First Impressions

Ten years ago, I remember, I wrote about how I had just experienced the “worst flight ever.” It was my second flight to China. I remember it most vividly because it was my first trip to China as an independent adult. What was my experience like then? Chaos. Babies crying, people chatting in the aisles, people opening and closing their overhead compartments constantly, the smell of quick-cooking noodles in the air, no personal space, no quiet...and, most certainly, no sleep. In China, this chaos is called “乱七八糟” (a mess). For a quiet American college student from the wide-open Midwest, it was culture shock.

My flight to China this week was a little bit different. There was still a smell of quick-cooking noodles in the air, and – as with any flight these days – I didn’t have much space; but the space I had was peaceful, the plane was quiet, the people were orderly…I even slept a little. I woke up briefly to see a man doing Tai Chi exercises in the exit row. Where was the chaos, though? Certainly it was not in the man practicing Tai Chi…I found myself missing it, wanting several people to step out of line, tread on my toes, speak loudly, or drop their children on my lap.

Landing in Beijing was certainly no different in its lack of chaos. The airport, recently built for the Olympics, sprawled out in front of us, an architectural wonder. The acoustics were also impressive – it was very quiet. Before we knew it, we were through Customs and baggage claim, and the EF Educational Tours staff met us in the airport and guided us to the tour bus .

There, we relaxed while Simon , our tour guide, told us about some of the places we passed. We drove past a 700-mile man-made canal （京杭）, the Lama temple （雍和宫）, and “Old Beijing.” Old Beijing contains traditional Chinese buildings – all of a low height. Just across the street, Simon pointed out new skyscrapers. It was an interesting juxtaposition of old and new, a trend I knew would be repeated throughout the trip.

Once we reached downtown, we were stuck in traffic, so he explained to us that about 2,000 additional cars are registered in Beijing every day. In order to regulate traffic, the government requires individuals to alternate driving days. 

Once we arrived at the hotel, we had an hour to change before heading out to a Chinese feast.  What a day!