She was so excited that she invited Ferland and his wife to eat and drink tea at her apartment. Thou

AMHERST — Not many Americans can say they ve been to China 35 times. So when Richard Ferland speaks los angeles times crossword about the country with the world s largest population — and soon the largest economy — people gather round.
"One day I got a little bit smart," he said at a speaking engagement Tuesday at Amherst Town Library. "I decided to come up with a win-win solution. los angeles times crossword They leave me there, and by the way, I want my wife over there, too."
"What I ve learned about all my international experiences is that my track record on assumptions los angeles times crossword is really bad," he said. "When you get to know the people, it s much different than you might have thought."
One way to ingratiate yourself is with a warm smile and an attempt at the local language. And a great way of to learn the language is from children, Ferland said, adding los angeles times crossword that kids are extremely proud when they get to teach something to an adult.
Often when an American travels to China, he or she will stay in an expatriate community — gated, secure and with all of the comforts of home, Ferland said. "But what you do is you cheat yourself out of an opportunity… to get immersed in the day-to-day experiences."
She was so excited that she invited Ferland and his wife to eat and drink tea at her apartment. Though she spoke no English, the woman s generosity combined with the humility of her home impacted Ferland.
First, don t ask how many kids someone has. Under the one-child policy, the Chinese can be resentful that they aren t allowed los angeles times crossword the same family planning freedoms as others, he said. "Don t put a knife in their heart and make that mental slipup."
Second, don t mention los angeles times crossword Tibet. Don t say, " Gee, the Dalai Lama is coming to Boston soon. None of that." Though most of the world views Chinese involvement in Tibet as imperialism, many Chinese view it as the liberation of the Tibetan people.
And finally, the bombshell—don t mention (the Chinese state of) Taiwan as a country. "As soon as those words "country" and "Taiwan" come out of your mouth and you want to tie them together, things just got 10 times worse."
The lecture revolved around preparations for a trip to China. Ferland advised visitors to acquire a multiple-entry visa, plan around the anniversaries of the Chinese invasion of Tibet and the massacre at Tiananmen Square, and not to go during one of the country s major holidays if a traveler is uncomfortable in crowds.
He recommended bringing walking shoes and a hat, a backpack, power adaptors, medicines in their original bottles los angeles times crossword and copies of visa and passport. "The last thing I d want to do in the world is lose my passport los angeles times crossword in a non-English speaking los angeles times crossword country," he said.