I am not here to talk and argue politics, statistics, or medicine. But I am here to give my personal testimony and story of why everything in the world with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) is really hitting close to home. Everything here I will write are personal examples and experiences. There’s been a lot of media, slandering of the Chinese people, and a lot of finger pointing, but here is why I cannot dislike China. I am more sad of what’s been going on over there and concerned for the wellbeing of the people over there especially my friends AND for everyone else all over the world. I emphasize “AND” because my heart and prayers do go out to everyone who has a COVID-19 case.
In May 2019, I studied abroad over at the Beijing International Studies University (BISU). I was literally in China almost a year ago. I lived there for a month. I know 31 days doesn’t sound like much, but trust me, 31 days seemed like a year. I still keep in contact with 4 of my closest friends from over there: Zhong Yuan Long (Holiday), Li Zihan (Vanessa), Haiyang Li and Jess. Nothing broke my heart more than when Haiyang and Holiday asked me to ship medical supplies and other goods to help them. Life over in Beijing was so good. I met great people, learned a lot in school and out of school, ate the best cuisine and went to one of the former 7 wonders of the world (TWICE!). Let me break down some stereotypes we hear about Chinese people and why I personally disagree with them.
1. Nothing good ever comes from China
Except the memories I’ve made and the people I’ve met. There are so many job opportunities out there especially in Shanghai. There are so many fun things to do, see and eat. I rode Tron at Disneyland in Shanghai. Construction doesn’t even finish in Orlando until 2021. This is how I see it: When I went to Mexico in 2019 to serve at Santa Maria del Mexicano, a boarding school for youth with difficult backgrounds; abusive homes and financial burdens, we all could have easily wrote a check to Santa Maria del Mexicano so the staff could just buy supplies and necessities for all the kids. However, physically going to a place makes a big difference. It changes your perspective and allows you to grow. I could have spent my time looking at photos of Beijing, looking at videos or reading about the Great Wall had I chose another study abroad trip, but I took a chance on the country and chose it to challenge me. I am so glad I did. Because I was able to experience the good parts of the country and interact with some of the best people.
2. All Chinese people are mean
There was a bar and restaurant I was always at called FM. It was about a 5 minute walk away from BISU. I was there pretty much everyday especially the days leading up to our last day there. I was friends with the bartenders, servers, singer and even the owner. Never have I ever felt more loved and welcomed in a little restaurant. They knew I was a Filipino-American, they knew I spoke no Mandarin whatsoever, but they made an effort to get to know me. The bartender was learning English just to talk to me! The owner, Cheng Zo, was using a translating app and photos to communicate with me! I spent one day with Vanessa, the singer, we legit only knew each other for a day, but on my last night in China, she came on her off day just to say goodbye to me. Cheng Zo told me “Please come back you are always welcomed here.” Another restaurant called Baidu 100 had a waitress who truly adored us, and she even refused to accept our gratuity. We had to run out of the restaurant to make sure she wasn’t going to give us our tip back.
The students at BISU were also very kind people. They showed us around the city, translated and communicated for us when were at the malls or trying to be souvenirs on the street or even when we wanted to order on a menu outside of the school. We would send them photos of the menu and they would tell us what to pick. One of the professors I had named Dr. Cheng brought us to his art gallery in the Art District Zone and served us some of his tea. He even let us use his Mastrena High Performance Espresso Machine. This is the same machine that all Starbucks use. My Chinese Economics teacher saw my eyes struggling to stay open during class and during the break she went out of her way to ask me if I was okay and needed anything. Overall, the people I was with went out of their way to make me feel loved.
“Just because you find one bad apple, does not mean you should give up on the whole tree.”
3. China is not safe
I am not saying there are not risky foods, meats, and produce, because I am sure we all have seen videos. But in Bejing and Shanghai, the food never made me sick. The authentic cuisine was actually divine and I can list all of the restaurants I went to and never got sick. If anything, I felt my immune system crumbling down from lack of sleep and rest, normal stuff like when I am at home. You really just have to put the effort in to ask locals or friends for recommendations if you are nit-picky. I will say though, we were told to never buy street food, and we never did. Also, I did bring pepper spray with me for the trip, and I would bring it around town. There were times I had to walk by myself to go to a super market across the street, or when I went to FM, or even navigating the subways on my own in Beijing and Shangai by myself. Yes, I did blend in as a local. But even then, my friends on the trip will tell you no one ever touched, made them feel unsafe, or violated privacy. The worst scenario was getting stared at because Chinese people rarely see tall American men and women everyday. BISU, most universities, and large companies, have facial recognition software before entrance. If your face is not registered with the database, you will be denied entry unless under a visitor pass. One of the students from BISU told us that there are rarely school shootings. You can only imagine how that hit close to home. I never felt like the group or myself could not walk outside at day or night or that we were ever at risk.
4. Chinese people only care about their money
Cheng Zo, the owner of FM, was ordering dinner for his staff and asked me what I wanted! I was a customer not staff. If the stereotype holds true, why was he willing to spend money for a customer. Vanessa and Haiyang described Cheng to be a father for them and you could see how this local bar and their staff was a family. When I went on a date with a guy over there, his mother paid for all of the dinner expenses and even said don’t worry about any of the costs. Holiday went out of her way to buy me snacks and food to make sure I wasn’t hungry. She even gave me stuff to take back home to Florida. There are generous people out there, and Professor Cheng even goes to show how much generosity is possible. We all know the saying, “Money is not everything.” I’ve had teachers and professors all my life who have stepped down from a high position at a firm or company to give back to the community and mold students to be successful. Professor Cheng was in the art industry and started because of his family. When he sold a painting in China for $3 Million USD, he invested into real estate, provided for his family, and now teaches at BISU. He did this, because he cares for students. He runs his art gallery daily, but he is still full time at BISU.
[ Canwen Xu brings to light how stereotypes have impacted her in her 2018 Ted Talk https://youtu.be/_pUtz75lNaw ]
I’ll repeat this again, that these are my personal experiences so I will not deny that bad things happen or say bad things don’t happen because that is not true. However, let’s not forget about the good things. Nowhere here am I saying to stop bringing awareness to preventative measures or the epidemic itself, but I want to raise awareness that the country of China still holds dear to my heart as do the people I’ve met, and I really hope they’re doing well too. By the time 2022 comes along, I hope I will be able to see my friends again, and I will be able to attend the Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Jamie Vergara 