Before writing this I took the time to review all my past entries. Remembering the experiences I shared brought back more than memories. Emotions I felt and my thoughts at the time also came back to me. Interestingly though, I also learned new things about the past two months and the plethora of situations I’ve been in.
When I studied engineering, that short stint of unnecessary difficulty, the best lesson I took away was how to think like an engineer. This is not saying that I actually do think like one, but I like to think I can. One of the smartest steps in the common engineering thought process is to evaluate. Taking the time to do this can prevent many major problems simply because through it the minor ones are quickly solved. I like to compare this with my life as well, particularly with this week’s analect in mind.
Reviewing is not forgetting. That has definitely been the easy part of this week. But I found ‘knowing daily what has not yet been learned’ a difficult concept. On the one hand, I thought it could refer to learning something new every day, like another adage. However, I think it has a lot more to do with evaluating.
This weekend I went with a large group of American students to Emei Shan and Leshan. I found the experience as a whole to be very enjoyable. Unfortunately, there were moments when I felt somewhat unnerved by the attitudes and actions of many in the group. Sometimes I worried that I, too, had been carved into a stereotypical American through my actions and viewpoints. This is why I am so grateful for Chinese food, particularly the spicy loveliness of Sichuan cuisine.
I now eat like a Chinese person. Chopsticks have become second nature and to use a spoon or fork, even to dish out food to my bowl, seems totally uncivilized. On a funny side note, I got a little out of hand, literally, with my chopsticks. Slightly to thwart the other students’ complaints about how difficult chopsticks are to use, and slightly to show off, I used my left hand to pick up a potato in sauce without resorting to stabbing it. But hey, at least we weren’t talking about who doesn’t like/eat what for a few minutes.
I used to say ‘When in Rome…’ meaning if I was with Westerners I would eat like a Westerner, etc. I don’t say that anymore, not after this weekend. This is not say I don’t like my classmates as individuals, but as a group I feel that trying to create Little America in China definitely does not translate well. A common social trend in America is to have things customized to our tastes. While this is quite convenient for many items, food is not one of them. I think food has to be experienced the way locals love it (unless we’re talking about people with severe allergies and/or illnesses). Even in these cases, however, I find that Americans find a sort of satisfaction in repeating every gastronomic restriction they own. It makes for very redundant dinner conversation.
Chinese people in America would do no such thing. Every food is appreciated for what it is. If one dish satiates more than another it is highly praised instead of the other dish repeatedly scorned. In this way, what has not been known (the delicious) has been learned for the day. Appreciation for the satisfaction it brings ensues in all who tasted its succulence. The key, then, to knowing every day what has not been learned, is appreciation, which requires evaluation.
Looking over my notes from the past two months, I realize how much I appreciate this country. Everything I have encountered so far has served to teach me something deep and intriguing about life in general. Sometimes I worry that my classmates from all over the world, but especially the other Americans, are not delving into their experiences fully. Sometimes I worry that I don’t either! But I do feel that appreciation for China is more prevalent in our generation than many past. Hopefully, we can all use it every day in knowing what has yet to be learned and remembering to be fond of this learning.
