Film Review-Mao's Last Dancer

Thanks to the wonders of the bootleg DVD, I recently watched "Mao's Last Dancer". It's a film about the life of Li Cunxin, a ballet dancer from a small village in China who comes to America to dance in Houston.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of the film for me (aside from the typical education that comes from highlighting cultural differences and someone's assimilation to a new culture) was the portion of the story that showed him growing up during the Cultural Revolution in China, and the affect that this had on dance as an art form in China. Particularly touching is the depiction of Li's dance school headmaster and his subtle rebellion against the communist regime, and the way in which events play out.

The dancing is also beautiful, and so both as a dance film and a cultural/historical piece this film is captivating. I highly recommend seeing it! (It may be a little harder to find a showing in the States, but if you get the opportunity, jump on it!) I really want to read the book as well.

Cultural Mindsets

One of the obstacles to overcome in relating to people here is the idea of the Eastern vs. Western mind. I would say that there is a lot of truth to the fact that there are differences to be aware of and seek to assimilate to, but, as I was discussing with a friend last week, oftentimes it is frustrating to have people brush you off or think that a conversation has irreconcilable differences that are impossible to overcome because of this.


Even my aversion to this, however, suggests my western mindset. We are encouraged to "think outside the box". This is typically discouraged in the typical Eastern-functioning community. I often separate cultural expectations from an actual method of thinking...but many people here do not.


Some of the differences:


-Family. To use an example you will probably tire of hearing of....I was watching a CNN Asia reporter interview Taiwanese star Jay Chou. She asked him why he still lived with his mother at the age of 29. He explained that he would take care of her, and intended to always live with her, even after he married. The reporter laughed in his face and said, "You're joking." He just looked at her and explained that it was a difference between Western and Chinese culture...that Westerners were eager to assert their independence, while Chinese children have a deep understanding of the duty they have to their parents to care for them. This is very true. While young people may rebel inwardly (and very rarely, by questioning) it is very rare to see cases of outright rebellion against one's authority figures. One's family as an example of one's community, hold a very important place in life.


-Schooling. A lot of the mindset in schooling is indicative of ideas that carry over into every realm of life. Schooling, and even thinking, are very much based on knowledge and memorization, not so much on an ability to process and interpret information. Sometimes this makes conversations difficult for us, because we are trying to get the person to realize what implication certain knowledge has on them, but it is difficult for them to move past the mere surface knowledge. They are incredibly intelligent, but it is a lot like asking some people to shatter a window that they have been used to viewing life through.

-Guilt. With all this knowledge of duty, community-oriented society, and the pressure placed on students, the average person carries around a lot of guilt. This is where part of the concept of "saving face" comes in. Face may be all that a person has to hold on to to grant them pride, thus to cause someone to lose face is a very serious thing to do. Hence, you will find here that even thieves are often not called out on their actions.

These are all things we keep in mind, and must learn to adjust to in understanding people we are interacting with....it also takes a lot of wisdom to move someone towards truth without disrespecting their cultural context or values (many of which are very good, and things that the West could indeed learn from).

The Phenomenon of Celebrity

I wrote this for my personal blog, and decided to share it here:

Last week I went to dinner with another American friend. We went to a more off-the-beaten path location in our city to pr and walk, and we ate dinner at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant. Some girls at the table across from us whispered and pointed, and when we looked up and made eye contact, they let out shrieking giggles and hid their faces as their eyes darted back to ours.

Being a "waiguoren" (foreigner), and the interactions created by my alien appearance, are daily experiences. On a good day, they are humorous (if a bit awkward), and on a bad day they make you want to shrink into your own skin. Being labeled isn't something anyone enjoys, and being labeled with something as non-specific as a term which merely points out that you don't belong here is definitely hard sometimes. After all, Leslie and I are fond of reminding people, we are human beings, not aliens or circus performers.

