The Great Experience

I was nervous about going to China. I genuinely didn't know what to expect from the complete strangers I journeyed with, nor from the Chinese people with whom I would interact. On one of the many occasions that I though about the trip prior to leaving I remember thinking that I would stick out like a sore thumb. First of all, I am a little bigger that the average Chinese Man, and of course I am touring the country. Tourists always standout. Brenna, a classmate on the trip, says its the shorts... I concur. 

Once I arrived in China my fear of standing out was quickly realized and immortalized with a phrase "Too big for China". It seemed that everywhere I went I didn't quite "fit'. I mean my feet literally didn't fit in the allotted space when sitting in the front of the bus, but that's not really what I mean. It seemed that wherever we went we were regarded as tourists, and we never really fit into our surroundings. We were talk at and explained too, but for much of our trip I felt like an outsider. Unless of course we were dining at a restaurant filled to the brim with other tourists. That was creepy. A gigantic restaurant in the middle of Shanghai with only Anglo people sitting, and Chinese people serving. 

This feeling did not persist. I came to realize that I was experiencing culture shock. Things really were just so much different. I found myself pining for more and more of that 'experience'. Dealing with different people in different ways began to be a big part of the trip. Even though I enjoyed the sightseeing and shopping, I found the interactions with our tour guide to be increasingly profound. When he explained the customs about marriage, remarriage, and divorce I found this to be an invigorating experience. These types of interactions are always what's missing from the normal tourist itinerary. 

It wasn't all wide-eyed wonder. I 'experienced' several umbrella jabs from to the neck from tiny Chinese women while walking through the forbidden city. The last one was so deliberate that I momentarily contemplated beating that same women with her open umbrella until either her or the umbrella snapped in half. This may have been the most authentic experience I had while in a city with a population of 10 million people.

One of the best experiences on the trip was the visit to the great wall. It turned out to be extremely challenging. While it was quite a tourist destination it was also a great time to bond with the group, and test the upper physical limits of my sedentary lifestyle. I started out strong up the hill, but quickly realized that at 240lbs. I might actually be too big for The Great Wall. After a bit of encouragement a lot of sucking wind, I eventually made it to the top with the others from my class. It was such a rewarding experience, and I remember getting to the top and feeling so happy to have done such a cool thing with a great group of people. 

That feeling really sums up my entire feeling for the trip. It was great, such an accomplishment. And I am happy that I did it with the group. I look forward to the next challenge that takes me out of the country and out of my comfortable office chair. This whole thing really was a great experience.