Stereotypes have deeply settled down on both sides of the World. Although we somewhat know that it is not very appropriate to make hurried judgments based on received ideas, we keep doing it. It is actually understandable since the perception we have of different cultures is limited and often flawed. Meeting a wide range of people (and, if necessary, traveling to Fujian to do so) helps having a better understanding of what is different, and why it is the way it is.

Back in France, when I was telling my friends that I was relocating to China, one of them said:

"The perception you have of life must be so different in a country where potentially anyone can be a master of Kungfu!"

He was kidding. But it did make me think of how different a place can be from the conventional idea we have of it. For some, East Asia is a very uniform area with identical-looking yellow people. They would be very hard-working and satisfied with one or two servings of rice every day. Pretty basic, indeed, but even within more educated groups of people, strong stereotypes persist. For example, the Chinese are often believed to be docile and to have dog for lunch. Westerners do not have stereotypes about Fujian since they do not know the province and have no clue about its location.

Discovering Traditions [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

On their side, the Chinese also have their share of prejudices. When they discover that I was born in Paris, they assume that I am a great romantic and that I regularly treat myself to Chateau Lafite. Some believe that all foreigners have an amazing life and spend their time hopping from a country to another. The truth is that the foreign expatriates in Fuzhou are not typical representatives of their home country. They are usually educated, somewhat open-minded and attracted enough to China for them to make the trip. Moreover, most Europeans and Americans come to Fuzhou to work as English teachers, for temporary assignments. When I tell people that I am an engineer, they get both surprised and puzzled. Why would a foreigner come to Fujian to work when they could stay at home and eat beef everyday?