I first thought life in the United States will be hard to adjust, and it was indeed hard at the beginning. But it is because I meet my Humes family at the beginning of the beginning, their virtue and kindness dissipate most of my uneasy feelings. And I meet my host family later, who gives me the same homecoming atmosphere wherever I go, also includes the thanksgiving break we spent together. We went to Virginia and saw the first Presbyterian church, and the church where Patrick Henry deliver his famous speech of “Liberty or Death”. Richmond is really more than a modern city: the history behind it grants it with unique characteristics, and people, places and knowledge is what humanities to me practically now.
Below is a paragraph interviewing my mother about humanities.
What do you think about humanities?
你觉得人文是一种什么东西，或者说你对它有什么看法？
As something that was not taught in the textbook, it is really hard to answer this question. The traditional education system in China never teach anything about humanities other than remembering historical fact. In my times, going to school is only for higher possibility of having a stable career, which can make me and my family stay alive. No one really has the time and effort to ponder about what is humanities. But for now, hmmmmm: since we are human, so everything that we created can be called as humanities.
说实话，这种书里没讲考试不考的东西我们还真从来没想过。中国传统教育对于人文的定义不过就是背历史事件罢了。在我那个时候，上学只是为了一个稳定的工作去养活我自己还有家里人，没人有那个想人文是什么东西的闲工夫。但是现在思考一下：既然我们是人类，那我们创造出来的东西不就是人文吗。
