Friday, November 09, 2007

Rewards of Documentation

I'm not in China anymore. I feel bad that I didn't write about my last couple of experiences, but if I do it now, they won't be in the same spirit as the rest of these writing. What I want to mention right now is the feedback I got from this blog.

I wrote about my time in China for several reasons. I wanted a personal record of my time. I wanted to keep friends and family updated on what was going on with me in a way that would make them feel connected to me. I wanted to have something to which my professors could refer other students potentially interested in studying in China. Most of all, however, I wanted to make a reference.

When I was in the preparation stages for my trip, I could not find any information. I'm pretty decent with technology and the internet, and I could not find information about the school I was going to attend. Being overseas and wondering about basic things like where you will live in a place where you're not really sure you can talk is stressful. Couple that with going totally alone with no guidance, and you've got a real mess on your hands. It's not everyday that you run across something the internet is missing, so it's good to take your opportunities.

I'm so glad that I wrote as much as I did. Truly, even now, over a year after my return, I am still hearing from people who are going to Beijing, even to the school I attended in some cases. I decided to revisit this spot on the web tonight because I had someone contact me tonight. People have found this through several methods - google, flickr, facebook - and I hope that people continue to find it, and find it useful.

I've gotten the chance to correspond with many people because of this blog, and that's probably the most rewarding part of having kept it. So everyone, continue to feel free to get in touch with me. It's great to hear from you and find out who's interested enough in China to actually get themselves over there.