重庆美女高娓娓在美国

□ 文/本刊记者 杨艳

重庆美女高娓娓在美国

□ 文/本刊记者 杨艳

重庆有个“曼哈顿”

翻看高娓娓的微信朋友圈就知道，2016年年末，她频繁出现在重庆的渝中、江北、北碚、涪陵、潼南、璧山等地，这个在美国生活近20年的重庆妹子又回家了，两个月的时间，她依旧忙碌，脚不停歇，用她的话说，这奔走的节奏正是重庆人现在的生活节奏。

高娓娓常年奔波于中美两国之间，身为电视制片人，她把大量的精力投入于两国的文化、教育等事业里，搭起了中美两国之间的交流桥梁。这两年重庆变化迅速，也令高娓娓十分惊讶。“现在的重庆，城市面貌焕然一新，江北嘴高楼耸立，重庆大剧院晚上灯火辉煌，还有两江新区就像一个新生城市，交通四通八达，很多地方变得我都找不到方向了，城市发展势头如此之迅猛，现在重庆人的生活节奏也比以前快多了。”

说起这次的重庆印象，高娓娓滔滔不绝：“算起来，这次回国的时间最长，跟随美国‘一带一路’总商会考察团真正深入地了解到今天的重庆，我发现，其实纽约的曼哈顿与重庆的渝中区有很多相似的特性—曼哈顿岛是纽约最小却是最繁华的一个区，有世界有名的第五大道、时代广场；重庆也有个岛，渝中半岛，地处在长江、嘉陵江交汇地带，是重庆市政治、经济、文化以及商贸流通中心，现在的渝中区就像曼哈顿一样现代、时尚、繁荣。”近年来国家的利好政策连二接三地落地重庆，高娓娓也想凭己之力，积极牵线搭桥，引资引智，让更多的美国华人华侨看到重庆的发展潜力，为助推家乡发展出力。“这是一个良好的开始，能为自己的家乡出力，我也很有成就感。”

搭建重庆与世界的交流桥梁

高娓娓或许天生就是做媒体的“料”。《高看美国》《纽约的中国老板们》《娓娓道美国》，这3本书是高娓娓久居美国后，所写的见闻感想。在美国，她以传媒人的身份报道过许多重大新闻事件，专访过不少美国政界、商界精英，做过很多在别人看来十分骄傲的事。比如近距离见证美国大选，目睹中国领导人访美之盛况，追踪报道金融风暴袭击美国、华人抗议CNN抹黑报道……一些重大事件的现场就能看到这个重庆女人的身影。

2009年1月20日，美国第一位非裔总统奥巴马举行就职典礼，高娓娓成为少数受邀出席典礼的华文媒体人。在就职典礼当天，她连夜从纽约赶赴华盛顿，近距离地目睹了奥巴马发表就职演说。从那之后，她对每4年1次的美国大选格外关注。

除了美国时事热点，高娓娓还关注一些民生事件：美国人结婚送礼、美国枪店如何销售枪支等，或是与中国有关的事件：中国留学生的生活、美国人怎么看待中国美食、拔火罐如何受美国人欢迎、美国有哪些蔬菜在中国没见过……一档名叫《娓娓道来》的自媒体节目，就是她主持的视频脱口秀，她把发生在她身边的点点滴滴，拍成视频短片放在网络上，向中国人展现了一个最真实、最平民化的美国。据她透露，一期介绍美国枪支市场的节目，阅读数量高达105万，被网友转发推荐470万次，评论多达6000多条。她想让中国人通过她的视角和经历认识到真正的美国，这些数据正是她坚持的动力。

高娓娓在华盛顿年拜会上与陈香梅女士合影。

同样身在异国他乡，因感同深受，她特别留意中国留学生的生活。曾经有一位留学生的留言让高娓娓至今难忘。“在美国，收获中最重要的不是英语不是文凭，而是两样东西：一种是把我放到任何国家，任何人都不认识的地方，我都能生存下去的能力；另一种是名车豪宅已动摇不了我愿意每天坐公车去追求简单梦想的平淡心态。”短短的几句话让她深有感触，走出国门，打开了眼界，价值观的转变，不仅是人生的突破，也是最大的财富。

说起中国与美国的教育差异，高娓娓说：“在美国，无论是大学还是高中，大家很注重培养特长，特长变成了一门学问和要求，每个美国高中生至少都有一个特长，无论是数理化、体育，还是乐器。好的美国大学在申请书里都有这样的问题—你有什么特长？参加过什么比赛（州/国家、世界）。所以在中国，孩子比的是知识，在美国比的是能力。”高娓娓说美国的课程和中国的不一样，他们的课程没有那么严格，老师教的不是统一的教材，上课时老师会不断地讲有关课程的延伸知识，学习更全面，当然，她认为，这并不是意味着美国的学校就是天堂，怎么融入集体是中国学生的“自修课”。

她的美国故事还在继续

近年中国在国际舞台上的影响力正不断扩大，不仅是高娓娓，还有很多像她一样定居美国的华侨也都有体会。于是，她和华人向善基金会共同创办了“美国‘一带一路’总商会”，她担任秘书长。在她的主导下，商会得到一大批中美行业精英的鼎力支持，有世界著名华人华侨领袖、社会活动家、美国国际合作委员会主席、“飞虎队”创建人美空军陈纳德将军遗孀陈香梅女士，以及美国犹太人议会主席、著名企业家杰克·罗森等。

高娓娓主持2016年美国“一带一路”春节晚会。

这次回到重庆，一个完全不一样的家乡让她感慨万千，重庆从深居西部内陆逐渐成为开放的前沿，这座城市就像一个巨大吸铁石，正在吸引全世界的客商前来发展，并且更多的重庆商人也走向世界各地发展。高娓娓已携商会考察了重庆13个区县，中美间不少企业初步达成了合作协议。她期待重庆与世界能有更多更密切的交流往来，创造交流机会才能创造出无限可能。

“以前，世界很大，我走出中国看世界；现在，世界很小，我站在世界看中国……我是高娓娓，我在美国，为您娓娓道来：最真实的美国经历，道尽美国好与坏；最真切的美国感悟，说尽美国是与非……”一段饱含深情的录音源自高娓娓的视频节目的开篇语，这也正是她发自内心深处的心声。她一直在坚持做一件事，讲她的美国故事。

(图片由受访者提供)

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