Culture In China

The social atmosphere is quite different from the one that is experience in America. People are much more reserve, yet at the same time they are more expressive and free of the constraints that are sometimes mandated by Americans. We pride ourselves in the type of vehicles that we drive and the enormity of our homes yet never seem to be satisfied. The citizens in China whether because of the system of government or due to tradition seemed to be unimpressed by the material things in life. Professors are satisfied with staying in housing on campus and the majority of the population live in high rise homes with little space that are a necessity due to the lack of land and space. I can’t imagine living six people to a dorm room but our guides Liu and Sky were used to living in such arrangements. When I visited Liu’s dorm room I was disgusted by the situation, but at the same time had to be reminded of the amenities provided to us in the United States. It seems that we sometimes take for granted the things that we are given and in turn are less grateful for the opportunities that we are provided with. Yet, it must be known that the Chinese aren’t necessarily worried about there housing situation but instead focus on the education they receive. Now I will not say that they receive any better education then we do in America but I believe that they take their studies more seriously. The Chinese students that we encountered in our class were no more knowledgeable on global issues then we were. Yet, for the most part the Chinese students were engaged in academic training for the greater part of the day. When we asked them what plans they had for the rest of the day the usual response involved some form of studying. To be completely honest there have been three-day spans where I have not studied or even attempted to open up a book. Yet, the Chinese students were both eager to learn from us as well as continue in their usual academic routine.