Blog for suny

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
----------- The Declaration of Independence

Hundreds of years ago, the May flower Ship carrying the puritan convicts from England landed in the continent of America. From then on, American has been regarded as the land of freedom. People from all over the world come to this new-born country, with the faith in the American spirit and the hope for a better life. Under the lead of the Statue of Liberty , they flooded into the once-barren land and built up the basis of the country hand by hand, Almost 230 years has passed , the American dream has become a part of American life and attracted more people who want to succeed by their own hard work. However, the road for them to realize their dream might be a little harder nowadays.
Since some of us forgot to bring one of the important forms, we met with some difficulties going through the customs on the first day that we arrived. After negotiating with the officers, they still didn't let us through. I had to go back to the long queue again to wait for my second chance. I was mingled with travelers and immigrants from all over the world while waiting. Standing in front of us was a family from Europe. The mother went to the service desk again and again, with the eager glare of hope in their eyes, the same glare I saw when people were queuing to get a visa to the U.S in the Embassy of United States in China. I couldn't figure out what exactly they were talking with the officer. However, judging from the mother’s stern expressions, they also had met some difficulties with their forms and visas. Probably, they were finding various excuses for their lack of proper forms. While waiting for my second chance, I also saw a man form my own country who angrily urges us to go back in the line while we were not breaking any rule. Since we were of the same nationality, I expected him to be more polite and tolerant, yet the anxiety and the eagerness had combined to make our actions provocative to him.
After several setbacks and checks and rechecks by different officers, we finally managed to get on the plane to Richmond on time. Sitting in the comfortable chair, I felt exhausted and began to think of how hard it is for a foreigner to get on the land of America. American is often referred to as the big melting pot, yet the melting pot has become more and more selective, especially after the 911 attack. The fear of another round of attack has made America more and more conservative and cautious when taking in visitors. Not until last year did America opened its travel service to Chinese citizens and many people are denied their chance to even visit their sons or daughters in America. I believe that there were many people waiting at the customs to start their new life in the free land, just like the Italian family and the Chinese man I saw. The same story is happening everyday.
While watching the movie “the pursuit of the happiness”, I was touched by Will Smith’s story. The self-made man finally realized his dream to grant his son a better life. There are millions of people in the world, who, with the same hope, are waiting here, with the same sparks of eagerness in their eyes. I wish them good luck.

American lifestyle must be excited.

However, the lifestyle that I saw here is quite casual and peaceful, but distinctively American. I have seen a lot of things that are of typical American community-- the languid shop assistance in the neighborhood convenient store; the African Americans driving cars with hip-hop music playing aloud; the Chinese immigrants that speak Cantonese, the friendly drivers that wave us to get across the street first; the national flags that embodies the national spirit and patriotism; the beggars asking for changes outside the convenient store. Those are all things that I have once seen in the low budget American movies, and they are now so real just before my eyes.

Yes, the real American lifestyle is everywhere. It is in every snicker that they nibble every pizza that they eat and every song that they dance to. I don’t have to go to NY or LA to taste what the real American life is. Most Americans live a quite life like this.All I have to do is to observe with my eyes and ears open . The real American lifestyle is everywhere in the trivial things around us.

Yesterday, we went on the bus tour of the whole city. I was overwhelmed by the serenity and the sense of history in this small city. However , American's awareness of protecting the history really strikes me.

After viewing the breathtakingly beautiful James River and going through the neat street, we came to the ancient blocks that were built hundreds of years ago. The tourist guide told us that they adopted a kind of measure called “adaptive reuse” to preserve and renovate the old house there. That is to say, anyone who wants to rent the houses can make whatever changes they want to the interiors of the house, while keeping its original exteriors. For examples, the shop owners cannot put up any sign to indicate what is selling there in order not to destroy the unity of the old buildings. Therefore, the whole block looks the same as what it was in the past. When I passed through it, I even felt that the air was dense with history. The pervasive solemnity seems to be telling us how important the block was in the course of American History and the historical event seems to be reenacted in front of my eyes. How wonderful it is to have an area that is purely historical. It reminds me of the Palace Museum in China, which is once the symbol of supreme and imperial power in China. Six years ago, Starbucks opened an outlet in the Palace Museum. The green signs jarred with the superior and solemn aura and destroy the whole view of the royal residence in Ming and Qing Dynasty.

