It was one cold Monday morning that I realized I would soon embark on a life-changing event. The idea of leaving everyone I love to go to an unfamiliar place played constantly in the back of my mind. Not knowing what to expect once I arrived in China but having an understanding that I was paving the way for my ideal future. Coming from one culture and completely changing my scenery helped me realize reality: the reality of knowing that there can be a million people in a room all speaking different languages, but all having one common denominator, being human beings.
Often times we hear about different places around the world constantly separating people amongst race, gender, height, size and so much more. However, studying abroad in a place where I am not fluent in the native language has allowed me to appreciate the differences.
Meeting people, not only from China, but also from places such as Poland, Japan, Korea, Italy, and Thailand has made me appreciate my culture as well as others. Sitting down trying to make conversation can be a little challenging. One day, my Japanese friend and I were outside leaving the cafeteria when I busted out singing Whitney Houston’s “I Want to Dance With Somebody.” My mind was completely blown away when she knew the words, too. She struggled to say in English, “ I love Whitney Houston!” She did not have a clue how much this moment meant to me. I mean, think about it. I am here in China, singing my favorite Whitney Houston song together with a Japanese person. How cool is that? We immediately realized that sometimes our differences make us more similar than we ever imagined.
Another similar incident I can recall is getting picked up from the airport. While I was waiting for other students to arrive, I was quickly asked about one of America’s most prestigious sports: basketball. Of course, I heard about how the Chinese are fascinated by American basketball, but I did not know this dude was a basketball fanatic. I was getting attacked with several questions about different players, some that I never even heard of. I was privileged to even give him an American name after our favorite player, Dwyane Wade. We were both happy with the name choice because he always wanted an American name and I didn’t want to mess up pronouncing his Chinese name.
After those two scenarios, I became great friends with both the Japanese woman and the Chinese man. We have all talked several times about what we thought each culture was like prior to being informed. It is an amazing feeling to know the difference between what are facts and assumptions involving other cultures.
I would like to encourage more people, right in their own communities, to just have a cordial conversation. You never know the effect one conversation can have on your entire life. That’s the beautiful part of exploring places and meeting new people!
