Chinese Name - 中文名字

One thing Chinese people insist on knowing from anyone of Chinese descend is his or her "Chinese Name".   It is also quite true that many Chinese Americans sport two names - one English and one Chinese, and these two often don't match since they are not phonetic transliteration at all, which is the way Chinese people use for people of not Chinese lineage, such as Kennedy, Reagan, Bush, Clinton and Obama.  Walking near Chinatown and one is confronted with numerous flyers for mayoral candidate for San Francisco, flaunting their Chinese names, which means absolutely nothing to me, since I only know them by their official (English) names and cannot match their coded Chinese names at all.

One thing Chinese mainlanders need to be aware is that many Chinese Americans have no Chinese names at all, such as the children of one of my college friend.  Or some people preferred to be known by their English names, or someone, when naturalized, have given up their Chinese given names and adopted a new name, thoroughly western.

To insist on calling them with their discarded name is rather disrespectful.  People need to be more sensitive.

More than once I had to tell the custom officers in China what my "Chinese name" was, even though I do not officially have one.  I have one name, which is western sounding and the "Chinese name" should be its phonetic transliteration.  But they would have none of such argument and I had to move the name I used when I was in China from the column of "Former Name" to "Chinese Name".  It felt rather being forced upon and unpleasant.


中國人总想知道華裔的“中國名字”。的确，许多華裔有兩個名字 - 一個英語和一個汉语名字，他們往往互相对不上号，因为他们不是拼音音譯，就象中國人民提及沒有中國血統的人的方式，如肯尼迪，里根，布什，克林頓和奧巴馬。在唐人街附近的散步会遇到眾多舊金山市長候選人傳單，炫耀他们的中國名字，但這些名字意味于我毫无意义，因為我只知道他們的官方（英文）名字，而这些名字和他们的中國名字对不上号。

中國大陆人需要注意一件事情，許多華裔美國人沒有汉语名字，如我的一個大學朋友的孩子们
。还有一些人只乐意用他们的英语名字，或有人歸化时，放弃其汉语名字, 采用徹底西方化的英文名字。

要堅持用他們放棄的名字来称呼他们是不尊重的。人們需要更敏感些。

不止一次，中國的海關人員要我告訴他们 我的“中文名字”，即使我事实上已沒有这样的名字。我的名字是西方化的名字, 它的对应的“中文名字”應該是它的拼音音譯。但是他們听不进這種論點，因而我不得不將我的“曾用名”，挪到我的“中國名字”一欄。这是强迫的和不愉快的经历。

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

(Wedding) Gifts Registration （结婚）禮品登記

In America, people give gifts in many occasions, such as graduation, birth of a child, or a wedding.  For big occasions like wedding, many engaged couples register with department stores, listing the items they would need in their married life.  Friends and family who can choose their gifts from the list, which usually have different price levels to suit people's varied ability to pay for gifts.  Of course, people still can send gift they deemed more appropriate not included in the gift registries.

For a wedding, the gifts can be brought to the wedding or separately, usually with identifications so the bride would know whom to thank for the gifts her spouse receive - it's a custom that bride should write thank you card to the people who send the gift within reasonably time frame.

在美國，人們有很多送禮場合，如畢業，孩子出生，或者婚禮。對於重大的場合如婚禮，許多未婚夫妻在百貨公司登記，列出他們在他們的婚姻生活需要的东西。朋友和家人可以從禮物表里選擇禮物，它们通常有不同的價位，以適應人們的不同支付能力。當然，人們仍然可以送他們認為比較合適的，不包括在禮品登記内的禮物。

就婚禮而言，禮物可以拿到婚禮或另送，通常包含​姓名​標識，讓新娘知道感謝誰的禮物 - 習俗是新娘應該在合理的時間框架内给送的禮物的亲友寫感謝卡。


"Red Flowers" - Oil on Canvas © Matthew Felix Sun

Buying Books and Paintings from Friends or Asking for Free

Recently I read some comments online saying that amongst Chinese people, when one has a book published, many friends and acquaintances would ask for a free copy.  The comments saying that in the West, people recognize the time and energy authors put into the work and usually would not ask for such free copy.

The comment was, though a bit sweeping, more or less on the mark.  Indeed, recalling my life in China, I remembered that many people I know who had published something usually gave free copies.  It would be insulting to ask friends to buy one of the books.

This is the same as painters, mostly in Chinese style water color on rice paper, and calligraphers.  People would make great efforts to ask accomplished painters and calligraphers to give them something.  Considering the execution time in that style is rather short - they practice hours upon hours to perfect a stoke, usually they would oblige, after some deflection.  This kind of obligation is very hard not to comply.

In order not to devalue their commercial works, usually they would state explicitly on the painting or calligraphy that the work was given to such and such exalted person and that little statement usually greatly dent the price of this work if it ever reached market.

