The Twilight Zone 2

“Should I move to the U.S. or Canada?”

After 24 hours of flying and airports I arrived in Beijing at 11pm although it was 8am my time (see last week’s post for the back story on my China trip).  I sailed through the “health control” area where they collected my temperature via a machine (like an airport security x-ray machine) and I turned in my “health form” with contact and location information in case they need to chase me down and quarantine me later.  After several anxious minutes my suitcase popped out of the luggage carousel (much quicker than Phoenix International Airport) and I entered the main terminal.  I had worked with a Chinese travel agent who arranged for a hotel close to the airport and he had assured me via e-mail that a person would be there to drive me to the hotel.  The young Chinese women in a hotel uniform had my name on a piece of paper and waved me to follow her; we walked for what seemed like an extremely long time down a wide linoleum terminal that was fairly quiet due to the late hour.  Finally, she motioned with her hand for me to stay (much like you would with your dog but in a nice way) while she went to the hotel courtesy counter and then rounded up a sleepy white man and a young Asian women who was carrying a happy chubby baby boy.  The man had a large luggage cart piled with boxes and luggage.  We were all led outside to a square tunnel area, all dark gray cement, no air visible, and piled into the hotel shuttle van.  As we pulled away from the curb, the young man asked me, “Do you speak English; where are you from?”  I did not place his accent right away but clearly he was not American as I had assumed.  Once he heard I was from the U.S. he explained that he lived in Russia and was considering moving to either the U.S. or Canada.  He asked which one I would recommend.  There was not a hint of sarcasm in his russian voice.  I was tired and in no shape to have a real discussion with this curious young man. I smiled and told him that Canada was too cold for me; as I said it I realized that Canada was probably warm for him so I added that I thought Canada would be more like what he was used to than where I was from.  He smiled and told me a little about his wife at home and his friends who had moved to Canada and felt like they fit into that culture.  Clearly he had no attachment to the Asian women and baby.  I had seen them as a happy family going to visit her relatives.   As we left the shuttle and gathered our luggage he asked what I thought of the U.S. economy.  Again, he had no hint of sarcasm, just authentic curiosity.  “It is not good, but seems to be stabilizing,” my expert opinion.  This was all in the space of less than ten minutes.  At the hotel lobby he wished me safe travels and I did the same for him and pictured him happily ever after in Canada.  Cue The Twilight Zone music.

Time Warp

The SIAS campus is beautiful with colorful manicured flowers and landscaping that is reminiscent of Disneyland.  There are large gorgeous modern buildings that are a combination of western and eastern architecture and large clean walkways between the buildings.  These pictures are just a small portion of the large campus; it is like a small village with many dorms and multiple areas for shopping along with all of the typical University campus buildings.  But, then, I walk into the classroom that is designated for the World Academy for the Future of Women.  There is a strong smell of dust that is visible all over the drab gray cement floor and green plastic chairs that are bolted down in rows.  The paint is chipped and thin on the wooden platform at the front of the room with a beat-up brown wooden podium that looks like it is from the 1950’s.  There is a green chalk board and nothing else.  Sounds echo loudly off the cement walls that are in desperate need of more paint.  It is hard to explain how I feel; think of when you wake up from a strange dream and you can’t figure out how the starkly different scenes of your dream go together.  My disoriented feelings are interrupted by the young Chinese women who use their tissues to wipe off their chairs and desk area with out a single complaint.  Their overwhelming enthusiasm and eagerness to learn quickly dispels all my concerns about the classroom space; their smiles and excited voices light up the room. Cue that music again.

Stay tuned for more next week.  There is no access to Facebook, Utube, nor Twitter but LinkedIn and Flickr (and many other sites) are alive and well; go figure.  Please post a comment and let me know what you think and/or share your similar experiences of being in the “zone.”

photocredit: RoadSidePictures