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christmas in jinzhou - 1998

My Christmas Speech

On Christmas Eve, 1998, I was invited to speak at the Jinzhou Mayor's 4th Annual Christmas Party. The speech was later broadcast on Jinzhou TV and portions reprinted (in Chinese) in the Jinzhou Evening Newspaper.

These are the remarks I prepared and delivered:

Mr. Mayor, Honored Officials, Colleagues, Friends and Jinzhouren:  

I am a teacher at Jinzhou Teachers' College.   It is an honor to be asked to speak to you today.   It is an honor for all of us (foreign teachers) to be invited to celebrate with you during the biggest holiday of the year among westerners.   And it is an honor to share this special day with our good friends - the people of Jinzhou.    

Today's celebration shows that the spirit of China's "Opening Up" policy is making good progress not only in China, but in Dongbei and Jinzhou, as well.   It shows that we have entered  into an era of mutual understanding and mutual exchange.   Let us all hope that we continue on this correct path.    

In the west, we like to say that Christmas is and should be a time of peace and good will toward all men and women.   I hope that this wish for peace and good will among all men and women extends to every day of every year and not just on Christmas Day.    

We foreign teachers have come to Jinzhou out of our love for teaching and our interest in promoting the opening up of China.   Most of us are teaching your children the English language and introducing your children to the ways of foreigners. Western culture and Chinese culture are very different.   And one of our duties is to introduce those differences to your children. It is only when you begin to understand the underlying culture of a people that you can truly build bridges between them.  

That is the lesson that we hope to impart to your children.   And that is a lesson that I can honestly say, we teachers have learned in our own lives in China.  

As we have lived in Jinzhou teaching your children, we have ourselves become students of your culture.   For we have quickly discovered that China, as the oldest civilization on earth, has much to teach us (westerners).    

The Chinese have a saying, "A teacher is the engineer of a person's soul." "LAOSHI SHI RENLEI LINGHUNDE GONGCHENGSHI"  

There is a western saying that "To know a second language, to know another culture, is to gain a second soul".  

I believe both of these sayings to be true.   The city of Jinzhou is the first place that any of us foreign teachers have lived in China.   It is the place where we began to know about the culture and people of China.   I myself traveled around central and south-east China this summer, and I can report to you that nowhere did I find a people more warm-hearted, more helpful than the people of Dongbei-of Jinzhou.    

As we foreign teachers have learned more and more about your culture, we have gained our second soul.   And the people of Jinzhou have been our teachers of the Chinese culture.  

So I say today, Jinzhou has become the engineer of our second soul. JINZHOU SHI WOMEN DI-ER LINGHUNDE GONGCHENGSHI  

We came to Jinzhou as teachers,   And we have, ourselves become your students.   China has given us second soul.   And Jinzhou has become our second home.      

When I was on the train coming back to Jinzhou at the end of my summer travels, I felt like a child returning home.   I kept looking out the window as the train approached Jinzhou to catch a glimpse of the city.   I was happy to be returning and anxious to see my Jinzhou friends again. It felt like coming home.    

Most of us will be leaving next year to return to our homelands.  But Jinzhou will always be our second home.   And our first Chinese home.  

I hope to return here again one day,   To be on that train coming back, looking out the window again for a glimpse of Jinzhou.   And saying "WO YOU DAO JINZHOUDE JIA LE" (I am returning to visit my Jinzhou home).

None of us will ever forget Jinzhou  as long as we live.   And we will tell people all around the world of the wonderful times and the warm-hearted people of Jinzhou.   You  have become a part of our hearts and souls forever.    

We, of course, miss our families and friends back home especially at this time of year.   But the people of Jinzhou with their warm hearts have made it a little easier for us during this time of year.   And so we join you today in celebrating.   Christmas is a time to spend with friends and family.   And I speak truly when I say that we are happy and honored to celebrate this holiday with our new friends and second family, the people of Jinzhou.  

So from our Chinese hearts-our Jinzhou hearts (Womende Zhongguo Xin, Womende Jinzhou Xin):   We Wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year   (Sheng Dan Kuai Le! Xin Nian Kuai Le!)

Duoxie

The whole function was mostly an exercise by the Mayor in building up the city's image to foreigners. And it was a successful one at that. They are stroking really hard in Jinzhou to get foreign companies to come here and invest. There were a number of Koreans (South) and Japanese, a couple of Russians, and, interestingly, two Spaniards who have just opened a factory here for the treating and finishing of fur and leather goods.

Jinzhou is bending over backwards trying to get a piece of the foreign-investment pie. The people of Jinzhou are so helpful, friendly, and outgoing that it's a shame that more western companies seeking joint-venture opportunities don't take a look at Jinzhou.

After that afternoon party, I had about a half-hour break and then headed to a restaurant near the school where my adult students (mostly doctors, engineers and teachers) had also arranged a Christmas party for me. (I cannot say enough about the kindness and friendliness of the people of Northeast China!)

I may have gained 10 lbs. that day. The Mayor's party buffet table was 20 YARDS long with more than 200 dishes. (Somehow, they even had TURKEY!!! which is all but non-existent in China.) The students dinner was a "mere" 9 courses.

The students got the restaurant to flip on the TV when the Jinzhou news came on and there I was (yet again-this stuff is getting old) in the highlight reel showing a large portion of my speech-with voice-over, of course. I asked my students to translate (I could only catch my name and that I was a teacher from Jinzhou College) and they told me that the announcer said "He gave a moving and memorable speech".

No, it was a moving and memorable Christmas Eve. Particularly the second half with my students. The cards and gifts they gave me at the dinner made me feel almost at home. Well, actually truly at home - in Jinzhou, my Chinese home.

To see some pictorial proof that Christmas exists in China, go here

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