Confucius said, “You should be happy when there are friends from afar.” We were extremely excited when we heard that we would participate in this year's Inner City Kids in China Program. After counting the days until June 20 th , the day has finally arrived.  The independence and curiosity of the American students matched the outgoing and helpful attitudes of the Chinese students. At first, our difference in language was a problem during conversation. As they spoke English very fast, sometimes with an accent, mutual understanding was a challenge for us, a group of 9 th graders with no experience dealing with foreigners. Slowly, the Americans adapted to our incompetence by slowing down their speed every time we asked, “Pardon?” When there were words that we did not understand, they patiently explained each one in detail. After a few days, we were able to understand each other without complications. I am grateful that I was able to improve my pronunciation and comprehension of the English language with the help of the American students.  In Xinglong, the friendship and kindness of the locals left a great impression on me. Living there was almost like the days of Chairman Mao's glorious Communist rule, where one could sleep at night without locking the door. Their honesty and openness left me feeling ashamed, a child growing up in the city. Urban life has forced me to adapt to and accept malevolent acts. I have learned to protect and fend for myself, sometimes becoming selfish in the field of landmines I call home. On the other hand, children my age in the countryside will selflessly think for others. Although city life may be filled with pleasure and technology, kids from the countryside are much stronger mentally and physically because they have to survive by their own hard work and effort. As a student from Guangzhou , a major city in China , I feel I should learn from them. The one advantage we truly have over rural students is experience and equipment. This year's Inner City Kids in China Program has allowed me to appreciate American culture while improving my ability to be outgoing with strangers. I hope I have also established a long and friendly relationship with Chinese and American students. Words cannot describe how much I have gained through this program.  

By Christina Liu in Guangzhou

Although I have lived for fifteen years, this is the first time I have been with foreigners for such a long time. First of all, I recognized many differences between China and America . American students are inclined to display more independence, while we are not as outgoing. The students in Hebei were not as sociable though they seemed warm and honest as time passed. During the trip, I was happy to form friendships with the Americans. In the ten days that we were with each other, we broke through language barriers to discover each other's customs and expanded our experience. On the final day, everyone said their farewells with a dark mood, knowing that we may well never see each other again. My only regret is that we had too little time together. During the time we were in touch with American culture, we never ceased to change ourselves and adapt to our surroundings. The 2006 Inner City Kids in China Program allowed for the fusion of ideas from three environments and two countries and extended our knowledge beyond what we know of our home, Guangzhou .

By Young Liu in Guangzhou

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[Thoughts from American students]