The Great Wall
I have a lot to be thankful for. We traveled safely from our small southern city in China, through Beijing, and on to the US with no troubles. I am sitting here typing this e-mail from the peaceful, temperate front porch of my parents' lake cottage as my fellas sit around me using their various electronic devices after a day out in the sun.
Xièxie 谢谢 is the Chinese word for"thank you," and while not commonly used in the past; it is becoming a little more prevalent. Such "polite language" as "please" and "thank you" are considered to create relational distance and are therefore awkward and can even carry negative connotation.
Also a Chinese person will most likely seem to brush aside or put off a compliment such as, "This meal is delicious" with an, "Oh no, it is really nothing."
"The reason is because the Chinese community is much less focused on individualism than our western society is. In China, people are more concerned about the communal impression. Chinese people are very modest and not accustomed to show their feelings in public. So, when they are praised or complimented, the customary response is 'no, no!' instead of 'thank you'"(All About China)
So this Thursday, July 1st 6pm EST, I thank my Heavenly Father for bringing me home with my family to loved ones & friends and a country for which I am very grateful. I also thank Him (感谢主) for the rich and wonderful opportunity we have to live in a land so different in culture and life from our own (and yet so similar in matters of the heart).
After several weeks absence I am linking to Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday. You can find other X-cellent posts here.
Zàijiàn 再见!
