Comments on: A Crowd in China http://www.commonties.com/blog/2006/12/18/a-crowd-in-china/ Listen to stories on anything from honeymoons to WWII, from award-winning journalists to first-time writers alike, from anywhere in the world. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:30:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Phil Venditti http://www.commonties.com/blog/2006/12/18/a-crowd-in-china/#comment-38179 Sat, 24 Nov 2007 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.commonties.com/blog/2006/12/18/a-crowd-in-china/#comment-38179 Dear Morf: Both your stories on "Common Ties" are powerful and meaningful. Thanks for letting me know that they're there. I hope we'll have a chance to discuss your experiences in China further. Phil Dear Morf:

Both your stories on “Common Ties” are powerful and meaningful. Thanks for letting me know that they’re there. I hope we’ll have a chance to discuss your experiences in China further.

Phil

]]> by: Miodrag Kojadinovic http://www.commonties.com/blog/2006/12/18/a-crowd-in-china/#comment-3452 Thu, 08 Mar 2007 15:52:46 +0000 http://www.commonties.com/blog/2006/12/18/a-crowd-in-china/#comment-3452 I have been teaching at a university in the capital city of a multicultural/multiethnic province (writings in a minority language in addition to Mandarin on all signs) in subtropical Southern China since 2005. Not only was there no way we would be asked to teach on Xmas Day (not that I personally celebrate it, anyway), but there are actually singing/dancing performances by students in the grand hall of the university on Xmas eve, we get boxes of Belgian (in 2005) or local decent quality chocolate (in 2006) for Xmas/Western New Year and a departmental dinner (usually refered to as "banquet" by the Chinese), just as we got the same stuff Chinese staff got for Chinese New Year (packages of dried mushrooms, algae, rice, oil...). We foreign teachers (of various subjects and from 7 different countries) live in three buildings that no one guards, or "watches" if you like that word better. They suggested once that we lock the front gates at midnight for our own security, but nobody does that and no Chinese seem to mind. Our students talk in class about being Christian (a few are), and Buddhist (again not many, but a few more than Christian); as they also talk -- critically -- about: bribery to enter the universities, the growing gap between rich and poor in China, abortion, beggars, overcrowded cities, women's rights, gay marriage, suicide, one child policy and the result that there are already 30 million more men than women in China etc. These are all the topics of their presentations they choose themselves -- at least in my classes (I teach Cultural Studies). Indeed, while sensitivity is not always shown a priori to each and every real or purported cultural habit of the West unless we specifically ask for it, it is way more liberal than anything I could have possibly imagined before I came here two years ago. But perhaps those Han (92% of Chinese population) provinces in the frozen north are indeed like what was described here. Or maybe just Beijing -- you know how dreadful, and indeed repressive Washington D.C., Ottawa, Canberra, Brasilia... and all those boring centres of bureaucracy are. I have been teaching at a university in the capital city of a multicultural/multiethnic province (writings in a minority language in addition to Mandarin on all signs) in subtropical Southern China since 2005.

Not only was there no way we would be asked to teach on Xmas Day (not that I personally celebrate it, anyway), but there are actually singing/dancing performances by students in the grand hall of the university on Xmas eve, we get boxes of Belgian (in 2005) or local decent quality chocolate (in 2006) for Xmas/Western New Year and a departmental dinner (usually refered to as “banquet” by the Chinese), just as we got the same stuff Chinese staff got for Chinese New Year (packages of dried mushrooms, algae, rice, oil…).

We foreign teachers (of various subjects and from 7 different countries) live in three buildings that no one guards, or “watches” if you like that word better. They suggested once that we lock the front gates at midnight for our own security, but nobody does that and no Chinese seem to mind.

Our students talk in class about being Christian (a few are), and Buddhist (again not many, but a few more than Christian); as they also talk — critically — about: bribery to enter the universities, the growing gap between rich and poor in China, abortion, beggars, overcrowded cities, women’s rights, gay marriage, suicide, one child policy and the result that there are already 30 million more men than women in China etc. These are all the topics of their presentations they choose themselves — at least in my classes (I teach Cultural Studies).

Indeed, while sensitivity is not always shown a priori to each and every real or purported cultural habit of the West unless we specifically ask for it, it is way more liberal than anything I could have possibly imagined before I came here two years ago.

But perhaps those Han (92% of Chinese population) provinces in the frozen north are indeed like what was described here. Or maybe just Beijing — you know how dreadful, and indeed repressive Washington D.C., Ottawa, Canberra, Brasilia… and all those boring centres of bureaucracy are.

