My experiences here after the Hainan Island incident haven't been too bad, considering the feeling of most Chinese about it. No demonstrations, no personal hostility at all, many small and personal gestures of support from students and Chinese teachers. When you are one of the very few Americans in this city of six million, it means a lot. Chinese friends say " We know this has nothing to do with you or our friendship." which is true, but very nice to hear anyway. Part of the teaching in grade school and beyond is loyalty and obedience to parents, school and country, and that goes back to Confucious. It's reinforced by military training starting in grade one, class monitors who enforce good behavior, line leaders who march all their pals to the dining hall and when they do daily exercise. It is difficult to get a class to turn in an assignment without "cheating", because they are all programmed to be responsible for the success of their classmates as well as themselves, so they help each other, but each person still wants to come out on top. Chinese have mixed feelings about the U.S. I've talked with many older people , and they tell me of the love they will always have for the country that was their World War 2 ally against the Japanese. Nixon and Kissinger, scoundrels in the U.S., are heroes here, because of their efforts to end China's international isolation. Chinese loved Clinton, who they saw as an appropriatly lusty and virile leader, who traveled to China snd talked to the people directly. The popular term for the current resident is "Bu-xiao" ( boo-shaow)which is a pun on his name which can be roughly translated as "weenie, wimp, wanker,wuss, dweeb,dork, dickhead"! America here is seen as the class ruffian, who is sometimes your friend, but often not,powerful, dangerous, but full of life and energy that is very attractive. Chinese feel that they need to work with us, be trading partners, but they sure don't want to be Americans. Nor do they want the U.S. government to be telling them the role they should play in world affairs. In the agrarian centuries past, China's huge population was an advantage in times of conflict. Now, China is try-ing to leave that behind and create a nation of fewer, more educated people. It's a long process, but as my Chinese friends tell me, so was building the Great Wall. THis is why I'm here. The students at our school ( who well may be running the country in a few years)will not think faceless foreign demons when they consider America. They will remember teachers who talked with them, played with them, sang, traveled, ate with them, scolded them, brought them books, and cared about them, the pictures of our children and grandchildren, just about their ages, that they admired on the wall of our apartment. They will carry the thought that at least most of us are interested in a peaceful and stable world where we can all grow up. I will be leaving here in two months to return to the States. My plan is to work in the U.S. for a while, see my kids and my mom, and then return to China. Be well Seth
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