Confucius once said...

The title of our blog "Friends Coming From Afar” comes from a Confucius quote: “有朋自远方来，不亦乐乎？” Directly translated it means: “Friends coming from far away, isn’t it happy enough?” which basically means: “Welcome friends from the world.”

A quote by Confucius was chosen because Mallary and I will be living in Qufu, the hometown of Confucius. During our first year in China, we will be at Qufu Normal University teaching various English language classes.

Confucius (considered to be a great philosopher) has regained popularity in China over the last decade. Contrary to popular belief, Confucius thought has not been widely regarded over the past 2,500 years. With each new emperor or political party, Confucius thought has either been held in high esteem or despised as feudal. (recommended reading: China in the 21st Century: What everyone needs to know by Jeffrey N. Wasserstrom).

As a Westerner, it is important to understand the role the West has played in China over the past couple hundred years. The more I read about China's past 150 years of history, the more I can understand why there is/was an element of xenophobia among the Chinese. (If you want to know more, I recommend reading about the Opium Wars, Boxer Rebellion, and the rape of Nanjing).

I am reminded of a run-in I had with an older Chinese man at Yuánmíng Yuán (the site of the old Summer Palace in Beijing, which now sits in ruin and is regarded as a symbol of foreign aggression and humiliation in China). Although I could not understand the man, the students I was with told me that he said I should be ashamed of what "my people" did to them, "the Chinese."  This run-in has had a lasting impression on me and changed my perspective on the relationship between the East and West.

As an outsider, I am motivated to learn more about the Chinese culture and most importantly their language. I may be able to teach English effectively in China without knowing the language, but I cannot help but think that my overall effectiveness as a teacher, friend, and colleague will go much further in building trust and friendship with the people of China with a command of their language.

The purpose of this blog is share with you (the reader) anecdotal stories about our life and purpose in China. At other times, we will debrief through cross-cultural difficulties. Overall, we hope to stay connected to our family and friends and foster your intrigue with the Chinese people along the way.