John Pasden is not like any ordinary foreigner in
Shanghai. He's so
keen on understanding China that he has decided to stay for the
long haul, and according to Pasden, understanding a culture comes
through knowledge of the language.
To say that Pasden, a 28-year-old American who has lived in
China for almost seven years, has made an attempt at understanding
China through the language is a modest claim. He teaches Mandarin
at one of the world's most downloaded podcasts, Chinesepod. Pasden
co-hosts Chinesepod's web-based language shows on the intermediate
and upper intermediate level. He is the academic director.
Aside from that, he runs Sinosplice, which he calls "an
apolitical China-centered weblog of observations on life and
language".?
"The blog is personal in a public sense, yet it is not a public
diary. Sinosplice is about things I observe, and I keep writing
about what is interesting to me," says Pasden, who admits that now
his postings are read more often by complete strangers than by his
family.
Sinosplice started out to replace mass e-mails to friends and
relatives but has become increasingly popular with a growing
readership and commentators, frequently with a humorous twist.
Pasden's occasionally satirical blog entries, such as his
cartoon-like reviews of junk food, contrast with his academic
merits, Japanese skills, and passion for second language
acquisition. On Sinosplice, Pasden also likes to poke holes in
people's stereotypes, such as when he admits that he hates Chinese
New Year. His explanation is extensive, but it comes down to his
inability to relate to it and the loudness of the fireworks.
According to Pasden, living in China seems to change people, and
it takes them by surprise when they start to behave differently.
When confronted with the question of why this change occurs, he
explains:
"Our environment has a profound effect on us, and for many
foreigners here, living in China may be the first time they have
experienced a country which is different enough to make the changes
noticeable.
"Generally speaking I have learned that overall impressions are
gained over time, and you might not notice it. Specifically, the
local youth are more modern than most people at home in the US
imagine, and another unexpected element is the magnitude of the
development in Shanghai. The development disparity between Shanghai
and the rural areas is tremendous."
Being in China for the long haul is not always easy. He
testifies to having to accept some cultural differences too, just
like everybody else who tries to adjust to something new. What made
Pasden stay was partly private reasons -- he is now married to a
Chinese woman -- and partly his desire for more fluency in
Mandarin.
To that end, he has enrolled at East China Normal University as
a graduate student in applied linguistics.
(China Daily March 20, 2007)
