time to my childhood - think America in the late 50's. I have such wonderful memories from this time, and spending time in China with Jingwen was like re-living the past. Family was the focus point then as it is now. The elder family member's house was the gathering place, just like it was for me with my grand parents' house. A filled house is a happy house. Food was plentiful, and laughter and multiple generations were always present. The aromas of cooking always filled my grandmother's house then just as they do now in Jingwen's China house. The women cooked, the men drank beer and argued about everything, and the kids played. Uncles and aunts disciplined their nieces and nephews but also took care of them.

 

The pace of life was slower. We didn't drive - we walked. We didn't go out much other than to family dinners. Our living accommodations were smaller in the 50's, just like they were in China. The simple things like card games and chess kept the family together in the 50's just like maijiang and card games do in China.

 

Everything was centered around the family in the 50's. It was a glorious time for me as a child. Today in China with Jingwen's family, everything centers around the family again. It is a wonderful experience whenever I go there.

[Dan R]

I definitely agree witth you Frank. I just hope they find a better way to modernize than we did. Change is coming fast.

 

I see doing things because...... as an attraction. Just because not because it is the proven most efficient and effective way. This takes some of the tension out of life for me.

[jim_julian]

For sure ... the family, and Frank has expressed it very well. The only thing I would add was instant acceptance into that family. Very genuine, very sincere. We were obviously committed to marriage, therefore I was part of the family.

[skibum]

Frank, you beat me to it. China is so '50s ish. It was a great time here and now seems to be a great time there.

[Yuanyang]

I was astonished by the acceptance the family showed towards me. I really miss each of them very much. I was surprised during one discussion when lao puo said that I was a 'very important' member of the family. "More important than you realize Lao gong."

 

So the next great thing I found in China... Food! What does the family love to do together? EAT! What do they talk about? Where/When/What to eat next time!

[vibes1313]

Not so much a love thing about China, but after reading another post it made me remember that I feel much safer while in China. Not just from bombs, but the fact that I'm not afraid to walk down any street, dark alley, a park at night, and have to worry about being mugged. Even though sometimes alone and not being fluent in the local language, I feel safe. I remember places in South Dallas where it's not safe to go in daytime in a police car. But here even the worst parts of the neighborhood I think are actually safer than some of the more secure places in the U.S.

[nygatl15]

I have a love/relationship. Don't think I could ever live there, but I always miss it when I'm not there. My impression of China was what you see on PBS, and...there is certainly a lot of that if you go looking. However, I hit Shanghai and was totally blown away by how modern it was. All my preconceptions about communism was from the Soviet Bloc where the military and secret police keep people living in fear. Not so in China, it is one of the most captialistic societies I've ever seen.

137846[/snapback]

Yes, I agree. I was not what I thoought it might be like.... still I won't say certain things in type or on the phone for that matter.

 

I felt the same about shanghai, it was just like NYC... didn't feel like China,... now Beijing was different. more culture and I felt the people were friendlier

[nygatl15]

I love the strong sense of Family.  Lots of talk about it here, but they live it over there.

137939[/snapback]

Very true. Family wasn't perfect, still kind same kind of problems as we have,... but I feel there is more respect amongst family and friends and more closeness than here in US.... at least among my family