A brief description of America

[Jim - Portland, USA]

I was just browsing the flight schedules of Air France and happen to come across the brief description they give for the US (I think it was written by the Lonely Planet travel folks). I found it to be interesting and worth sharing:

 

The US claims to be the greatest success story of the modern world - a nation fashioned from an incredibly disparate population who, with little in common apart from a desire to choose their own paths to wealth or heaven, rallied around the ennobling ideals of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence to forge the richest, most inventive and most powerful country on earth.

 

Despite polemicists who justly cite the destruction of Native American cultures, racism and imperialism at the top of a long list of wrongdoings, half the world remains in love with the idea of America. This is, after all, the country that introduced the world to the right to the pursuit of happiness, free speech, electric light, airplanes, assembly-line automobiles, the space shuttle, computers, blues, jazz, rock & roll and movies that climax at the high-school prom.

 

On a short trip, it can be hard work dismantling your preconceptions. So much of the country has been filmed, photographed, painted and written about that you need to peel back layers of representation to stop it from looking like a stage setting. This worldwide representation can make the country seem strangely familiar when you first encounter novelties like 24-hour shopping, bottomless cups of coffee, 'Have a nice day,' drive-thru banks, TV evangelists, cheap gasoline and newspapers tossed onto lawns. But you'd be foolish to read too much into this surface familiarity, since you only have to watch Oprah for half an hour to realize that the rituals and currents of American life are as complex, seductive and bewildering as the most alien of cultures.

 

Come prepared to explore the USA's unique brand of 'foreignness' rather than stay in the comfort zone of the familiar. You'll discover several of the world's most exciting cities, some truly mind-blowing landscapes, a strong sense of regionalism, a trenchant mythology, more history than the country gives itself credit for and, arguably, some of the most approachable natives in the world.

Can't argue with any of that

[LouRose]

On a short trip, it can be hard work dismantling your preconceptions.

 

I was expecting something to disagree with but I actually really like that description. That is so true about dismantling your preconceptions. It has been bothering me lately that everyone (at least it seems like everyone) in China is totally convinced that there are no poor people in America and that even the less rich people still lead fabulous lives. I even know people that have travelled to America, mostly on business, who still think that, understandably because they probably stayed in their upscale hotels and offices without venturing into anywhere outside their comfort zone. Just like the article said, watch Oprah, or read a newspaper or go through an underpriveliged neighborhood and you'll see that life in America is not always so great, but its also really easy to see only what you already believe exists.

 

I find it very difficult to describe some parts of America which are different from the image in my husband's mind, I sometimes think he'll just have to wait and see it when he gets here, but even then he might not really see everything for how it is. I guess it just depends on where you go and what you're exposed to.

 

So for those of you whose SO's are already in the US, do you think they had preconceptions before coming and if so have they changed at all?

[kfman]

I think some of the beauty of America, is the total freedom to be either filthy rich or dirt poor. Yes, there is a preconceived notion that all americans are rich, but in staying with that vein... there is always an ample opportunity to become rich, wealthy, or well off. No matter how much socialist countries try to impune the american way of life, there is no doubt that so many millions of people from all around the world all try to get to america, and the reason why is they can see the pot at the end of the rainbow..

 

They can also fail, depends upon themselves...

 

America is a land of beauty, not only scenic, but the fact that people of all races try to blend in together, which makes us what we are. Yes, there are pockets of racisim, but we are facing it down, and improving ourselves all the time..

 

Just some of my random thoughts...

 

[Jim - Portland, USA]

I don't think that quote was a rip on American culture at all. I thought it was fair and balanced commentary, also expressed in a humorous way. To the contrary, I thought it made America sound pretty good! I'm used to reading all the negative press about America, and of course America gets a bad rap a lot of the times. So I guess I was pleased to finally see a blurb about America that wasn't all bad.

 

I think there is a huge contradictory about America's image abroad. Everybody loves to slam America, yet so many also want to live here. And some of these people are one in the same Go figure. It's a love/hate thing I guess.

 

What makes America great is that it's a mixed bag. There is something for everyone in America. No matter where you come from in the world, you can find a home here and most likely end up happier here than where you came from.

