I'm From China...

Here’s the pilot episode of an ABC program, Trophy Wife.  About halfway through Warren, the Chinese adopted son of the show’s stars says the title line of the episode (and this blog entry.)  I’m not going to bore you with the history of this immersing country.  I’d like to share some thoughts I had as I was coughing, wheezing, and sneezing in the wee hours of the morning watching TV.  (PBS/NPT is the best!)  I caught a couple of shows one night that not only discussed the weather but also—of course—the modern culture of the Asian country.

China’s current culture, from fashion to architecture to TV shows to products and behaviors, is a fascinating force.  Though many believe China’s economy is on a bubble, it hasn’t burst yet.  The BBC recently reported that the economy is stabilizing and from the looks of it, the whole world has a stake.  My sister and father took a trip to South Africa and Namibia a few months back and noted while souvenir shopping that they could barely find products that weren’t made in China.  They actually had to drive one lady who was selling trinkets back to her house to get some baskets she had that were actually made in South Africa.  I don’t know if she was saving them for herself or not when she sold them to my dad.  They’re wonderful and I’ve been eyeing one.  They came in a set of three and my sister has one at her house.

South African baskets my dad bought

One of my high school classmates is currently teaching English in China and it’s an adventure, for me, just to read her Facebook posts.  She talks of how the students are so inquisitive and I remember this same inquisitiveness in the Chinese classmates I had in grad school.  As part of graduation requirements at the Massey School at Belmont University, we had to take a study abroad trip.  The students who went to China reported back colorful stories on everything from the food to the garbage to the long flight and having to take a whole day of sleep to recover.  I would recommend anyone planning to visit the country do research on everything from the political system to the education system to sports and history.  While there you should make observations, reflect on the preconceived notions you had before the trip and recognize how your ideals changed with your first hand experience.  I guarantee it’ll change your perspective on how you view foreign countries in general as they compare to our own.
 

We indeed live in the best country in the world.  I know this from my own experience in foreign countries.  Refraining from being too political, I plan to do what I can and to encourage others to make the United States better and brighter for generations to come.  Hint:  It starts by voting…