Someone asked me what have you learned while in China? Where here’s the answer:
Being in China has been a balance of a great many aspects of my life. To put it simply, I feel as if I am constantly learning new things. Around every corner, in every conversation, in the foods I eat, and in the people I meet; I find something new to learn. This trip has been a true test of my independence, and a constant pull on my initiative. Exploration and wonder have driven me to find new ways to experience the world I live in, and conversations and dialogue have inspired new ways to share those experiences. I’ve learned the types of people that I could spend years talking and being with, and those people that I can give only a few spare seconds. The people that I cannot stand are those that focus attention in their direction (I think these are the worst, as they encapsulate the next two points), remain ignorant about worldly issues, and have narrow or close minded views. I realize this sounds rude, but after having spent a great deal of time with people from the good and not-so-good crops, I feel it’s ok to be a little picky.
Appropriate as it may sound, being in China has also “tamed my dragon.” In the fast-paced lifestyle of Shanghai, the constant bombardment of being poked and prodded by people running into me from every direction, getting angry, frustrated, or antsy–the fuel for the dragon–is happening less and less. The good fortune of the “Year of the Dragon” has inspired and allowed my own dragon to celebrate and rejoice rather than be wrathful. While the imagery of the dragon is stale, the significance of what is intended by it should be clear. Even though it took a lot to angry me before I came to China, it now takes even more to a aggravate me.
Humans really are not all that different. Multiculturalism and the sense of global unity are not odds that are unreachably understandable. We all eat, drink, and sleep, to fuel lives driven towards being with others, and towards supporting our family, friends, and self. People are people, it doesn’t matter if it’s in Louisville, Kentucky, Shanghai, China, or Berlin, Germany, everyone has similar motives and points of inspiration that drives their souls. In a world hellbent on spotting differences and the uniquenesses in individuals, I think it maybe more important to find what connects us all together. China has allowed me to see the connections.
nicholsrobert 