It's weird to say, but being in a location where most people have never seen someone who isn't Ch1nese has definitely made me identify somewhat (on a much more minor scale) with the celebrity experience. Don't get me wrong, we aren't celebrities. We haven't done anything to merit attention. We also don't get preferential treatment in most situations (although there have been some situations where I have). In most of my friendships, I have to earn trust and respect as I would with any friend. I'm grateful for friendships that have bridged cultural gaps and are authentic. I am also grateful that Father uses the draw of my white skin to allow me to form truth-filled friendships that move beyond curiosity. So, for now, it's a humbling opportunity to remember why I'm here, surrender irritations, and take the opportunities to reach out to friendly people.

And let's face it, opportunities to meet elderly men who haven't met an American since they killed them in the war....or working your white skin to meet a local pop star, are great experiences. :-)

Occasionally I break out my big sunglasses and a hat. It doesn't work, but it makes me feel invisible, which as an observant introvert, I need sometimes....

Do I blend in?

Life As An International Student

One of my favorite things about my time as an undergrad student at A&M was the opportunity to form relationships with students from all over the world...I absolutely loved it! I consider it valuable to have the same experience in the reverse role.


This week I had an experience that definitely made me feel completely out of my element though...a health examination at a Ch1nese clinic. In order to enroll in the foreign students language program at our university it's a requirement....so, for the equivalent of about $40 USD you get a VERY thorough (by appearances anyway) health examination. Perhaps it was an interesting peek into the future of my homeland in view of socialized medicine.


Anyhow. The part I was most dreading was the blood tests....even in the U.S. I get really sick when they take blood...I have low blood pressure/pulse rate...so it's always a fairly miserable experience.

So, after being weighed/getting blood pressure, and an eye exam which consisted of me looking at a picture and telling what animal it was (ha), I got a bunch of stamps on my health clearance form saying a bunch of things they didn't check were approved (hmmm), and then we went into a room that was set up like a bank teller's...people were lined up and just sticking their arms through a window and getting stuck. Thankfully, our good friend came with us to help translate/take care of us, so she was able to arrange for us to lay down to get poked.
The nice thing about it was that (although I am definitely not impressed by the cleanliness of the whole situation) they didn't draw very much blood. However, perhaps due to no air conditioning, I got really sick shortly after and turned sheet white. "What did I do to her?" the nurse asked. The fun part of this is that there is no privacy, so there were ten people just staring at me while I laid on the table with shallow breathing. At this point my friend was like, "Maybe you should just eat something and we can do the rest of the tests later.", but I was determined to put the experience behind me.

So, after impressing the local people with my toughness (not) I did the urine sample, got an ultrasound (during which the woman jabbed it around so hard under my ribs that I was bruised), got an ECG (which showed that my heart doesn't beat enough), and got chest xrays. Yep, the whole nine yards. Let's just say, while the convenience of getting all those tests done in the span of a few hours is indeed...interesting....it's not an experience that I hope to repeat again soon.

I am, however, looking forward to starting class next week and getting a feel for what the schedule will be like. We met some of our classmates, who are from Mongolia, Korea and even Russia. I'm definitely thankful for the opportunity for language acquisition, although we have heard our program is intense. More language adventures to share will come soon I expect...

Muslim District

音乐

You can really tell you are immersed in a culture when you start loving/appreciating the music more. So, if you are looking to expand your musical horizons with some fun Chinese or Mongolian tunes, here are my suggestions from a list of songs I am enjoying a lot recently.

My favorite artists:

哈琳 (Halin) A singer from our province, she and I share the same Mongolian name and she has a cd of beautiful Mongolian music that I love!

Here is a video of her duet, “吻你”(Kiss You).



No suprise, of course, is Jay Chou. He is the Asian Michael Jackson. Hailing from Taiwan, he's released countless songs, and composes the music himself...he's pretty legit. Leslie and I are going to his concert in a few weeks, and we are pretty pumped (and also intending to play the foreigner card as much as possible for the chance at a seat upgrade/meeting with him...haha). FYI: Some of his videos are a little sketchy....











There are a lot more options, but those are some of the current faves.

We are also very much enjoying the Chinese version of the World Cup Theme Song by K'naan.


A group of Mongolians also made a version combining the best languages (heh) and it is pretty great. :-)


So there you go, a few suggestions of fun songs to brighten your day/life. :-)

Chinglish

While it is really impossible to top my previous post in terms of humor, a little something we like to call Chinglish is definitely one of the sweet providers of laughter in life here.