When we are visiting the capitol of Virginia, the tour guide repeatedly saying in a modest way that America had a relatively short history compared with us. However, Americans think highly of history. They build a lot of statues and monuments to commemorate what has happened in the past and worship the founding fathers and the great generals in the way that has put Chinese efforts in shade. It is a thing worth being proud of to have a once prosperous civilization and a long history, yet it is more important to know who to preserve them. When touring around Richmond, I felt the history is so pure and so real that it overtook me. The sensitivity to history and the awareness to protect historical sights is something that we can learn . I hope it is still not too late to catch up.

From the moment we arrived here, we had led a life totally different my life in China. Being an apple of my parents’ eyes, I was kept away from any chance of doing chores myself. Everything was served right in front of me whenever I need them .However, with nobody to count on there, I had to depend on my own ability to handle the life here. The goods in America were really expensive. To make the ends meet, I had to calculate carefully in order not to waste a cent. It was not that we don’t have enough money to buy those fancy stuff, but spending my parents’ hard-earned money troubled my conscience. In China, with a little money, you could buy a bunch of stuff. While in here, you could only get a little stuff with a bunch of money. “Life is miserable and morose here.” I always thought to myself in that way and began to miss my home in China. Yet, the shopping experience made me think of the matter in a new light.

Today, my friends and I went to the Rite Aid Pharmacy to buy some daily necessity. After comparing prices, I decided to buy the cheapest for breakfast. Two African American women were standing in front me at the counter. They seemed like mother and daughter. The younger one was holding some grocery, while the older one was searching something in her bag. Then, the old woman said to the younger one that she didn’t have any money with her. Hearing the words, the young woman handed the grocery to her, and began searching her own bag. The old woman patted the younger one on her back, saying, “Let’s put them back. Let’s just put them back”

“No, No, wait a moment, I am sure I can find some money.” The young woman grew more anxious and rummaged through her bag more eagerly.

The old woman suddenly speak in a stern and serious voice, “Just put them back. We don’t want them anymore. We can have no food to eat. If we don’t have enough money, we don’t buy them”

Looking the old woman in the eye, the younger woman put the food to its place regretfully and walked out of the pharmacy in a dignified way.

Overheard the conversation, I felt pitiful for the two African women. However, the poverty didn’t break them. They kept their dignity by giving up the food. I saw the eagerness in the young woman’s eyes and I knew how desperately they needed the food. I thought the young woman must feel terrible and sorry that she could not buy the old woman, who was probably his mother, the food they needed. I saw the affection and love between the two poor people. I believed it was the same kind of love between any mother and daughter. I could read the remorseful and sullen look in the young women’s eyes and I also understood the touch of solemnity and seriousness in the woman’s voice. Her grim words seemed to be telling the young woman, “We can have no food, yet we cannot lose our dignity.” Watching them out of sight, I was filled with great awe.

Walking out of the pharmacy, I feel refreshed and revitalized. Yes, life is pretty hard here, but there are still people around me who are leading a tougher life. They have demonstrated the self-respect and dignity that can outshine the nobility. What am I going to do with the unhappiness in my life? Just live with it and brave it.

Yesterday, my friends and I embarked on an adventure to explore the community around us. The experience was fascinating and magnificent.

It was around 5’o clock when we decided to walk along the monument avenue. Along the avenue, a lot of friendly American couples roaming on the sidewalk said “hello” to us. However, after a little while, the glares of sunlight after the fierce rain and the long distance that we have covered have combined to tire us out. After reaching the monument of Jefferson Davis, we felt that our legs couldn’t carry us any longer. With no place to sit on, we decided to sit at the foot of the monument and started talking.
“I really hope that someone can give us a lift.” One of us said.

After almost ten minutes’ futile waiting, the patience was dying out. At this crucial moment, a middle-aged woman, whom we had just met along the street came us to us and chatted with us for a little while. Seeing us tired and bored, the kind-hearted woman offered us to have a rest in her home. It was the first time that I was going to see the interior of a typical American family. The kindness of strangers overwhelmed me. After taking the lemonade, we also played with the cute little dog in the family named Buca, and took photos with the hostess.

The American family was almost the same as what I had thought of before. Everything was serene yet sweet. Entering the house, the warmness and the sweetness of family overtook me and reminded me of my home in Beijing. There was a little garden situated at the back of the yard. The decoration was simple, but delicate. You could sense the carefulness of the hostess in every little painting hanging on the wall and every flower panted in the garden. The windows in the house are big and bright. The streak of sunshine penetrated through the window and threw light into the family and lightened the whole atmosphere up. The tenderness of family pervaded the house. You can do some casual reading lying comfortably in the chair. How wonderful the life like that is.

