Is it really so different from the various movements at US national parks and national historic sites to either reconstruct things or preserve them in the state they are currently in? I know of a couple of places in the US SW where old Anasazi ruins were rebuilt by the park service a few decades ago and then either abandoned or destroyed since the 90s. There’s also places like Colonial Williamsburg that were rebuilt to present tourists with an idealized 18th century town compared to Historic Jamestowne which presents tourists with what’s essentially an archeological dig.

At least to me, a bad restoration job on an older downtown building feels different from, say, the Egyptians dismantling the pyramids so they could use the materials to rebuild less crumbly-looking ones, or Italians cementing a plastic, imitation-marble facade over the surface of the Coliseum so tourists can see ‘how it really looked.’ Yet in China, there’s a city that dismantled the nearby portion of the Great Wall so that they could use the bricks to build an imitation of the Badaling section (the most famous section of Wall near Beijing), which they then present to tourists as a piece of China’s history and cultural heritage. The assumption, apparently, was that tourists would prefer the rebuild over the original.

Maybe it’s because these nations are so similar that they don’t get along… I’m thinking Confucian heritage/influence, in which publicly saying “sorry” isn’t very easy. That reminds me, the guys that worked with the international students at my former school once mentioned that the ones from your country often had the hardest time fitting in, apparently due to their relatively stronger group cohesiveness/identity.

Good point, but then again how many of their students have been prolific writers and in the media as well?

After, reading your blog I really do believe that China and the place I am living in have so much in common, it is hard to understand why they don’t always get each other. Both China, and this country have an inferority complex, feel that everyone has done them wrong, worry about public relations(saving face), edit text books, and help the media to make right choices.

Write you later,
Brian

Often this kind of criticism (from teachers to students, parents to kids), even though it can be pretty harsh and negative by North American standards (much harsher than what I experienced here), is actually expression of care and concern in China. She wasn’t out of line with me at all; it was her specific reasons that I thought were interesting.

The high degree of sensitivity to China’s image in foreign eyes isn’t as interesting, but I think it’s also worth noting simply because over the last few months it’s been a significant and unavoidable part of our experience here.

Or She might have been concerned about you.
You by virtue of being her student may some how be her responsibility(at least in her mind) and what you do and say in Chinese media might reflect either good or badly on her and the school as a whole(In her mind). Some people at the school may have asked her to talk to you, or they may have been upset at her for not in their, opinion, training you right.
Or
They may personal be concerned about you and are worried if don’t like China.

I think is very clear that you and many others love China and as someone who loves China would like to see it get even better. But, just as you found your teacher’s opinions to be shocking she might find your work to be so as well.

I am up to late! So please ignore my rambeling