Getting ready to travel

location: Columbus, Ohio

I got my visa today. Finally. I haven't started packing or finished unpacking from college and recent travels, but I'm sure the panic of procrastination will set in soon. The limbo of being home for 7 days will end Wednesday with my 14:35 hour flight from Chicago to Shanghai.

Some plans for China: The Phillips Ambassadors program requires that we read a novel about the country while we are there. I'm planning to read To Live by Yu Hua while I am in China and have some others that I may try to read when I get back to school. I also plan on visiting or contacting a few businesses in Beijing while I am there to explore the business culture. I think it would be interesting to compare the businesses that have strong ties to Europe, Australia, and North America. I would also like to look at how the government regulates innovation, entrepreneurship, and small v. large businesses. I think it will be interesting to look at businesses with strong international ties and businesses that haven't taken a major step towards international expansion.

So enough about business.

I plan on making a serious effort to meet lots of people and learn about their experiences. It will be both fun and stressful to experience a culture shock, a different standard of living, and get used to the small things, like not drinking the water, etc. I will definitely be outside my comfort zone.

A couple of issues/topics I want to pay attention to: the Olympics and its perception from many different lenses, environmental issues, human rights issues, the effect of China's changing demography on its future (especially the effect of the one-child policy and economic factors), exploring business customs and the role of and lack of "middle managers" (according to a US News article). I also plan on comparing my recent experiences in Germany and Hungary (specifically in terms of types of businesses, urban planning and renewal, social activities and customs, and attitudes towards innovation) with what I experience in China.

I'm planning on coming back to the states inspired and pumped up to study more about Chinese culture, history, and language and ready to go back for more.