Later on, Brain took us to watch a free African Dance. I was really interested in African arts and considered the performance really interesting. Unfortunately, it began to pour suddenly and the performance was postponed, but I really enjoyed it very much.

Special thanks to Brain for making the night much more interesting and special. His bright smile gives us the feeling of a family and relieves me the pain of homesick. But for his timely assistance, we would not have been able to enjoy the exciting day. I am really thrilled and more than happy to have him around.

面朝大海, 春暖花开
---海子

Facing the sea, I saw the blossom in the warm spring.
--------Chinese poet, Hai Zi

Virginia Beach, a place for lovers.

There was only myself, the darkness and the roaring sea. I was sitting there, without even a soul around. I don’t know whether you have the experience of being with the sea so closely at midnight alone. The noises and clamors of the day have faded away, leaving only the up roaring silence of cold water. At this time, the sea seems to represent evil and has the thrilling power to devour me. I have met with some difficulties in my life recently and the blue mood had haunted me for a few days. Being a grown-up, I got to know that there are still a lot of things that I cannot comprehend. I can’t understand why it is so hard to make friends with my own classmates. I don’t understand why even my own classmates can be that calculating. I don’t know why people are so up to sabotage and retaliation. If people are busy setting others up, the friendship will be as vulnerable as a reed in the face of storm. When the pain of growing up becomes the pain of grown-up, I understand that the adult world is much more terrifying and complicated. God told us that ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. However, I can’t be that tolerant and forgive others’ mistake so easily. Loneliness, fear, uncertainty, frustration have all began attacking me relentlessly. The wall that fortifies me against the coldness of the outside world has been torn down and tears begin to well up in my eyes.

“Facing the sea, I saw the blossom in the warm spring.” this sentence written by a Chinese poet, Hai Zi has warmed my heart for many years. In his poem, he describes an idle and romantic lifestyle. Yet no one can understand why the optimistic and romantic poet chose to end his own life abruptly. I guess he was seized by the dark power of the sea at night.

Yes, the power of sea may cut both ways. Under the sunshine, it embodies romance, brightness and affection. Surrounded by the darkness, it embodies loneliness, despair, and gloom. However, where dose the sunshine come from? I think it is from within people’s own heart.

Now, I am sitting at the same place where I sat last night, watching the same tide coming and going and writing this diary. When I see the greatness of the sea, all the worries seem to be taken away with the withdrawing wave. I know it is not because of the sea, but because of myself. After a whole night of tossing and turning, I finally decide to let go the unhappiness and let the beam of light shine through my heart. There are still a lot of confusions about life. Life is a myth. Many people spend their whole lives trying to figure out the answer, but only ended up being trapped in the paradox of life. It is not that I have decided to give up the searching for the meaning of life. While continuing the tough journey, I will always remember the beautiful sea under sunshine.

Facing the sea, I still can see the blossom in the warm spring. I pitied Hai Zi who was unable to keep the image of sea under sunshine in his heart and chose to terminate his life in a tragic way.

Magic stops here. There is no angel in the world. I have to count on myself to see the angels within myself.

Life goes on, just like the waves rushing to the shore.

Now I am sitting at the beach, watching the hilarious people enjoying the sunshine. What a wonderful day.

An An,
We are going to pull through together~~ Take heart.

Last Friday, we joined Brain's friends' going-away party. It was the first American Party that I had never experienced. Unlike what we had imagined, there was no wild dance, crazy and noisy crowd. The party was just a place for young people to hang out and chat with each other freely.

On that party, I met with a Russian student who called himself a philosopher. The first question he asked me was “Do Chinese people have free press?” “Yes, of course we have.” The unfriendly tone angered me a little bit. We began to exchange views on different things, such as politics, religion, economy and culture. The young man had great scope of knowledge, but most of his opinions about china are lopsided and radical. We argued a lot and I felt very proud that I could defend my own stand eloquently and finally be able to convince him. I believed after the conversation, many of his misconceptions would be changed.

