介绍:
Heyang: We were all born as chubby babies one day, but how come after college graduationor apparently during that period of time in your life, we see more skinny Chinese people as opposed to Western peers? I don't think that has much to do with genetics actually. Ok, guys, yeah so what explains this phenomenon?
Ryan: Well, first of all, I’m pretty sure that you just called me and Bob chubby babies, we were very healthy looking babies, am I right Bob?
Bob: Yes, I was possibly chubby but I totally applaud your right, to say that we were chubby, whether we were chubby or not, is neither here or there. Let’s sort it that one there.
Ryan: Let’s talk about what happens after you know that point when we were a baby, we grow up, and how it’s different from maybe the east and west. Um and I say I think first thing we’ll talk about, and we often just talked about on the show is that, how intense the school is here, and academic is that something is so important for many Chinese students. Young Chinese people preparing for this test, that seems to be the make break for them known as the Gaokao. Well we have something similar towards high school, the SAT, but at the same time in the US, you find the emphasis and the make break of the SAT isn’t really there. It’s something that helps you to get to the better school, but I think you can still manage to get to a good school, doing OK on your SAT. The thing is, in the US, we have in high schools, in middle schools, sometimes in elementary schools, but competitive sports, and we really put an influence on our kids, to go out and try out for sports. Because we believe like maybe makes you a good all-round kid, someone that knows how to compete, be a good sports man, practice good sportsmanship, know how to act in a team, you know inside and outside of a class, and because of this, we see I think in the US at least, a more emphasis on gym culture, in high school and what not.
Heyang: And also I think there’s a huge influence or emphasis in the US, correct me if I’m wrong Ryan, that if you are really good at one sport, then it’s quite easy-er you are to get into a top knot university as there's a lot of sports sponsorships or scholarships? And I think that’s so closely tied to (you know) higher education, and in China, there’s no emphasis as such, and usually the PE classes are considered as a wasted time. There’s better use of that precious time of these young people -- that is to study Math or English or some of the other subjects.
Ryan: Yeah you make a really great point. It’s true that actually I was reading not so long ago about the Olympics and where a lot of the Olympic athletes came from (I think it was) Berkeley, was one of them, I don't remember what the top one was. So these top universities are getting people not necessarily based offtheir academics, but how they perform as athletes. Why? You will find in the US, that many of these athletes bring just as much recognition to the school, and more money to the school than someone who's really good at math or what not. You know a good example is at UNM (University of New Mexico, our basketball team'sgreat, we built a huge new stadium. It was amazing, and the basketball team is very lucrative for my university. It’s a focus.
Bob: But then is that saying that if you are good at sport, then you can't do Math?
Ryan: No, that's absolutely not. But I would say someone who focuses all their time on math, like maybe what you would see here in China, someone focusing on their academics, and then someone splitting that time up between really becoming an Olympic athlete and going to Berkeley, and then competing the Olympics, and also keeping up that academics. It's gonna be harder. One person that is very focused on one thing, that's the academics, the other----it has its balance.
Bob: But I think um I suppose if I could bring in the British dimension here (yes please), because I think when we talking about Americans, I think that's probably all about um you know body building and looking fabulous, and going to the gym, and things like that. If British people I think, you know um are little larger, it's nothing to do with muscles, I think it's just we eat too much. To be honest, ah....
Heyang: And actually yeah I think my initial introduction to this topic was slightly biased, and I did it on purpose, waiting for you guys to catch me actually.
Bob: Suddenly going through colleg, and you know there has to be exams you know, it's comfort to eat as well, because I think we have a big culture that when you get stressed or upset, we go straight to the larder and just eat (we do too, the freshman 13), and eat and eat and eat.
Heyang: Yeah also I think there is this culture aspect to us as well. In China I think the parents don't really think that body building or you know having a good physics or you know playing sport is that important, and often mum says oh that is just playing, you are wasting your time, you are playing, you should be studying. And then also in traditional culture, if not ancient culture, we have this concept of Wen and WU, so it's Civil and Military, and that goes back to thousands of years. And military is usually a connected with maybe masculinity and Wen is more about being a magistrate, and you have a big brain, and the muscles don't really come in to play. People don't really care and that has been associated with also ascetics, what women think is attractive in men as well. So there's a whole concept going on.
Ryan: Yeah I think what we are seeing here in China, in how the typical male and female act in their younger years and academically and sports wise. I think it works for here, passing the Gaokao and becoming successful. Although I think it's a different story in the US, we are kind of um very a culture that does focus on the look, as well as the academics. And um I think you know it's just different, it's just different and you know what there's no right or wrong here, we just see two different cultures and how they play out in the youth.
Heyang: Yeah I think there’s no right or wrong, but there's always one that's attractive in a way. I guess although that's a....
Ryan: What you are trying to say here uh?
Bob: I think she's trending on a very dangerous ground here.
Heyang: Yes, I have some girl friends that like really skinny guys and think that muscles "eww", basically that sums it up. But also there's other girls, like myself, that we think working out is cool, and muscles I think it's sort of like a badge honor in a way, and when I myself is lean, and I've got muscles. I like to be paired up with a guy that got some too. So depends on your own, preference and ascetics, we are not judging at all. And yes it is east meeting west, and I think we are seeing each other and encountering each other so much more. So yeah that's a topic for discussion.
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