http://blog.vcu.edu/suny/ en Copyright 2007 Fri, 03 Aug 2007 16:32:49 +0000 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Despite of all those different influence, protestant and Confucianism do have something in common. Both of them have been the spiritual basis for the development and the spiritual haven in times of catastrophes and social unrests in the two countries. Besides, both have exerted a profound influence on the development of literature. In New England, belief in the mind’s intuitive power to penetrate and interpret ordinary reality led to a flowering of literary expression and religious thought. Many writers, such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Emily Dickson have produced a body of religious literature that fused romantic philosophy with ideas about individual conscience derived from New England Puritan thought. This school of Transcendentalists has been influential in the history of American literature. The same kind of things happened in China. A series of work of Confucianism, Analects of Confucius included, have always been the classics in Chinese history and the first book for people to read when they decided to start learning. Almost all the scholars in Chinese history have been influenced by the ideas of Confucianism and after hundreds of years and even hundreds of years later; the recitation of Analects of Confucius is still included in the exams to select government officials. This kind of phenomina can best illustrate the lasting charms of Confucianism. All in all, Protestantism and Confucianism have been two major influences on people’s mindset and lifestyle in America and China respectfully. They have profound impacts on the work ethics, political ideals and cosmology of the two countries. Though in the new era, there are the dangers in both countries that the Protestantism and Confucianism will be undermined by the breeding of consumerism and materialism, the two ways of thinking still remain the spiritual pillar for the two nations and both countries are active in spreading the doctrine of Protestantism and Confucianism to other regions. Recently, Chinese government has invested a lot of money to build Confucian schools all over the world and domestically, people’s interests of studying Analects of Confucius have revived. In the world of hustle and bustle today, Protestantism and Confucianism not only is the spiritual motivation for people’s upward mobility, but also are spiritual retreats and chicken soup to save people’s soul from hollowness. (3733words) Reference Books The Protestant Experience in America by Porterfield Amanda American Culture and Religion by William Warren Sweet One Nation under God? By Mark Noll White Protestant Americans by Milton M. Gordon Analects of Confucius: A Philosophical Translation by Roger Ames Because of the limited time , this paper is far from being perfect. I will do more work to revise it and to make it more balanced. Hope that I can come up with a better version after I come back. http://blog.vcu.edu/suny/2007/08/the_paper_6.html http://blog.vcu.edu/suny/2007/08/the_paper_6.html Fri, 03 Aug 2007 16:32:49 +0000 Thirdly , concerning the cosmology of different cultures, Christian religion is unilateral, whereas in Chinese Confucianism, it is dialectical. In western philosophy, the early stage of cosmology is closely related to the religion. In the Bible, it is clearly stated that it is the god who has created the universe and everything, whether alive or not alive. Not until the 15th century did the polish scientist Copernicus advanced the theory that the earth and other planets revolve around the sun. From then on, people began to look at the universe from a more rational perspective. However, as far as religion is concerned, the notion that god is the sole creator of the world is still dominating people’s mind. Christians believe that God is the transcendent and omnipotent master who has the almighty power to control people’s life. Even the protestant believe that everyone’s fate is destined and one can have no control over one’s own fate. You can only work hard to indicate god’s favor, without the slightest chance to interact with god to change your destiny. Thus, it has become a unilateral relationship, with no gateway for common people to get to the god and change god’s will. However, in the Chinese concept, the outlook about the universe has neither been religious nor scientific and rational. Of course, we may think that the universe stands for something mysterious and powerful, but we never put it to a position of incomprehensible. like what we have talked about before, the concept of “天人合一”，( tian and common people becoming one)conveys the idea that sometimes common people can find connections with the universe. We believe that a person can get closer to the universe through demonstrating the proper conduct, which is also what the “天” asks of us. Those who are exemplifying the proper conduct can always be considered as the representatives of “天”. In ancient china , the empires always claimed that they are chosen by “天” and “天” just granted him the absolute power to reign the country. In that case, his right to govern is justifiable. I think this kind of behavior can also be dated back to the traditional Chinese ways of thinking about the universe. any one who is doing something righteous is considered obeying the 天’s will and any one who is in power gets his power from “天”. In this way, “天” inevitably exerts a great influence on us and helps us to restrict our behavior. That’s