Summer Postcard: Lessons From A Week In China

BEIJING, China—Sitting in the Vancouver airport terminal, I felt uncertain about my impending ten hour flight to Beijing and week long trip to China. I was to be a delegate for an IMUSE Conference in Beijing, a week long student exchange program with American and Chinese students.

Alone in the airport, I felt out of place. I was clearly one of the only foreigners on the flight and I could not understand my fellow passengers’ words. I was in the minority, being thrust into a culture very different than my own. Naturally I was a bit nervous.

Unsurprisingly, everyone I met on my program was friendly and welcoming. I learned so much about China by visiting local universities, companies, a rural village, but most importantly by making Chinese friends. We all agreed that regardless of nationality, we are so much more alike than we are different. They made me feel at ease in a country where I could not say anything more than hello and thank you. For that I am very thankful.

Being the only one who did not speak Chinese made me the odd one out. I did not understand a lot of what was happening and was completely reliant on other people to translate and explain things to me. Yet I came to China searching for a radically new experience, leading me to embrace my discomfort. Experiencing being out of place in a culture is more important than ever to understand the feelings of many people in America who do not think they fit in with my own American culture. Especially in this divisive political climate, Americans must try to understand people with different backgrounds, both domestically and internationally.

More people should travel and be an outsider. It is important to realize that the whole world does not cater to you. I spent countless hours listening to speeches in Chinese and trying to find my way to the airport without a Chinese SIM card and no Chinese mobile apps. Clearly a foreigner, I stuck out instantly everywhere I went. I felt alone in a sea of black hair. Perhaps if more people understood what it feels like to be a total outsider, they would be more welcoming. If more people spent days trying to use chopsticks yet never really mastering the art of eating without a fork and knife, maybe people would be more cognizant of how nice it feels to fit in.

I am incredibly thankful for my time in China because, not only did it open my eyes to a new culture, but also it made me feel uncomfortable at times. I firmly believe that pushing yourself outside your comfort zone is where you really grow. While I know most people won’t fly to China, everyone can do something new this summer. You might be surprised by what you learn about yourself and the world.

Kathryn S. Kuhar ’20 is a Crimson multimedia editor in Pforzheimer House.