Personal Preconceptions ~ China

So, it's official, in less than one week I'll be on a plane headed to the otherside of the world, headed to Asia, more specificially, China.

For the past two months I find myself constantly daydreaming about my next trip, a trip that means so much to me, a trip to China.

I wonder what the population will be like, how will people respond to me - will it be like when i was in Sri Lanka - where children had never seen a white person before? - where they stared at me - as if i was an unknown species. I don't expect the same strong reaction; however, I expect a sense of unfamiliarity.

What will the food be like - will the "american version" absolutely be terrible when i get home? Will it be impossible to find mac & cheese? Will the street food be the best? As much as I'm told the street food is so great, there's a bit of hesitation in me, as in my travels, street vendors are sometimes frowned upon, for lack of sanity, and so I wonder what the conditions will be like in PRC. On a lighter note, I'm planning on improving my chop-stick skills.

What will the streets be like, will there be clutter and disoray at all hours, will there be peak times like "our" 9&5? Will i ride a bicycle on the streets, with 2000 other people at the same time? I envision NYC's Time Square at rush hour, yet only with bicycles and ten times more the smog.

When i begin to giggle, will I pick up customs like coverin my mouth to be polite?

I wonder what the bathrooms will consist of - trust me, i've seen some weird ones - from Kosovo, Kuwait and Bulgaria.

I'm looking forward to the Great Wall of China, just like I dreamed of seeing the Eiffel Tower - I wonder if the pictures in the chinese food restaurants will have done it justice? I cried when I saw the Eiffel Tower because I never dreamed of making it there - and well, for the fact that it was such a beautiful monument, what effect will the great wall have on me?

As we travel throughout China, I'm truly hoping to gain the most from all my experiences, be it casual conversation, to people watching locals, to seeing the reaction to my classmates as some enter into foreign territory for the first time.

As a business major, with great interest in International Studies, this is the ultimate trip. I see China as the Manufacturing Headquarters of the World - there isn't much that I own that wasn't made in China, and to have the opportunity to visit, and see what the business environment is like, is just amazing.

Oh, I'm hoping for such a beautiful experience.