Eat t'ose Cheetos

Tonight we had the opportunity/privilege/duty (insert whichever word you prefer here) to host a group of American students from Michigan. I took 2 U.S. students and 3 MPI students to the vegetarian restaurant to facilitate cultural exchange. The group seemed similar to the study trip that I did in China in 2010. For my trip, we studied Chinese politics, business, and culture. For this group we hosted today, my understanding is that they were hoping to grasp culture merely by attending tourist sites. Unfortunately, they seemed to come to dinner with some pretty huge stereotypes about China from their limited experience in the southern region. I have explored several Chinese cities, learned alongside Chinese students, and now lived in an S.A.R. of China for close to 6  months, and I barely have a glimpse of this huge thing we sum up as China. To give you a small glimpse of the magnitude of China, there are more English learners in China than people in the U.S. We sum up this massive land area, mostly because of what we hear through the media, as if it were just one part of a city. In my American hometown alone, there is a difference between east end, highlands, and west end lifestyles. Compare that to New Haven, Chicago, Corpus Christi, Miami, or San Diego, and you will come up with some consistencies but I believe more variety. A lot of what we know about China is from the big cities, the capital, and the drama. We find out something dramatic has happened in 'China' and automatically sum this one part as what happens in the whole of the country. If people were to say my tiny hometown was as violent as Chicago, they would be badly mistaken. I hope you understand my point. I'm not trying to be critical, but to bring to light our misunderstandings and limited knowledge related to this mega power that the U.S. deals so closely with. Don't get me wrong, China has room for improvement, and I don't agree with the government on multiple issues---but I wouldn't insult the country or culture at a dinner table and speak as if I were some expert. Thankfully, the MPI students have us ETAs to redeem Americans as more respectful and understanding. I found myself catching the Michiganders multiple times throughout the evening for making statements with little to no foundation. I'm sure I was the same way when I first came to China on a scholarship program adventure--and thus, my intention is not to belittle these students or to insult them, but hopefully to provide an example of the mistakes we can make across cultural differences. So be cautious before forming opinions about something--especially something that is so vast as China.
The greatest wisdom is discovered by taking all things that you hear and weighing them one against the other to validate the truthfulness they claim to possess...and always understanding you have something to learn (no matter how long you've lived). I respect authority, power and experience, but just because someone with a doctorate or a title claims something does not make it fact. Weigh all things, and then move forward.

...haha, and on a lighter note--I found Cheetos at the grocery tonight! They were like $2.50USD (bargain!). They weren't nearly as good as I remembered, but they exist! :)