Unusually for my ayi, she broke silence on politics long enough to tell me that the whole affair was America's fault, as America always wants to fight, and to poke its nose into the business of others. She described America as 'the world's policeman', and not in a polite sense... She followed this tirade up with telling me emphatically that Scottish is not a nationality. Apparently as Beijing folk should introduce themselves as Chinese first, and then as being from Beijing, so should the Scots introduce themselves as British, then Scottish. My careful explanation that some Scots feel that the word 'British' has connotations they do not like fell on very deaf ears...
My host father meanwhile sat in the corner and muttered something about how the governments of North Korea and of China have quite a lot in common.
I agree with your ayi so far as America goes, but the Chinese/Beijing and British/Scottish thing? I mean, it makes sense for someone from Beijing, it being the capital of China and all (they're more closely affiliated with the Chinese government there than anyone else), but try telling someone from one of the Special Administrative Regions that? Any Hong Kong-er would tell you they're from HK, NOT China (with the emphasis); based on how HK is always accepted anywhere you have to fill in a country, it appears the world in general agrees. (I'll beg off from relating this to Scotland's situation)
ReplyDeleteReally, if the Chinese patriots had their way, Taiwanese would be calling themselves Chinese as well. Totally not going to happen.
As for your host father's comment... XD North Korea (so far as I know) seems to be in about the same situation as China was maybe 10 years ago (if I'm wrong, it only proves how little I know about the matter). Closed, communist, overly-controlling governments, both.
My ayi definitely has some justification for her views re: America. Although I think the subject of North Korea may be a little close to home for her - her father fought in the war, and her mother was somehow involved.
ReplyDeleteI liked my host father's comments. He's very perceptive if very very pessimistic about the state of China (we more or less agree about how it currently is, but he doesn't forsee change in the future).
Discussing nationality with a Chinese person like my ayi was never going to end well. I so wanted to bring up the Special Administrative Regions, but just so didn't quite dare, due to wanting to be fed that evening...