To a Land Far Away

In September, I joined 171 others on an RCGA (St. Louis' Chamber of Commerce) sponsored trip to China. It was a place that I have always wanted to go, but have never wanted to try to figure out on my own and the cost was always prohibitive. Because the Chinese government wants to encourage tourism and business development, they offered the 9 day trip (with airfare from LA, all hotels, meals, exhibits and tours at the four cities we would visit in China) for the very reasonable price of $1990.00. So, I scheduled ETO, raided my savings and signed up. And, am I ever glad I did. From climbing the Great Wall to visiting the Forbidden City to standing in Tianamen Square, it was a once in a lifetime experience. At Olympic Village, I saw the Bird's Nest that was so much more impressive in person than on television. Shanghai is like 12 New Yorks -- skyscrapers and colorful lights abound. Went to the World Expo in Beijing and was taken with the imagination that was so evident in many of the buildings.
What probably stuck with me most is how China is such a collaboration of cultures -- the new and the old, the developed and the undeveloped, the modern and the traditional often sit side by side. It is a visible depiction of the ying and the yang that is so much a part of their lives. We (we traveled in groups of 25 to 30) were honored to have lunch in the home of a family and learned much about what is different and what is the same within our cultures. The one child rule, non-western toilets, and land ownership are very different. A fierce belief in the power of education, hopes and dreams for the future, and the power of positive thinking are similar.
I would be less than truthful if I said I did not think about work and our department while I was there (heck, with technology I was never totally disconnected). I thought of how to incorporate a bit of ying and yang which is really all about balance. How do I help our department better balance the ever increasing demands for our services (it happens when you are good) with our capacity to deliver those services in a satisfying way? What things can we stop doing to make room for new things or to allow us to breathe a little easier and incorporate some time for thinking? I had a work-related meeting with a BJC Medical Group doc a couple of weeks ago and he shared that most of us don't have the ability to really relax -- to really turn off the stimulation and just be in a quiet place. The doctor shared that turning off for just ten minutes a day would do wonders for our health and our work productivity. In China, that is incorporated into their daily activities and no one has ever questioned the productivity of the Chinese. My other favorite observation in China -- in early evening on many street corners and in many parks you find singles and couples engaged in impromptu dancing. For those of you who know me well, you can imagine how envious I was. Maybe that is something that can be imported here.