Back to base – Dahlia reflects

So we’ve all been living our ‘normal’ lives for the past 5 days now, a complete contrast to how we were living in China. The disfunctional family has been taken apart with careful hands and now sits all around the county once more, missing each other but keeping in touch! If there’s one thing I really really miss about China it’s certainly the people I was with and the life we led. A spontaneous, suprising and satsifying sort of life where absolutely anything could have been round the corner and it was just about stepping up to the challenge and facing the dark.

Lara looks up at the blue skies

I think it’s really difficult when people ask, “How was China?” or “What did you do when in China?” because there’s so much to say and I often have absolutely no idea where to start! In an attempt to ‘put it simply’, I would say it was nothing short of an amazing experience that I am honoured to have been a part of. I am so glad that we were encouraged to wake up early every day to get as much as possible packed in to each and every single day. Despite the fact that most of us thought we were going to keel over and die on the first day when after a 9 hour flight and having been up for a further 6 hours before, we were taken to the stunning Great Wall of China and offered the chance to walk the infamous steps, it was certainly worth it.

Sunny but ever so cold!

I have learnt a lot about China from being a part of this process, and one of the greatest things I think I have learnt is their passion and respect towards their history. Whilst in China we were lucky enough to visit several historic sites and have guides who knew a lot about their ancestry. Personally, I found it all intruiging and the extent of the preservation of their history just as fascinating. If there is anything worth looking at in depth, it’s most definately China’s history and progression over time. The country has come an incredibly long way and with the help from the recent developments for the Beijing Olympics, the people stand confident and proud of what they have become.

Sun rise over the Birds Nest

The Chinese people’s way of life is, as expected, very different from ours. Simple differences like their style of eating – several dishes with chopsticks, to the most common ways of travelling – bicycle, motorised bicycle, taxi or 1yuan bus. There was always so much to learn, so much to see and we were very lucky that Ivan and Miracle were always willing to help us with any questions or queries to develop our understanding.

I would personally like to say a huge thank you to Jane, Hilary, Maralyn and Steve for letting me be part of this experience and for insisting that young people were a part of this experience. Thank you also to the Shandong Youth Federation for the amazing experience and for all their hard work and planning that must have gone in to it all. And finally, a massive thank you to everyone who took part for making the trip as amazing as it possibly could be. The group bonded so well and I think we’ve all made friends we will never ever forget. I miss you all and I can’t wait till we start organising a similar trip for the Chinese when they come over to England!