 

Indeed there are so many people (including Chinese) who think the streets of America are paved with gold. And sure enough they are in for a big surprise when they come here and see the beggers, the homeless, the hungry, the wretched, all that stuff. I guess it must be kind of a let down for them, a disappointment or something. But after the initial "culture shock" they find their comfortable place in American society - because American society has a place for everyone.

 

Personally speaking ... well, speaking for Juxin anyway ... she pretty much knew that America runs the full gamut from rich to poor, old and new, clean to filthy, etc. So she hasn't really been super shocked by things she has seen so far. On the extreme end of the specturm, she was fairly shocked by the wealth and grandiosity of the huge mansions found here (especially around the LA area including Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Malibu, etc) and also here in the Portland area. She keeps asking, "Is that a house or a hotel?" On the other end, oddly enough, she was very surprised to see the run-down subway system in New York! She couldn't believe how old the cars and fixtures are, how beat-up things looked, how grimy and disorganized things are, and how expensive the tickets are. Of course I could completely understand where she was coming from, the subway systems in Shanghai and Guangzhou put the NY system to shame. She couldn't believe that the subway systems in those two cities were much nicer than NY. Ditto for some of the aging airports in America too (compared to the gleaming new airports in China). She knows full well that there is a lot of new wealth being created in China now.

 

She also loves how so many people in America are so friendly. She still gets a kick when we go to the store and the cashier asks her how she is doing Last weekend we were in a small little town in central Oregon (Prineville for you local yocals) and she was so surprised when strangers on the street would wave and smile to us just as we were driving down the street (even I was surprised by this - it happened 3 times in the 30 minutes we were there). I guess they saw her and realized she was from out of town - combined with the fact that she had her face glued to the window Oh and when we drive out to the country and see beautiful scenery, she likes to say "That's too beautiful, that mountain must be fake!"

 

Anyway, America is a mixed bag and I was just glad to see a snippet that portrayed America in a fair and balanced way.

[LouRose]

She also loves how so many people in America are so friendly.

Yeah! On this trip home I've just discovered that Americans are actually friendly! Its really weird. I've never been to the midwest but I've always heard people there are very friendly to strangers, but compared to China even people here in New England are friendly too. Yesterday I went to the supermarket and one lady wanted to chat about how expensive the mushrooms were and another guy was so enthusiastic about letting someone else pass him. It is such a different feeling from China where you can't talk to anyone unless you have been formally introduced (except the cab drivers, I guess they are an anomaly). I've found some people won't even talk to me unless I've already met them three or four times. I thought maybe it was just because I'm a weirdo to them but if Juxin notices it too then it must really be different. I wish my husband could come, I'd love to see what he thinks. Oh well, maybe next year.

[awch]

Yeah.... Amerians are really friendly! I totally agree with that one. Like the other day I was on the bus when it took off really suddenly from a stop and this old lady fell down. No one even stopped to help her up or pick up her things or ask her if she was OK.

[ghall20]

Yeah.... Amerians are really friendly! I totally agree with that one. Like the other day I was on the bus when it took off really suddenly from a stop and this old lady fell down. No one even stopped to help her up or pick up her things or ask her if she was OK.

What about you?????

[Jim - Portland, USA]

I thought maybe it was just because I'm a weirdo to them but if Juxin notices it too then it must really be different.

Don't worry Rose, you're not a weirdo I also have been quite surprised by how "unfriendly" non-Americans are. It's not just Chinese, or even Asians, it's also many Europeans too. Of course they don't see it as being unfriendly, they see it as their cultural norm - being reserved, selective, safe, unemotional, guarded, that kind of stuff. I've traveled to dozens of countries around the world, from Cambodia to Pakistan, from Morroco to Japan, and none of these countries/cultures can compare to the openness and friendliness of Americans. My sister can also attest to this. She now lives permanently in Hamburg, Germany (she married a German citizen). When she first moved there she was flabergasted by how cold and unfriendly the Germans are (at least in the north). She also saw lots of examples of how uncaring and unconcerned they were with people around them. And there too it was almost unheard of for someone to say "Have a nice day". When someone needed help they would pretend they didn't see anything, or just stand and stare, or whatever. People say one reason for this is because of the dense populations that Asians and Europeans live in. I don't know, that may be a factor. But I've seen the good side of Americans in the middle of New York City, and it's pretty crowded there.