In the US, I did give something away to great friends but not often.  My family members and friends insist on paying me for my labor.  I have attended book-signing events when my friends had books published and we  buy a copy of the book at full price and have our published friends sign the books.  Nowadays, even have a book or two published doesn't improve one's financial standing.  It's also our humble way of supporting our friends. 






最近我看了一个網上評論說，一旦中國人有書出版，許多朋友和熟人會讨要一個免費書籍。该評論說，在西方，人們承认和尊重作者投入的時間和精力，通常不會讨要求免費書籍。

这个評論，雖然有點太笼统，或多或少击中目標。回顧在中國我的生活，我記得很多人赠送他们出版的書籍，很多人也主动索取。要求朋友購買的他们的書籍是对朋友的侮辱。

畫家也一樣，尤其在中國式的宣紙畫家，和書法家。人們會問下大力氣求有成就的畫家和書法家給他們一些作品。畫家和書法家通常花大量時間练习，以致精湛，但他们实际操作時間则相當短，因而這種義務很難推却。

為了不让他们的商業作品貶值，他们通常會在繪畫或書法上列明，這个作品赠给某位贵人的。如果有人日后想卖它们，这样的語句通常使该作品價格大打折扣。

在美國，我的确给过好朋友一些东西，但很不經常。我的家人和朋友堅持要為我的勞動付出代价。我曾參加我的朋友們的書籍出版的簽售活動，我們以全價買下書，然后请我們的朋友簽名。如今，有一兩本書出版並不能改善作者的財務狀況，這也是我們支持我們的朋友的卑微方式吧。

Medical Records Protection 保护病例资料

In the much publicized Murdoch bugging scandals, one thing was perhaps quite lost to Chinese people
was the significance of the story reported by ABC News: "The Sun [one of the newspapers owned by Murdoch family] went much further when it allegedly stole Brown's family's medical records."

In the U.S., when a person takes medical leave, he or she even does not need to tell supervisor what troubles him or her, while in China, illnesses are openly discussed and commented upon and there is hardly any concern for privacy, not just amongst families and friends, colleagues are usually informed of every details of the ailments.

This is not to say that an illness is automatically concealed in the U.S.  People often choose to share certain information to let their immediate colleagues to understand their issues but usually it was expected, implicitly or explicitly, that the information should be kept confidential and it would up to the patient to choose what they want to disclose and to whom.  Medical records are very personal and private as well.

Therefore the Sun's behavior so unacceptable in the west and rather not an issue in China.

在廣為谈论的默多克竊聽醜聞中，有一个故事的意義也許令中國人很不解。

美國廣播公司新聞報導：“太陽報 [默多克家族擁有的報紙之一] 走得更遠時，涉嫌偷了布朗的家庭的醫療記錄。”

在美國，當一個人需要请病假，他或她甚至不需要訴上司煩惱他或她的是什麼，而在中國，人们公開討論和評論疾病，幾乎沒有对隱私的尊重，而这不僅僅限于家人和朋友，同事通常也会被告知疾病的每一個細節。

這並不是說，在美國病人會自動隱瞒疾病，人们往往會選擇某些信息，讓他們同事了解他們的問題。但或明或暗，這些信息應予以保密，並由病人來選擇他們想要的什么透露給誰。病歷也是非常個人的资料。

因此，太陽報的行為，在西方是不能接受的，而在中國则不是一個問題。

 

Cheese in Asia 奶酪在亞洲

I just read some story about the rise of the cheese consumption in Asia, propelled by American food chains with their offering such as cheese sandwiches and pizzas. 

最近我读到一些故事講述美國食品鏈與他們的產品，如奶酪三明治和比薩餅，推動了奶酪消費在亞洲的增长。

Cheese is the best thing I learned to enjoy in the U.S.  In China, the dairy product I ever had was milk and whipped cream.  In the U.S., particularly in the food-crazed California, we have huge varieties of cheese, with all kinds of textures, hardness and creaminess and flavors.

奶酪是我在美國學會了享受的最好的食品。 在中國时，我吃过的乳制品只有牛奶和掼奶油。在美國，特別是在讲究食品的加利福尼亞州，我們有极多品種的奶酪，拥有各種材質，硬度，奶油度和风味。

The only Chinese food I can think of to compare is dumplings.  The most famous dumpling restaurant in my home city, Shenyang, 老边饺子馆 (Old Bians' Dumpling Restaurant), boasts several dozens kinds of fillings.


唯一可比的中國菜是餃子。我的故乡沈陽的最有名的餃子館，老邊餃子館，擁有幾十種品种。



Cheese can be a tough sell to Asian countries where pastures are not widely available and dairy productions are not daily staple food.  Its distinctive flavor and smell can put off some people and maybe even upset someone's stomach - someone claims that Asians lack a certain enzyme to digest cheese.

