I feel a greater sense of what being American is through my travels to other places. When I feel that I am losing touch with reality I need to bounce my perceptions against something very different to regain perspective – China is the ideal place for such introspective activities. Let’s face it – it really is the most different-from–America place there is.

My journeys there would be impossible without the help of friends, and I would like to thank all of them and offer my deepest gratitude. Yuening and her entire family were the most gracious hosts imaginable. Yuening showed me around much of the time and was the most patient person imaginable. Family members not residents of Nanning traveled hours just to meet me. Her brother showed me around Guanxi University and chauffeured me to and from the airport, which is many miles distant from the city-center. I love them all. Young professor Wei translated and smoothed my conversations with others – no small task in China and something that literally made conversation possible. He is a good friend. Laughing girl, who translated my emails there, and whose name I cannot pronounce, was also very helpful to me during my stay as translator, guide and dinner companion to our group. Lan Wen Ming showed me places in China that I would never have seen without her guidance and her brother helped me to better see rural China in Ning Ming.

These kind and patient people truly are the world’s greatest hosts. They have given me so many memories of their home and so many new friendships that I can never repay them. It was raining the morning I left, and the Chinese say it is good luck when it rains the day a guest leaves. I am lucky the rain hides my feelings as I wait for the plane. I am a lucky man indeed; these people are why I cry when I leave their beautiful "Green City" of Nanning. They stand and wave throughout the 40 minute wait to board and until the plane moves out of sight. I am in their debt forever, and if the Chinese government knew what I took with me, the memories and friends, they would never let me leave with such treasures. I will be back for more.