After being in China for three days, I feel like I have a good first impression of it, or second impression rather. I decided to hold off on writing my first thoughts about China because I really wanted to immerse myself into the culture in order to understand what it has to offer.

From chopsticks and bizarre meals at breakfast to getting stared down by locals on the streets of Shanghai, this place seems to be very different from home. It seemed obvious at first that this new land was in stark contrast to what I have been used to. But as I thought more, I came to the conclusion that underneath all the cultural differences, we are all just human beings. So I challenged myself, to reexamine my preconceived ideas about China to prove them wrong. I was determined to find similarities between myself as an American, and the people of China.

I found that the only thing that sets me, and other Americans apart from Chinese locals is culture. Culture is a huge part of people’s lives. It is the outer most layer of a nation, and often times people do not look beyond it. While culturally we are very different, humanly we are alike. I think the best examples of this can be seen through our conversations with the Chinese. Every time I have ordered food it has been a challenge because of our language barrier. Half of the time I have no idea what the other is saying, or I end up ordering something that I did not intend. While language is cultural, there was something human that was always shared: laughter and smiles.