Luiza GRIGORYAN

Beijing. The place of my dreams. I wonder what it is like to wake up every day in a city populated by so many people. I do not like when China is associated exclusively with a place to gain money. How often people go there out of a desire to earn income and then return to their country to buy a house or a car, hoping that this will solve all their problems. China is not just a place where you can build your career and find funding for it. China, and especially its center - Beijing - is the goal, the end of the road, and the beginning of a new journey. I've always wondered what it's like to visit a place where every foreigner is welcomed as a long-awaited guest. The people there are not only interested in European culture, they are people who deeply respect those who come to their country and honor their traditions and beliefs. And especially know the Chinese language.

An important role is played by the attitude of family members in the East to each other. Family is valued above all else there. Older people are always treated with respect and awe. Especially the opinion of grandparents is valued above all else. In order to get married to your soulmate, it is not enough to just set a date for the wedding. An important step to securing the bond of marriage is the acquaintance of the second half and the family. If the parents do not approve of the candidate for the role of the husband or the bride, you can forget about the wedding. On the one hand, this seriousness of affairs may seem too strict. Since many families look more at the wallet of the chosen one more than on other aspects, but on the other hand, it is also important to learn the opinion of parents who understand life better than the younger generation. Among other things, marriage in the East is not a fleeting whim, but a conscious choice. If in the West the divorce rate exceeds 60 percent of marriage, then in the East there is a saying: "If you have married a dog, you follow a dog, if you married a chicken, you follow a chicken". of course, it is difficult to decide on marriage, knowing that it will be one for life. However, by raising children on quiet sayings, they better understand the seriousness of marriage. In addition to marriage, the issue of fatherlessness is also very important. I once told my Chinese friend that I grew up without a father. It was incomprehensible to her. - How? – she asked. - Like this. He just wasn't there for us. - Well, why didn't you look for him?

Later she explained that if a father leaves his family in China, not only his wife and children will go looking for him, but after such a disgrace the whole family will participate and bring him back to the house.

The Chinese are distinguished by their competitiveness. There are no people who are ready to leave important things for tomorrow. They are very focused and plan their day very meticulously. In their opinion, if you get up later than 7 o'clock, the day can already be considered lived in vain since time will not wait. Everything needs to be done on time. Although they care about progress at work, they do not forget about eating. However, this pleasure can also be obtained strictly on schedule. The usual time for breakfast is 8 to 9 o'clock, for lunch exactly at noon. At this time, you can see many cafes and restaurants, where employees tend to go with the onset of a break. Dinner goes to 7 PM. however, I would not be surprised if there are people in the middle kingdom who do not follow the rules. It is believed that sleep also plays an important role. It affects the strength that everyone needs to cope with all the things planned for the day. And, as strange as it may sound, daytime sleep is not only something that is typical for children in the East. Sleeping in the daytime is the most common pastime for adults. Many offices and companies have special rooms where every employee can lie down and sleep. It is believed that it is daytime sleep that gives more energy. However, the main question remains why the Chinese are so ruthless about their whims. Their competitiveness knows no limits and the reason is that China has a very large population. People learn about the competition here from a young age. Even in school years, children feel the need to be the best. Mostly because of parents who do not feel sorry for their children, knowing what awaits them in adulthood.

I'm also struck by their architecture. What it looks like up close? Will I be able to experience all the wisdom that was learned here by Confucius and Lao Tzu? I hope so. One Chinese businessman, Jack Ma, once said: "Never give up. Today is hard, tomorrow will be worse, but the day after tomorrow will be sunshine." This phrase referred to those who give up on their way to a dream. This is a large part of the population of the planet earth. And I want to believe that these words of a person who has experienced many failures can inspire people to take risks, believe in their future, and do their job with a positive attitude. I was affected by this phrase. And if today I know about China only from friends and from the Internet, in the future I will know about the Celestial Empire in person.