China filled with surprises, tradition, unity
Joce DeWitt
Issue date: 2/20/09 Section: Forum
We lived in an apartment on the 16th floor that had a malfunctioning dryer, a faulty air conditioner and, quite frequently, a less-than-satisfying water heater. Granted, sometimes those kinds of things give me problems in my current home on campus, but usually any accommodations that can be made at OSU to make us students feel comfortable are not withheld. In China, they were withheld quite frequently. I came to realize after only a few days of living in the new apartment that a working dryer was a luxury of the higher class in Shenzhen. We soon got used to hanging out wet laundry on the balcony to dry.
As I got to know the Shenzhen area better, I also got better acquainted with its traditions and customs. My apartment was a five-minute walk from a plaza called "Sea World" near the water port of Shekou, which was always packed full of tourists - mostly from other parts of China.
Everyday life in China never ceased to amaze me as I saw different aspects of the culture at the most unexpected times. I'd be walking home from school when suddenly I would run into a beggar playing an ancient instrument called a "gu-zheng" (something like a harp) on the sidewalk for spare change. I may have felt out of place much of the time, but Chinese people have welcoming smiles and an unpredictable friendly aura about them.
About half-way through my senior year in China, an earthquake with tragic consequences occurred in the Sichuan province (located in the middle of the country). Though it was nowhere near where I lived, my school, community and city were greatly affected by the disaster that caused more than 69,000 deaths and 374,000 injuries - many of them were elementary school students.
It's difficult to believe that any good could come from such a catastrophe, but it was absolutely unbelievable to see how the Chinese population as a whole united to raise money and help the victims of the earthquake.
The more I heard about it, the more I couldn't help thinking of the adversity my own country has faced in recent years. I recognized the similar effects that Katrina made in New Orleans and began to wonder how the Chinese may have handled it differently. Not to imply that I think we should have handled things differently in post-hurricane New Orleans, but I hope that if and when the next disaster occurs, we use China as an example of how to fuse together as a country and do what needs to be done.
My experiences in China were remarkable. I learned many things from the people and traditions, the biggest one being that the world - including the U.S. - has a lot to learn from them.
Joce DeWitt is a freshman in liberal studies with an option in new media communications. The opinions expressed in her columns do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Daily Barometer staff. DeWitt can be reached at forum@dailybarometer.com.
As I got to know the Shenzhen area better, I also got better acquainted with its traditions and customs. My apartment was a five-minute walk from a plaza called "Sea World" near the water port of Shekou, which was always packed full of tourists - mostly from other parts of China.
Everyday life in China never ceased to amaze me as I saw different aspects of the culture at the most unexpected times. I'd be walking home from school when suddenly I would run into a beggar playing an ancient instrument called a "gu-zheng" (something like a harp) on the sidewalk for spare change. I may have felt out of place much of the time, but Chinese people have welcoming smiles and an unpredictable friendly aura about them.
About half-way through my senior year in China, an earthquake with tragic consequences occurred in the Sichuan province (located in the middle of the country). Though it was nowhere near where I lived, my school, community and city were greatly affected by the disaster that caused more than 69,000 deaths and 374,000 injuries - many of them were elementary school students.
It's difficult to believe that any good could come from such a catastrophe, but it was absolutely unbelievable to see how the Chinese population as a whole united to raise money and help the victims of the earthquake.
The more I heard about it, the more I couldn't help thinking of the adversity my own country has faced in recent years. I recognized the similar effects that Katrina made in New Orleans and began to wonder how the Chinese may have handled it differently. Not to imply that I think we should have handled things differently in post-hurricane New Orleans, but I hope that if and when the next disaster occurs, we use China as an example of how to fuse together as a country and do what needs to be done.
My experiences in China were remarkable. I learned many things from the people and traditions, the biggest one being that the world - including the U.S. - has a lot to learn from them.
Joce DeWitt is a freshman in liberal studies with an option in new media communications. The opinions expressed in her columns do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Daily Barometer staff. DeWitt can be reached at forum@dailybarometer.com.
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