Chinese Culture

I know not a whole lot of "Chinese Culture" ... and if I learned anything about it, it was on the hands of the many Chinese film makers that have graced our screens for 25 to 30 years now, and made a statement ... 

I know that cinema is not exactly a good sight for this knowledge but it's really hard to "not" understand what was going on in Zhang Yimou's TO LIVE and then also see a little of what passes for the underworld, and one might even take this back to historical times when things were ... very controlling and all that.

In reality, many countries have this same, similar history, although it may not be talked about much ... as an example, England had writers and others upset with the revolution (industrial) in the 1850's and yet its hierarchy of riches ignored all the comments and right on ahead ... to create a system that still maintains a sense of upper and lower classes working and paying ... even though it is said that so much is taken out in taxes ... like the Queen gets taxed ... from one place to another not in the pocket!

China, however, from what I can see, is trying hard to maintain its size and its dominion over the smaller provinces that escaped over the years, and one of these days, they will pay for this imperialism by losing it all, like everyone else has in the past 75 years!

All in all, I don't think that any "culture" is invisible ... and most of it is fairly well seen, however we have to take our sunglasses off and see the actual colors ... and this is the part that we are not willing to do very well ... at all ... in the western world!

Shadowyzard wrote: Peace out bro. I really "feared" you didn't get what I meant. It wasn't an obvious joke, for my understanding. Ah, we the thick headed Turks.

Fair enough, and nice topic anyway. (I see why me initial post could be interpreted as negative, it wasn't meant to.)

I am glad to hear that. My point is that generalisations rarely work well. So, the personal experience matters, personal relations with the natives. I can easily say on the topic of my lands where I was born that anything Russia-related, Russia-based is traditionally surreal, irrational, but most important of all, UNPREDICTABLE and MULTIFACETED. And surreal, for sure. 

There was a well-known (for its time and place) WW2 song "Comin' In On A Wing And A Prayer" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHt8m_q-XqQ). Its lyrics told that "with our one motor gone we can still carry on, comin' in on a wing and a prayer". The Soviet crooner Leonid Utyosov sang it translated in Russian. And here you can evidently see the difference between the western and eastern civilisations, so to say. The USSR was officially atheist, so the Russian translation said of "on an honest word and on one wing". "On an honest word" is an idiomatic expression, loosely meaning here "God only knows how and why it still works". Notice how the Russian lyrics underline that a wing is just ONE wing. The English original was full of emotions, but actually technically adequate: one motor lost, one is still active. This is the English way, Anglo-Saxon way if you like, North American way: brave adequate people using adequate airplanes. The Russian text went much further: "our fuel tank was pierced/broken, the tail of our plane is burning, yet our machine is flying on... on an honest word and on one wing". I have no idea whether the Soviet translator realized that he wrote very symbolic lines. Because those lines reflected the Russian way of doing anything. Certainly, usually, as a rule, in a rational world an airplane with the burning tail and broken fuel tank would hardly fly on, it would rather fly down. But the Russian airplanes tend to live their own independent life. At least, in the songs. Still, it is Europe. Eastern but Europe. There's an airplane, and in theory with the broken fuel tank and the burning tail... well, in theory it is possible. Once in a billion cases... You can explain it to an American-thinking person, he/she may agree that it is still not that insane. Miracles happen here and there. 

My personal problem with Asian and African cultures is that I do not belong to them, do not understand them - and it seems to be mutual. Imagine what the same song would have looked like in China... Dragons flying over the hills planted with cherry trees as sweet as the breasts of the virgins in the dead of the night - something like that, I suppose (Peter Sinfield definitely had dominant major Asian roots). Again, not going to generalize, but this is it. 

I remember very well (I have no Chinese or Japanese mates, so forgive me my slightly off-topic shifts) the Moscow Victory Day parade on May 9, 2015 (the 70th anniversary, that is). The Chinese leader was the most important foreign guest, and I watched the Chinese TV broadcast on YouTube (just for curiousity). Russian Minister of Defence Sergei Shoigu whose last name hinted he must be a Buddhist, is nevertheless a Christian. As a Christian and a Russian patriot he learnt somewhere about the centuries-old Russian pre-Soviet tradition to keep one's head uncovered and then make a sign of cross when passing under a certain Kremlin gate. And I know that the average Russian watcher was either pleasantly surprised by such behaviour or did not really care. Just like any other European or American watcher, I suppose. There are old traditions, often connected with Christianity - a very European thing, even if the actual participants are non-believers. But I heard how the Chinese reporters went crazy, they laughed and were actually audibly shocked. As if the Minister got naked or so. It was evident to me how strange was all this European culture to them. 

I read all such conversations with interest, but I know that I have never been Asian, and I clearly don't get the Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indian, etc. ways of life. I don't get their jokes, their songs, their sense of humour. 

Meanwhile I believe I understand Turks. At least, my childhood was full of Turkish bubblegum (Turbo, Oto Moto, Tipi Tip), chocolate bars by Ulker ("hazelnut" was one of the first English words I have learnt). I think that Turkey is - quite like Russia - represents the Eastern European front, as it were. 

Oh, yes. 1992, I'm 9 y.o. That long-nosed guy from Tipi Tip gum inserts, and "Love Is...". And also Lazer... I didn't understand a word they said/wrote. But the pictures/photos were nice. 

The first foreign bubblegum I have ever bought, was Turbo. Bought in Kiev in, I think, 1988, when I was 5 y.o. It was very expensive. But my parents bought me one. Later on, in 1994 I fell in love with Lazer. Military vehicles, jets - great for such an age. 

One highlight of my career was traveling to China on business a couple of times, one time spending 2.5 weeks there. We started in Shanghai, flew to Fuzhou then drove to Nanping and Sanming, then north to Lianyungang, Linyi and then finally up to Harbin. I think we took like 6 plane flights.....

I ate everything put in front of me, it was awesome!! Other than street cart food we did not eat of course.....One of my work mates was from Toronto, he lost 15lbs as all he could muster to eat was fried rice, poor guy could not get himself to try anything else, there was a place where we had some baked pork ribs, I think he ate them all he was so happy for meat!! That was the place I tried 1K year old egg, liked em and ate like 4 of them...

We were mainly out in the sticks, mountains and very small villages so the food was very regional cooked almost from peoples houses and small restaurants, it was all great food.

But I could see how to understand the Chinese culture would take years to study and research.......Ever since then I don't look at any "Chinese Food Restauants" the same anymore...

Chinese American here. Been a forum member since 2005. 

Can I ask you for a favor? Could you please not talk about this stuff in this thread as it might cause what happened in that OTHER thread?  The thread's name is about Chinese culture, not Chinese politics.