Nothing Special, Beacuse I Get Used to It

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Foreigners in China

This is my foreign teacher Collins, an interesting teacherewho comes from Britain but teaches us American Culture.

At the beginning of the first class, he wrote down his name on the blackboard and said,"Don't worry about this course for I come from Britain,I do have a big American family background..." Then he began to tell us about his numerous American relatives: where do they live, what do they do, how many times he had visited them and so how long he had stayed in America... At last, he said in a very British humorous way," And you should trust me because I have a degree on this subject."

And he hold a degree of education, too. He knows well his subject, ha can even tell the textbook pages from which my classmates quote sentenses and words. He knows how to guide the class, when we have nothing to say about a topic, he will hint:" Have you ever consider that...?" Then he lookede at us,mysteriously, new ideals struck our minds.

When I asked him why did he come to China, he repeated my question in a more skeptical tone, as if asking me why not? "China is unique, unique place, unique people and unique culture, I was interested in it, so I came." And what about his life in China? "Nothing special, I get used to it." I was amzed by his conciseness and forgot my other prepared questions.

"Get used to it?""Yes, some foreigners like to be on their feet when they head for somewhere, I don't.I like to take subway or bus, they're convinient, You see, all Beijingers use them,so I take them,too. Some foreigners also eacape to western restaurants, I don't, I like Chinses Cuisine, espercially the fish dishes..."

"I even get used to its pollutions, the most severe is water pollution. People don't make good use of it, they waste them. They do not recycle. They even pipe chemical waste in water, I have vitnessed that. Perhaps as I merely see water now, unless it is in bottles, so gradually I forget this."...

In such a voluble way, Collins unfolds his Beijing life to me. On one hand, he didn't feel uncomfortable of this new enviroment in 3 months，he was even excited about it; on the other hand, he keeps his own hobbies like computer and traveling,he was happy to remain them. As a result, he became the most satisfied foreigner with his life in Beiing among all foreignersI have came across.

"Nothing special"— in spite of negativeness it sounds at the beginning, finally turns out to its own profound meanning at the end of our conversation.

没有什么特别的，因为我已经习惯了

    这是我的外教柯林斯，一个来自英国却在教我们美国社会文化的有趣老师。

    在第一节课刚开始，他在黑板上写下自己的名字，说:“你们不要担心我是英国人却来教你们美国社会文化，我有很庞大的美国家庭背景……”然后他就开始跟我们讲他的很多很多美国亲戚：他们住在哪，做什么，他去拜访过的次数还有他在美国逗留的时间。最后，他用英国式幽默说：“而且你们要相信我，因为对于这个科目我可是有学位的。”

    此外他还拥有教育的学位。他对自己的科目掌握得很好，他甚至可以准确地说出学生在做演讲时引用的课文句子和词的页码。当我们对一个话题无话可说的时候，他也知道该如何引导我们。他会暗示说：“你们有没有想过 ……？”然后很神奇的，新想法就出现在我们的脑子里。

    当我问他为什么会来中国的时候，他用一种更加疑问的口吻把我的问题重复了一遍，，似乎在问我为什么不呢？“中国很独特，独特的地方，独特的人，独特的文化，我被吸引了，所以我就来了。” 那他在中国的生活如何呢？“没有什么特别的，因为我已经习惯了。”我讶异于他的简洁，一时间忘了自己准备好要问他的问题。

    “习惯了？”“是啊，像有的外国人喜欢不管去什么地方都步行去，我不是。我喜欢坐地铁或者公车，这样很方便，你看，所有北京人都在用，所以我也用。有的外国人每星期要去西餐厅几次，但是我没有，我喜欢中国菜，尤其是跟鱼有关的菜……”

    “我甚至已经习惯了它的污染，最严重的应该是水污染了。人们没有好好利用它，他们浪费，也不进行再次净化和利用。他们甚至还往水里倾倒工厂废水，我曾经亲眼见过。或许是我现在很少看见水了吧，除了在瓶子里。所以慢慢地我忘记了这些事……”

    在这样的滔滔不绝中，柯林斯向我展开了他的北京生活。一方面，他并没有对新环境感到不适；另一方面，他还保留有自己的一些兴趣爱好，比如电脑和旅行，所以他很快乐。或许因为这样，他是我见过的外国人中对自己在北京的生活最满意的。

    “没有什么特别的”——尽管刚开始的时候听起来带着否定，但最后在我们的谈话结束时却变得另具一番深意。

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