Last Days and cultural encounters

Today was the last for many things. In our Hanyu Class (for Chinese Grammar), instead of focusing on the quiz, we were preparing for our Wednesday party, since JiaMin and I are leaving next Sunday. I organized the list of who should bring what, which is interesting because my vocabulary for foods and utensils has gotten very flowery. It should've ended happily though, but my teacher started crying during break. Recently the guys in my class have been insensitive by talking about guy things. The problem is my Hanyu teacher laughs after everything so sometimes it is mistaken as a positive reinforcement. She said of all her classes, ours is the most difficult to handle. I think its because when she initiates discussions, things get out of control, so we saw it coming. We're buying her flowers. So yay, party and something to cheer her up.

In our Kouyu class, my teacher (a different one) was late. She was sweating, and tissue paper was in her hair. She said things were very lang3bei4, which means embarassing. Again, a guy said she must've been to propoganda, a night club. Female teachers in China tend to laugh it off, but I think it really gets to them when guys tease them in class. She handled it like a pro, and got on with her lesson.

In my business class, Doug initiated a discussion on the Favored Nations issue in the early 1990s by Bill Clinton. He asked would we support China economically even if they don't favor human rights. We all said yes, so there was no debate. But it led my teacher to talk about how it doesn't matter if China is communism or capitalistic, as long as it achieves economic development (black cat white cat), we should not continue to criticize their system. Then she asked the question, why are Americans trying to play teacher all the time. Damion said China is no angel. Magel said China is no devil either. Then Cortland asked why is China trying to be friends all the time, why are they promoting united peace, because if China was the superpower in the world, they would be flaunting it in US faces too. Then Magel said its not being friendly, its apart of Global Corporate Responsibility, that's what we have to do ethically to get things done. Then Gao Lao Shi argued that human rights might not be an issue in China, and it works without having freedom of speech, religion, demonstration, otherwise it would lead to events like the killing of 800 students at TianAnMen in 1989. Then Rick pulled out the argument that the reason why we fear this is although Mao was yesterday's leader, Jiang ZeMin/Hu Jin Tao/Wen JiaBao is today's leader, the next leader can completely change the stability of the government. Sure Mao is no longer in power, but without human rights and the system of checks and balances, with their promotion of unity and one voice, what we fear the most is Chinese people will always follow their leader, which with a corrupt government is 100% of a risk to the rest of the world. I just got out of class so this paragraph came out unclear. It makes me think though---That is the main reason we don't want communism in China. Being Chinese with parents who fled from a communist regime in Cambodia, it leads me to be biased and torn at the same time. I feel sympathetic that other countries don't support China because they follow a communistic structure, which according to my teacher is really a fusion of Gorbachov and the US system, capitalistic with Chinese characteristics. So apart of me says, US stop playing bully. But Mao killed alot of intellectuals, and I don't like when my teachers tell me how amazing Mao Zedong is. In Cambodia, people were educated with Chinese History and with communist books, which influenced Pol Pot, which is why my family was affected, why their friends were affected. So another part of me says, China don't get yourself into trouble again, we know what we're talking about. But I don't know, history doesn't necessarily repeat itself, does it? I remember talking to Ling about it earlier this semester and she said the US should focus on solve their own education problems first before they start criticizing other countries. It's true, we can't fix things that aren't in our control so we might as focus on ourselves for now. I guess I'm tired of thinking so much, I'm ready to go home and embrace my family with open arms (figuratively, because we don't need to hug to show we love each other). =)