|
 There
are many treasures
in China. From the
great wall outside
of Beijing to
the tropics of
Hainan, but my Chinese treasure is in Yong Zhou County in the small city of
Xintian. My treasure is Xintian’s people.
Moving to Xintian
has been an awaking
and eye opening
experience for me.
I came here with out
a lot of
preconceived notions
on what China would
be like. In America we often
hear about the business side of China and our trade
agreements,
but not about
the Chinese people
and who they
are. When I first
arrived in Xintian I
was taken aback with
the warm hospitality
I received. From
shop owners to
school
administrators, every one was
wonderful and welcoming. Xintian is
a rural city, but what it lacks in
modernization it
more then make up
for in character.
Xintian is a place
to find peace
and sit back
and enjoy life.
Having only lived
here for a few
months, I feel
at home walking the
streets of Xintian.
Living here
among the wonderful
populace has
inspired me and
taught me life
lessons that I will
cherish and live by
for the rest of my
life.
The society of
Xintian has
educated me a lot.
Here, the
residents all
look out
for one
another,
while keeping
themselves in
a constant
state of balance.
We buy meat that was
raised locally,
we eat fruits and
vegetables that were
grown in
the country
outside of town and
when we shop we shop
locally. By
doing this we are
supporting the local
economy and with
that the greater
good of the
residents of
Xintian. In America, the
philosophy is;
put me first and
that will be better
for society. In
Xintian the
philosophy is; put
society first and it
will be better for
me. The passion of
this
philosophy
being so
prevalent in Xintian
has made me rethink
what type of
citizen I want to be
in what ever
community I live.
My first week in
Xintian I had to set
up a back account,
so I went to the
back with a Chinese
teacher whose
English
name is Jane.
While I was
filling out the
necessary paperwork
and old man
came into the back.
He walked around for a while, and then spoke to the bank
representative who
gave him some
paperwork.
Jane asked the
old man if he needed
help and took his
papers from him. To
my total surprise
she started to
complete the old
man’s paperwork. I
asked her if she
knew him,
thinking of
course she
must know him
or why be
bothered with a task
that had nothing to
do with her. She
replied “ No, he is
an old man so I
should help him”. I didn’t think
too much of it
then, but
after living here,
that is a defining
characteristic of
the people in this
town. To help those
who need help, not because it
helps you
directly or
immediately, but
because it helps
your fellow citizen
and with that it
helps society and
because society is a
better place, you
are in a better
place.
In America we
have a saying “
don’t sweat the
small stuff ”,
it means do not
overreact to
things that are of
little importance.
Unfortunately,
I have not
always lived
by this
virtue. In America I
often “ sweated the
small stuff ”.
It
rarely happens, but sometimes the
power goes out in
town. Now, if
this happened in America the
residents of
the outage would
be on the
phone to the
electric company and
demanding that their
power be restored.
Their demands
would be relentless,
by every one. No one
would be content or
happy until all is
back to normal. But
here in Xintian, if
the electricity goes
out, we continue on with our lives as if nothing is missing.
Sure we can’t watch
T.V. or use land
line phones. But, do
we really need them
anyway? At night the
town illuminates
into a beautiful
warm orange glow as
those without
generators light
candles. The sight alone is beautiful
and amazing. It reminds me of what it
must have been
like prior to
the world
having electricity;
tranquil and
peaceful, with out
the blaze of
neon lights and
blaring televisions.
Don’t sweat the
small stuff.
 In
Xintian I often take
a moment to enjoy
the here and
now. At home I
was so focused on
the future,
always looking
ahead, my next
deadline at work, my
next car payment or
what I was
going to
do on my
off days. But
here,
the pace of
life inspires
me to sit back
and take
pleasure in the
moment. We have a
wonderful tower here
in Xintian. It
was built in late
19th century
by a local Xintian man for the
whole town to enjoy.
Along with the
tower there are many
paths among the
forest area around
the tower. It
offers stunning
views of
the town and
out river. It
is very
relaxing looking
out over the
town with
the river
flowing and the
mountains in the
distance. Being here
has allowed me to go
up there only to
enjoy the view.
Before, I
think I might have
gone up there with
the only intention
to exercise or
to say I made
it to the top.
But now I often
enjoy a leisurely
walk to the top and
take a seat to feel
the warmth of
the sun on my face
and enjoy some local
fruit.
Eating is a center
piece of any
culture. But I have
never put so much
thought into what I
put into my body
until I moved to
Xintian. In
America it was
often what was
quickest is
what I ate.
Always being on the
go with my fast
paced life
style did not
allow me to
really sit down and
enjoy a good meal.
Here in Xintian I
enjoy local food,
especially the
famous dish “blood
duck”, a personal
favorite of mine.
When I go out to eat
in Xintian, I know
the food is local.
Whether I am eating
fruit, vegetables or
meat I know it is
most likely from
Xintian. And that
inspires me to take
time to relax and
enjoy a good meal.
It doesn’t
seem to do
justice to the
farmers who spent
there time and labor
providing me this
food to not take the
time to enjoy it.
Even when I leave
Xintian I will take
these inspirations
with me.
Because of my
time here I will be
able to
remember that I am
part of a society
and my contributions
to that society are
as important as what
I do for myself.
Don’t sweat the
small stuff were only words before
coming here, now it
is a motto to live
by. The most
important thing about Xintian is
that being here has taught me
to take in the
moment at every
moment. The
past is the past
and the future
will come, but
nothing is more
important the moment that is right now.
The people of
Xintian have taken
me in as one
of their own. I will
always be a
foreigner in a
foreign land, but
Xintian will always
have a special place
in my heart and will
forever be
remembered as my
first home in China.
Curt Edward Witt
United States of
America |
