Leaving China

I saw my friend from UNC in the subway - it turns out we had been at the same handball game! What a coincidence!

I spent a long time walking around the Olympic Green and watching the torch. The flame is pretty loud - you can hear it roaring when you are standing in the Olympic Green. I had such a great time watching all of the Olympics sports. It was so fun to support other countries and to see all of their team spirit. I took a couple of Chinese roommates to handball games with me and they loved them as well. I don't have time to talk about who I saw play and the outcomes, but rest assured that I had a ton of fun.

The hostel we are staying in is also amazing. It is in a traditional hutong and the neighborhood makes me feel like I am living in "real" China (see picture). Our neighbors are Chinese people that live in hutongs as well. We are not restricted by curfews or gates and doormen. I like it.

I am leaving tonight and I can't wait to go home, but I definitely plan on coming back. Looking back on my first post, I think I accomplished what I set out to do.

1) I read my book To Live on the plane ride here and plan on reading it on the way back to see what perspective I have gained.
2) I did contact a few businesses, but none responded (I am guessing with the Olympics, there was too much going on). At least I did get to see how an NGO was involved in the development of an impoverished school as well as just seeing how businesses were affected in preparation for the Olympics.
Something I would like to focus on next time I go is more about how the government regulates and restricts innovation, entrepreneurship, and small v. large businesses as well as international v. national. I definitely have more of a feel I think, but it's something I could expand on.
3) I met a LOT of people, both Chinese and foreign, and learned about what they have done in China and what their opinions are about different issues.
4) I definitely learned about all of the following issues which I addressed in my first post:
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),
5) And NOW, I am inspired and can't wait to come back.

Bye China!

Vocab phrase of the day: 中国加油，奥运加油！（Zhongguo jiayou, Aoyun jiayou!) Go China, Go Olympics - the official Olympics cheer