one reason that Chinese people admire “天” and its power. Unlike western people , Chinese people think the power of “天” is by no means omnipotent . if “天” abuses its power, people can also fight against it. in the ancient time , when there was an uprising, the leaders would always attribute the cause of the riot to “天无道”(Tian isn’t doing the right thing ). Interestingly , the excuse of “天无道” was much more appealing to common people than the concept of “人无道” or “君无道”(the emperor isn’t doing the right thing) From this point , we can also get a clear picture of how the concept of “天人合一” (tian and people becoming one)ingrained in people’s mind because even if the error is committed by empire, we always blame the “天” for the simple reason that the person is 天’s representative. Also , from here, we can see that if “天” has lost its justice ,people can fight against it and tries to change the way and then change the order in the society. In this way, the common people also exert a influence on the universe and the “天”. As common people ,we should not only demonstrate the appropriate conducts but also tries to keep “天” in its right tracks and make sure the way is carried out in a just and proper way. The changing of “天” is also depending on us. to be continued http://blog.vcu.edu/suny/2007/08/the_paper_5.html http://blog.vcu.edu/suny/2007/08/the_paper_5.html Fri, 03 Aug 2007 16:31:39 +0000 “和” can be interpreted both as a verb and as a noun. It can either be a state of having harmonious relationships with others and environment around you or an action of achieving harmony. But whatever it is, it should be connected with the word ritual propriety. Thus, it becomes a perfect combination of concept and action. Chinese people have a vague idea about “law” and what is dominating people’s conduct is the moral code. Thus , by advocating the importance of “he” within the community and then extending the notion to the international field, the peace and order can be achieved. Along with the soaring economic growth, Chinese people are eager to achieve the harmonies relationship between the economic development and the development of other sectors, such as environment and the well-being of the common people.Some people even consider the dream of achieving “he” , the Chinese Dream in New Era. Under the administration of George W. Bush, the U.S foreign policies are notorious for its unilateralism. Some people argue that the American invasion to other countries, in essence, is the expression of the will to Christianize the world and redeemed the world to god’s liking. American Protestants ideas about the kingdom of God derived , in part , from the Old Testament stories of Israel as the promised land of God’s chosen people and God promised to bestow them prosperity and fertility in response to their loyalty and faithfulness to God’s reign. English Protestants brought such visions to America in hope of building a new Israel in the wilderness of America. In John Winthrop’s Sermon, “A Model of Christian Charity” The phrase, “city upon a hill” is derived from the metaphor of Salt and Light in the Sermon on the Mount of Jesus given in the Gospel of Matthew. Winthrop warned the Puritan colonists of New England who were to found the Massachusetts Bay Colony that their new community would be a "city on a hill," watched by the world: For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us. So that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken...we shall be made a story and a by-word throughout the world. We shall open the mouths of enemies to speak evil of the ways of God...We shall shame the faces of many of God's worthy servants, and cause their prayers to be turned into curses upon us til we be consumed out of the good land whither we are going. After that, John Kennedy and Regal both quoted the phrase in their public speech and the notion of America as the city upon a hill has been rooted in the political blueprint. The sense of mission derived from the belief that Americans are the god’s chosen people has influenced American’s foreign policy and American government are always trying to convert other non-Christian nations and spread Christianity to the world. In a nutshell, when analyzing American foreign policy, we have to take the influence of religion into account; otherwise the conclusion will be lopsided. to be continued http://blog.vcu.edu/suny/2007/08/the_paper_4.html http://blog.vcu.edu/suny/2007/08/the_paper_4.html Fri, 03 Aug 2007 16:31:01 +0000 Secondly , the Protestantism and Confucianism have been instrumental in shaping the different political ideals. Entering into the 21 century, the communist party has launched a nationwide campaign to build a harmonicons society. to put it more accurately, it means the achieving of “he”. All of a sudden, the word “he” is dancing on the lips of every Chinese citizen. The government also adopts this terminology to the field of international policies. The ideals of foreign policy have become the achieving of harmony and peace in the international community. The idea of “harmony” has originated from the core spirit of Confucianism, “tian ren he yi” which indicates a state that human being and the “tian” are becoming one integral part. . In my opinion, “he” can serve the meaning as a noun, as well as a verb. When it is a noun, it means harmony. Harmony entails many different layers of meanings. First of all, it stands for the harmony between human beings and the environment around us. We should respect nature ant act upon the rules of nature