On the 16th of April we arrived for the first time in China. Coming from autumn in Australia to blooming Beijing was an exciting experience. Beijing is preparing in every way for the Olympic games, and we are lucky to be a part of it all. China is in a big change, and the country is fastly developing.
I found this very interesting, therefore I share it with you:
China is called Zhongguo in Chinese. The character zhōng (中) means "middle" or "central," while guó (国 or 國) means "state". The term can be literally translated into English as "Central Kingdom" or "Central Country" , the less accurate translations are "Middle Country" and "Middle Kingdom".
Scholar Chen Jian states:
"I believe that 'Central Kingdom' is a more accurate translation for 'Zhong Guo' (China) than 'Middle Kingdom'. The term 'Middle Kingdom' does not imply that China is superior to other peoples and nations around it - China just happens to be located in the middle geographically; the term 'Central Kingdom', however, implies that China is superior to any other people and nation 'under the heaven' and that it thus occupies a 'central' position in the known universe."
Sinologist Boyé Lafayeete De Mente states:
"A more accurate translation of Zhong Guo is "Middle Country," and to be still more precise, "Central Country," with "central" being the key word... Whoever it was that first began calling the country Zhong Guo was using the word "central" in the sense of "heart," "main," or the place where everything starts, and from where everything is controlled."I found this interesting because many things HAVE started here.
The pizza - (which I for a long time claimed to be Italian), spaghetti (or noodles), tea etc., a long list of food and things, like many types of virus, are originally coming from China. I find that this is where it all (or at least pretty much) started, and this is where everything seems to happen.
Beijing is hyper modern. And you could almost guessed it was a western city. Not much remind you that this is a communist state.
For us it is powerful to be here, the oldest sivilization in the world which have had human beings walking around since at least 70 000 years! You get humble, you get totally amazed.
This is a country arising in the global picture. China is a developing giant with a booming growth.
Many have predicted that as the US now have been sneezing, the rest of the world will catch a cold. It doesn`t seem to happen to China. And it is undescribably interesting and cool to be here and feel it happen, talk to the people, learn about their culture and feel the change!
Economically, in the short run America is still strongest. China still has a long way to go. Many people around us is very poor, the government struggle seriously with the healthcare system for the chinese people. And as the rich are getting richer, the poor is getting poorer. But slowly in their own tempo they have been building stone by stone, all by them selves. They have build up the country without having slaves to do it for them illigally. America can`t say the same...
Beijing is hyper modern. And you could almost guessed it was a western city. Not much remind you that this is a communist state.
A happy new owner of a jade bracelet. Many of the chinese women wear it all the time. They say that the jade protects women from harm and that it is good for woman health. Tro kan flytte fjell! I simply think it`s pretty.
Monday, May 5th:
We are right now in Shanghai when I write this. Actually this is the first time (!) I have been ajour with the blog! It has been so intense travelling, partly without having Internet access to our computer - which makes it impossible to upload pictures etc.
We are working a lot during this trip. It is long hours doing trip-planning,logistics, organizing, work due to accounting etc. We are working on our cultural study and making our film documentary (on culture differences). The project is time consuming, but of course fun to work on.
Our stay in Beijing has been amazing. The picture under is taken in the Forbidden City:
Bjørn Christian had a meeting with a client in Switzerland and I was all by myself for some days. I have had a pretty hard time to adapt all the impressions and feelings I have by being here - it is so powerful!
We have been couchsurfing in Beijing with two different chinese families, which apparantly was an unforgetable experience. To have an insight to the real chinese daily life is very meaningful and giving. We will never forget the days we had in Beijing with our hosts.
Huitao Xue and his wife:
Hai Chen (8 years old) and I playing (communication = bodylanguage):
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