Society

German expat gets into Expo groove

By Tang Zhihao (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-03-22 08:48

SHANGHAI - German dance instructor Alan Richter's love of Chinese culture extends beyond hotpot and kungfu. He also borrows his wife's Chinese surname when the occasion presents itself.

"My wife is a descendant of the Plain Blue Banner soldiers of Mongolia that date back to the Qing Dynasty. So by taking her family name I feel like I have a closer connection with Chinese culture," the 44-year-old said.

"He must have been Chinese in a past life," said his wife, Tong Mei. "He enjoys his life in China so much."

Richter has been doing his bit for Expo by volunteering to teach German on weekends in Changning district.

"Eating Chinese food and listening to Peking Opera do not automatically mean you, as a foreigner, have understood the culture," he said. "You must communicate with people in this society in order to do that."

He said Shanghai Expo will accelerate the globalization of the city and highlight achievements the Chinese have made in the last decade.

"We are about to present Shanghai to the world. I thought that I needed to do something positive to make things better for the event," he said.

"Germany is known around the world for its luxury cars, soccer games and beer, but China is still not very well understood by foreigners. The Beijing Olympics offered a great opportunity for the world to look inside the country, and now Shanghai is presenting a chance to do the same again."

Richter has also been teaching a mixture of kungfu and ballet for two years, free of charge.

"The pace of life here is much faster than in many other countries, so people need to do some sport and exercise after work to let off steam," he said.

"People are very nice in Shanghai, especially in the way they treat foreigners," said Richter, adding that he considers the city his home.

"I will live here forever if I can," he said, downplaying the daily chaos one sees during rush hour as being part of any metropolis.

He is looking forward to the opening ceremony of Expo on May 1, complete with fireworks and celebrities.

"I didn't make it to Hanover Expo in 2000 (in Germany), so this is a great opportunity to catch up on what I missed," he said.