Zhi-Pan Li
Undergraduate School -Apply Mathematics
Original Country: Foshan, China
China: 5000 year-old country
According to Chinese government, China is a country with 5000 years of culture. In the world, China is the third largest country with a territory of 9,600,000 sq km (Gov.cn). In this great land, it has many cultural and ethic groups, and nationall heritage including Great Wall, Forbidden City, and Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor. In this decade, not only has China grown in its economy, technology, and international business, but also its ancient and mysterious culture has influenced this world. |
 |
Spirit of Martial Arts
I am from Foshan City in Kwangtung State. Foshan is a cultural city which has many artists, musicians, and martial artists. I want to mention one of the most famous martial arts around the world is Wing Tsun which was created by the initiator, Leung-Tsan. This martial art concentrates on using the balance of fighting and energy for self-defense instead of using fighting techniques to attack people. It also extends the spirit of Confucianism: “Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you”. There are many branches around the world, and the best introduction of Wing Tsun’s origin and philosophy in English is on International Wing Tsun Association---Toranto, Canada: North America.
Wing Tsun art has spread around Asia for a long time, but got famous in Western countries because of a Hollywood star—Bruce Lee. When Bruce was 14 years
|
 |
old, he learned the Wing Tsun art from Mr. Ye-Wen who was devoted to enhance and glorify Wing Tsun art around the world. In 1996, Bruce Lee created Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do whose philosophy of is to help people to sel-liberate on physical and mind. For me, Bruce Lee not only created a new martial art, but also leaved his spirit of martial art behind.
My Cultural Experiences
Compared with life in South Bend, there is more entertainment and fun in Foshan. For instance, it is more convenient for me to hang out with my friends easily in Foshan when we want to kill time. We could go to many good Chinese restaurants, or have drink together. One of the most significant diet culture of Fushan is Dim-Sum or Yum-Cha which is kind of tea time and Cantonese brunch. People usually hang out with friends or family in this kind of restaurant, and drink tea along with refreshments. For instance, we eat Shrimp dumpling, Steamed pork, Phoenix feet, Beef rice noodle roll, etc. However, there are not many choices of entertainment, restaurants, and bars around South Bend. Sometime, I miss the life in China, but on the other hand, it is great for international students to study here without interruptions.
In my home town, the transportation is convenient and cheap. We have a |
 |
completed bus and car transportation system. No matter where you work, study, or travel around the Foshan, you can easily switch bus and car transportation during your trip. On the contrary, the transportation is not convenient in South Bend. When I just came to South Bend, I was surprised that there are not many people walking on the street. Most people have their own car to go everywhere. Therefore, if people who try to take a bus in South Bend, they have to wait for a long time because the time of interval between two buses is 30miniutes to one hour. That is also inconvenient for many international students who just come to South Bend without a car.
I am a flexible person, and usually not picky about American or Chinese food. However, I cannot order in restaurants all the time. Therefore, I start to learn how to cook by myself when I have studied in the United States. My family used to prepare the food for me, and I never got close to the kitchen. For me, that is a good learning experience to try cooking. Even though my cooking is not as good as other people, I definitely enjoy the process and the new food.
|