奶酪可能较難推銷給沒有很多牧場的亞洲國家，那里奶製品不是每天主食。奶酪的獨特的風味和氣味让人排斥，甚至可能造成消化问题 - 有人称亚洲人缺乏消化奶酪的酶。


I fell in love with cheese immediately and appreciate good cheese very much, but am not shy away from cheesy food generally offered in fast food chains. Quality not quantity.

我从一开始就愛上了奶酪，并学会了欣賞优质奶酪，同时我迴避快餐連鎖店提供的一大滩奶酪的食品。质量而不是数量。

When my parents visited me from China about ten years ago, I was a bit concerned with their ability to appreciate it cheese or even to be able to digest it, particularly my mother who does not like taste of butter much.  However, they enjoyed the good Parmesan cheese I served with pastas very much and I felt confident enough to serve them more varieties of safe (less smelly) kind cheese. 

大約十年前，當我的父母從中國来看我，我有點擔心他們肯不肯吃奶酪，能不能消化它，尤其是我的不喜歡奶油的味道母親。然而，他們很喜欢我加在通心粉里的乾酪，我有信心让他們尝试了更多品種的安全（味道不重的）的奶酪。
 
I don't doubt that some Chinese and other Asian people have trouble in digesting dairy product but many don't and they can learn to appreciate good cheeses just as well as westerners.

我不懷疑，一些中國和其他亞洲人有困難消化乳製品，但很多人没有这个问题，他們可以學會和西方人一样欣賞好的奶酪。

中美物价 - Is the Price Right?

There is a well-read article circulating online, comparing the prices in China and in the US and UK.  The zest of the article is that the prices in the developed countries are much lower than those in China.  Many Chinese readers expressed their frustration over this "fact". 

However, the prices quoted in the article are often skewed or simply wrong.  There are many facts were not known to the author of the article who admitted that he only spent two weeks in the US to investigate the prices.

1) Many prices prices listed are inaccurate. Many prices quoted were seen in shops and restaurants operated by Chinese, or in open market, while prices quoted in China were often in the department stores.  The article mentioned $0.99/pound pork or ribs.  Meat costs that low is extremely hard to find in the US if not impossible.  The quality of the meat must be miserable as well.  In the US, pork costs usually in the range of $5-8/pound.   The article even mentioned the price for BMW Z4: $21,000.  I did a quick search and found the sticker price of $43,655 - $57,500 ( http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/BMW_Z4/ ).

2) there are historical reasons for price differences.  US is a fully developed country and the percentage daily costs are lower than the developing country as China.
3) There are many costs in the US unknown to many Chinese, such as personal income taxes.  A textbook in the US often cost $100-200 while in China they are printed on cheap paper and cost on the par of mass-market paperbacks.  In the US, medical insurance cost is very high and the article failed to mention that.
4) Many luxurious goods Chinese crave are luxurious goods to Americans as well, such as Coach handbags.
5) The low costs in the US is not sustainable.  It is supported by the huge national debts.  Relying on consumers for economic growth is like drinking poison to quench thirst.  The low tax for the rich is not a good example either.
6) The article mentioned that all the houses in the US can be called a villa.  It is not true.  The quality of American single family houses are quite low. 
7）Article also mentioned that in China, if one is well-educated, one needs to own a house (flat) otherwise he/she would not have any dignity.  Nonsense.  In the US, many house-owners take out 30-year loans and often re-finance down the road.  Once the houses are paid off, they are often near the end of the life.

In short, low prices in American have many political and historical reasons, but should not be copied.

Of course, from a consumer point of view, is unfair.

1）文章列出的好多美国物价不准确。华人的店， 基本是脏，乱，差，物价当然低。猪肉，排骨 0。99/磅， 除了赤贫，谁敢吃? 那个价现在在华人店也没有。猪肉一般是5-8 美元/磅。宝马Z4价格： $43,655 - $57,500， 不是文章说的$21000 （ http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/BMW_Z4/ ）。
2）中美发展水平不同，造成消费水准不同。发展程度愈高，日常费用比例愈低。
3）美国人有好多其他消费，文章没有提， 比如个人税收。美国的一本教科书，一般价格$100-200。医疗保险费用高。

4）好多中国人喜欢的，对美国人讲，也是奢侈品，比如 Coach 包。
5）美国人的低物价，造成美国国力衰退。美国人的低物价是中国买的美国国债支撑的， 而且持续不下去。靠消费引导经济增长是饮鸠止渴。美国富人的低税率也不可学。
6）美国的住房并不好。所谓别墅也不准确。你们看到美国龙卷风, 水灾的报道，也应该看到那些"别墅"。
7）30岁要有房，否则失去尊严？他们也太好面子了。美国人买房，大多要申请30年贷款。中途再贷。好多人房子付清了，一辈子也快过完了。

总之，美国人低物价是事实，有历史原因和政策原因，而且并不可学。

当然，从消费者角度看，是不公平。