Passport for Learning
Greetings in the Lord!
I came across an interesting article today talking about how the rich businessmen and government officials of China are desiring to move out of China and settle in Western nations. Last year alone, 68,000 Chinese people were granted green cards to live and work in the United States according to the article.
http://news.yahoo.com/top-chinese-wealthys-wish-list-leave-china-065826880.html
I witnessed this trend firsthand this year as I taught at an elite boarding school in the Guangdong Province--the province where 10% of China's GNP comes from. The school had around 5,500 students who primarily came from the wealthiest families in China, whether they be businesspeople or government officials. It was an eye opening experience for me since today's China is completely different than the China I remember of just ten years ago!
My students wrote essays about their vacations to Europe and the United States and practiced their English telling me about their future ambitions, academic goals, and how they viewed the world around them. They talked about all the material things that they owned and were proud of and of all the latest music, games, and fads. They talked about all the places their parents went on business and of their parents' high expectations for them. These students were as "normal" as any Western kid...but this was China. That alone made my head spin! Ten years ago I never saw any BMW's or Mercedes cars, or Lexus, or Saab for that matter. I never saw the same fashion-consciousness or gadget obsession that is there now. Long gone is the unique Chinese hospitality and Confucious thinking. This was definitely a new China, with a hearty appetite for all the products and image of the West--and then some! But was it better these days? Not by a long shot!
I was afraid to eat the food because there was so much pollution and disregard for consumers' health. I was afraid to go certain places because of the hostility of the local people towards "rich" foreigners. I avoided buying much merchandise from the stores since most things were counterfeit and poorly made. I didn't bother to travel or sight see much within the country as many historical sights had not been preserved, but rather were torn down and rebuilt for tourists and were not authentic or interesting. I was careful with my words since censorship was at an all-time high, spies could easily be spotted, and online usage was heavily monitored. In a nutshell, China is definitely in a worse mess these days, and it is obvious that their own greed, corruption, and paranoia will be their biggest enemies.
As the richest Chinese fleet away for safety and personal gain, the molten lava of the mainland people's emotions will continue to boil and bubble, building steam and pressure beneath the happy facade of a growing economy and modern China--until it gives way....
My prayer is that the younger generation, those who are traveling abroad and seeing another way of life, will embrace faith and justice and return to make China a better place for all.
~Be blessed and be a blessing.
I came across an interesting article today talking about how the rich businessmen and government officials of China are desiring to move out of China and settle in Western nations. Last year alone, 68,000 Chinese people were granted green cards to live and work in the United States according to the article.
http://news.yahoo.com/top-chinese-wealthys-wish-list-leave-china-065826880.html
I witnessed this trend firsthand this year as I taught at an elite boarding school in the Guangdong Province--the province where 10% of China's GNP comes from. The school had around 5,500 students who primarily came from the wealthiest families in China, whether they be businesspeople or government officials. It was an eye opening experience for me since today's China is completely different than the China I remember of just ten years ago!
My students wrote essays about their vacations to Europe and the United States and practiced their English telling me about their future ambitions, academic goals, and how they viewed the world around them. They talked about all the material things that they owned and were proud of and of all the latest music, games, and fads. They talked about all the places their parents went on business and of their parents' high expectations for them. These students were as "normal" as any Western kid...but this was China. That alone made my head spin! Ten years ago I never saw any BMW's or Mercedes cars, or Lexus, or Saab for that matter. I never saw the same fashion-consciousness or gadget obsession that is there now. Long gone is the unique Chinese hospitality and Confucious thinking. This was definitely a new China, with a hearty appetite for all the products and image of the West--and then some! But was it better these days? Not by a long shot!
I was afraid to eat the food because there was so much pollution and disregard for consumers' health. I was afraid to go certain places because of the hostility of the local people towards "rich" foreigners. I avoided buying much merchandise from the stores since most things were counterfeit and poorly made. I didn't bother to travel or sight see much within the country as many historical sights had not been preserved, but rather were torn down and rebuilt for tourists and were not authentic or interesting. I was careful with my words since censorship was at an all-time high, spies could easily be spotted, and online usage was heavily monitored. In a nutshell, China is definitely in a worse mess these days, and it is obvious that their own greed, corruption, and paranoia will be their biggest enemies.
As the richest Chinese fleet away for safety and personal gain, the molten lava of the mainland people's emotions will continue to boil and bubble, building steam and pressure beneath the happy facade of a growing economy and modern China--until it gives way....
My prayer is that the younger generation, those who are traveling abroad and seeing another way of life, will embrace faith and justice and return to make China a better place for all.
~Be blessed and be a blessing.
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