What a week! Please see each of my "mini posts" below to see what I've been up to:
***Please note that for this week, my most important post this week is the last mini post below.
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I arrived in China last Wednesday, June 12th.
Look what I found at the airport:
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| Welcome to China! |
1. The people around me
2. The water bottle in my hand
About point 1: China has lots of people. LOTS of people (over 1.35 BILLION!). The copious amounts of people is one of the first things you will notice upon entry to China.
About point 2: You cannot drink tap water in China, bottled water is your best bet always! Nongfu Spring is one of my favorites to drink here (I guess you can call it the "Poland Spring" counterpart)
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During our orientation events, we witnessed a traditional performance.
Here are some pictures!
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A bit random, but check out what I found:
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| Just a car chillin' on the sidewalk, NBD |
So today is June 16, 2013. My friends and I were assigned a scavenger hunt to go explore the city!
We went to the subway, and while we were buying tickets, I set my bag down for a second to go check up on the others in our group and help them buy tickets and solve any problems that might arise.
...Little did I know, a problem would indeed arise.
After we finished buying tickets, we started to head down the stairs into the subway platform.
At that moment, my back felt really light and I realized that I left my bag by the ticket counter upstairs!
I FLEW upstairs and my eyes darted to where I last set my bag.
It was gone.
My heart started racing and I went to the security guard. We talked in Chinese
and I did my best to describe my bag to her. From what I can understand from our conversation, she told me that she saw someone grab a black bag (mine) and then head off.
We went to the police station and filed a report, but I know that I'm never going to see my bag again.
Okay, so now that all of this "sad" stuff is out of the way, let me tell you how I truly feel about this incident. If I could summarize one feeling I had the WHOLE time I was in this ordeal it was the feeling of gratefulness.
I did not lost my passport.
I did not lose my phone.
I did not lose my wallet.
I did not lose my keys.
Upon further reflection, I realize that I also did not lose my textbooks and notebooks that I need for homework tonight. Most of the things I lost (earphones, hand sanitizer, etc.) I have immediate replacements for back here at my dorm. In effect, I just lost my physical backpack.
From this experience, here is what I learned:
LESSONS LEARNED:
1. NEVER PANIC (after overcoming the initial, instinctive shock of something):
When I lost my stuff, I started to feel flustered, but very soon, I calmed myself down.
For example, when I talked with the Chinese police to file a report, I spoke and behaved in a calm, calculated tone.
2. KEEP A POSITIVE MINDSET:
Remind yourself of the truth: It could always be worse. I kept on thanking God that I did not lose
my essentials.
3. ALWAYS BE A POSITIVE ROLE MODEL:
Realize that how you behave is observed by others. As a leader, I always want to enable my friends and followers to become better people. I always want to set a good example for others to follow and build upon!
Thus, during this experience, I wanted to set a good example of how to handle emergencies like these and so I acted accordingly (by remaining CALM and courteous during police talks and by keeping a POSITIVE MINDSET and never complaining or feeding unnecessary negativity to your friends and followers).
When all is said and done, I really want future leaders (people who set examples) to follow Lesson 1 and Lesson 2 so that they can follow through with Lesson 3 and thereby teach others to behave responsibly under pressure.
Finally, above all else, I just want to thank Christ for His mercy today. I learned so much and I believe others learned a lot from my experience as well. God-willing, I will continue to have this attitude of gratitude! Praise God!
Chinese have a saying that goes, 塞翁失马，焉知非福。A great king loses his horse, but in turn, it keeps his son from finally fighting in battle. Good things will become bad things, bad things will become good things. Keep your head up, and your eyes open :)
ReplyDeleteOn a more practical note, always be careful when you are surrounded by people - on the bus, waiting in line, crowded streets - thieves are one thing China does not lack. Always be conscious that you valuables are with you.
ReplyDelete