Wuhu-Greg Laslo
Today was our last day in Wuhu. It was essentially a free day – to recuperate from the two weeks we spent here. Most of the days have been crammed with research and interviews, with the evenings occupied with planned dinners, exploring the city, or discussing research. I often felt too tired or tense to go out and do much during the day or after dinner, other than the planned research and tourism; I forced myself to go out every night anyway. This is the only time I’ll ever be going to China in 2015. I can tell it was different in 2014, and it will be different in 2016. I won’t spend this time cooped up in a hotel room. So, besides feeling downright miserable some nights, I still go out and spend time with friends, and usually feel better.
But since most of today is free, except for a planned dinner this evening, I decide to go for a walk along the river, outside our hotel. Often, we go out in groups, so it is refreshing to go on a stroll completely alone. In the plaza next to our hotel is an enormous fountain, about the size of a soccer field, which “dances” with jets of water to music, played from unseen speakers. “Auld Lang Syne” and several Beijing opera tunes are the most common.
I simply stood and walked around the fountain, on the burning hot stone, watching the water dance and contemplating what we had done so far. Soon, three Chinese men come up to me and ask to take a photo with me. This is probably one of the most foreign experiences a Westerner will encounter in China. I cannot speak for the average Chinese person, but in my eyes it appears that Chinese citizens here are generally friendlier to each other and to outsiders, compared to any American city. There are other options: perhaps it is simply a reflection of China’s lesser emphasis on individuality, combined with curiosity, that allows a sense of unity and friendship to grow within society. Or maybe this greater sociability is simply necessary to live in such a crowded country as modern China.
The three men did not just want a photo with me; they showed genuine interest. I told them I was from McDaniel College, and they asked where that was. They asked why I was here, and I told them about our grant to research tiehua. They asked how long I was staying, and whether I liked Wuhu. We shook hands and they went on their way, while I remained at the fountain until the show was done, about an hour after it began.