I was born in China, but had seen very little about it. That's why I wanted to pay her a visit after my retirement.

In the last 5 years, I taught in different schools in a different province for a year, and since had travelled many places. From the south to the north. From the east to the west. And deep in the interior. What I found, for your information:

1. The Chinese people are very friendly and helpful to foreigners. They may not be like that to their own, but friendlier to foreigners close to flattering.

2. Most of the people in the countryside are poor. The poverty is beyond our thinking by North-American or European standards. With only 3% cultivatable land to feed such an immense population, it's a miracle itself. Yet, most of the global investers are still trying to milk from this land. They pay the people a survival rate, and take the huge profit away.

3. Due to the ideological differences in the past, westerners, especially the American politicians and militants, still treat the Chinese region as pagan and evil state, and wanted to conquer. All kinds of names have been used. All kinds of ways have been used to deprive this sleeping giant of its land. So Mongolia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao and Tibet were aimed to be taken away from its domain.

4. Westerners want to keep the land as it was for their enjoyment. So they claim Tibet supposed to be kept away from Chinese control. Most of the foreigners who said this hadn't seen Tibet. Those visited didn't see the truth. Can we anyone believe that Tibetans will have a better life without the helps from the other parts of the country? I witnessed the facts. By saying this, I'm on the inhabitants' side.

5. The government has too much to do. The bureaucrates corrupt under the enticing of the investors. Its people want to improve their future through learning, lots of great educators like you come to teach them western languages to broaden their scope of vision, but their are also some who are wasting their time by fooling around under the name of foreign teachers and keep a lofty gesture here, too.

6. Most of the administrators are ignorant. They know nothing about education. They want to have foreigners to teach in their schools to glorify their deeds. The good recruiters might know who is better, but they have no power to make the decisions. So they get lots of the cheap, inexperienced, better looking ones.

7. The standard of living in China is very low. You may save some, but might not be much. But, if you are dedicated, you could contribute a lot to these poor but ambitious people. They might not know you,now, but they'll remember you always.

Alex Wu