Going Home
Our three weeks in China have passed quickly and now we are preparing to travel home. Our multiple experiences in China have helped us to understand more fully what we have read about and discussed in our study together. Our experiences have also prompted questions we’d like to explore further. We’ve heard a great deal about recent events as we’ve traveled. Our hearts go out to the families in Sichuan Province who suffered so much because of the recent earthquake.
Our thoughts are with those who will attend the 2008 Olympics later this summer.
It’s not possible to compare two cultures—our own and China’s—without considering the historical influences that have informed and shaped the beliefs and values in current societies. Our travels throughout China have revealed to us how China’s rich and extensive history continues to influence current practices though economic changes have led to recent dramatic changes in this country. While some polices of the past are more “relaxed” than in former years, government control is still evident and influences public and personal decision making. The economic changes have benefited many, but some in the cities and countryside await the transformations resulting from China’s economic growth. This is clear from the infrastructure as well as the opportunities and benefits available to those living in some areas of the cities and rural areas.
During our time in China we have toured historical sites, temples, gardens, museums, universities, schools, factories, a farm, department stores, markets, streets, and stayed in family homes. We cannot say enough good things about the wonderful people we’ve interacted with, including our guides, school officials, host families, students, and others we’ve already come to call friends.
We’ve learned to feel more comfortable with less “personal space” and a bit more open to experiencing different foods, restroom facilities, and sleeping conditions. We are able to safely cross streets filled with cars, bikes, buses, and carts. We look at the sky and note that it is not “fog” we see. We’ve come to understand that some of what we have observed and experienced is the result of living in a country with a population of 3.5 billion people.
Those we have worked with have been warm and open to sharing with us. As we prepare to journey home we leave with wonderful memories of our time in China!
