Should We Fear the Rise of China?

Hello Everyone. Thanks to those people who leave comments on my entries. It is nice to hear from folks. I have now been here officially for one week, and I have, this is no exaggeration, seen three white folks...all in one group of tourists on the island of Gulangyu. I must say that this is a bizarre experience. This is the definition of being in a minority. I have also gone five days without speaking to a native English speaker (aside from my wife via video chat...a wonderful technological breakthrough). It is a very strange experience to be surrounded by people but still be isolated. This dynamic may sound strange except to those people of you who have had such an experience of solitary travel. I have also not touched a fork for a full week...though my chopstick skills always evoke a chuckle from my host mother, who runs to the kitchen to get a spoon nearly every meal.

School #6

Today I taught United States History in 90 minutes to the English teachers here at Xiamen Public School #6. It really was fascinating; no, not my information, but our tour of history lead to a discussion of the rise of China and the fact that some Americans see China's economic and military growth as a threat (Ryne, if you are reading this you remember we had that debate in my International Studies course). My Chinese colleagues thought the fact that the United States could feel threatened by China was...well, humorous. They said they could not even conceive of why the United States should feel threatened. They said to a person that they view the United States as a friend from whom they need cooperation as they emerge from what they describe as a closed period in their history. The Chinese, they say, are desperate to learn from the United States and other countries; not to challenge them. What seemed to be percolating under the conversation was the implication that if either of the two countries should feel threatened it would be China; the United States has taken a much more aggressive policy with countries around the world than China has. They certainly seem to hold to the line that China's territorial issues lay only in its historical claims...that is, to its current borders, including Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Tibet. I must admit that my attempts to articulate and explain the perspective some may have in the U.S. of feeling threatened by China seemed quite ludicrous in such a context. For those who are interested, their was an op-ed by David Brooks in the New York Times on Friday (or Thursday--I'm not sure what day it was with the international dateline issue) where he discussed this issue of China's threat. It was interesting, though, that when we discussed Tibet, I could sense some level of reticence on the part of some to speak, but finally, one person said, "you know, the Dalai Lama is evil...he is not a good man". Very interesting. I don't know if my instruction on American literature, culture, and history is that helpful for them, but discussing such subjects while being completely immersed in another culture certainly refines my own understanding of our culture in ways that are hard to express...perhaps I will try later.

On a personal point, I successfully traveled to school this morning using public transportation--much to the worry of my hosts. I was given not one but two phones so that I could call out the cavalry if I got lost...I wonder if my hosts forget that I am a 39 year old man. Then again, I think that they fear for me given my Mandarin skills. I spent the morning with my senior one students working on the pronunciation of "r"...almost as difficult for them as some of the tongue tangling pronunciations for me in Mandarin.

The Interior of My Current Abode

The View from My "Condo"

I have included a few new photos today. One is the interior of my host "condo"; hopefully this will give you a sense that I am not exactly living amidst squalor. In fact I have the periodic sense that Marie Antoinette is going to appear sitting next to me...hmmm. My host family, as mentioned in my previous post, seems to be well off. I have asked my English speaking host what his father does; he says that he is a businessman but doesn't really seem to be able to explain more than that. His mother, my host mother (who is really about my age) offered one of their cars to me for my use while here. The have a new Mercedes, a Porsche Boxster, and a third car that I have yet to see (but I imagine that it is not a Yugo). The Mercedes, the only car that I have been in, has a small Chinese and Soviet (that's right, Soviet, not even Russian) flag on the dash in a very official looking configuration. I can't even guess what this means. These flags certainly make me quite curious about the father's job. I politely declined their offer of a car knowing both that I don't have an international license and that to drive here in Xiamen borders on lunacy. The streets are full of cars, bikes, mopeds, and pedestrians--all of whom seem to believe that they have the right of way in all situations. There appear to be very few obeyed traffic laws, and I do feel like I am putting my life at risk every time I get on a car or bus.

The Apartment Building in Which I Now Reside

Tomorrow an Engish teacher at #6 is taking me on my second tour of the beautiful island of Gulangyu. It is a beautiful little island with tons of history that is very popular with the tourists--Chinese tourists apparently from the lack of non-Chinese tourists I saw their my first time around. I will try post some pics of the beautiful island tomorrow.

zai jian

written by

mflamoe on July 3, 2009 from Xiamen, China

from the travel blog: Xiamen

Send a Compliment

Mark,
I am enjoying your posts. I really wish I could have gotten you & Tim together before you left. He saw and experienced a very different side of China (manufacturing).

Keep posting--your daily activity is much more interesting than that which is happening in Tigard :)

written by Robin McFall on July 3, 2009

Hi, Mark: Happy July 4th! Are they serving you red/white/blue jello salad???

Bravo, well done. I'm grinning at the Marie Antoinet-ian digs. You gotta laugh.

I love that you are doing the Thelma and Louis bit..but w/o a sidekick. Another bravo.

Also love that you condensed US history into 90 min.What was the Q&A like afterwards?

Loved your comment: "but discussing such subjects while being completely immersed in another culture certainly refines my own understanding of our culture in ways that are hard to express..." I'm with you all the way!

I smell a Brown Bag or 2 coming out of this....

Ciao;
karin Popkin

written by

karinpopkin on July 4, 2009

Mark, as the others have said keep posting when you can. We are enjoying your adventures through your stories. Ian and Liam are meeting up with your two boys next week to have some fun at the park. Enjoy your time in China... it changes fast.

written by Allan Campbell on July 4, 2009

Mark,

I'm enjoying your blog. It sounds like you are learning a great deal while still having a great time. Can you get any advice about a novel that our honors kids could read that describes life in China now?

Janice

written by Janice Harwood on July 5, 2009

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