Thinking of China

With the Olympics on television and our upcoming trip in October, China has definitely been on our minds. We will be going to the city of Xian this time, in addition to some other places in China, which is exciting. Thinking of Xian in particular reminds me of the last time I went there, which was July 4, 2000. I went with my cousin, who had gone to college in Xian, so in addition to showing me the sights, he also wanted to catch up with his old college buddies. On the evening of July 4, we went to meet his friends at a local coffee shop. He introduced me as his little cousin going to school in America. American Independence Day had been in the news, and worldwide perception of America quickly became the subject of conversation. I realized a few minutes into the conversation that they had assumed based on my fairly accurate Chinese pronunciation that I had grown up in China and was simply going to school in America. Their candor made it evident that they did not feel like they had an American in their midst. The conversation naturally flowed to how they felt about the shortcomings of China as well. Seeing my county through other's eyes and listening to how they felt about their own country is still to this day one of the most amazing experiences in my lifetime. For 3 hours I sat, took it all in, and had little to say myself. If you know me and my gift for the gab, you will know just how amazing the discussion must have been. So travel, broaden your horizons, and open your mind to all of the amazing things that this wonderfully created world has to offer. Oh, and one more thing, Michael Phelps rocks.