Welcome to China - Day One in the Middle Kingdom

I remember talking to some of my friends who had gone to China (aka Steve Wasiura and Nick Miller) about at what point I would think, “What am I doing here!?” The consensus was that the plane ride would be draining enough, it might be after I stepped into the cold Beijing air, or perhaps even the morning after I arrived that it would “hit me.” It’s possible it still hasn’t hit me, as I approach two and a half months in China.

Both my parents had studied abroad, and in today’s increasingly “global” world, it was only natural that I should study abroad as well. I could afford it credit wise, I was on good track to finish my major, and could take a full semester off. When I finally picked China, my friends were surprised, to put it mildly. “You’re not going to, I dunno, London?” asked Anne Bradley when I first told her I was going to China. I laughed at that. As I explain now, I picked China because the program emphasized my areas of study–that is, Chinese politics and international relations, because the program did not have a language requirement (my year of Spanish in High School having long since abandoned me), and because the program was proctored directly through the University. I also picked China because, as a citizen, I thought it was important to learn more about a country some call America’s only rival in the next generation. (Anyone surprised?)

Thus, after a great deal of work, I had packed my bags and drove with my parents to the Detroit Airport one cold January morning. We ate at Bob Evans, a hearty American breakfast (one of the things I miss the most), and at the airport, I found the local McDonalds and grabbed two double-cheeseburgers . . . for luck, if you will. An hour later, I was seated in between what I presume were two Chinese nationals, and was headed to the skies. In flight entertainment consisted of four full-length movies, a great deal of reading, sleeping, and a bit of writing. Although the plane was listed as the same flight through to Beijing, the layover in Tokyo’s Narita airport required me to change planes. Visions of my luggage getting lost in Japan hit me, although I made it onto the plane easily enough. My one pleasure while passing through the security was the rather odd realization that I was actually taller than all the security guards–something definitely not true during my time at the White House.

As promised by my predecessors, the airport was clean, well lit, and had english signs alongside the Chinese characters. I flew in with a group of students from Augustana College, interestingly enough. I’d say the only moment of hesitation came at the customs border, wondering whether I should get my passport stamped with the seal of a communist country. The moment left just as quickly, as I stepped into the terminal to find my luggage.

Waiting for me right outside the inner terminal was a kind looking man with a sign bearing my name, along with a few other names I recognized from the program itinerary. Another guy from Boston College was waiting, as well as Li Hong, the program coordinator. After two other girls arrived a few minutes after me, we all got into two cars and started our drive to Peking University.
The airport is located in the upper northeast of Beijing, and the University the upper northwest, so we drove across the highway over the top of the city. I remember looking out the window, wondering what I could see. In short, I could see nothing. The highway lights were on over the highway, illuminating the road well. However, as I looked into the air, I realized just how dirty the air was. The lights were reflecting off of the smog and dust, and back onto the highway. No matter how hard I looked, all I could see was an orange haze beyond the highway. Great, I thought. My first time in China, and I can’t even see the country. We arrived in good time, however, and I walked up the five flights of stairs to my room at the top floor. (This walk would soon be joking dubbed “the Long March.”

In a final note, my roommate had locked the door, and I didn’t have a key to the inner door, so after pounding with my third roommate (located in the single) for a few minutes, I finally stumbled into my room and promptly went to sleep.