Familiarity Amongst Peers and Appreciation.

We are creatures of habit and familiarity. People tend to flock to what is familiar. In a foreign setting this is more and more prevalent. I have met more people from my school here on this program than I imagine I would have if we were all back in San Diego. It’s most likely because we are in a smaller area and see each other everyday. Regardless, people are friendly knowing we share a common bond.

Don’t get me wrong I think it’s wonderful that I’m able to meet other people from my school on a different level. Three weeks of seeing the same faces everyday, it is a head first dive into friendship. If it is nothing else, I am networking with my future colleagues, some of which I may seek for assistance in the future.

Three weeks at face value seems like a long time. However, when you are in it, time seems to be speeding pass you like Usain Bolt. I am ten days from leaving for London. This means I have finals next week. I have yet to really settle down and grasp the concepts of class and study the material for the final.

I have only been on my summer adventure for eleven days. I have seven and a half weeks remaining before I return home to the states. Quantifying that makes it seem like my return home is far away.

This summer is not only of adventure but of learning and growth. I am enrolled in my school’s programs and taking classes but I will be exploring the world I am unfamiliar with and gaining perspective on how easy I have it back home. I am becoming aware of how fortunate I am to be living where I am, doing what I am doing, and having the freedom and opportunity to go about my life.

Each day I am here in China, I am reminded that life could be much harder. I wonder what the minimum wage is here. What is the standard and quality of life here. I go to dinner every night spending what my perception is to be very cheap. I rationalize that it is only 18 US dollars, the equivalent of about 100 RMB. Am I living a life of luxury for someone who lives in this city? The cheapest dinner I had was a couple nights ago where I enjoyed two large dumplings for 3 RMB. Converted to US currency, that is roughly 50 US cents. Dinner was 50 cents! In the US, for 50 cents, I could get condiments, or fancy sweet and sour sauce at McDonalds.

Our perception as US citizens visiting Hangzhou, China is greatly disproportionate. We are each products of our environment. We may not necessarily be completely influenced by our surroundings, but there is enough of an influence to shape our thoughts, opinions, and in this case our customs.

This is why I believe everyone needs to be continually cultured. Made aware of life in other places, whether it is better or worst. We may be exposed to it through media, but nothing compares to being in that location, living like a local. It should be mandatory for people to travel to other countries and experience that lifestyle. We should never settle for what is comfortable and remain narrow minded. We are these advance creatures with capabilities of absorbing a vast amount of information, yet we really only use 10% of it. Some people may even use less. This all runs back to the evolution of body, mind, and soul, I seem to continually relate to. This is the process of growing, maturing, and gaining perspective. Culture, it is all around us, we cannot be ignorant to think nothing else is better than what we know. Appreciate what you have and be conscious of life elsewhere.