Saturday, August 16, 2008

Impressions from China: Fake Goods & Face Value

We know that China has the dubious honor of being the land of pirated goods, be it DVDs, software, electronics, handbags or tee-shirts. So I shouldn't have been surprised by the revelation that the little girl "singing" at the Olympics opening ceremony was only lip-synching.

However, I don't think that the lip-synching was the issue; it was the reason given (the real singer was not "cute enough???!!!) & the fact that this was not revealed in the first place.

By trying to put on a "perfect" face for the world to see, China has lost face, & shown herself to be dishonest & shallow. Yes, appearance is important, but not the most important thing in the world. When China realizes this, they will, then, truly be respected.

Having lived in China for the last 1 & a half years, I have come to the realization that much of what they do, & the attitudes of the common people is based on "saving face" & showing the appearance of perfection. But underneath that perfection, one sees that inside, things are far from perfect, & the Chinese still have a long way to go before they become something that not only looks good, but also feels good.

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