重慶美女高娓娓在美國

□ 文/本刊記者 楊艷

重慶美女高娓娓在美國

□ 文/本刊記者 楊艷

重慶有個“曼哈頓”

翻看高娓娓的微信朋友圈就知道，2016年年末，她頻繁出現在重慶的渝中、江北、北碚、涪陵、潼南、璧山等地，這個在美國生活近20年的重慶妹子又回家了，兩個月的時間，她依舊忙碌，腳不停歇，用她的話說，這奔走的節奏正是重慶人現在的生活節奏。

高娓娓常年奔波于中美兩國之間，身為電視制片人，她把大量的精力投入于兩國的文化、教育等事業里，搭起了中美兩國之間的交流橋梁。這兩年重慶變化迅速，也令高娓娓十分驚訝。“現在的重慶，城市面貌煥然一新，江北嘴高樓聳立，重慶大劇院晚上燈火輝煌，還有兩江新區就像一個新生城市，交通四通八達，很多地方變得我都找不到方向了，城市發展勢頭如此之迅猛，現在重慶人的生活節奏也比以前快多了。”

說起這次的重慶印象，高娓娓滔滔不絕：“算起來，這次回國的時間最長，跟隨美國‘一帶一路’總商會考察團真正深入地了解到今天的重慶，我發現，其實紐約的曼哈頓與重慶的渝中區有很多相似的特性—曼哈頓島是紐約最小卻是最繁華的一個區，有世界有名的第五大道、時代廣場；重慶也有個島，渝中半島，地處在長江、嘉陵江交匯地帶，是重慶市政治、經濟、文化以及商貿流通中心，現在的渝中區就像曼哈頓一樣現代、時尚、繁榮。”近年來國家的利好政策連二接三地落地重慶，高娓娓也想憑己之力，積極牽線搭橋，引資引智，讓更多的美國華人華僑看到重慶的發展潛力，為助推家鄉發展出力。“這是一個良好的開始，能為自己的家鄉出力，我也很有成就感。”

搭建重慶與世界的交流橋梁

高娓娓或許天生就是做媒體的“料”。《高看美國》《紐約的中國老板們》《娓娓道美國》，這3本書是高娓娓久居美國后，所寫的見聞感想。在美國，她以傳媒人的身份報道過許多重大新聞事件，專訪過不少美國政界、商界精英，做過很多在別人看來十分驕傲的事。比如近距離見證美國大選，目睹中國領導人訪美之盛況，追蹤報道金融風暴襲擊美國、華人抗議CNN抹黑報道……一些重大事件的現場就能看到這個重慶女人的身影。

2009年1月20日，美國第一位非裔總統奧巴馬舉行就職典禮，高娓娓成為少數受邀出席典禮的華文媒體人。在就職典禮當天，她連夜從紐約趕赴華盛頓，近距離地目睹了奧巴馬發表就職演說。從那之后，她對每4年1次的美國大選格外關注。

除了美國時事熱點，高娓娓還關注一些民生事件：美國人結婚送禮、美國槍店如何銷售槍支等，或是與中國有關的事件：中國留學生的生活、美國人怎么看待中國美食、拔火罐如何受美國人歡迎、美國有哪些蔬菜在中國沒見過……一檔名叫《娓娓道來》的自媒體節目，就是她主持的視頻脫口秀，她把發生在她身邊的點點滴滴，拍成視頻短片放在網絡上，向中國人展現了一個最真實、最平民化的美國。據她透露，一期介紹美國槍支市場的節目，閱讀數量高達105萬，被網友轉發推薦470萬次，評論多達6000多條。她想讓中國人通過她的視角和經歷認識到真正的美國，這些數據正是她堅持的動力。

高娓娓在華盛頓年拜會上與陳香梅女士合影。

同樣身在異國他鄉，因感同深受，她特別留意中國留學生的生活。曾經有一位留學生的留言讓高娓娓至今難忘。“在美國，收獲中最重要的不是英語不是文憑，而是兩樣東西：一種是把我放到任何國家，任何人都不認識的地方，我都能生存下去的能力；另一種是名車豪宅已動搖不了我愿意每天坐公車去追求簡單夢想的平淡心態。”短短的幾句話讓她深有感觸，走出國門，打開了眼界，價值觀的轉變，不僅是人生的突破，也是最大的財富。

