“If you are in a hurry or go slowly,
the road always remains to be the same”
old chinese proverb
„Ob du eilst oder langsam gehst,
der Weg bleibt immer derselbe.
chinesisches Sprichwort
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Language in Chinese and American Cultures, but with Different Meaning
Here is some information on basic differences between China and the US
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Meet Dr. Freud
ABSTRACT: LETTER FROM CHINA about increasing demand for psychoanalysis among the Chinese. Writer tells about Elise Snyder, an associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Yale who, in 2001, began recruiting American analysts to provide analysis to Chinese patients over the Web via Skype. The concept of discussing private troubles and emotions with a stranger runs counter to some powerful Chinese beliefs. For most of Chinese history, mental illness carried a stigma of weakness
As stress grows, modern Chinese turn to Western psychotherapy
When Li Xianyun began working as a psychiatrist at Hui Long Guan Hospital in Beijing in 1991, she did not discuss her job in public. People thought it was strange, she says, and they assumed she worked in an insane asylum. Now, those she meets are eager to learn more about her profession.
“If I tell them I’m a psychiatrist and talk about my job, they show ………….
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The gap between two cultures is not a gap
In Indonesia I once visited a small island called Sumba. It is famous for its wonderful, powerful, small horses and famous for its tradition of burried people in the middle of the village.
Since years people of Sumba get accustomed to Christian religion. One thing which astonished me all over Indonesia was the fact that often both traditions were accepted at the same time, the Christian and the old Animistic believe-tradition (Marapu). Here an example:
A very old couple decided …………
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Smelling: Examination of ‘true’ autobiographical memories
The sense of smell is set apart from other sensory modalities. Odours possess the capacity to trigger immediately strong emotional memories. Moreover, odorous stimuli provide a higher degree of memory retention than other sensory stimuli. Odour perception, even in its most elemental form – olfaction – already involves limbic structures. This early involvement is not paralleled in other sensory modalities………..
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Movement – our roots
I let myself go in movement. Movements live their own life in me. I don’t know from where a movement starts, from which foot, which hand. I offer my body so that the ideas and the movement can act. “Then I’m again touching my roots”, says the dancer and choreograph Ismael Ivo. His form, his way of expression are unique and deeply convincing.
This photo, made by my colleague Heike Rost, shows the stage, being prepared for a dance- performance
http://blog.heikerost.com/bilder/begegnungen-ismael-ivo/
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Money, money, money – love?
A colleague of mine told me a little story about the love-relationship between a Chinese woman and a German teacher. Both were really in love with each other. As they wanted to celebrate a special anniversary they decided to go to Munich for a weekend-trip. They had a wonderful time there. They both enjoyed the scenery, the walks through the ancient part of town, the delicious meals in various typical Bavarian restaurants and of course felt more in love then before.
The colleague of mine than explained a strange behavior of the Chinese woman. During the day-time when they were in Munich she put down some notes into a little notebook. Notes about what they’ve bought, what they’ve eaten, where they’ve lived and so on. She noted this and counted the specific price, e.g. having dinner, having bought some ice-cream, having bought a new dress and so on. In the evening she summarized all the costs and smiled ……….
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Money is not all
The economic and cultural change goes rapidly in China. Some may call it a cultural clash, some may call it just development, some may call it a political challenge, some may all it not acceptable or what ever.
Fact is that in contrast to other cultural change just like in India the Old and the New often exist side by side. Without any connection. You might get the impression of some underlying implicit protest which is hidden in such fotos as shown in the article below. Or you might get the impression of just “Both together”. Just like: it is like this.
Interesting is the idea of how strong the attachment to the old tradition is. ANd the fight for this traditional attachment. In this case, people were offered more than € 150 000 but refused to take the money.
So also in China money does not rule all.
Even if you cannot read German. Look at the fotos and you will understand.
http://www.spiegel.de/panorama/china-hochhaus-wird-um-grabstaette-herumgebaut-a-871390.html
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Mystery of Chinese characters and Kalligraphy
Some weeks ago I by chance visited a little exhibition on Chinese letters and Kalligraphy in my home town. A Chinese who lives in Germany already for many years had organized it in the entrance of the local library. An ideal place I think.
Ideal in so far, as one can see the big difference between the present Western way of writing or printing and the Chinese way of embodying writing as a kind of art. A kind of art which integrates the letter, the haptic, the look and feel of the writing or better to say painting the material and the old tradition with its symbolic and oracle like characters.
If one wants to learn writing Chinese, one has to face these different aspects or layers of meaning. And one has really to let one go into the process of writing.
So learning the language or writing Chinese always is a process of cultural experience.
http://www.huwennet.com/gb/index.html
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