Nice

“And you know something? Chinese are reeeeaaaly nice”

Before coming to China, I heard this sentence twice, with the same intonation letting out the same surprise of the speaker. As it is important for me to share with you a similar impression, i am hesitantly walking into this minefield of generalized discussion, just a few minor steps.

We all know Germans are accurate, Italians are boisterous, French cook well, Spaniards and Latinos are laid-back, Japanese are diligent, Indians are serene and other positive and considerably true stereotypes. However, when we say Chinese, many think patriarchs, ancient culture, mandarins. Stiffness, rather than open-heartedness, seems to be the dominant association.

But after two months in China, I feel this cultural stiffness poorly represents most Chinese people (and especially my readers :). Everywhere I went, people were extremely open and helpful – inviting me to eat, showing me around, and just happy I was there (no, it’s not what you’re thinking – in most of the cases, they absolutely refused accepting my money). A few were Muslim, and didn’t have the slightest care about me being Israeli. At least to my impression, in inner-land China, inter-religious hatred is unimaginable. "here in China we all live together, in harmony".

Why are they nice to foreigners? It’s not as if they lack colonial past, and therefore bear no hard feelings. We are talking of one of the most humiliated countries of colonial times. Germany, Russia, the US, France, and of course – the British and Japanese Empires – everybody wanted their piece. Yes, many Chinese I met admittedly disliked Japan, in a way similar to the way some Israelis hate Germany. However, having traveled a bit with Japanese here, we were warmly accepted everywhere.

Maybe it's in the culture. Right now, for example, I am staying for a few weeks at the home of somebody I never met, a friend of a friend. Having heard I am coming to Yinchuan, she insisted that I pick up the keys for her mother’s apartment (as she was not in town), and has practically let a stranger into her house.

I am not here to make comparisons. People are nice all over the world. I bet you people in Kuwait, Greece, Ghana or Nicaragua could be as warm and welcoming. I know as a fact Israelis are. However, Chinese are not just another people, but the world’s largest. How can it be that almost nobody in the west knows their nature?

I wonder what’s to blame. Is it civilization gap? I guess; geographical distance? sure enough; the media? most probably; politics? you betcha. Maybe it is also the giant cities, Beijing and Shanghai, which are more alienated, yet serve as the front-window to China.

Or maybe it’s a new thing. Maybe, just like their state, so did the Chinese only began opening themselves up in the last decades, and devolved from a stiff and xenophobic society, to a welcoming one. And maybe it’s because I speak some Chinese.

Enough of this subject, these generalizations make me feel nauseous. Furthermore, I am quite sure I will be rewarded for this ethnic blabber with a negative experience, already in the coming days.

Actually, I already had it! More on that another time. In the meantime let me assure you: most Chinese are reeeaaly nice.

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speaking of Japanese travelers, here are a few photos, especially from the bike-ride on the ancient walls surrounding Xi'an (magnificent), courtesy of Nori, who is already back in Tokyo for studies.

no, we didn't really ride this thing (you can see how entertained we are from the idea). it was mostly for the sake of the picture.