Most of the time, I feel awkward as a foreigner in China. Chinese students aren’t satisfied with their country and culture, and they think I’m amazing because I’m an American. They all study English so hard (with no avail…), and they envy my blue eyes and light hair, my pale skin, and “western” facial features. Not cool.
But sometimes, I see Chinese students who are proud of who they are. I was listening to an old song by a pop group with lyrics about the Chinese language. The verses talk about how in London, Moscow, New York, and Berlin, people are being exposed to Chinese culture. (Women wear Chinese-style dresses, eat Lanzhou noodles, pair the electric guitar with an ancient Chinese instrument, etc.) The chorus says, “The whole world is learning Chinese. Confucius’ words are becoming world culture. The whole world is speaking Chinese. People of the world: You’d better listen up!”
My favorite part of the song, though, is “How long have we painstakingly studied English pronunciation and grammar? For a change, it’s their turn to get their tongues in a knot. Chinese people are smart, and our language is beautiful.”
The rest of the song is a series of tongue-twisters that are also really deep riddles. And, the language used is beautiful. Point proven. I’m proud of you for being proud of who you are and where you’re from.
And, let’s be honest, I’ve been listening to this song for over a year and just last week was able to understand the lyrics.
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