 

Everytime my sister comes back to America she gets overjoyed by how pleasant it is to go shopping People don't push each other, people are civil and polite, salespeople fall over themselves to help you, people stand in one line and don't try to cut ahead (even offer cuts sometimes), prices are cheap, etc. She says she sees little of that in Germany. And I know from experience that shopping in China is no picnic too. Oh that reminds me, that's another thing Juxin likes about America, how uncrowded the stores are. The first time I took her to a Target (on a busy Saturday afternoon), she asked where are the people were! She put out her arms and twirled around as if she were in a park and then pointed out that if she did that in China she would have smacked 10 peope in the head

 

Disclaimer: of course there are exceptions to everything ... of course not all Americans are friendly and of course not all non-Americans are unfriendly. I have plenty of personal examples attesting to the kindness of strangers in other countries, even France, even after they knew I was American!

[oregonknl]

Interesting posts...

 

Since Fei came last month so much has changed.. Our whole world is up-side-down, since we moved into my new house, --- still not finished...

 

Fei's sister, during the Cultural Revolution was sent to the countryside for three years (daughter of an intellectual) -- Fei was just a little too young, and avoided that...

 

The general feeling, I think, is that Chinese -- even women, are more likely to know manual labor, and physical work ---- yes in Fei's sister's case -- no for her~!

 

I very much need help to finish this house project, yet have found out that Fei is really unused to the hard aspects of physical labor ----

 

BUT ~! She is great~! She is learning quickly, and getting stronger every day ----- it still is hard when I ask for a "nail set" and she looks at me blankly. Even so, she now has most of the tools down.....

 

This afternoon, she correctly identified my "screw driver"

[chrisnhong]

Absolutely correct. Americans are very friendly. When I did my tour there, I'll never forget limping into Riverside CA after a jet-lagged 80 miles or so. I dropped off the back of a bunch and got lost for a little while. When I eventually found my way back, I stopped to have a look at the route map and a young african american lad (around 10 or so) said to me, "You slow, man, dey way up dere!". Yeah, yeah, I hear you...

 

The tour was CrossRoads Cycling

 

Tough going in parts, but lots of fun and very many friendly people. When I did a similar short tour in China, we were a travelling sideshow. People were less friendly than incredulous. You couldn't possibly be doing this for fun, right?

[Guest blsqueaky]

She also loves how so many people in America are so friendly.

Yeah! On this trip home I've just discovered that Americans are actually friendly! Its really weird. I've never been to the midwest but I've always heard people there are very friendly to strangers, but compared to China even people here in New England are friendly too. Yesterday I went to the supermarket and one lady wanted to chat about how expensive the mushrooms were and another guy was so enthusiastic about letting someone else pass him. It is such a different feeling from China where you can't talk to anyone unless you have been formally introduced (except the cab drivers, I guess they are an anomaly). I've found some people won't even talk to me unless I've already met them three or four times. I thought maybe it was just because I'm a weirdo to them but if Juxin notices it too then it must really be different. I wish my husband could come, I'd love to see what he thinks. Oh well, maybe next year.

I must be one of the lucky ones here. In all of my travels to China, Shanghai, GZ, I have never had a problem with talking to the people there. Everyone has always been so friendly, the restruants, clubs and the stores. I have asked for help, and they have gone out of their way to help.

 

Same for Beijiing, the hotel I stayed, the club manager was very friendly. I was trying to find some tratitional shirts, and when he finally understood what I wanted, he had 2 of his employees escort me to a clothing market to get them. I asked him why, and he told me that it was to make sure that I would be okay and nothing would happen.

 

So I think that at times, it might have something to do with where you are in china and how you project yourself.

 

Now has to America being friendly, for the most part I will agree. I know that the times that Ling has travelled with me in the truck, people have always been real friendly towards her, truck stops, loading docks, the store her, and everyone else in this little town. They will always help and make sure that she is okay.

[awch]

Squeky-

I'm pretty sure that a lot of Chinese will be friendly to you.... but have you observed how they treat each other??? (as in stranger to stranger).