in order to achieve harmony. In doing so, the nature and mankind can finally become an integral part and coexist in peace. Secondly, it refers to the harmony between different people. As individuals, we must find over appropriate position in a larger group, whether it is your family, your neighborhood, or your office, and try to get along with people in those larger groups. Only when we managed to behave ourselves, respect others and collaborate with others in an appropriate way, can the meaning of “harmony” be displayed. It also has something to do with another core value in the analects of Confucius, “the ritual propriety”. As we can see from 1.12, “achieving harmony is the most valuable function of observing ritual propriety”; “the achievement of harmony was a guiding standard in all things large and small.” Since the ritual propriety can be considered as the standard and rules of how you can relate to people around you and achieving an ideal relationship. To achieve “和”, to some extant , means being able to carry out the ritual propriety. When “和” is a verb ,it means “to reconcile and to integrate with other s and the environment around you”. You have to act on the principle of ritual propriety in order to achieve harmony, in Chinese philosophy, the concept of group in very important, you must make yourself a part of a larger group ant treat other in a polite and respect way the process of cultivating this kind of relationship is the meaning of “和” when it is a verb. As we can see in1.12, “but when things are not going well, to realize harmony just for its own sake without regulating the situation through observing ritual propriety will not work..” the achieving of harmony is closely related to the ritual propriety. Ritual propriety is the rules for us to follow in achieving a harmonious relationship. to be continued http://blog.vcu.edu/suny/2007/08/the_paper_3.html http://blog.vcu.edu/suny/2007/08/the_paper_3.html Fri, 03 Aug 2007 16:30:26 +0000 First of all, the influence of Christian belief and Confucianism has resulted in the different work ethics in two cultures. American people are influenced by the protestant work ethics, which, to put it simple, can be summarized as “work hard to indicate god’s favor.” Protestant is a branch of Christianity. It began to take shape and finally break away from the control of Roman Catholic Church during the Reformation. As the capitalism was burgeoning in Europe, the newly-raised burgeons want to simplify the ritualistic and luxurious ceremony hold by the church so that more money could be invested to economic development. Instead of considering the priest as the middle man, they believed that man could find salvation and be connected with god by their own interpretation of Bible. Everyone’s fate is destined by god and one can only work extremely hard to indicate that you are god’s chosen people. American people are famous workaholic. It is not because that they love money and are eager to accumulate wealth to better their life, but also because of the influence the Protestant work ethic. According to the statistics, those multi-millionaires, such as Bill Gates and Michael Dell, all have donated a proportion of their own property to charity. This phonomena can also be explained by the work ethics. This people work hard enough to gather wealth to indicate that they are god’s favorite. Thus, they are endowed with the sense of mission to save the world and help people in need. Their wealth comes from god and they have to give it back to the society to fulfill god’s will. Since more and more people are exerting themselves to get ahead in order to indicate god’s favor, the economy begin to prosper. Following the economic boom is the increasingly fierce competition and the greater economy growth. People have to work harder to survive and the protestant work ethics have always being the driving force. Unlike Americans’ materialistic work ethics, Chinese people live a quite spiritual life. The notion of “proper conduct” is more important than the accumulation of wealth. The proper conduct is a general term which includes every virtue that is required for a person to be a “junzi”, which means an exemplary person. Among them are, filial piety, the rectification of names, the harmony of character and emotions, the respect of ritual propriety etc. Those ideals become the driving force for Chinese people to achieve the higher form of self-cultivation. They believes that only in achieving the proper conduct and achieve self-cultivation can they be affiliated to the “tian” so that his spirit can become a part of family legacy and be passed on to the next generation. . Everyone can get nearer to god through self-cultivation. Some one who has got the correct way of doing things and keeps correcting his way of doing things according certain rules can present the “tian” and demonstrate “tian”. For example, Confucius can be regarded as an example of “tian”. In 19.22, 19.23 and 19.24, there are sentences like these “the master’s wall, on the other hand, is massive, rising some twenty or thirty feet in the air. Without gaining entry through the gate, one cannot see the magnificence of the ancestral temple on the lavishness of the estate inside.” “The superior character of other people is like a mound or a hill which can still be scaled, but Confucius as a symbol of god for his character and his proper way of doing things.” As a result, people pay more attention to the spiritual cultivation rather than the materialist well-being, considering the moral