The
China Semester

Appreciation Rarely Appears First: A Testimonial from an MSSU Student Who Spent Two Years in China
On request
Please contact Dr. Chad Stebbins at 417-625-9736 to schedule a presentation

There is little to give the impression of permanence and stability in China, possibly none more so than from the eyes of a visitor. Being caught up in just such a maelstrom of impermanence, one discovers an infinitely faster pace of life. It seems as though barely anything remains untouched for longer than the shelf-life of 2 percent milk. Yet such impermanence was not limited to inanimate objects, if not for such a simple reason as the myriad of people who lived in or used those objects. In contrast, small-town America often can be summed up by the words steady and even monotonous. In both of these two worlds, Michael Edwards says he hardly left a footnote, yet both carved deep impressions in his soul.

In his presentation, Michael will address the following:

  1. Overcoming constant assumptions of what people mean. Essentially learning to become a child again and asking lots and lots of questions.
  2. Sociability — how learning a language became the absolute best socializer, and helped him overcome fears of social ackwardness.
  3. Relearning how to learn properly. That is, discovering the importance of retention due to constant application. Stepping back from the theoretical drawing board of most education.
  4. Accepting the different, not as different but as an exciting new way to getting things accomplished.
  5. Traveling in China. Barely knowing his whereabouts in the United States, after spending a month traveling in Southwest China and in other areas it brought about a realization and appreciation for doing plenty of traveling in America.
  6. Overcoming America’s media bias. The world can’t be read through a book or a newspaper, and too often bad impressions or outrightly wrong judgments come into play by reading them. For example, the diversity of China is real while the myth of near continental uniformity is just that, a myth.
  7. An appreciation for the difficulty of being a minority. Nothing prepares you for suddenly becoming the black sheep, where everyone is staring at you and your physical appearance plays a role in every instance.
  8. Loneliness and isolation. These two are the most difficult to deal with and makes long-term staying a near impossibility for most.

Michael Edwards, a senior international studies major, spent the past two years in China teaching English and studying at the Communication University of China in Beijing.

 

 

 

 

Michael Edwards