[The United Kingdom] Grimsley James Alexander, Capital Normal University
I went to Beijing for the first time in 2013. At that time I did not speak a word in Chinese, but luckily I had a Beijing partner with me who was always ready to explain to me what I was seeing and hearing in my new surroundings, so I did not have to worry about anything.
At the time, I had a great time in Beijing, but whenever I went to a park there, I couldn’t help but think of someone who seemed to be far away from Beijing and had nothing to do with the city, and that person was my grandma.
You might find it odd that I was in such a far away place, how could I possibly be thinking of my grandma?
It’s really easy to understand why. For the first time, I was moved by the sight of so many joyful and active elderly folks in a Beijing park. I thought of my grandma, who was a resident of a British nursing facility. She hardly ever left the house, sat around all day bored, and I had a hard time picturing herself participating in any sports. Even the nursing home personnel discouraged people of my grandmother’s age from participating in sports, and the entire British society believed that the elderly and sports were unrelated. Old people should be seen as old people, and in their opinion, old people should not do anything. So my grandmother is no exception. She spends her days in a nursing home and has simply become the stereotype of the elderly. This is not the case at all with the elderly in Beijing: they are vibrant, upbeat, and full of energy.
I went back to Beijing to study in Capital Normal University six years later. Despite the fact that I did not have much time to visit the parks this time due to the burden of my academics, I still miss the scenes I witnessed there.
However, I discovered there are not many opportunities to speak Chinese with Chinese people as a foreigner living and studying in China. This bothers me a bit because we frequently communicate in English rather than Chinese when I speak to young people (which is why my Chinese is not as good as their English).
It never occurred to me before, but a brilliant teacher suggested that I visit the park and chat with the elderly. I would soon be able to sharpen my Chinese by conversing with these elderly people who didn’t know English. So I went back to the parks in Beijing and continued to experience the hustle and bustle there.
In Beijing’s parks, my preconceived notions about old people as a British were utterly dispelled. I had the impression that older individuals in Beijing were not defined by their age and saw it as nothing more than a number. Their catchphrase is “We are old, but not old at heart.” Everyone finds their team, regardless of whether they participate in athletics, dance, chess, or the Peking Opera.
I like to see the senior citizens enjoying themselves in the park, and I frequently catch their attention.
“What country are you from?” an old lady asked me, and once she realized I could converse reasonably well in Chinese, several people approached me and talked to me. That there were so many people interested in me caught me off guard. Another grandma welcomed me to her home within an hour to have supper with her family, and an uncle asked if I might tutor his grandson in English. Everyone was extremely enthusiastic. I had at long last succeeded in assimilating into Chinese society.
Every time I walk through the parks in Beijing, I reflect on how uncommon similar activities are in parks in the UK. I also often come across new and unique activities in the parks. Something I like most is writing on the ground.
As long as there is a large stone on the ground, people can write wonderful Chinese characters. As a left-handed person, I am very impressed that people can write such beautiful Chinese characters with their big pens. Another amazing activity was walking on stilts. In the UK there are people who walk on stilts, but it’s a kind of skilful sport, and I was so amazed at the grandparents’ stilt walking in the Beijing park, my grandmother could never do that!
When I look at the bustling life in Beijing parks, I often think, how wonderful it would be for my grandma to visit Beijing, she would love it and may jump at the chance to join one of those teams once she gets there. The less active the elderly are, the worse their health will be. I wish I could send my grandma to Beijing and so she could spend more time playing with her peers in the parks and do more activities. The ideal is nice but “out of reach” due to the fact that she is too old and Beijing is too far away from the UK.
The elderly people in Beijing parks now come to my mind whenever I think of the city. I remember how happy and determined they were to get their morning exercise regardless the weather. Even more, I want to introduce part of that culture to the UK so that my grandmother and other senior people there might adopt their attitude of defying aging and get out more frequently to socialize and enjoy life.
The story is from "My Beautiful Encounter with China" Essay Competition organized by the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchanges (CSCSE).
