China had truly open my eyes to a completely whole new world. The place took me by surprise, confused me, and defeated most stereotypes used agasint them. I'd like to say before I continue any further, and please keep this in mind as you continnue reading my posts, that as you travel you will come back home a whole new person.
I traveled to China to attend an APEC Conference in Guangzou University. For those who don't know what that means, it's basically kind of like a UN meeting but not exactly. We represent different countries, review each countries pro's and con's and agree to a solution. The agreement would be sent to the Department of Foreign Affairs and then to the actual UN who would consider the agreement. The trip was completely paid for by the government. It was me and seven other high school students, all seniors and juniors. I was the only sophmore. And we all hopped on a 14 hour flight to China. Now I love traveling, but i hate riding planes. And I'm not scared of planes, I hate to stay in planes and wait for 14 hours.
Our first stop was Hong Kong and we were to drive from there to Guangzou University Hotel that night we arrived. During the daytime we met the university students who would be working with us in the conference. I was scared to talk to anyone but they all seemed to rush over to us. They immediatley shook my hand and introduced themselves, one after the other. They were all excited to meet us and so kind. The eight of us high school kids were the only black students there and the college students all took interest in us. They asked us about America, what it was like there, they talked about Guangazou- how it was the Land of Flower, and we talked about school. They complained to me how much they hated studying since finals were coming out, and how they missed thier mother's meals when they had to eat food from the school cafeteria. They sometimes asked if my weave was real. I said no of course and they looked surprised and asked how it wasn't.
I easily made friends, and thankfully, good friends. My first friends was Smiley, whom she is commonly nicknamed there. I had other friends like Cathy, Selena, Cammy, and Jenny. They were all good people to me. I met some college students whom I find very amusing from Austin, Texas who also attended.
We spent the weekend sightseeing and everywhere we went people looked at us, some shocked, some puzzled, some happy and full of interest. Some people literally stopped walking just to look at us and others asked for us to take pictures with them. It was like they had never seen an African-American before. Other people driving cars or bikes would sometimes turn thier heads or look out thier windows when they saw us. They were very kind to us. They let us play with thier kids or join ping pong games with them and supported us when we always lost.
The first thing that I noticed when I came to China was the humidity. It is hot in Guangzou, absolutely hot. It either rains while it's warm outside for hours or it's either dry and blazing. The palm trees and bushes were covered in bees, mosquito's and colorful butterflies everywhere. The crickets hissed loud enough in the thickets for your ears to ring at dawn and sunset. The second thing I noticed was the fashion. China is like 3 yrs ahead of us on fashion. New York is so behind. China's outfits are made and designed in a way that I had never imagined. Teenagers wear the exact same clothes as in the magizines and like the celebirties. I bought myself some dresses to bring home, and yes, I've showed it off. The third thing I noticed was the food. China doesn't use forks and knives. Instead they use chopsticks and spoons. Spoons are used for the rice and for the soup and chopsticks are used for everything else. I had to force myself to use chopsticks, just so I could eat my daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I walked about half a mile to get breakfast, about another mile to go shopping and a 5-10 minute walk to enter my class. Most people use bikes-I didn't because I didn't know where to rent one. The students were all skinny, as slender as I am. I've only seen about three big people since the week I've been there. I must also admit that I lost about 3-5 pounds since I stayed there due to the sweat, the walks, and the endless rice and noodles. Fast food resturaunts were a 30 min or more distance away so it wasn't necessary to reach.
My group represented Thailand during the conference. All the countries that the students represented all worked together to share thier contries economic problems of agriculture, climate change and biofuels and we all came together to find a solution. It was difficult since we couldn't really figure out an agreement due other's concerns or opinions but we agreed to on a solution. The students were really smart and those who were stuck on an issue I helped them figure out solutions from certain issues. Most students said I was so smart being the only sophmore high school student working with so intently with college students.
I met an international journalist named Michelle Miranda and knew of her life through a lecture she gave us. After hesring her speech, it gave me an idea of what I wanted to be in the future. And international Journalist as well. She told me I can start by making a blog, keep writing, and travel. Do what you love, your passion, no matter what anyone else says. Do what you love to do. So I took it into consideration and made this website.
Staying in China was a great experience. Thier museum was completely new and high in technology. Thier architeture is completely out of this world, in different shapes, forms, and sizes. At night the buildings glows in the dark and lights up the dark night making it look like New York city in glitter and neon glowsticks. Everyone was generous to us, giving us large discounts in resturaunts and in marketplaces. I met great artists in Hong Kong the night I was coming back to the U.S. They made all of these beautiful paintings that I thought had to be seen more than in a marketplace. They would be absolutley famous in America.
I made a lot of friends in the China, everyone so kind to me, treated me like a guest in thier own home. We shared information with them about the US and others planned on attending college there. The students shared information with me about China. I want to go back there again, and stay there for about a year. Because China truly opened my eyes. Also a friend of mine from Guangzou university named Chris gave me a Chinese name-JuJu- meaning diamond. And I absolutley loved it.
I enjoyed China and hope to find more experiences with other countries in the future. I hope you take more out of this than I did!
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