Lilliehook and Her REDISCOVERING CHINA

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Lilliehook and Her REDISCOVERING CHINA

Foreigners in China

When she was 36-year-old, she first came to Beijing from Sweden to study Chinese. In the quadrangle of Beijing, her Chinese dream comes true. During the Six years in China, she has published two Chinese books "REDISCOVERING CHINA" "EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE ", which are familiar to many Chinese readers. She is a foreigner, but speaks Chinese fluently and writes books in Chinese from her unique understanding of China. Her name is Li Lin (Catarina Lilliehook).

Li Lin's father is an absolute "Chinese fan". Under her father's influence, Li Lin has been interested in Chinese culture since her childhood. After Growing up, she has traveled in many countries. When she set foot on the land of China, she was deeply attracted by the traditional culture and the long history of China. Living in China, Li always has to answer a variety of questions since different people ask her different questions. Whoever asks her, one question is undoubted: "Why do you come to China?" For Li has a complicated understanding of china from many perspectives, after some time of thinking, she has chosen this answer - "interesting", "China is very interesting."

Being in China for these years, Li Lin often finds that some things she should pay attention to is viewed as the slightest by Chinese people. For instance, she says: " if one feels hungry in the street, he can easily buy baked sweet potatoes in the roadside; Sometimes, when one suddenly encounters problems and needs help, certainly there will be different kinds of people to reach out and help him. Moreover it just only needs face-to-face discussions for solving problems. For this I am always in thinking and so enjoying such casual life, because in my country it is not likely to see this. Therefore, such simple things make people feel very comfortable. "

In "REDISCOVERING CHINA" Li Lin has taken down these words: I really like to lounge in the street and look around, even more to be keen on discovering. I am tempted into those ancient narrow streets, where I am full of memories and imaginations. With boundless curiosity, I am looking at the next corner that is waiting for me, wondering that there will be an elder door with squeaking, an old lady doing her dinner and a group of children playing and chasing in the yard.

Having moved to China, Li Lin and her husband gradually have adapted to all of Chinese habits. After one year in china, Li left the luxury apartment, and moved into quadrangle in Beijing alley. She says: "for a foreigner, it is not easy to live in quadrangles. When you meet problems, you can not call counters to help you, but only rely on yourself. However, it is very interesting living in the quadrangle and I have learned a lot of things. Meanwhile there are more opportunities for me to assimilate into the Chinese society. No foreigners here, my neighbors are Chinese people."

Li Lin continuously keeps on paying attention to the differences between Eastern and western culture. She always talks some interesting stories with her Chinese teachers. Less than three years in China, she has decided to write a book. And then she is determined to use Chinese. That is "REDISCOVERING CHINA".

Li Lin says: "China is very attractive in the world and so many people are eyeing on China’s changing. In the West there are many books writing about China, but in China the books of introducing foreign countries are relatively far less. Mutual understanding is related with two sides, so it is useless to only introduce one side, and information of Chinese people understanding Westerners should also be prepared, through which we can all understand cultural differences of each other."

    36岁时她第一次从瑞典到北京，学习汉语；在北京的四合院里圆了中国梦；来华六年，她出版了中文著作《金发碧眼看中国》、《万事皆可能》，从而为很多中国读者熟知；她是一个外国人，但中国话说得很溜，不仅如此，她还将对中国的独特理解集结成中文书。她的名字叫李琳（Catarina Lilliehook）。

    李琳的父亲是一个十足的“中国迷”。受到父亲的影响，李琳从小就对中国文化很感兴趣。长大后，她曾经去过许多国家旅行，但是当她踏上中国的土地时，便被这里深厚的传统文化和悠久的历史所吸引。在中国生活的每一天，李琳都会被人们问到各种各样的问题。问的人不一样，问题也五花八门，什么都有。但无论是谁，有一个问题是他们必问无疑的，那就是“你为什么来中国?” 李琳对“中国”的理解是复杂的、多方面的。她经过一段时间的思考之后，选择了这样的回答 ——“中国有意思”，“中国非常有意思”。

    生活在中国的李琳经常会感觉到在他们看来应该讲究的地方，在这里却很随便。她说：“走在街头只要你觉得肚子饿了可以随便在街边买块烤白薯；有时候你突然遇到问题需要人帮助，肯定会有各种各样的人伸出手来帮助你。还有一些事情，当面商量商量就能解决了。为此我很感叹，感到这样生活着很轻松，因为这种情况在我们国家是不太可能看到的。所以简单的不那么讲究的事情又会让人感到很惬意。”　　

    李琳在《金发碧眼看中国》中写道：我实在是喜欢走街串巷地东瞧瞧西看看，更热衷于去发现。那些狭小的古老街巷诱惑着我，在那儿我充满了回忆和遐想。我怀着无限的好奇心寻找着等待着我的下一个街角，那儿会不会有一扇吱吱作响的上了年纪的大门?会不会有一位老太太正在做着她的晚饭?会不会有一群孩子正在院子里追逐戏耍?

    李琳和丈夫搬到中国后，渐渐地适应着中国的一切。一年后，李琳离开奢侈的公寓，搬到北京胡同里的四合院儿。她说：“对一个外国人来说，住在四合院儿很不容易。碰见问题的时候你没法给前台打电话请他们来帮助你，你只能靠你自己。但是住在四合院儿非常有意思，我学会了很多的东西，也有很多机会让我自己更融入中国的社会。在这儿没有老外，我的邻居们都是中国的老百姓。”

    李琳在中国一直喜欢观察东西方文化的差异，也经常和中文老师聊聊一些有趣的故事。她在中国不到三年的时候，决定要写一本书。而且决定用中文写作。那就是《金发碧眼看中国》。

    李琳说：“因为中国现在在世界上很吸引人，所以很多人都非常关注在中国发生的一切。可是虽然在西方已经有很多有关中国的文字介绍，但是在中国介绍外国的资料并不多。互相认识是一个双方面的过程。只告诉一方没有什么用，也应该有这方面的资料让中国人了解西方人。这样我们都可以了解彼此的文化差异。”

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