“Chinese Culture Changes My Life”

Lavinia Benedetti [Italy]

The original relation between me and China can go back to my primary school. One day, My parents took me to a nearby Chinese restaurant for a meal. Though it was located in the center of Florence, it differed obviously in style, decoration and service.Especially there were Chinese characters on its menu that I couldn’t understand. These Chinese characters made me amazed about them and the dishes we ordered impressed me a lot. I can remember the waiters in this restaurant were Chinese who taught me how to write the name of the restaurant --“ Nanjing??”. From then on, I became interested in the Chinese characters which were like being drawn. Once I had chance , I would go to purchase and focus on the food and goods which were labeled with Chinese characters. At that time, not many Italians went shopping in Chinese stores, so most of the Chinese waiters knew me.Certainly I made friends with the waiters in that restaurant,who were kind to me and taught me much Chinese although I couldn’t understand so thoroughly. As far as further contact with Chinese, it can go back to my middle school period when a Chinese girl came to our class. Maybe because I could write several Chinese characters, we became good friends quickly.We almost went to school and returned home together. As long as we stayed together, I would ask her about Chinese.I can still remember that she taught me how to calculate and say simple Chinese like "I am Lavinia." For this reason, I became more interested in China, and made a decision that I would make closer contact with Chinese people and Chinese culture in the future.

After graduation from high school, I chose to learn English in Netherlands in 2000. I knew clearly that what I would study in the future after coming back. Then I decided to major in Chinese in Rome University. In 2003, Beijing Foreign Studies University welcomed the students from Rome University to study in China,and I studied Chinese in Beijing for three months. I finally came to the amiable China which I had earnestly dreamed for a long time.After returning to Italy, I finished completing successfully through a period of systematic studies. I found that I could not help to falling in love with China so I came back to China resolutely. I got the scholarship with excellent grades and studied Chinese in Beijing Language and Culture University in 2006. Then my 6-year study life in China started. Before the language course,I worked as a three-month intern in the cultural department of the Italian embassy in China. The Italian embassy is located in Sanlitun, Beijing, which is also place of a gathering of foreign youths. I clearly remembered that in order to learn Chinese and understand Chinese culture better , I did not choose to live near the embassy. Instead I moved to Jiao Daokou, which was adjacent to the Drum Tower, AnDingmen , Di Anmeng, the Yonghe Lama Temple and the Forbidden City. That area is a most historic area in Beijing. The place which I lived in was the bungalow, small courtyard which the old Beijing people once lived in. The happiest thing in my daily life was to expose to the old Beijing life.I can not only see the grandpas play chess, cards and Mahjong along the roadside,but also chat with the aunts.I soon got used to the Beijingers'way of life, and the Beijingers quickly accepted me,a westerner. That's why my oral Chinese improved so fast. But I held the view that it was not enough to have the ability to speak Chinese and I must understand more Chinese characters.

When I looked back those days, Chinese characters are one of the main reasons for loving Chinese culture. Some western researchers held a weird idea that Chinese characters would be simplified and alphabetization according to the development tendency of characters. Even some regarded Chinese characters as backward characters which would be eliminated soon. Now we all know that these researchers perhaps misunderstood the history of human language,yet some can not fully understand the importance of Chinese characters in Chinese thinking and Chinese culture. Now, as a teacher, I always tell my students that ancient Chinese literati shared one common point without exception-they all used a set of writing brush and ink, wrote unique brush stroke, licked the ink and presented a full page with black and vivid characters. The most important tools of Chinese traditional culture are writing brush, ink stick, ink slab and paper.The so-called Four Treasures of the Study were the necessity of ancient Chinese literati at that time. Moreover, the special charm of writing and paintings was not only unique, and literati who were acquainted with Chinese ancient classics could be selected as officials.In this way I persuade my students to practice writing.

When I was a student, I practiced oral Chinese and at the same time I also made every effort to write and memorize Chinese characters and understand the meaning of them. I seized every chance to practice Chinese when I was going shopping, talking to Beijing people and asking them questions.What's more, I knew that Beijingers like traditional art very much,so I often went to tea house, where I can see the traditional art forms of Beijing, such as crosstalk, storytelling, Peking Opera,other Chinese folk art forms and so on. Though I didn't fully understand it, the atmosphere was fresh and unforgettable.Because I understand that you must learn about the culture and the history of the place if you would like to learn the language of it. I lived here in a Chinese way and this way became my daily habits. Until now, I will listen to Guo Degang's monologue comic talk and storytelling downloaded on my mobile phone before going to bed.

In 2007, my dream started to bloom after I had an opportunity to study for my doctor’s degree at Tsinghua University. The experience of Chinese culture and Chinese language that I had learned before is very helpful to my study.In that case, I found the subject that I was most interested in is called Chinese Ancient Crime Novel. Then I started my journey of research.With the help of Professor Luo Gang and Wang Ning, I got the doctor’s degree eventually.

After graduation, I had to return to homeland because of reasons about visa. At the news I cried sadly, but I did not lose the interest in Chinese culture. As soon as I got back to Italy, I applied for the University of Catania. I was accepted and hired as a senior lecturer of Chinese Language and Culture by the Department of Foreign Languages. In Italy, a senior lecturer is generally equivalent to an associate professor in the United States. At this university, I carried on my research work and was in charge of Chinese Department to give Chinese language and culture classes and help students to choose programs.Meanwhile I was busy with offering help on their thesis structure and other comprehensive guidance. Although most of the articles I wrote are related to ancient Chinese literature, but I am also interested in other topics. Recently I published a book called Chinese Ancient Crime Stories, I have been busy with these things every day for seven years since I came back to Italy. Even though there are so many things to do. But I can say that this job is really what I want in my lifetime. So, Chinese culture changes my life, and I see it as a Russian doll, with lots of interesting and valuable topics, from which I am constantly inspired.