Goodbye China!

After a month in China I’m finally back home. It’s such a stark contrast from life in Tianjin, a life I had gotten surprisingly used to in just a month’s worth of time. Every day was so full of learning and activity that it seems we were there longer than we really were. Every time somebody asks me how my trip was, I don’t even know where to begin. In such a short span we saw so much of China, not just geographically, but culturally. We saw the important landmarks of China such as the great wall, the terracotta soldiers, and so on. All of the so called cultural heritage landmarks were visited, and appreciated for their history, beauty, and cultural importance. We got to see important sights from different eras of China’s history, and through this we could get a feel for China’s tremendous history and its rich culture. But we also learned about Chinese culture day to day as we went to class and as we walked the streets near our school. Every day as we went about our daily business, we learned more about how things are done in China. We went to the bank and realized people don’t mind cutting lines, and will do so when given the chance. We rode in taxis, and feared for our lives as cars swerved in and out of lanes. By day three, we realized that some of our Chinese acquaintances hadn’t changed their shirt since we first met them, and nobody seemed to find this strange. We walked on the streets and learned that our little group of foreigners was fair game to be stared at by every person we passed. We went shopping and learned that every storekeeper will try to convince you their goods are real, and that you’re not getting a good deal unless you bargain down to around half the original price. We ate in Chinese restaurants and tried things like jellyfish and donkey. We watched people do strange and rude things such as pick their nose in public, spit on the street, or smoke inside buildings. But we also saw that despite some of these rude appearances, nearly every person we talked to or met in China was extremely helpful and kind. Essentially, we lived, ate, and breathed all things Chinese for 3 weeks straight and it was an amazing experience. We learned things that we couldn’t have if we’d just been tourists moving from city to city to see all the big sites. As students we got to settle in, and really experience something resembling life in China. Some things were fantastic and exciting, and other things were not so agreeable, but either way it was an experience I certainly will never forget, and an experience I am extremely grateful to have.