I am from China. In 2007, right after I arrived to Barcelona, the city was unfamiliar to me, and the same was true of F.C. Barcelona (Barça), Barcelona’s football club. However, everything was fresh and new to me, which compelled me to discover the mystery.
After 3 years, I got bored of the city, so I left for the UK. But I never got bored of Barça. Instead, I fell deeply in love with it. I know I am a strange person. People around me asked me how come I got bored of such an amazing city, with such nice weather. For me, weather is something that has the same value as money—they are external elements which don't influence me that much. However, Barça, with its own style of management, and Catalan culture, attracted me a lot. No matter where I go, I follow the news about Barça. Because it has its own culture, which has an impact on people.
People might say Barcelona and Barça represent the same thing. In my point of view, there is a big difference. Barcelona is a really diverse city that is controlled and influenced by the Spanish government. Compared to London, there is still racism against the Chinese. For instance, it happened to me many times that while walking down the street in Barcelona, people would pass by and suddenly jump in front of me and call me chinita (little Chinese girl). This has never happened to me in the UK.
I can understand about racism, because everyone in this world is racist to some degree. However, Barça represents more than a culture, it's a sentiment. Barça fans can get together and cheer for their team's victory. It does not matter where they are from, or what color is their skin.
As we all know, the best match, and the most interesting one, is always Barça vs. Real Madrid, because it's not just a simple football match, it also involves political issues concerning how powerful Catalonia is.
After learning about Catalan culture and its own history, it made me think, how come Catalan people don't support their own nation as much as they support Barça?
As a foreigner, I really respect those few Catalans who stand up and fight for their own culture, just like Barça fights for every victory.
As a business school student, I would like to help Catalonia by spreading its culture and promoting Catalan food. Most Asian people don't know the differences between Spanish and Catalan food. Also, I would like to explain to them why Catalonia wants and has the need to be independent.
I would like to use a Chinese allegory to express this idea. One chopstick breaks easily, but a bundle of chopsticks is very hard to break. Catalan people, please stand up and get together to fight for your own victory because it's all about teamwork, not about individualism.
Chengcheng Hu
People might say Barcelona and Barça represent the same thing. In my point of view, there is a big difference. Barcelona is a really diverse city that is controlled and influenced by the Spanish government. Compared to London, there is still racism against the Chinese. For instance, it happened to me many times that while walking down the street in Barcelona, people would pass by and suddenly jump in front of me and call me chinita (little Chinese girl). This has never happened to me in the UK.
I can understand about racism, because everyone in this world is racist to some degree. However, Barça represents more than a culture, it's a sentiment. Barça fans can get together and cheer for their team's victory. It does not matter where they are from, or what color is their skin.
As we all know, the best match, and the most interesting one, is always Barça vs. Real Madrid, because it's not just a simple football match, it also involves political issues concerning how powerful Catalonia is.
After learning about Catalan culture and its own history, it made me think, how come Catalan people don't support their own nation as much as they support Barça?
As a foreigner, I really respect those few Catalans who stand up and fight for their own culture, just like Barça fights for every victory.
As a business school student, I would like to help Catalonia by spreading its culture and promoting Catalan food. Most Asian people don't know the differences between Spanish and Catalan food. Also, I would like to explain to them why Catalonia wants and has the need to be independent.
I would like to use a Chinese allegory to express this idea. One chopstick breaks easily, but a bundle of chopsticks is very hard to break. Catalan people, please stand up and get together to fight for your own victory because it's all about teamwork, not about individualism.
Chengcheng Hu
Very curious, in Catalonia we have an allegory very similar to the chopsticks one: the "bush of rushes" ("mata de jonc"). This one was written by Ramon Muntaner (1265-1336) and it says: "If you tie the bush tight with a rope and try to pull it up, even 10 strong men won't be able to do it. However if you remove the rope, an 8 years child will be able to remove all the rushes one by one".
With all due respect, I would like to know how someone from a country like China can worry about the rights of others in a foreign country. Talk about the kettle calling the pot black. I'm a Mexican-American born in Texas from Mexican parents and even though I'm very proud of being a Texan I'm even more proud of being an American. There's a saying in Mexico that goes as follows: "El buen juez por su casa empieza". I hope you realize one day that the world isn't black and white, there is a whole lot of gray in between. Good luck.
jesse
The fact someone comes from a country whose government has very little (or no) respect for human rights does not mean they cannot belive in those rights and everyone's right to them. In fact, I should imagine that many, if not most Chinese will want to claim these selfsame rights, for themselves as well as for others. It would be very sad if the opinions of those who might aspire to any rights should be disregarded because they themselves suffer the lack of those rights!