From the New West to the Far East, Colin is going to China! Man, I've been waiting to use that line for the longest time and finally the moment has arrived. I will be leaving tomorrow and I'm extremely excited to walk along the Great Wall in Beijing, view the terracotta soldiers in Xi'an, appreciate the beauty of Guilin, go skyscraper viewing in Shanghai, haggle in Guangzhou, journey to my family's home in Toisan, and enjoy the bustling energy in Hong Kong.It's been eight years since I last visited China and it seems like so much has changed. The global stage has clearly shifted from the west to the east and all eyes appear to be on China with its increasing role in both international business and culture. I was absolutely amazed watching the Olympics last year and I was extremely proud to witness the creativity and ingenuity of the Chinese people by hosting probably the greatest Olympics ever.
This trip will also be quite bitter sweet since this will be the first time I've been back to my mom's hometown, Toisan, since my grandma passed away. My last trip was already deeply emotional as I was able to see the house where all the stories that my grandparents told me occurred, so I hope I won't be a mess this time.
I will be blogging about my trip as long as I have access to the Internet, so follow my adventures only on COOP!
