User Comments - mezzaid
mezzaid
Posted on: Buy One Get One Free
May 15, 2013 at 1:18 AMHi,
Can you, please, clarify the difference between jianmian/见面 and jiandao/见到?Posted on: Lesson Brainstorming
August 16, 2012 at 9:31 AMHi chinesepod,
What about some religion related topics. I sometimes get asked about my faith and often get stuck trying to talk about it.
Other ideas: stolen bike, door locks issues...
Posted on: The Trouble with Marrying a Foreigner
June 4, 2013 at 6:56 AMHi all,
This topic is definitely interesting, and I find Tal's depicitions of life in China, in this thread, as well as in previous ones mostly accurate. Before I go further, I need to point out that this from a laowai whose been in China for over a decade, and traveled around the country quite a lot. I think the Geart Wall refelcts much of the determination of the Chinese people to resist foreign intrusions, both physically and in terms of civilisations.
However, there are instances in history where foreign cultures have successfully been introduced and had a great deal of influence on the Chinese peolpe. The history of the Huizu/回族 and Islam in China is certainly worth pointing out in this regard.
Confucianism does play a part in modern Chinese life, perhaps as much of a part as does Catholicism in the West.
Also, it seems to me the assimilation process, I think that's the point being debated here, is determined by both the ability of the host society to take in new elements , and the foreigner's willingness to give up some of their identity components. In other words, don't be too proud of who you are and then complain of being descriminated against in China.
As to Confucianism being a myth , that's not quite accurate in my view, as it does play a part in modern Chinese life, perhaps as much of a part as does catholicism in the West.