Lessons from China

China so far has just been amazing. I keep having to check myself in realisation that I am actually here. It is so easy to consider a city just any other city, where ever you are in the world, with tourist attractions, taxis and foreign students, and forget that you are on the other side of the world.

I have so far eaten starfish (tastes like a less potent crab), looked into the bedrooms of emperors past and had countless vendors beckon to me with, “look-ee look-ee!” If only they knew they had no chance of getting my attention without correct grammar. I have been considering selling them English lessons, “for you, my friend, special price” of course.

I have recently, from going on this trip, reached some self-realisation; a part of my personality that I have never really noticed before and quite frankly isn’t a positive one. When I say recently I mean it happened about 10 minutes ago.

I have been quite prejudice to people from ‘privileged’ in the past.

On this course there are people from all walks of life; final year management students and first year dance students, from Aberdeen to London and from all over the EU.

I get on with everyone fine, from all backgrounds etc. But I have caught myself making or thinking snide remarks about the people who obviously have money or went to a posh school. I seem to to it particularly around the people who are from Oxford or Cambridge.

Basically, I need to stop. Assuming someone is going to be up their own arse because they had a better education or because they go to Ox-bridge is as bad as if not worse than assuming someone is going to be thick because they are from Ireland, or violent because they are from Scotland, or a chav because they are from Essex. I am lucky enough to have grown up in a melting pot of cultures and backgrounds but was never really exposed to the high end of the spectrum. This may explain but clearly doesn't justify this predisposition I seem to have to force a stereotype on people.

If going to Uni has taught me anything it is that people will always surprise you in how they will act because of their background. I need to get the hell over myself and let these people just be people, and not just “that posh bloke".

So if I learn nothing else from this experience then at least I will have learnt to accept posh people into my heart.

In other news here are a couple of pictures I have taken whilst being here: