Final Entry

October 29, 2007

Having left for China from LAX, where we went 5 hours in advance of our flight to be sure we made it through TSA security on time, we were concerned on Saturday morning in Xian when we were taken to the Xian International Airport by Global Volunteers at 9AM for an hour drive to the airport for a 12:10 PM flight. It turned out that there was only 1 “international flight” going out to Hong Kong. The international area did not open until 10:40 AM, through which you had boarding passes, passport check, and security checks. We went through all check points without a problem and waited for our flight. While there we realized that only foreigners like us and the very rich travel internationally. One of our team mates had asked a class how many had ever been on an airplane and there were was no one. Most don’t know what an airport is and much less have ever been on an airplane to see it. The average school teacher makes about $250 USD a month. Plane fares are the same for them as for us so few can afford a trip.

A few more thoughts about China. When tourists go there, they are interested in the history and the ways of the dynasties 600BC. The Chinese want to know about the future—new inventions, music, dress, business structures, modern buildings, etc. The old city of Xian is a juxtaposition of 15^th century and 21^st century. There is a modern glass and steel shopping center on the main street and a block away on a side street, there are brick and mud structures where the people live with no bathrooms. On the old streets are carts pulled by hand or bicycles full of vegetables, fruits, nuts, and cooked foods. The government has replaced many old living quarters with more modern ones but there is so much more to do. They face both a cultural and financial challenge.

We saw a man “tight rope walking” over 8 lanes of traffic on electrical wires to make repairs. On another site there was a man balancing only on his bare feel, hanging protective plastic on scaffolding 5 stories up with no safely measures. Visitors can walk through construction sites without protective helmets, climbing over steel rebar, piles of marble, and construction holes. The schools have 60+ children shoulder to shoulder in a classroom where the back door is padlocked from the outside. The concept of safety precautions is certainly different from home. It boggles the mind.

Funny how a 12-hour airplane ride can seem like a time warp. Three weeks in Xian seem like a dream. We are home now putting away our suitcases and trip items plus the treasures the kids removed from the house in the evacuation effort. It seems we arrived just in time as the garbage disposer leaked, and the lawn sprinklers shorted out. Also I’ve lost my wallet with my driver’s license and credit cards, so that has to be taken care of. It’s still better than losing our whole house. It gives one pause to realize that most of the Chinese people we spent time with have no concept of the things I am taking care of now at home—but they will. China is the sleeping giant getting ready to wake up.