Zaijian, China: Some thoughts on my time in China

So, it is time to say goodbye to China. What a wonderful three weeks it has been. Here's some of the reflections I've had.

Food is all about great flavor, wherever it comes from: Throughout my time here, I have had so many different flavors from so many different ingredients. At times, the diversity of the regional cuisines was overwhelming. But the preparation and approach is done with so much thought. Ingredients are treated with the necessary spices and seasonings to maximize their good flavors and minimize the bad. I found myself purposefully ordering tripe on several occasions, a new favorite for me. I sensed no hesitance, anywhere, to try something that may seem odd if it could yield deliciousness. And, everybody seemed so into food. So into food.

Is it logically chaotic or just chaotic?: My read of the feel of the place was mixed. The memories of riding bikes provides the perfect example. Is there a logic to the traffic, or is it all dog-eat-dog, biggest vehicle wins. In my better moments, I could feel the rhythm, see the flow, and it seemed to make sense, even though it operated according to a very different rulebook. In other moments, say when a car cut me off on the sidewalk, well, not so much. I wonder how much of this applies (or not) to broader aspects of the culture and society.

The smallest tip of the iceberg: Most of all, however, I had the omnipresent feeling that I was just beginning to see what China was. It is so big, so diverse, so fast-changing. I know I understood very little. This sensation was so much stronger than it's been in Japan, Indonesia, or Singapore. It was even on a different level than my experiences in India. This place would take awhile to get to know - and it seems like the payoff would be huge. By the end of my three weeks, I am dying to learn Mandarin to be able to start to unlock some of these questions.