說起中國與美國的教育差異，高娓娓說：“在美國，無論是大學還是高中，大家很注重培養特長，特長變成了一門學問和要求，每個美國高中生至少都有一個特長，無論是數理化、體育，還是樂器。好的美國大學在申請書里都有這樣的問題—你有什么特長？參加過什么比賽（州/國家、世界）。所以在中國，孩子比的是知識，在美國比的是能力。”高娓娓說美國的課程和中國的不一樣，他們的課程沒有那么嚴格，老師教的不是統一的教材，上課時老師會不斷地講有關課程的延伸知識，學習更全面，當然，她認為，這并不是意味著美國的學校就是天堂，怎么融入集體是中國學生的“自修課”。

她的美國故事還在繼續

近年中國在國際舞臺上的影響力正不斷擴大，不僅是高娓娓，還有很多像她一樣定居美國的華僑也都有體會。于是，她和華人向善基金會共同創辦了“美國‘一帶一路’總商會”，她擔任秘書長。在她的主導下，商會得到一大批中美行業精英的鼎力支持，有世界著名華人華僑領袖、社會活動家、美國國際合作委員會主席、“飛虎隊”創建人美空軍陳納德將軍遺孀陳香梅女士，以及美國猶太人議會主席、著名企業家杰克·羅森等。

高娓娓主持2016年美國“一帶一路”春節晚會。

這次回到重慶，一個完全不一樣的家鄉讓她感慨萬千，重慶從深居西部內陸逐漸成為開放的前沿，這座城市就像一個巨大吸鐵石，正在吸引全世界的客商前來發展，并且更多的重慶商人也走向世界各地發展。高娓娓已攜商會考察了重慶13個區縣，中美間不少企業初步達成了合作協議。她期待重慶與世界能有更多更密切的交流往來，創造交流機會才能創造出無限可能。

“以前，世界很大，我走出中國看世界；現在，世界很小，我站在世界看中國……我是高娓娓，我在美國，為您娓娓道來：最真實的美國經歷，道盡美國好與壞；最真切的美國感悟，說盡美國是與非……”一段飽含深情的錄音源自高娓娓的視頻節目的開篇語，這也正是她發自內心深處的心聲。她一直在堅持做一件事，講她的美國故事。

(圖片由受訪者提供)

A “Manhattan” in Chongqing

A glance at the We-chat’s Moments posted by Gao Weiwei reveals that this girl who had been living in the United States for nearly two decades, frequently appears in districts like Yuzhong, Jiangbei, Beibei, Fuling, Tongnan, Bishan in her home city, Chongqing. In these two months, she still made a hurried journey without stop. Such high strength work in her words was just about the pace of life in Chongqing at present.

As a television producer, she’s been traipsing back and forth from China and the United States and also investing a lot of energy into the cause of culture and education in both countries in all these years so as to put up a bridge of communication between China and America. After an experience brushed with death in an air travel, she got a fear of flying and decided to settle in the United States instead of commuting. The tremendous changes in Chongqing these two years also surprised Miss Gao. In her description, Chongqing now has taken on an entirely newlook by the towering buildings in Jiangbeizui, the brilliantly illuminated Chongqing Grand Theater at night. Liangjiang New Area--like a new city--extends its transportation network in all directions, which even makes her lose her orientation. Chongqing leads a rapid development in urban construction which also matches the fast-paced life of its people.

She launched into endless praises about the impression of this trip to Chongqing. “Followed with the delegation of American One Belt and Road Association, I have indeed a deep understanding of modern Chongqing during the longest trip to hometown.” “Compared with Manhattan in New York, Yuzhong District in Chongqing has many similarities in my eyes. Manhattan Island, the smallest but the most prosperous district in New York while there is also a Yuzhong peninsula in Chongqing, located in theconvergence zone of the Yangtze River and Jiangling River, which boasts the political, economic, cultural and commerce-circulation center. And at present, Yuzhong District also is the same as Manhattan in the areas of modern, fashion and boom.” Under the support of a barrage of favorable policies provided by state, Gao Weiwei also would like to do her bit to play as a bridge to introduce foreign capital and bring in talented people to get wider audience of the potential in Chongqing’s growth. “It represents a good beginning and it gives me a big sense of achievement to help my hometown.”

