Endurance

The 13 hour and 50 minute flight from Chicago to Beijing was long. I managed to switch to an aisle seat which was good because I would have lost my mind on the flight if I was not able to get up and walk around the minute I began to feel closed in. We were packed on the plane like sardines in our economy section. While the plane boarded, I could not believe all the people as they kept coming and coming to fill this enormous plane. When we started to take off we used the entire runway to get off the ground. Did I mention that I don't think there was an empty seat on the plane?

Most of us landed in China without Yuan (Chinese money) and water. It took nearly 2 long hot hours to get through immigration. When I finally got to the front of the line, the officer looked at my picture and asked me to take off my glasses. I guess I looked close enough to my picture because he let me in! After that I was dreading customs but we just walked right through and out of the airport without anyone batting an eye (that we could see any way!).

We were met by our tour guide and a very swank bus was called to take us to dinner and then to the hotel.

For dinner it we went to a different hotel and were told we had a set menu with tea included (the most amazing tea). We were also allowed one glass of beer, soft drink or bottled water (no refills). I had the beer! Pause here and know that my partner just fell off his chair because I NEVER drink beer. The beer tasted just like that first beer you have when you're legal and buy the most popular beer (Michelob). Other more regular beer drinkers at my table said it tasted like Budweiser. Now, my beer snob partner is grimacing. I must say though, it tasted really good with dinner and I drank it all.

Our hotel is fairly nice. We are in the equivalent of the Beijing suburbs because our professors wanted us to experience the real Chinese culture, not the business district where they are used to American tourists. It still feels very urban. I hope we do get to go to the business district so I can see how different it is (if it is). We're lucky and have European style toilets (not squat) and free LAN internet connection (can't connect to blogger or dropbox - lucky for me I can 'tunnel' into St. Kate's to post my blogs).

We are in a major tea district so there are stores selling tea everywhere. I'm looking forward to testing teas and bringing some home (any advice?).

Today we gathered at 9 a.m. and went to get money and water. The bank was an event all in itself. All 19 of us descended and were issued special numbers so we could get helped one by one. We hotly debated how much money to change. Our professors suggested we start with $100. Almost all the students I talked with changed more, including me. I think I just didn’t want to go through it again. They took a copy of my passport and I could not do anything but sit there and wait, watch and then sign each time the teller requested. The amazing thing was they counted the money they gave me at least 3 times each time it was moved around the desk. The large bills were put through the counting machine 5 times.

After that we walked the tea district and then found our way to a two story 'grocery store' that was like a two story super target. That was an experience I will have to relate later. Off to do some homework.

What do you feel about going there (China)?

As I tried to figure out a name for this blog, Rebecca Zenefski, a friend of mine offered to help. She had me take a number of steps to see if I could hone in on a good name. One of the steps was to answer the question, "What do you feel about going there?" Just write!

So I wrote...

Terrified! I'm the oldest person on the trip. All the other women are much younger than me even the professors. I'm worried I'm out of date, that I'll feel/be isolated. That's scary when I think of being away from home for 3 weeks - the longest amount of time I've ever been away.

It's important to me not to be a tourist. I want to be a student. I want to connect; respectfully participate in a relationship that is not just a benefit to me. I want to understand what lives are like for Chinese women, how does their activism manifest and what can we do together? What can we learn from each other.

In the last 100 years China has undergone extraordinary changes.

In 1912, the 'Republicans' overthrew the last Imperial Dynasty. Before they could really get their government established, Japan invaded China in 1937 and WWI ensued.

Once WWII was over (1945), the Communists and the Republicans united to defeat the Japanese. On the heels of that war, there was civil war between the Republicans and the Communists. We all know the Communists prevailed and the People's Republic of China was born in 1949.

The country then began the transition to a collectivist society and a socialist economic structure. Even though there were some things that worked, there was famine, corruption and hierarchy. In the late 1970's through the 90's, many of those dramatic changes were reversed through economic reform.

As I relate that brief history I wonder, "How does it feel to be an older woman in China who's experienced all of that? How is that different for a woman who lives in the city vs. someone in a rural area. What's it like to relate to a younger generation that's never known what you've known in such a dramatic way?

The dates and events of a country the size of China really only tells us very little about what life is like for the people of China. I think it is a big mistake to think we know something about a people or a place because we know a bit of history of that place at a hugely macro level. It is only in meeting and sharing our stories that we can learn and hope to build some solidarity and community.

I'm still scared, but I look forward to the journey.

In case you are wondering. I'm traveling to China for a global study course. The course is called Women, Work and Well Being. I will be there for three weeks with two professors and 16 other women. We begin in Beijing.