I Need More Time

T-Minus 3 days:

I suppose as is the case with this sort of expedition, it is in these last few days that I'm finally beginning to realize how shallow my understanding of China is, and how much more there is that I am eager to experience. I say this not from a regretful point of view, but rather as an affirmation of a sense that I felt going all the way back to the start of this summer, which I believe has a lot to do with the nature of my interest in China. Clearly I'm very intrigued by this country, but if I had to pick an area of particular interest, I would have to say I'm most excited to learn more about this culture and to potentially witness China's ascent to a predominant position of geopolitical and economic influence (in case you're wondering, I stole that last phrase from the personal statement portion of my application of HBA).

The more time I spend here in Beijing, the more I begin to realize how much more I have to learn, and I'd like to think I'm relatively China-savvy (at least as far as the average American goes). Granted I say this on the basis of relatively limited experience, but I get the sense that most Americans really have no clue what life is like China. Perhaps the most worrisome aspect of this American ignorance is the fact that a lot of people have this idea that modern day China has retained the Big Brother-esque aspects that some might argue were characteristic of Chinese society during the Mao Zedong era. And while Mao's policies certain continue to influence the culture here, they are, as of late, getting some serious competition from Western ideals. We recently read an article in our textbook which asserted that the Chinese political environment is getting increasingly more liberal (liberal in the freedom sense, not the left-right spectrum sense). Whether it is due to conscious changes in the system or simply an unintentional result of the government's economic development policies is not entirely clear, but it would appear as if change is certainly on the horizon.

This past Monday, I went out to eat with my Chinese parents, and had a wonderful conversation with my "mom" regarding the whole aspect of personal freedom here in China. Obviously, the idea of a set of natural rights is something that American society is based upon. Historically, that has not been the case here in China, but from what my Chinese mother told me, the amount of personal freedom that the average Chinese person has today is steadily growing. At this point, Chinese people are comfortable with speaking their mind regarding politics, the economy, and the rest of the world. And although you would have a hard time finding any public protests in Beijing, there is a thriving underground world that fearlessly criticizes the government and shines light on the relatively oppressive aspects of Chinese culture through music, art, and other media.

I'm now three paragraphs deep in this post and beginning to regret starting off on this subject due to the fact that I could literally go on for days discussing the things I have learned and still wish to learn about this country. In the interest of time, I'll leave you with this: There is no doubt in my mind that I'll head back to China (perhaps a few times) before my college days are over. The more I learn about the culture here the more new doors open up, and the more I realize how much more there is to learn. At this point in time, I think it would be naive to deny the responsibility the Western world (especially America) has in trying to gain a better understanding of China (I would say this goes both ways, but considering English is a already a mandatory class at all high schools here, I'd say they have a significant head start). It's my own personal opinion that the residual fear/hatred many Americans harbor towards anything having to do with the "Commies" has kept us in a state of relative denial and unfamiliarity. But I am also confident that the walls are rapidly crumbling, and programs like the Light Fellowship have the potential to bring America and China into a new era of understanding - economically, politically, and culturally.

I'm truly blessed to be a part of this amazing process.

As always,

Jamey