Internatinnai
Ashort journey allowsoneto
view The Great Wall, which
climbs up mountains and dips
into the valleys for endless
iniles. However, these are
not the impressions that al
low me to call China a truly
unique and wonerful place.
The people and their rich
culture, which has existed
(or centuries longer than the
United States short history,
providesChinawith a unique
ness that separates it from
anything found in the West.
It is hard to single out a cer
tain aspect or describe the
feelings that Chinese culture
exudes. I first started realiz
ing its uniqueness riding on
a crowded dirty bus, and
watching a father hold his
child lovingly and play with
her with great pride. The
Chinese have such a differ
ent idea of what is important
in life than that of a person
Irom the West. Western
culture has become so in
volved with "having it all" that
it has lost the close family
bond that is so important to
theChinese. They pass love,
value, and tradition down
through generations of chil
dren.
As I was told by the return
ing students from China last
semester, "China is some
thing you have to see for
yourself. It is incredible."
That statement is too true.
Life in Beijing is entirely dif
ferent from everything in the
states. Once I recovered
from the initial shock of hav
ing none of the conven
iences, I was accustomed to
having, like sit-down toilets,
mattresses, warm rooms,
and supermarkets, I began
to realize that life in China is
an experience that I will carry
with me, in a special place,
for the rest of my life.
Beijing, China is a rather
grey, dirty, and smelly city
which borders between New
York and a third-world coun
try. It is also a Communist
city; in fact, it is the capital for
the most populated country
in the world. Downtown,
there is the fabled Forbidden
City, which was the exclu
sive domain of the emperors
of China for centuries; Tian
anmen, with (vlao's ever
present picture, stands apart
from the dusty streets filled
with apartment buildings and
businesses.
Scott Greaorv
Dormitory and Athletic Fieid
Beijing 1990
A local market in Beijing
Oh China! I hearthe Middle
Kingdom, between Heaven
and Earth! Since stepping
from the plane, my senses
have been assaulted in all
ways. China is unique; not
like our world; and to truly
appreciate it requires the
openings of all avenues of
sense to it.
At first one feels only the
bitter cold; the biting wind;
the cold cement rooms. You
feeltheduststirringyourface;
you also feel 6,000 years of
civilization bearing down on
you.
You smell China. The
scents of this country are
many and diverse. You smell
the filth (attributable to bad
plumbing) and you smeil the
roasting meat on street
corners. You smell the air,
so fouled by coal smoke and
automobile fumes as to be
unhealthy. You smell the
great food-different every
lime, but almost always the
best you have ever had.
You taste China. From the
bread made jy the Uygur
minorities to the pigeons on
a stick to the Kentucky F ried
Chicken purchased
downtown. This is a country
of many tastes and flavors.
The sounds of China are
always with you. The yells of
schol kids, the noise of the
bus horns, the distant
whistles of the trains, and
the howl of the wind assault
your hearing 24 hours a day.
The echos in your dorm are
magnified by five stories of
cement stainwell. The ringing
of bicycle bells and the
shouting of vendors is with
you always. And the loud
speakers are everywhere.
The visual experience is
with you most of all. China is
a drab, dirty, almost dull gray
country. When one sees
bright color, the appreciation
is strong. I^any thanks to
Mr. Kodak for making
memories possible. The
immensity of Beijing defies
description. One can explore
its streets and allies and
never stop seeing unique
things.
We are ina place alien to
our lives at home. The great
diversity and mass of
population, combined with
more history than anywhere
on the planet, combine to
make this truly one of God's
special places.
John Edmonson