]]> by: Lea http://www.commonties.com/blog/2006/12/18/a-crowd-in-china/#comment-2503 Mon, 19 Feb 2007 16:47:14 +0000 http://www.commonties.com/blog/2006/12/18/a-crowd-in-china/#comment-2503 I'm presently working as a teacher here in China in a far away county in one of the provinces. Though I was not surprised to be working on Christmas day because I'm aware of their culture, at least it lessen my longing for my family back home because I'm busy. I felt bad for it's very different from my past Chrismas days, but it is a memorable one because after the days work my headmaster prepared a dinner for all the foreign teachers in our school. In a way, he made us feel that where ever we are Christmas is in our hearts, in whatever way they celebrate it. I’m presently working as a teacher here in China in a far away county in one of the provinces. Though I was not surprised to be working on Christmas day because I’m aware of their culture, at least it lessen my longing for my family back home because I’m busy. I felt bad for it’s very different from my past Chrismas days, but it is a memorable one because after the days work my headmaster prepared a dinner for all the foreign teachers in our school. In a way, he made us feel that where ever we are Christmas is in our hearts, in whatever way they celebrate it.

]]> by: Alexandra http://www.commonties.com/blog/2006/12/18/a-crowd-in-china/#comment-1399 Tue, 09 Jan 2007 01:50:01 +0000 http://www.commonties.com/blog/2006/12/18/a-crowd-in-china/#comment-1399 It is an interesting story, but it sounds very different from my experiences. I was a Chinese university student in 1999. At that time, all of my classmates and me knew about Chirstmas. Actually, I knew it ealier than 1990, when I knew this English word, Christmas, in my fist year middle school. Beijing was developed well enough since 1980s to have hot chocalate. Recalling early 1990s, many young people have celebrated many westen festervals, such as Christmas, Valentine's day, Mother's day, Father's day and so on, as well as the traditional Chinese festervals. Anyway it's very good to share culturals. Teaching always goes with learning, isn't it? It is an interesting story, but it sounds very different from my experiences. I was a Chinese university student in 1999. At that time, all of my classmates and me knew about Chirstmas. Actually, I knew it ealier than 1990, when I knew this English word, Christmas, in my fist year middle school. Beijing was developed well enough since 1980s to have hot chocalate. Recalling early 1990s, many young people have celebrated many westen festervals, such as Christmas, Valentine’s day, Mother’s day, Father’s day and so on, as well as the traditional Chinese festervals.

Anyway it’s very good to share culturals. Teaching always goes with learning, isn’t it?

]]> by: Tanya Devadason http://www.commonties.com/blog/2006/12/18/a-crowd-in-china/#comment-1273 Sat, 30 Dec 2006 05:02:46 +0000 http://www.commonties.com/blog/2006/12/18/a-crowd-in-china/#comment-1273 I taught English in China - in Chengdu from Sept 1998 to Jan 1999. Christmas that year was spent holed up in my version of your Foreign Experts building, cooking hamburgers with my American and French Christian friends and secretly missing my family in India and their warm Christmas. Chengdu was officially deemed a \"warm\" part of the country so my students had no heating in their rooms and used to spend as much time as possible with me as at least I had heat and hot water to share! What an amazing time though, wouldn\'t change it for anything. I taught English in China - in Chengdu from Sept 1998 to Jan 1999. Christmas that year was spent holed up in my version of your Foreign Experts building, cooking hamburgers with my American and French Christian friends and secretly missing my family in India and their warm Christmas. Chengdu was officially deemed a \”warm\” part of the country so my students had no heating in their rooms and used to spend as much time as possible with me as at least I had heat and hot water to share! What an amazing time though, wouldn\’t change it for anything.

]]> by: judy nedry http://www.commonties.com/blog/2006/12/18/a-crowd-in-china/#comment-1253 Fri, 29 Dec 2006 04:18:59 +0000 http://www.commonties.com/blog/2006/12/18/a-crowd-in-china/#comment-1253 What a wonderful gift you gave to those Chinese students! Sharing cultures can be an adventure, but well worth it! Keep writing. Judy What a wonderful gift you gave to those Chinese students! Sharing cultures can be an adventure, but well worth it! Keep writing. Judy

]]> by: Patricia Gable http://www.commonties.com/blog/2006/12/18/a-crowd-in-china/#comment-1015 Tue, 19 Dec 2006 13:51:25 +0000 http://www.commonties.com/blog/2006/12/18/a-crowd-in-china/#comment-1015 What an interesting experience! It makes us appreciate our freedoms here. I lived in Mexico during Christmas of 1982 but at least they love to sing and celebrate. I'll bet if you had to do it again, you wouldn't change a thing! What an interesting experience! It makes us appreciate our freedoms here. I lived in Mexico during Christmas of 1982 but at least they love to sing and celebrate. I’ll bet if you had to do it again, you wouldn’t change a thing!

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