Since it has been an unplanned nine month hiatus from life in the U.S., I'd like to share some thoughts about what I have experienced and observed...
China - The economy is on fire. The Chinese are embracing capitalism as though they have been waiting for it for a long time. People are changing jobs very quickly with little to no loyalty to their employer while at the same time being dedicated and tireless workers when employed. I know this seems in conflict but it is what's going on. Automobiles are a big status symbol and everyone wants to drive which has caused a lot of traffic congestion. The Chinese are aware of what's going on in the rest of the world but have particular interest in the U.S. for styles, autos, latest hot things to do or say, sports teams (Kobe Bryant is the most popular). Other than how pedestrians are treated by drivers of bicycles, motor bikes and autos on the clogged streets, Chinese people were helpful and welcoming. The warm welcome at work was quite memorable and other than that Shanghai was like being in most large cities in the world. The cautionary tale for China is my belief that there will continue to be social unrest due to the Communist government's control of communications, freedom of speech and other basic rights we enjoy. The economy will grow but at some point the controls will have to be relaxed or there will be a lot more social issues raised by the youth.
India - With only a month in India, mostly in Mumbai, it's hard to get a full read on everything but I found the Indian people every bit as nice as the Chinese with the added plus that they speak English (once you train your ear to understand them.) The people were very welcoming, extending themselves to do anything that was asked or even hinted about. The difference is that while India's economy is also growing rapidly, it seems there infrastructure is stuck in the 1960s. Roads are clearly unable to handle the vehicular traffic in the large cities. People are experiencing the thrill of travel and increased wealth but it is not as alien to the Indian way of thinking as it is to the Chinese people. The biggest difference I saw was that the poverty in India is not hidden. In Mumbai, it hits you right in the face, grabs you and doesn't let you forget it. The other thing India is facing is lack of control on population growth. this will make India the most populous country by 2030 with over 1.3 Billion people. However, until the infrastructure is improved (schools, roads, transportation,etc.) and the population growth is stemmed, there will continue to be growing pains.
Africa - I know it's not a country, but it would be impossible to analyze all of the individual (ten) countries we visited given the time we had in each. In a case of they don't know what they don't have,the African people seem quite happy. The regions a big mix of good economy and poor. There are many big issues. Aids/HIV effect 50% of the population in some areas with no real progress begin made. Governments are corrupt throughout the region and therefore, a slew of issues emerge. Lack of consistent electrical power, poor or crumbling road infrastructure, lack of schools or teachers, political unrest, overpopulation, lack of employment opportunities, poaching of animals in protected areas, etc. And despite all of this, the people were warm and welcoming wherever w went. Of course, to some people we only represented $ signs and their thoughts were only about selling things to us. To many, we were Westerners from countries that had more than them so they wanted to learn more about our way of life, what we had, how we lived etc.
Some other African "Way of Life" observations from the windows of our vehicles...
1. Police use road blocks to stop vehicles traveling within the same country or area. For some, it's about bribery and others it's about control.
2. In the countryside, people walk everywhere as they have no other means of travel. There were some people traveling around on donkeys.
3.Children play games like all do, but in some places rocks replaced rubber balls, banded plastic replaced soccer balls,
4. Everyone who uses a telephone has a cell phone that is run with purchase cards for connect time.
5. Women haul everything around on their head (produce mostly) or on their backs (children tied in with pieces of fabric)
6. In the countryside, most people don't have shoes.
7. Houses are typically made of mud with thatched roofs. As we got to more developed areas or more affluent countries, the style of roof changed to metal from thatch, homes had more than one big room, people had shoes, roads other than the main highway were paved.
8. It is typical to see lots of young children (under 5) and see lots of men (age 15+) sitting around doing nothing.
Things I learned from my fellow travelers...
As an American, I think our point of view is mentally isolated.
Few Americans know the currency conversion for Canada or the UK or Euro. Many don't even know what the currencies are.
Few Americans know the heads of state of our closest allies like Canada or England, but the people overseas all know who's running our country.
Few Americans understand the UK way of life, but the UK folks get ours.
Few Americans would know the first thing to even ask about life in other countries while the people I traveled with asked lots of great questions about our life.
America is looked upon as the leader in many things like business, politics, policing the world, fighting injustices, Hollywood movies, the rich and famous, etc., but most people don't understand why we get involved in some of the things internationally we put ourselves in the middle of. Canada and Australia are countries of 30 million that are fairly remote and on big land masses so their point of view is interesting.
As the leader, we should be looking ahead at our next challenges but as the world shrinks increasingly through technology leaps, it would be myopic to continue to look in the mirror and smile at our own reflection.
This last thought makes me think of my favorite poem, one that I always print and hang in my office at work. The poem is called, "The Guy in the Glass" and it perfectly reflects the "don't blame others for your problems" attitude I'm trying to impress on my children. It's also interesting to think about when and how people make an impact on you. The first time I heard this poem was at a HS football banquet in Hopkinton, MA where my oldest son was a graduating senior. The poem was read as part of the remarks by the superintendent of schools. I'm pretty sure none of the HS seniors thought about this for a second and probably none of the parents either, but it did make an impression on me.
The Guy in the Glass
When you get what you want in your struggle for pelf,
And the world makes you King for a day,
Then go to the mirror and look at yourself,
And see what that guy has to say.
For it isn't your Father, or Mother, or Wife,
Who judgement upon you must pass.
The feller whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the guy staring back from the glass.
He's the feller to please, never mind all the rest,
For he's with you clear up to the end,
And you've passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the guy in the glass is your friend.
You may be like Jack Horner and "chisel" a plum,
And think you're a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass says you're only a bum
If you can't look him straight in the eye.
You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years,
And get pats on the back as you pass,
But your final reward will be heartaches and tears
If you've cheated the guy in the glass.
Dale Wimbrow 1895-1954
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