I had very negative impression about a Chinese city out of the unforgettable experience with some of its citizens who entirely turned me away. People got to know about the city firstly through comments they received from people around, and through the internet, which became a major and paramount information transferring channel in this e-world. My earlier contacts with its citizens, who behaved badly and presented himself to be racists, completely drove me away, leaving an ugly stain on my impression about the city. A person could never represent the city, or all citizens, as you might argue, which was true. However, considering his identity as a teacher in an elite university, I had full reasons to believe this, though not representing anybody or exemplifying anything, should have a marked connection with the larger society as a whole.
Maybe I had been biased with my impression against it all because of the earlier experience. However, I believed I have the right to do things legal and moral. Personally, I would have nothing to say at anybody’s choice for anything he believed in. I totally understood we have freedom of speech and thoughts. Honestly, I got confused at reading and hearing the words of anger from many Chinese over Hanhan’s comment on the nation’s great writers, including Maodun, Lushe, etc. So long as he was consistent with the fundamental norm of being moral and legal in the way he behaved and expressed himself, why, then, should we feel outraged? From what I have learned about that incident, he never used a nasty world disgracing anybody. He bounced quite well actually. Then, why feel bothered?
(The man of this story purported to be a teacher of that university, and from the way he stood up for his belief, I could assume he didn’t lie about his identity maybe he was faking to be a university teacher, however, I didn’t care the reality now, as I believe this should be the reflection of a potential problem.)
Back to the case, I was not against the ordinary. And generally, my belief was that stereotyped opinions should be banished and by no means could one nasty person represent the whole city and all citizens. And when you are communicating with a teacher from an elite university, the best university in that province, only to find out his hostile and biased opinions against your mother province. The worst thing came from the fact that he actually had no scruple, nor shame, at pitching his grandiose ideas and giving an impressive lecture that you were not going to forget but forming negative impressions against H city. Witnessing his impertinence and hostility knocked me down.
Earlier relief work about Sichuan earthquake, they said, was the reflection of unity and love within the whole Chinese nation. Provided that this assumption was close to reality, why, then, was the man, claiming to be the elite university teacher, could be so ignorant and impertinent towards his compatriots, and towards me, who had no contacts with him prior to this conversation. This should be worth in-depth contemplation.
School education and social experience presented the basic rule of survival that we cannot see the whole truth from the tip of the iceberg, in that it could be totally disguising and misleading. I believed this idea was very well imbedded in the mind of anybody. And if you lobbed me the soft ball that how I could judge a city and its citizen by one ill-behaved person, I would absolutely give you the answer-no.
No might be the best answer, which was true. But, when you look into the whole thing from top to bottom, some details couldn’t be missed out. Why would a teacher be so impertinent and never choose your words and the way you presented your ideas in light with the situation you were in? Did you never know you should? University teacher were believed to be highly educated and knowledgeable, therefore, they were thought to be the high calibers and well-disciplined. Yet from what I have witnessed, the common impression of a tertiary school teacher never was showed by him. This largely confused me, as he was so extreme and hostile, how could he be a teacher and moreover, how could parents feel rest assured to send their beloved children to his class where they might be instilled with extreme ideas and educated into extremists. The most shocking part of this conversation approached a climax when he showed himself to be a racist towards his compatriots in other provinces. It never dawned on me why he kept talking ill about others without restraint and boasting about its city without solid talking points. From what I have learned from my life experience thus far, it would never be appropriate to talk ill of others, be it behind their back or face to face and head on. Have you any hands-in experience to work in an organization? You would never comment on others this way so pronouncedly. Otherwise, goes round and comes round. And this meant you will lose foothold in the company either as a person or a colleague. This was why we should be disciplined in the way we talked and behaved. Who would like a person talking ill of others with you while of you with others? You would not love to be tricked.
The subtle relevance couldn’t be missed out on this issue. He might not, and never, represented or be the spokes person of the city and the citizens. But, he must represent a small amount, if not huge, of the people there. And considering his identity of being a teacher, I had full reason to believe that the city was definitely sort of a hotbed for racism if the phenomenon of today were not well handled. Word had it that the collapse of an embankment emanated from a hole made by ants. A Huge error was only the results of today’s minor mistakes and slip-shod attitudes. With all said and demonstrated, it should be time for EVERYONE to rethink about how good a job it has done, what it should avoid and how it could improve.
Some people said China is a non-racist country. But I had a different viewpoint based on all that I have observed. Chinese were racists against their compatriots while other countries against other nations. Just have a little reflection on the way and attitude some Chinese treated other Chinese from different walks of life; you would not fight with me on this. It might be sad to realize the truth, but we had to face and deal with it. China would become a lot more subsumed and united when we felt brotherly love towards others from the bottom of our heart.
