Opening a door

Opening A Door

When I arrived at the door of CBA building where I took business class, a boy who stood in front of me opened the door for me. When I arrived at the door of dining hall where I had a lunch, a boy helped me open the door. When I walked closed to the door of supermarket where I bought food and commodities, a man also opened the door for me. If I told my girlfriends about these in China, they would think I was very popular. But, unfortunately, it was in America.

I enjoyed such treatment in America for two years, and my reaction to this behavior changed from uncomfortableness to acceptance calmly. In the first few days I stayed in America, when I wanted to get into some buildings, once there was a person opened the door of the building earlier than me and saw I stood behind him or her, the person would pull the door for me until I hold it. It was a polite and warm behavior, but why did it make me feel uncomfortable? I could not remember who helped me open a door in China, even though I lived in China for 20 years. In China, we do not have this habit of helping others open a door in our daily life. Thus, when I was treated like this, I felt extremely flattered and did know how to respond to them. When I adapted to American life gradually, I knew this is just a very normal and polite behavior. When they open or hold a door for me, I just say “thank you” to them as other people did. And I learned to open doors for others. I felt though it was just an unimpressive behavior, it conveyed the respect among people.

Last summer break, I planed to go back to China and booked flight from Chicago to Shanghai. When I arrived at airport in the early morning, I was informed the flight was delayed. But because of the delay, I knew a psychology professor who took the same flight with me. He was in his fifties and wore formal clothes. He told me he was a psychology teacher in University of Nanjing which is a famous university in China. Because of his experience in China, we had many topics to talk and he invited me to eat breakfast with him in upstairs. When we arrived at the escalator, I let him go first because I thought he was older. However, he let me go first and said, “ Lady first.” After we sat down in the chairs in second floor, I told him juniors should let their elders go first in China. He told me he knew that but lady first is the basic principle in U.S rather than age. So I was spoiled again by American society principle.

After I came back from Seattle, I took the flight to Shanghai immediately. I was very excited when the plane landed in Shanghai airport. After all, I left this land for 1 year. However, the moment I walked out from the door of plane, my throat felt very sore because of the high index of P.M 2.5. I breathed American fresh air for one year, so I could not get used to the serious haze of Shanghai quickly.  Though I felt uncomfortable, I still had to take my heavy baggage, which was filled with American vitamin and other nourishments. Because my mom worried about the quality of Chinese medicine, she gave me a list of medicine before I went back and asked me to buy them all. I told my mom that my friends’ mom asked them to buy luxuries but she asked me to buy vitamins from the other side of earth. I tried my best to move my baggage to the cart. I felt so sad because no one helped me, and I thought if it was in America, there would be someone to help me. I walked to the custom pushing my baggage. When I arrived at the door of custom, no one walked in front of me. The moment I intended to get into custom, an Chinese man in his thirties rushed in front of me suddenly, and walked into the door left with a glance to me. I was scared by his sudden and impolite behavior. But he reminded me that I arrived in China.

Deng Xiaoping’s reform and opening-up policy opened the door of China to the world and made China develop quickly, and that made the world marvel. China became an economic power that makes it have more speaking power in the world. But does China speak and act beautifully in front of the world? Chinese bought expensive apartments in Europe and U.S; luxury stores full of Chinese people; sports cars ran in the road in big cities. In the opposite side, we can see: Some Chinese spit and throw garbage everywhere; Chinese manufactured substandard milk powder; Chinese young people raced in city streets. As the fast development of Chinese economy, Chinese people’s souls and quality have not caught up the improved life level. Many Chinese pursue material life blindly and want to keep up with developed countries, but forget to improve themselves in spiritual civilization.

Regardless of economic difference between China and America, we can see the huge gap of these two countries in a small detail— opening a door. It is a general habit in America but difficult to see in China. Not only did I realize this condition of China, more and more Chinese realized it and appeal Chinese people improve self-quality. Developed network helps us face the world, let us realize our wrongly behavior by comparing with people’s behavior in other countries and correct inappropriately behavior.

More and more Chinese students study in America benefiting from Deng Xiaoping’s “opening a door” policy. Not only does study in America developed knowledge, we also experience American life which is anther kind of education. I found the feeling change to “opening a door” was also appeared in my Chinese friends. In the beginning, Chinese boys had no habit of opening a door for girls. When we walked into a restaurant, they just opened the door and got into the restaurant naturally which made me feel a gap by comparing to them with American boys. After few months, I thought they also saw what American boys did and reflected on that and did some change— opening a door for girls and let girls go first. I saw they were very proud when they did it. About one year later, when the boys opened doors for others, proud expression disappeared and they just thought they were doing what they should do.

When we regard helping others as a necessary thing, we are closer to civilization. One day, when Chinese students who study in U.S, Europe or another counties go back to China, they not only go back with developed knowledge, but also bring back foreign good habits. These good habits can not just influence surrounding people more than can transmit to their next generation. Improving national quality is unrealistic to accomplish in an action and relies on everyone’s effort. Deng Xiaoping opened a door for us, so why don’t we open a door for others?