The last few weeks have been filled with the wonders of adventure as I have been busy traveling once again. I can safely say that I was in need of an opportunity to remember some of the benefits of living abroad after starting to feel that my passion for being in China waning of late. To me, the greatest intrinsic benefit of living abroad is getting to visit new and interesting places. As my Chinese has been steadily improving the past few months so has my ability to travel in China. My confidence in speaking Chinese and listening comprehension has alleviated a lot of past fears regarding traveling in China. An interesting observation which many of my friends have made lately regarding my increased self-confidence of late I believe definitely reflects the benefits of being able to speak a foreign language. I always have a fear of becoming too confident as over-confidence is a sign of having too much pride; however, in this circumstance I have to agree with my friends on this matter. Being able to travel alone in a foreign country and counting primarily on a foreign language can be a scary thing at first; nonetheless, overtime I certainly have seen my self-confidence improve in a way which has allowed me to feel free to travel. Before, I was almost paralyzed to do so even though I desperately desired to get out and explore China.
Three weeks ago, Cory and I went on a nice trip to Chengdu together as a way to celebrate my birthday and do some traveling. I was extremely excited to be returning to Chengdu as it is one of my favorite cities in China. I always leave Chengdu feeling satisfied as it is a city that seems to have a great assortment of thing to offer from their variety of food, hospitable local-residents, foreign bars, and less congested feeling compared with Chongqing. After two days of exploring Chengdu, eating nice western food, and enjoying the nightlife Cory and I felt rejuvenated once again. On the morning of our third day in Chengdu, our tour to Mt. Emei and Leshan embarked at five forty-five in the morning. If you know me well this was not one of my more favored starting times; however, since being in China I have become accustomed to a variety of things which I would at first been appalled with. Leaving very early in the morning did have its advantages thought as we were able to get into Leshan before other tour groups arrived.
Being challenged with an all Chinese tour was something that at first I would have been extremely hesitant to accept; fortunately, my improved Chinese along with the help of a bright young Chinese student (her English name was apropos: Fluent) helped to make the tour pain-free. I enjoyed being able once again to travel with Cory and overall just being able to spend some time away from Rongchang. The tour began by exploring the monstrous Leshan Buddha which is the world’s largest Buddha stone carving along as being the world’s largest pre-modern statute. Getting down to the bottom of the statue took at least thirty-five minutes as the only way to get down is to pass through a narrow rock path cut into the canyon down to the foot of the Buddha. Furthermore, the sheer number of travelers to the park created an exacerbated our overall wait time. The magnificence of the statue really is hard to explain as it truly does dwarf everything from the valley below.
Afterwards, the group toured a couple of different old Buddhist temples and explained the differences between the Bodhisattvas or Buddhist deities. The one thing I found very interesting about the different Buddhist deities is that there is always a sense of right conduct, importance of relationships, and the effects of your actions relating to your current state in life. I see Buddhism as being a religion which really does preach inner and outer peace along with striving for an understanding the whole person. It is interesting to draw some parallels between Chinese culture and Buddhism since certain things such as the importance of right relationships plays an important part in both.
At the end of our first day we explored some other interesting and large Buddhist structures across from the Giant Buddha in Leshan. The amazing size and scope of the Buddhist statues definitely leaves a mark on the traveler’s memory. That night we enjoyed a relatively nice Chinese hotel service as Cory and I awaited an early tour to up to Mt. Emei’s summit.
That next morning Cory and I awoke bright and early again but extremely rejuvenated from a solid night of sleep. Unfortunately, the weather did not play its part as the fog was so dense it was hard to see twenty-five ft in front of you near the summit of Mt. Emei. As the Chinese tour guide pointed out no one would be able to see anything at the top of the mountain which left the group with no choice but to turn back. Taking the tour guides advice, the group descended from the near summit of Emei expectant regarding the rest of the day’s travels. Luckily, by the time we visited the next stop of on our day’s schedule the weather had improved greatly allowing us to enjoy the rest of the tour sites.
The next stop on the tour was an exciting visit to one of China’s oldest Buddhist temples. The view on the way up to the top was expansive as both Cory and I took in the beauty of the nature around us. Cory and I were definitely in an adventurous mood as we elected to hike to the top of the temple; whereas, the rest of our group decided to take the cable cars up the mountain. Along the way up the top of the mountain, Cory and I found ourselves sharing the road with oncoming horses caring material up and down from the temple. I guess it is just another example of needing to expect the unexpected while living in China.
Walking around the Buddhist temple’s beautiful gardens full was breathtaking to the mind’s eye as special flowering trees were in blossom. Along the way down the mountain our tour group stopped twice to rest, sample tea, and drink some fermented wine. Cory and I both agreed that it would have been much more prudent to have only stopped once as time is always a premium while traveling; nevertheless, taking a rest in the afternoon is another piece of Chinese culture which certainly is widespread throughout the country and imbedded within Chinese DNA.
The last stop on our tour was a beautiful rock canyon hike on the other side of Mt. Emei. During this hike we were able to see a large group of wild monkeys and walk alongside a beautiful river and lake nestled between the mountains. Cory and I both enjoyed this part of the tour since it was a great opportunity to do some hiking and enjoy the company of our close ancestors. I guess that I was a little nervous around the monkeys since Cory had already warned me about his experiences with them last time he had been to Mt. Emei. My fears did not materialize into anything luckily as both Cory and I were not hassled at all by any monkeys.
That night we arrived back in Chengdu happy and content with the tour. I felt that overall it was a great success and something that I would do again. As I continue to strive to improve my Chinese I can only imagine that touring the country will become less of a hassle for me with time. I did feel that I was really starting to make some nice strides though on my listening comprehension which I have always felt is weaker in comparison to my oral Chinese.
