Travel Books - 旅游书

Years ago, when my parents visited me they saw many tour books in the bookstore and when my dad learned that I know a couple who worked for a major tour book publisher, my father was intrigued and when he returned to China, he mentioned the connection to his friends in the government and they proposed to me to invite the couple to my home province and hopefully by treating them royally, they'd win their friendship and they'd write favorably about my home province, so as to spur the tourism.  Of course, I talked my father out of this - things are not done here that way.  Tour industry reviews are to be independent, without interferences.

This reminds me of Chinese people's amazed and favorable reactions to the simple and cheap meal Vice President Biden and his entourage had in Beijing, and to the fact the new American Ambassador to China Gary Locke arrived in Beijing with family on coach and carrying their own luggage like any touring family.

In China, officials look and act like officials.

Things are very different in China and in the US.

幾年前，當我的父母，来美国看我, 他們在書店裡看到許多旅遊書籍。當我爸爸知道我认识一對為一個主要旅遊圖書出版商工作的夫婦，我的父親很感興趣，當他回到中國，他向在政府的朋友们提到这对夫婦，他們向我提议邀請这对夫婦到我的家乡省，希望通過款待这对夫婦贏得他們的友誼，这样他們會寫对我的家鄉省有利的评论，以推動旅遊業發展。當然，我劝说父親不要参与 - 在美国事情不是这样一做的。旅遊行業的評語是獨立的，不受外界干擾。

這使我想起中國人对两件事的驚訝和良好的反應，一为副總統拜登和他的隨行人員在北京吃的簡單和廉價的膳食, 及美國駐中國新大使駱家輝乘普通舱抵達北京，與家人和自己攜帶行李, 像任何旅遊的家庭一样。

在中國，官員的外觀和行為总是像官員。

在中國和美國, 事情有很大的不同。


Journey © Matthew Felix Sun