virtue the ideal of life. In 4.5The Master said, "Riches and honors are what men desire. If they cannot be obtained in the proper way, they should not be held. Poverty and meanness are what men dislike. If they cannot be avoided in the proper way, they should not be avoided. "If a superior man abandons virtue, how can he fulfill the requirements of that name? "The superior man does not, even for the space of a single meal, act contrary to virtue. In moments of haste, he cleaves to it. In seasons of danger, he cleaves to it." From this, we can see the emphasis on the proper conduct rather than the accumulation of wealth. If you can not avoid poverty in a proper and upright way, you have to accept it contentedly, for you haven’t done anything that is going to undermine your spiritual well-being. to be continued http://blog.vcu.edu/suny/2007/08/the_paper_2.html http://blog.vcu.edu/suny/2007/08/the_paper_2.html Fri, 03 Aug 2007 16:29:39 +0000 The last week, I was devoted to writing my paper, and therefore, I haven't got enough time to write my blog. During the week, I had a lot of wonderful experience and I will definitely write about it after I come back home. I have, to some extend, a perfectionist complex. If I don't have enough time to finish a blog what, at least, will make me satisfied, I will choose not to do it and leave it to some other time. However, I have to exert myself to meet the deadline so I decide to paste my paper there as a part of my blog. In this case, I can finish the 15 blogs assigned. I will continue to finish my blog and write about my magnificent experience here after I come back. The Comparison of American Protestantism and Chinese Confucianism Outline: I. The background information of Protestantism in America and Confucianism in China II. The comparison of American Protestantism and Confucianism 1. the different influence on work ethics 2. different influence on political ideals the different cosmologies 3. different cosmologies III. Summery and Conclusion of the whole paper Text: Nowadays, U.S and China are two major powers in the international community. More and more people are curious about the cultural background and national character of the two countries. Religion, out of doubt, has played a very important role in shaping the thinking pattern of the two diametrically opposed countries. If we want to probe deeper to dig out the underlying spirits that contribute to their economic rising, religion is a good point to start. America is definitely a religious country. From the settlement of the first group of English puritans to the burgeoning of national spirit, religion has played a very important part. American religious institutions are large, powerful and influential in social and political life. Even Americans who are members of no established religion are likely to believe in God. According the Gallup poll survey in 2003, 82% of Americans think themselves as religious people. According to another statistics shown on the American Religion website, Americans tend to believe in life after death: 73% compared to 50% in Switzerland and only 38% in Great Britain. About 60% of Americans are members of a church, synagogue or other religious group, though many more identify with various religions because of their birth or upbringing. About 40% of Americans attend religious services regularly, compared to only 20% in Great Britain. Of the 85% of Americans with a Christian connection, Protestant groups make up about 49%, Roman Catholics 28%, Eastern Orthodox, Armenian and Polish National Catholics 4% http://www.lifeintheusa.com/religion/index.html From the results of survey and the statistics, it is easy to come to the conclusion that America does have a strong social basis for the growth of religion and religion is a big business in American’s life. From the early days of America, New comers arrived in this country with a complicated array of ethnic and religious heritages—Scottish Presbyterians, Norwegian Lutherans, Irish Catholics, etc. Protestant- Catholic-Jew represented something like a typology of super-denominations, and the vast majority of Americans accepted affiliation with one of these three groups. With faith in god, those immigrants were able to survive the harsh living environment and build up the legacy of a powerful empire gradually. The faith in religion has permeated into every corner of people’s daily life and exerted a great influence in the American way of life. Especially for protestant, they have taken up the largest number in the whole American population and have the most profound influence in American culture. Unlike America, when speaking of China, most people would think of a non-religious country in which the only thing people believe in is Marxism. The truth is that Chinese people are highly religious to the faith of Confucianism, which is a combination of religion and philosophy. The Analects of Confucian, whose influence is comparable to Bible in the western community, has been a legacy that passed on from generation to generation. In China, we only consider Confucianism as a school of philosophy, yet in America, you can only find the books about Confucianism in the section of East Asian Religion. John Dewey once said, “There is no need for religion in the Chinese philosophy.” In my understanding, what he is trying to say is, the notion of Confucianism has covered the sector of religion and extended to a broader sense. The reason that some people consider Confucianism as a religion is that in the Analects of Confucians, the