Grace Learning American Culture

I went out to dinner tonight. It's a sweet little place called Salvador's. The owners are a couple--I believe the guy is from America and his wife is from China. The menu includes some of my favorite Western dishes here...Salads, Quesadilla's, and Panini's!! They also have a really good smoothies. I asked Grace Li, one of the assistant teachers I work with to come, and told her I'd treat her to dinner. There ended up being a lot of girls there, but Grace and I talked a lot with each other.

In addition to having a full-time job at KIA, she is also a full-time student. She takes classes at Yunnan University. She's an English major, and right now she's taking a class about American Culture. She learned today about friends and how we make friends in America. It is very different from how Chinese make and keep friends. She was shocked and amazed that we did things this way, so she wanted to check with me and others at the table to see if it was really true. After she told us what she'd learned, we all concluded that it was true.

Grace told me a story she had heard in class. A Chinese man had gone to America to study. He wanted to meet some Americans and learn the culture. He met a classmate, and they hung out a lot--went to dinner, went to events together, etc. The Chinese guy considered the American his best friend. The next semester, they did not have the same class, and their schedules made it more difficult to get together. The Chinese guy was hurt by the American who had failed to call him to hang out. He went to the American and asked if they were still friends. The American said yes, but their definition of friends was vastly different.

If you are in contact with anyone from another country, take time to get to know them and their culture. Learn what is expected and be cautious...don't just assume! Let's change the way we are. Slow down. Take time to get to know people. Share openly with people. Share life experiences, interests, failures and successes. Share the One who has made it possible for us to love. It needs to happen. We're hurting people just because we don't take time to focus on someone besides ourself. Love is patient, Love is kind...Love is not self-seeking...