First lets start with the Chinese language. For those unfamiliar with it, the structure of the Chinese language makes much more sense. Where as English has so many exceptions to rules and words spelled in strange ways, the Chinese, for the most part, stay consistent. Instead of calling the months january, february, and march, they call it yi yue, er yue, and san yue. Translate this to English and you get one month, two month, and three month. I recently read somewhere that people who have tried to invent their own languages take many things away from the Chinese because it seems to be more sensible. In Mandarin, there is only one word needed to use the past or future tense. One doesn't need to conjugate a seemingly endless amount of verbs. I could give example after example of ways in which Mandarin is more efficient and sensible than English or any other Western language.
A less noticeable difference in the Chinese people comes from the way they think and act. After living with a Chinese boy for some time now, I have picked up the little things he does that are not 'American.' For instance the Chinese are not cocky in the same way as Westerners. If they are good at something they will let you know that they are. We Americans may be hesitant to proudly say what our strengths are, for fear of sounding too prideful or cocky. In the same way the Chinese recognize the things that they fail at. They are not afraid to admit they are not the greatest in the world at something. Imagine that?! At one point in history the Chinese believed they were at the center of the world, and the dominant culture. They soon found out, when the white men came, that while they were advanced in someways, they were very primitive in others. A good example of this may be silk. Making silk is one of the most tedious of processes. The silk comes from worms, and it is very hard to extract. The Chinese were making this sacred material back in 3000 B.C. (No there will be no E here, I am proud of being politically incorrect). This cloth was something Europeans had never seen before, thus it became a symbol of wealth and worldliness. I feel as though today's mindset in China is to get ahead by learning English. If one knows English in China it will almost automatically get them ahead in life. They respect the white man for his knowledge and America for its greatness, yet they strive to earn the same successes.
China is a land of respect. Respecting one's elders is a lesson taught and re-taught very early on in a boy or girl's life. Kids do not talk back to their parents or complain about things they really want, to a certain extent of course. Still respecting your home and honoring the family is instilled in Chinese people at a young age. We lack this in America. I have never met a Chinese person who was rude to me on purpose. Maybe that will change, but that speaks volumes to me. They are a very serious people. The Chinese boy that lived with me claims that in China people are not as funny and don't joke around as much.
It is hard to put down into words the mindset of the Chinese, but I know it is there. Next time you meet a Chinese person see if you can pick up on it. This post is 'to be continued' as I delve into Chinese culture and society. Who knows maybe I will come out with a different mind set.
...To Be Continued...
