The Southwest Voice

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            Traveling abroad can offer a unique perspective of the world, a view that is impossible to obtain from the comfort of one’s living room while watching a documentary on one’s widescreen television. But to really understand a different culture, one has to stop and talk with the people. 

On our trip to China, I was known for my journal. I was writing in it while riding on the bus, walking through museums, while sitting on deck of the cruise ship and at the dinners when the public officials spoke. What I didn’t know was that it would open doors that would never have opened otherwise.

During the last night of the cruise, I asked our national guide to spend a few moments with me correcting my spelling—I was fairly certain that I had chewed up some of the names pretty badly—and filling in some pieces of information. Rocky helped wherever he could, but when I came up with a few questions for which he didn’t have answers, he called over another one of the guides. 

Within a few minutes, all seven of the national guides were sitting with me, giving me information faster than I could write it all down. It seemed that as soon as they realized that I was sincerely interested in learning as much as I could about their culture, they were more than eager to share whatever they could. The experience was amazing!

The guides gave me more interesting facts about things we had seen, tidbits about their culture and some personal stories. One of the female guides was reportedly an expert on the minorities of China. She offered that a person who is Han, the predominate ethnic group of the country, has a crease on the inside of the forearm about two inches below the line formed by the bend of the elbow. 

The other guides rolled up their sleeves and were surprised to find that indeed they all had the crease. Then, she added that there was a split in the nail of the pinky toe. Later that night, she told me the following day, the guides removed their socks to check their own nails. And yes, everyone had the split.

            I found there were a few striking differences between the American and Chinese cultures. The first has to do with “saving face.” In western cultures, we teach our children to admit their mistakes and take ownership of the repercussions and then, after an apology, strive to make things right. 

            In China, admitting mistakes is rarely done, as everyone would soon believe that all mistakes were yours. Excuses are made and the phrases, “I believed that…” or “I thought that…”  is offered to justify having made an error. 

            Our guide felt that at least the younger generation would like to change this custom. Believing that it cuts time and is a more productive approach to solving problems, he tried this philosophy when working with us on our tour. When our group arrived ill-prepared in Beijing for the cold weather, he apologized to the group and negotiated for us to purchase Cossack hats at a discounted rate. Although he embraced this new philosophy, it is hard to imagine how soon the Chinese people may accept it.

            Another difference is the reverence given to the aged. This was never more evident than when talking with the guides who were in their mid-20s to 30s. They all had lived with and spent much time talking to their grandparents. By contrast, most young people in the United States seem to lack interest in others unless they share things in common. 

            Chinese cities that were a mere five years ago filled with bicycles are now facing gridlock conditions with automobiles.  Manufacturing plants have sprung up almost overnight and are dumping pollution into waterways. Burning coal, the predominate fuel source, is filling the skies with black particulate matter. The black market is flooded with “knock-offs.”

            In many ways, looking at China is like looking back into American history. If we were to place today’s traffic onto roads of even 50 years ago, we, too, would find gridlock. If we were to go back in time to cities such as Chicago or Pittsburg in the early 1930s, we, too, would see clouds of pollution smothering the skies. If we were to remember songs with lyrics such as, “I owe my soul to the company store,” we would be reminded that labor unions did not develop hand-in-hand with our flourishing economy.

            Traffic congestion, pollution and lack of protections and standards in labor, construction and manufacturing –– all are symptoms of emerging capitalism in China. Tempering the need to make a dollar with concern for the people’s welfare has long been an issue that has had to be addressed by capitalistic countries. 

In the United States, we complain about the government red tape and legislation, but it is those same rules which give us traffic control, waste disposal, emission controls, unions, construction codes and patent restrictions. We often forget what American life was like before those laws were put into effect.

We took 200 years to grow, develop, discover the problems associated with that growth and find solutions. In China, this time is being compressed into a few decades. There are problems, but there are signs that the government is trying to address them.

The Chinese people seemed little concerned with politics, as life is so much better than it was just a few years ago. In fact, several of our guides said they could not imagine having more freedom than they now enjoy. This being said, they still do not have the right to assemble or bear arms, and the press is still controlled by the government.

            Beyond the communist government, there are the people of China. I found them to value family, cherish life and freedom, be grateful for what they have and not be afraid of hard work in the hopes of giving their children a better life.                      

            I learned not to think we hear the whole story in the news. The only way to get a balanced view is to go, see, ask questions, listen and most of all leave your prejudices at home. Perhaps the best way to appreciate what we have is to see how the rest of the world lives.

Note to readers: For all those who have followed this column from its beginning, thank you for your support. This was an eye-opening, thought provoking vacation which has profoundly changed my views on China and her people. I recommend that if you are interested in making the trip, do it soon, before the transformation is complete and all that remains of the old China is but a distant memory.

Margie Custer is a Southwest resident and writer.  E-mail her at: custer@ix.netcom.com