12/27 The Pearl River

The Pearl River flows by our hotel as I have said and in some ways it is symbolic of the China that we have seen during our visit. Actually, we haven't seen China. Instead we have seen a small corner of big city (~12 million) in the midst of a vast country. But from what we have seen, China, like the Pearl River, is on the move.

It is a mix of old and new here. There are at least 3 Chinas it seems and maybe 4 or more. There is rural China with its 700 million farmer/peasants that we didn't see. There is the inner city of China which we have caught glimpses of and that represents millions upon millions more. Then there is the China that looks and acts much like the West. We have seen that mostly in the young people. I suppose you could drop many of these folks right down in Houston's Galleria mall and they would not feel out of place. Cell phones, trendy clothes and fashion are all the rage here among the young. We have come half way around the world to be reminded that people are the same wherever you go -- the same hopes, the same dreams. We may speak differently and eat different food but we are part of the same world. The Olympic theme for Beijing 2008 is "One World...One Dream"-- that kind of sums up what I am saying. There is much of China that I have enjoyed. The Chinese are physically fit and active -- you see people of all ages playing the equivalent of Hacky Sack using a feathered, weighted thing instead of a bean bag. You see the older people doing their daily exercises in public places. A soldier asked me to take a picture of him and his family at the garden. His smile and the kindness in his eyes made me see again that people are just people. I thought I should be afraid -- but he was just out for a day of sightseeing with his family. We were from two worlds but for a brief moment we were just two people sharing a pleasant moment in a beautiful place.