While at school , every student has to go through the training of public speaking, parliamentary debating and take many courses that seem to be useless, such as Confucianism and Taoism taught by Prof. Roger Ames from the University of Hawaii , American society and history and critical thinking. I always thought to myself, “I am an English major student. Why do I have to be bothered with those boring courses if I don’t want to be a diplomat or something?” Now, I realize that even if you are not going to choose diplomat as your career, there are chances that you have to stand up and speak for your country, and that is when all the “useless” skills and knowledge come into use.

Our reading teacher Prof .Yang once told us that when he was in Harvard University, he used to debate with other professors on Chinese issue for two days without eating anything. Now being abroad myself, I could understand the eagerness to defend your country and clear up all the stereotype and misunderstandings. The debating skills that I have learned make me respond as quickly as I can and what I learn on the critical Thinking class enable me to challenge the Russian students in the course of verbal fencing. I really enjoy the feeling of talking to someone that

Later on that party, I exchanged views on many political issues with Brian, whose scope of knowledge surprised me and changed my point of views about American students. The conversation was really thought- provoking and inspiring. I learned a lot from it and I hoped that I could have another chance to talk to him about the things that we both interested in some other day. He is definitely well-informed and well-read. I really enjoyed talking to him a lot.

“Can you understand Chinese logic?" a girl asked.

“No.” Brain shook his head a little and cracked a smile.

This question set me thinking. Chinese logic is even confusing to a Chinese, let alone an American boy.

Having being here for about two weeks, I observed that there were a lot of difference between Chinese way of thinking and American way of thinking. If those cultural differences are not dealt with in a proper way, misunderstanding will be bound to occur.

Americans are frank and outspoken. If they don’t want you to go somewhere, they will tell you their real thoughts and feeling. You don’t have to guess to grasp the underlying connotation, whereas Chinese people are more introverted and unclear in expressing an idea. For example, just like what had happened yesterday, a group of students wanted to hang out with interns late at night. When asked about the opinion, the teacher said, “It is up to you.” In this context, “It is up to you” mean “I don’t want you to go. If you go there, I will be upset.” If you don’t grope deeper and only judge from the literal meaning, you will fail to get the actual meaning. Another example, when Chinese are having dinner in American’s home, the host may ask, “Do you want another helping?” Chinese will say, “No, thanks. I have had enough” However, actually, he might be starving to death. He is just waiting the host to ask him again. Unfortunately, the host just takes his word for it.

Americans are quite open to express their love or hatred. If they love you a lot, they will express it in person, whereas in China, things are totally different. If a girl loves a boy very much, she will suppress her feeling and keep dropping hints in the hope that the boy may understand her affection. They will sometimes avoid seeing the boy to test the boy. When a couple has some squabble and the husband began saying sorry to his wife. The wife will probably say, “I will not forgive you. You have made such a terrible mistake.” However, deep down in her heart, she had forgiven her husband. What she need was some more soft words. Chinese don’t want to hurt others’ feeling. So if he is unhappy with your work, he will not point out your mistake in front of you, but discuss it behind your back. That can be a merit as well as a demerit. On the surface, Chinese can get along really well, but they may poison each other’s name secretly. In Bai Yang’s book, “The Ugly Chinese Men” , this kind of mentality is explained in detail.

Chinese respect seniority. It has something to do with Confucianism. In Confucianism, everyone is abiding by the hierarchical system with in the family. The seniors in the family may rule like a king and everyone has to follow his instruction and order. In America, people are influenced by individualism and self-reliance. Everyone is responsible for his own happiness; therefore, people are freer to do what they want within the restriction of law.

Chinese cherish friendship. In China, you always see girls holding their hands together, whereas in America, this kind of action will be considered homosexual behaviors. Chinese people may have fewer friends in all their life, but with each friend, they share a brother-like affection. Americans may have more friends, but their relation will not be as intimate as what is in China.

Because of different thinking pattern and cultural influences, befriending with Chinese people is an art. It takes some speculation and meditation to get the real meaning out of the literal meaning. The Chinese thinking pattern may pose some difficulties when developing relations, but it also contributes to the unique character of Chinese people. Chinese people are born poets. They have delicate sentiments that will poetize and romantisize, (sometimes disaster) whatever they see. Instead of being frank and honest, they tend to use an artistic way to dealing with interpersonal relationship.

If you want to know more about the Chinese thinking pattern and mentality, you can resort to Lin Yutang and Gu Hongming’s book for help. Chinese politics, philosophy, psychology, history, literature are an integral part. You have to first have some knowledge about Chinese thinking pattern to understand all this.