As I have had the opportunity this summer to meet new people from a variety of backgrounds I have recently been reminded of the time I spent with the students who visited from Bejing. Despite political views from the left and right, and the perceptions each carry about an array of nations and those that reside in them, it is important to remember that people are people. A relatively recent experience with some exchange students from China has taught me this. While unfortunately, I was unable to host myself one of my friends, Brennan, was. One Thursday night he texted both me, as well as my friend Yale asking if we were able to hang out with them the following night. After school that Friday we all met up and I was introduced to Leo and Daniel-the two students who were staying with Brennan. This was something I had been looking forward to the entire day. Having a chance to meet and converse with someone from a seemingly "completely different nation" was something I saw as a once in a lifetime opportunity. At first, things started out like one would expect, hesitant small talk, and minimal interaction. However, once we began tossing the football things began to pick up. Yale and I attempted to use our almost non-existent Chinese skills, which was met with appreciative laughter and a mutual agreement to only speak English form that point forward. After clearing that up we stayed on campus playing ping-pong and basketball until we ordered an uber back to Brennan's house. On the ride there we began to talk, not as Americans and Chinese, but simply as people. As the night progressed we began to learn things about one another, like the fact that Daniel was in the midst of learning how to play guitar, and the Leo was the most amazing pianist I have ever heard, regardless of the fact that he was self-taught and had only been practicing for a year. Discoveries like this only became more apparent as we got further into the night, indulging in some classic American Barbecue and hiking up to the Griffith Observatory. That night we definitely discovered some differences as a result of culture, like realizing both kids have never had barbeque, or that they had never done something we would call "adventurous", especially if it was against someone's wishes or rules. Yet, while there may have been a few differences the amazing reality was that we were much more alike than not. We all experienced the same feelings, we all had those things that brought us joy, and we all had those things which we brought us sadness. We talked about things all teens talked about like our future or even our love lives. I personally even connected with one of the students in regard to some of the same struggles we faced. It was crazy how many emotions one can feel in a single night. It's also amazing to realize that amidst all that is going on in the status quo, all that is being said about one another, or those who are different from you, or those in other nations, we all have more similarities than differences. So why not let those similarities draw us closer, rather than let the few differences tear us apart?
As I have had the opportunity this summer to meet new people from a variety of backgrounds I have recently been reminded of the time I spent with the students who visited from Bejing. Despite political views from the left and right, and the perceptions each carry about an array of nations and those that reside in them, it is important to remember that people are people. A relatively recent experience with some exchange students from China has taught me this. While unfortunately, I was unable to host myself one of my friends, Brennan, was. One Thursday night he texted both me, as well as my friend Yale asking if we were able to hang out with them the following night. After school that Friday we all met up and I was introduced to Leo and Daniel-the two students who were staying with Brennan. This was something I had been looking forward to the entire day. Having a chance to meet and converse with someone from a seemingly "completely different nation" was something I saw as a once in a lifetime opportunity. At first, things started out like one would expect, hesitant small talk, and minimal interaction. However, once we began tossing the football things began to pick up. Yale and I attempted to use our almost non-existent Chinese skills, which was met with appreciative laughter and a mutual agreement to only speak English form that point forward. After clearing that up we stayed on campus playing ping-pong and basketball until we ordered an uber back to Brennan's house. On the ride there we began to talk, not as Americans and Chinese, but simply as people. As the night progressed we began to learn things about one another, like the fact that Daniel was in the midst of learning how to play guitar, and the Leo was the most amazing pianist I have ever heard, regardless of the fact that he was self-taught and had only been practicing for a year. Discoveries like this only became more apparent as we got further into the night, indulging in some classic American Barbecue and hiking up to the Griffith Observatory. That night we definitely discovered some differences as a result of culture, like realizing both kids have never had barbeque, or that they had never done something we would call "adventurous", especially if it was against someone's wishes or rules. Yet, while there may have been a few differences the amazing reality was that we were much more alike than not. We all experienced the same feelings, we all had those things that brought us joy, and we all had those things which we brought us sadness. We talked about things all teens talked about like our future or even our love lives. I personally even connected with one of the students in regard to some of the same struggles we faced. It was crazy how many emotions one can feel in a single night. It's also amazing to realize that amidst all that is going on in the status quo, all that is being said about one another, or those who are different from you, or those in other nations, we all have more similarities than differences. So why not let those similarities draw us closer, rather than let the few differences tear us apart?
Thank you for sharing about your reflections regarding your friends from across the Pacific. Indeed, these types of exchanges remind us that there is more that unites us as humans than separates us. I look forward to hearing about your outing with our new AFS student.
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