The next week in Rongchang was full of activity again for me as I prepared for my trip to Tianjin to meet up with Mr. Jeff Jiang. Mr. Jiang is starting an educational advising consulting firm in Tianjin, China which provides comprehensive assistance to Chinese high schools students interested in studying abroad in the United States. Some of the main areas which Jeff provides counseling include the expectations, challenges, and application process for attending college in the United States. Jeff received a Chinese student visa over a decade ago and knows all about the tedious process, requirements, and differences between Chinese and American culture. After receiving three masters degrees Jeff settled down in Eden Prairie, Minnesota with his family. With his vast knowledge of the American education system and life experiences, I can think of no better candidate to educate future incoming Chinese foreign students than Mr. Jeff Jiang.
My traveling to Tianjin was the most pain-free I have had since being in China. It is unbelievable how nice it feels to be able to know that you can do more than just communicate using your Chinese. I have since noticed some of the important small things that can make a really big difference in communication such as putting emphasis on something, asking follow-up questions, and being able to be forceful when you need to be as all being very useful while communicating. Interestingly, I find that all of these things I would have taken for granted while I was living in the United States. Only by being deprived of using English to do these things I have I since learned how greatly important they are while communicating with others.
Once I arrived in Tianjin I was treated with real first class service by Mr. Jiang’s secretary, Lynne Ni. Lynne picked me up at the airport and helped me get situated before I met Jeff at his office. During my quick (I was only in Tianjin for three days) but productive time in Tianjin I found that I discovered a lot about what it means to be an entrepreneur. Not only did I learn the difficulties that arise from starting one’s own business, but I also learned how persistence, resolve, and a strong will do pay off in the end. I guess my experience in Tianjin taught me more about life lessons than actual work experience.
With that being said, I did learn a lot during the three different presentations Jeff and I gave during the weekend. I felt that working with Jeff was extremely easy as his personality is quite amiable. Beforehand, we meet together and discussed the PowerPoint presentations, his expectations, and even brain stormed some ideas. Overall, I have to say that I am grateful for this learning experience and very appreciative for all of the opportunities that Mr. Jiang provided me.
After the last presentation was finished, Lynee and I went out for four hour’s worth of touring Tianjin together. During this time, we were able to see an old-fashioned market, the cities historical concessions to European nations around the 1850’s, visit a house made primarily of porcelain, and eat a delicious baozi dinner at a famous restaurant in Tianjin. The last stop of the night was to the famous “Emancipation Bridge” across the _____ river. Overall, it was a fantastic end to my first ever-business trip.
The next weekend welcomed the beginning of May with International Labor Day. This short holiday offered me the opportunity to travel to Si Mian Shan, a local provincial park in Chongqing with a friend from Rongchang. As my friend, Maggie was the one who initiated the idea to travel and she was Chinese I felt confident that I could let her handle all of the arrangements on this tour.
Getting to the Si Mian Shan Park was a bit of a long-haul as it took three different bus connections to finally end up at the park. Nonetheless, once we finally did arrive and checked-in to the hostel we enjoyed a nice hike up to the top of the highest peak at the park. Maggie and I both agreed that the view from the top was expansive and worth the effort hiking as you could see as far as the eye could perceive into the distance.
The next day did not start well when the omnipresent omen of rain came to fruition. As the rain increased in intensity Maggie and I were forced to miss out going down to the bottom of a waterfall since the rain had over-flown the walking path. Likewise, we missed out going on a boat tour as the rain had made such an excursion uncomfortable as we were both drenched at this point in time already. Fortunately, the weather did improve enough for us to do some walking around the park which was wonderful. We also made it to a Taoist temple which was very interesting since Taoism has seemingly been forgotten in popular culture next to Buddhism.
Our last day at Si Mian Shan was brief as we were in a need to start early on our voyage back to Rongchang. The best part of the last day was that all of the other tourists had already left which allowed us to enjoy the peaceful natural environment without the frequent sound of people, cars, and motorcycles. This was a nice time for me which allowed me to remember the nice tranquility of our families’ cabin up in North Minnesota.
Finally, I have arrived at the not so distant past of yesterday to explain about one of the most fun times I have had in all my time in China as Cory, Ali, the Tian family, and Feng family enjoyed an unbelievable dinner together at my treat. Following the dinner festivities, Cory treated the whole group out for a fun KTV excursion which had been my first in at least five months. It was worth it though as Mr. Tian and Mrs. Tian, Mr. and Mrs. Feng, Cory and I, all danced and sang the night away. It was really telling how close I have gotten to the Tian family for them to open up and dance as a group. All in all, it was one of the most memorable times I have ever had in China and something that I will never forget.
I know that lately I have truly been neglecting my writing and reading which I can relate to probably one concrete reason: I am studying Chinese a lot. Also, I am really taking advantage of my last two months here in China as I know that nothing is ever guaranteed in life. At the least, I know in my heart without a doubt that I really experienced a lot my last few months in China and made the best of a not always beneficial situation.
As I briefly look back over my time in China I find it hard to pinpoint the exact ways that I have changed. I guess I have improved my self-confidence from felling successful speaking Chinese; however, that is probably one of the only concrete areas that I can say without a fact that I have changed as a person. Nevertheless, I can say without a fact that I have changed as a person. I think that people sometimes have a lot of trouble pinpointing exactness in life; therefore, I find it easier to describe as something that a person just feels inside. I just would say that I feel differently than I did previously in my life and I know that I am glad for it.
I hope and pray that everyone is well and happy back in the United States. As I will be heading home here relatively soon now I am becoming aware of all of the different things that I am going to exciting for having again after such a long hiatus. I am especially looking forward to seeing family and friends as there are both foundation of my personal happiness.
Best,
E.K.
