A renewed me: my renewed sense of China

What a bonus that I chanced upon Shanghai hosting the 2010 World Expo, proof of how the world acknowledges the achievements of a country, strengthened by its culture, history, and traditions, and encourages it to pursue better life through better cities!

Renewed Senses of Smell and Taste

My sister can testify that I used to dislike Chinese food. Before departing for China, I had this fear of the food I should eat during my 5-month stay. This fear was rooted from the thought that Chinese food is exotic as characterized by the food being served in Chinese restaurants here in the Philippines. My dislike was further exacerbated by the news that plagued the Philippine media about food safety in China. But when I was in China, I learned that the exotic flavor belongs to one type of Chinese cuisine which is that of Guangdong! As my Chinese best friend Wu Quan (伍全) told me, there are many food traditions in China. And the “yin-yang” philosophy can help me appreciate Chinese food. True enough, “yang” food and “yin” food should complement each other. It is really fortunate having experienced the food culture there in China, especially eating every meal with my Chinese best friend. Now, from being a person who dislikes Chinese food, I am a fan of xiaolongbao, hotpot, baozi, jiaozi, and various stir-fried doufu, mogu, and vegetable dish! I even cook my own variation of Chinese food every Christmas and New Year for my family to enjoy.

Renewed Sense of Hearing

I remember when I was a kid, I gave a startling gaze at a Filipino-Chinese (菲律宾华人) when he/she spoke that language foreign to my ears as if he/she was singing. Never had I thought before that it would be the language that I need to learn for my Master’s degree. As I stated at the start of my essay, I went to China in 2010 to study Chinese. I had my Chinese language courses in Fudan University. When I arrived in Shanghai, I just thought of it as a requirement, a plain one to finish my Master’s. It was a very tough one to complete. But my impression of Chinese began to change when the history and philosophy behind the language were taught. The logic of each Chinese character was, indeed, interesting to learn. Let me take the characters 您，好，and日 as examples. For 您, 你 (you) is written above 心 (heart) as it stresses on intimacy and respect to the person. For 好, the 女 (female) carrying and taking care of the 子 (son) connotes a good life, hence, 好 means “good”. And for 日, the character mirrors the appearance of the sun as it is naturally seen. Such beauty of Chinese characters made me appreciate Chinese culture, philosophy, and society more. Aside from being elements of language, the characters allowed me to glimpse on the family-oriented, ethic-centered, harmony-inspired, and nature-linked attributes of Chinese society. Chinese language is more than just a language. It widened my understanding on who the Chinese really are. Therefore, my study on the language surpassed its being a “requirement”.