“Was it fun?” was the first question my wife, Lori, and I were greeted with as we came through customs after ten days in China. Immediately and simultaneously Lori and I answered, “Actually, no.” We looked at each other with surprise, it was the first time we had thought about the fun factor. We had a good trip, it was an amazing experience, we’re glad we went, we’d even go again, but China isn’t about fun.
We took a trip with our two youngest boys to visit our daughter, Tricia, who is living in China teaching English and trying to influence college students for Christ. It was reassuring to see Tricia in her element, visit with her teammates (solid servants) and attend her house church. Watching Tricia speak a perplexing language, embrace a strange culture and enjoy life in one of the hardest places on earth was amazing and enlightening, but it wasn’t really fun.
We spent time in the most polluted city on the planet and took a gondola trip over the Yellow River, which isn’t so much yellow anymore as it is an ugly brownish color. We also visited Beijing, it’s Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City. Since we’d forgotten everything we’d ever learned about Chinese history, five minutes after that tenth grade world history class, the significance of those places was lost on us. We did spend a few hours climbing The Great Wall which was, well, great. It would have been fun if it wasn’t so much of an unexpected workout.
The trip was something of a continuous workout. Tricia’s cure for our jet lag was to have us simply walk it off. We walked, walked some more and then climbed a mountain for good measure. We took cars, buses and the subway, but mostly we walked. I think Tricia was getting us back for every parental decision she disagreed with by making us walk in hot, high-humidity China. Did I mention that we did a lot of walking? We mixed in some running--whenever we encountered vehicles of any kind. Not only do pedestrians have absolutely no right of way, they are targets for bicycles and cars. I have a new appreciation for that old bumper sticker that says: “If you don’t like my driving, stay of the sidewalk.”
The Chinese food was good, quite spicy and a little boring--two choices: rice or noodles--and no fortune cookies--an American invention. My chopstick skills didn’t seem to improve, but I did discover a new way to lose weight--it’s called the “one-chopstick diet.” Tricia informed all of us upon arrival that we would get sick regardless of how meticulously we boiled our drinking water and practiced caution in eating. She was right. Genghis Kahn’s revenge arrived early on. Speaking of which, “western toilets” are not popular in China. They just use holes in the ground, referred to as “squatty potties”, and be sure to BYOTP. Not a lot of fun.
The crowds were relentless. It seemed like one constant traffic jam, similar to trying to get out of Dodger Stadium after a close game. Impatiently, people will push right past you whether it’s at the grocery store, on the bus or waiting for an elevator. There is no waiting in China, just aggression. I’m convinced that relentlessly pushing the “close doors” button on the elevator doesn’t help, but I think my friends in China thought wearing out that button was fun.
Lori, Tricia and our boys thought the shopping was fun, but I have a twenty minute tolerance for shopping. Since I don’t really need a “Mao watch”, I slipped off to a Starbucks (yes, they’re everywhere) for a taste of Americano. Okay, that was fun.
Overall, China was good and some parts were great, especially seeing Tricia! But it definitely wasn’t fun and the least fun part of the trip was seeing a culture that has ignored God. The official religion of China is atheism. God isn’t part of their culture; in fact it isn’t actually legal to talk about Him. Lori likened the trip to one long game of “Taboo.” That’s a popular game where the object is to describe an object or issue without using typical words. So, the “M’s” (missionaries) have come up with code words to describe their Sunday club, book studies, “P.R.-ing” for folks, what “The Father” is doing and how someone had just become a “C.”
I stepped back and thought about how an entire country has basically disregarded God. I thought of how our country seems to be moving in that direction. And I thought about how we can get caught up in stuff--fun or not--and miss God.
Tricia says she likes living in China because every day is a clear reminder of what her purpose in life is. The trip reminded me of how important it is for us to work to reach people, here or abroad--whether we’re having fun or not.