A bridge of the cultural exchange of Chongqing and the world

To be a natural-born media person, Gao Weiwei has written three books--according to her personal experience after living in the United States—namely America in My Eyes, Prominent Chinese-Americans in New York, Vivid Accounts of America. In her second hometown, America, she has reported many big press events as a media person and also given exclusive interviews to political and commercial elites as well as got some admirable experiences like witnessing Chinese leaders’ visits to the United States, tracking reports about fi nancial crisis in America and Chinese’s protest to discredit reports by CNN. It is quiet normal to catch this Chongqing woman’s fi gure in places where important events took place.

This Chongqing woman also became part of a few Chinese media people who were invited to attend the inauguration ceremony of President Obama--the first African American President in the United States--on Jan. 20, 2009. On that day, she rushed to Washington D. C. from New York that night in order to witness President Obama’s inaugural address from a close distance. From then on, quadrennial American presidential campaign has been getting her extra attention.

Besides hot spots, she also pays attention to both people’s livelihood like wedding gifts, gun sales in America and events related to China like life of Chinese students, American people’s attitude toward Chinese food, why is cupping grass so popular and American vegetables, which are unfamiliar with Chinese people. A We-Media show, named Weiwei Talk Show, is her personal talk show which collects dribs and drabs to make videos on the Internet to describe the most authentic and common America to Chinese people. She added, a program, centered on introduction of American gun markets, has read by 1.05 million times and shared 4.70 million times with over 6000 comments. All those numbers represents the source of her motivation. From her perspective and experience, Gao Weiwei intends to allow Chinese people to know the true America.

She also pays particular interest to the life of Chinese students because of the same homesick. Once a message written by a Chinese students still existed in her mind. This student said, “In America, the most precious harvest I have is not the English or diploma but the ability to live in any countries without acquaintances and a kind of attitude to seek a simple life just like taking buses instead of limousines.” Gao Weiwei was touched deeply by such a few short sentences. She noticed that Chinese students not only go abroad with a broader perspective, but also change their sense of worth, which represents both the breakthrough of life and the biggest wealth.

Speaking of the educational differences between China and America, she mentioned that most American students focus on personal strengths, which becomes a sort of study and requirement in both colleges and high schools. Each American high students usually have a strength at least including mathematics, physics, chemistry, sports and instruments playing. Do you have any special skills? Have you ever taken part in any games? They are common questions when applying for a top university. And the curriculum design in America also is quiet different with the Chinese one. Their curriculum is less rigorous without unified teaching materials instead of extended and relatively more comprehensive knowledge provided by teachers in class, however, it doesn’t mean that schools in America are the paradise. In China, it is a self-study class for students to learn how to integrate into the collective.

Her American stories are still continuing

Both Gao Weiwei and other overseas Chinese living in America have an intimate knowledge of the increasing influence of China in global stage. For that reason, cooperated with Chinese Kindness Foundation, she has set up American One Belt One Road Association and served as the Secretary General of it. Under her leadership, association has been supported by a host of Chinese and American elites in various sectors like Ms. Chen Meixiang, widow of Claire Lee Chennault who was the creator of Flying Tigers, the President of the American Council for international cooperation, social activist and the famous overseas Chinese leader; Jack Rosen, a famous entrepreneur and the Chairman of the American Jewish Congress.

Coming back Chongqing, this totally different hometown has marveled her that Chongqing, a city in western China increasingly becomes the forefront of reform and opening up. It seems to be a gigantic magnet which attracts businessmen from all over the world and also introduces a large number of Chongqing merchants to the outside world. With Association, she has investigated 13 districts and countries in Chongqing with many preliminary cooperation agreements between Sino-US enterprises. She looks forward to more and closer communications between Chongqing and the world to create in fi nite possibilities by those cooperating chances.

“Previously, I want to come out of China to see this big world while now I stand in this small world to watch my homeland, China. I am Gao Weiwei. Let me tell you the most authentic American experiences, the advantages and disadvantages of the United States, the most real American understanding to judge the right and wrong of this state.” This very meaningful sound recording is derived from the opening sentence of her video show, which also represents the heartfelt wishes of this Chongqing woman. What she has been insisting on is talking her American stories.

(Pictures were provided by interviewees)

Gao Weiwei: A Chongqing Beauty in America

□ Article/ Journalist Yang Yan