Beyond the wall

BEIJING -- Rushing down a narrow street, the taxi driver flew past rows of Vegas-like restaurants, rundown marketplaces and towering hotels. After nearly running over 18 bicyclists, he made a U-turn and proceeded to go the wrong way on a one-way street. He skidded to a stop in front of my temporary home, Beijing's Changan Hotel. Handing him 20 yuan, I tried to communicate the extra money was a tip. He nodded gratefully and whispered, "Xie xie," which means thank you. As I stepped out of the taxi, three men on bikes parked beside the car and stared. Here in the People's Republic of China, I was an oddity, a minority, an American, or as the Chinese say, a "long nose." \nAfter two weeks of sight seeing with 72 other members of the International Mission on Anthropology and Archaeology, I had experienced my fair share of taxis and bikes, ancient tombs and ceramic walkways. But what I learned in China this May was far more valuable than any 3,000-year-old ceramic tile. No matter how foreign the country seemed, I found we are a lot alike and able to learn from each other by accepting our differences and sharing our experiences.\nEverything seemed so different in China. Coming from a small town of 3,000 in Indiana to Beijing, a city of 12 million, was a shock in itself. Lofty hotels loomed over shabby apartment buildings, public buses ran alongside dozens of bicycles and a dense, smelly smog blanketed the city. The language was fast and difficult, and signs were written in stylized Chinese characters. People counted to 10 on one hand, not two. Yet they found ways to communicate with confused tourists through animated sign language and whatever English they knew. There seemed to be no traffic rules -- bicyclists silently negotiated with cars to determine who would turn first or move into the next lane, and pedestrians ran between them to get to the other side of the street. \nHowever, I soon found the Chinese people, once stereotyped by Americans as "the other" or "Easterners" or even "Orientals," weren't so different from me at all. The stories I'd heard in America quickly became myths. They don't eat dog. They don't worship Jackie Chan. Beijing seemed very modern, its inhabitants building skyscraper after skyscraper in preparation for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. They dined on beef and chicken, rice and watermelon, sometimes even McDonald's and Pizza Hut. Women seemed to wear fashions straight out of Vogue, and teenagers listened to 50 Cent and Jay-Z. Everyone took great pride in their cell phones, a major status symbol. Though a communist country, the People's Republic of China has exhibited signs of religious tolerance and a market economy. It was not unusual to see churches, mosques and hundreds of privately owned businesses. \nOf course, one must wonder if, amidst the language barrier and traffic, the truth about China was "lost in translation." It's possible we were only shown a faux face of China, a people and government masked by fancy operas and other tourist attractions. One could catch glimpses of communist control. Cameras dotted the tops of buildings surrounding Tiananmen Square, causing an uneasy feeling of being watched. On the 15th anniversary of the student protest at the square, we experienced censorship first hand -- the television screen went blank each time CNN correspondents discussed the protest.\nWhether we experienced a true or a masked reality, there was value in each cultural interaction. When members of our group went to the English corner, a meeting place for those practicing English-speaking skills, they experienced one-on-one interaction. While the Chinese dispelled myths of Chinese society, the American students dispelled myths of American society, many of which stemmed from television images. We don't all dance like J. Lo. We don't all look like Paris Hilton. And we aren't all cowboys. Once true identities became evident, we were then able to accept each other's differences, rather than expecting the Chinese to speak English or expecting the Americans to accept communist ideas. The next step was to learn and share.\nThe Chinese taught us three main lessons, through their words and actions. First, take pride in your nation and history. With about 3,000 years of history, the Chinese work hard to preserve historical buildings, even as hotels spring up around them. Second, get where you need to go, but don't rush. In China, people make their way through crowded streets with a purpose, yet they never seem to hurry in a distressed manner. Finally, be humble. At operas and theater shows, audiences clap for the group, not the individual performer. People work hard to "save face" and lead a humble life.\nTraveling abroad teaches us to expand our worldview, to accept and tolerate differences and to learn meaningful lessons from those around us. Though I am thankful for tamer public transportation in Indiana, and for the fact that no one here calls me "a long nose," I'm grateful to have learned such valuable lessons.