idea of “天” , which can be translated in to English as “ the sky”, is brought up thousands of times. Yet , to simply translate “天” into “the sky” or “god”, or a “superior being” is inaccurate. “天” is more of a spiritual content rather than a real existence. According to the translation of Professor Roger Ames from the University of Hawaii, “天” is translated into “tian” by its pronunciation. Thus, the original connotation of this word is preserved.. Another reason for people to consider Confucianism as a religion is that unlike Christianity which creates a heaven and afterlife to give people the driving force to live a moral live, Confucianism believes in the legacy of family. If you are living a life abided by the code of morality, you have contributed to the legacy of family, and thus, your off springs will remember you forever. Then, the immortality is achieved. I spared much space to talk about the concept of “tian”, which is the core spirit in Chinese religion and philosophy, to make the discussion later easier to understand. In the later part, I will proceed to give my opinion of the different influence of American religion and Chinese Confucianism. to be continued http://blog.vcu.edu/suny/2007/08/the_paper1.html http://blog.vcu.edu/suny/2007/08/the_paper1.html Fri, 03 Aug 2007 16:13:04 +0000 The ending is the beginning, the end It is the last day that I stay in Richmond. During the past 20 days, I have enriched my life experience and met with a lot of magnificent people. As an English major student, I was also given exposure to the real American lifestyle. However, what is more important for me is that I really had a time to relax myself, cast all the trouble away and enjoy life. Beijing born and Beijing bred, I seldom have time to slow down my pace and think about the real meaning of life. Life is a battle and the victory is only to the strong. Under the pressure of social Darwinism, city people busy living like mindless animals hunting for food. However, after coming here, I have the feeling of being purified. There is no traffic jam, no crowded street, and no hustle and bustle in the small city. Being in a strange country, I was away from the disturbance of cell phone ring. Life suddenly cools down. Especially when I am at the Virginia Beach, not having many things to do, I am able to set myself in meditation. I love thinking about a lot of things, but the busy city life have always make my mind messy. I am always trapped in a labyrinth and cannot find the way out. While staying in Richmond, I am able to retreat to a peaceful state and rethink about my life. However, there are still some unhappy experiences in the trip. Some people like me, while others hate me. It is a normal thing when a group of Asian girls living together. For those who hate me, I respect your choice. I cried that day when I was facing the sea alone. Sitting on the beach, I thought to myself, what would happen to me after twenty years? No body can get the answer, but I know one thing for sure. After twenty years, I will come to this beach again with my family. I wonder what kind of feeling I would have at that time. Will I still understand the “I” crying on the beach twenty years ago? The beginning is the end, the beginning http://blog.vcu.edu/suny/2007/08/it_is_the_last_day.html http://blog.vcu.edu/suny/2007/08/it_is_the_last_day.html Thu, 02 Aug 2007 16:06:58 +0000 “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. http://blog.vcu.edu/suny/2007/07/chinese_and_americans.html http://blog.vcu.edu/suny/2007/07/chinese_and_americans.html Thu, 26 Jul 2007 18:06:37 +0000 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. http://blog.vcu.edu/suny/2007/07/last_friday_we_joined_brains.html http://blog.vcu.edu/suny/2007/07/last_friday_we_joined_brains.html Tue, 24 Jul 2007 01:37:41 +0000 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. http://blog.vcu.edu/suny/2007/07/facing_the_sea_i_saw_the_bloss.html http://blog.vcu.edu/suny/2007/07/facing_the_sea_i_saw_the_bloss.html Tue, 24 Jul 2007 00:49:50 +0000 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. http://blog.vcu.edu/suny/2007/07/yesterday_my_friends_and_i.html http://blog.vcu.edu/suny/2007/07/yesterday_my_friends_and_i.html Fri, 20 Jul 2007 13:59:22 +0000 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. http://blog.vcu.edu/suny/2007/07/erere.html http://blog.vcu.edu/suny/2007/07/erere.html Thu, 19 Jul 2007 13:43:13 +0000 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. http://blog.vcu.edu/suny/2007/07/the_adaptive_reuse.html http://blog.vcu.edu/suny/2007/07/the_adaptive_reuse.html Thu, 19 Jul 2007 02:01:07 +0000 American lifestyle must be excited. many people in China might think that way before they really come to this land. Having seeing too many Hollywood blockbusters ,and TV series we are so used to seeing the life in the cosmopolitan metropolises, like NY and LA that we assume that all Americans live in the busy and hilarious way. The life must be exciting and heroes are in everyday's life. Even the rural life in America has been dramatized by the four housewives living in Fairview. 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. ]]> http://blog.vcu.edu/suny/2007/07/america_is_everywhere.html http://blog.vcu.edu/suny/2007/07/america_is_everywhere.html Mon, 16 Jul 2007 22:03:20 +0000 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. ]]> http://blog.vcu.edu/suny/2007/07/the_pursuit_of_happiness_1.html http://blog.vcu.edu/suny/2007/07/the_pursuit_of_happiness_1.html Mon, 16 Jul 2007 21:06:47 +0000