Day 3 in Tianjin: Dan Korman
Day three in Tianjin was very fun. We learned a great abundance about the difference between Chinese and American culture during Dr. Li’s lecture. One thing I have noticed while in China is that the people here are more reserved than back home. Considering our group which can be very loud and boisterous at times, you rarely see Chinese groups act in such a loud manner. We american are often directly, or indirectly seeking the spotlight and looking for eyes to come our way. In china you see quite the opposite as most people seem to prefer to shy away from the spotlight and stick to the crowd. This observation of mine obviously comes from the fact that China is much more of a collectivist society than that of the US.
Also, I have noticed that the Chinese people tend to stick to their own business more so than at home. Considering the great abundance of people in such a large city like Beijing or Tianjin it makes sense. You could also say you see the same in say Chicago or New York. However, I would say in China you really see people mind their own business. I really admire this aspect of Chinese culture and wish I seen more of it back home. Some people may view this as being impolite or rude, but I think minding you own business is usually the most polite thing to do.