Generation Gap

In China, they say a generation gap occurs every 4 years. When I first heard this, I found it preposterous. I have always been friends with people 4 years my senior or 4 years my junior (more my senior than junior, but you get the idea), and even with people who have a whole decade between us, I still get along just fine with them.

However, I think it finally began to dawn on me why age groups are so clique-like in Asian countries. On Friday, I met a girl, who was merely 2 years my younger, the same as my sister's age, and yet, I felt like we were YEARS apart, as in generations apart. I guess what they say about 90后 and 80后 is true, they have a difficult time associating with one another. It wasn't that I didn't like her, nor that we didn't get along, it was that I had a hard time relating to her, or at least tolerating some of her actions.

Indeed, this probably has to do with her upbringing to a certain degree, as she was very independent and handled things her way, but I think what stood out was the level of maturity. For my sister and I, we are the bestest of best friends, and I don't see a generation gap other than the fact that I have merely experienced some things in life earlier than she did. However, this is probably because my sister is also very mature for her age, but when comparing the two, they were worlds apart. I can see now why people who are merely a year or two apart may have some difficulty getting along in Asia.

I think whenever people meet me in China, they are always surprised to find out my real age. They are shocked that I am so young. When they associate with me, most often, they cannot tell that I am perhaps 3-4 years their junior (that is if I don't act goofy or silly). They always assume that I am one of them as I have no trouble talking with them or understanding/sympathizing with many of the things they go through. This is definitely a cultural difference that has been rather startling of a revelation for me. I always thought it ridiculous to say that 4 years is a generation gap (I commonly think of it as 10), but when people in China have such giant gaps in maturity level, I can see why this saying has come about in such a gigantic population. There really isn't a need to associate with people your senior or junior, because there are plenty of people within your class to be friends with who are at the same level and on par with you. It is definitely an interesting dilemma, one of which I am not too sure I am fond of.