After about a day and a half in Nanchang a few observations are beginning to come into focus in my brain. When i have the opportunity to visit new places i always try to see them with my eyes wide open. I try to remember everything. I turn my observation radar on high. While i’m out seeing new things and meeting new people i always want my head and my heart to both be a sponge for information and experiences. I often take mental notes of what i’m observing with hopes that i’ll be able to regurgitate it later when i’m finally able to sit at my keyboard.

This afternoon as the sun was setting over the plains of southern China i found myself in the front seat of a van with a driver whom i had never seen before in my life. When i got in the van we never said hello and i don’t think we even looked at each other for longer than two seconds. He was driving and knew exactly where to go and my eyes were glued to the outside world passing me by on the highway.

During that hour of riding in the van with a stranger i decided that there are easily two dozen things i could write about.

I could write about how the traffic is so different outside of Beijing. There’s something raw and fantastic that i love about the way traffic flows in small Chinese cities. There are no rules.

I could easily write about the beautiful landscape of southern China.

I could write about the sunset that i saw during this drive.

I could write about the amount of trust that i have to ride for an hour through the countryside with someone i don’t know or even share the same language with.

I could write about the peace that i felt as i took a short nap during the drive.

There’s so much to say, but what is absolutely sticking out more than the rest is the vast difference there is between Beijing and the many other cities i get to visit. The other day i was talking with a Chinese friend about the fast changes taking place in China and how China is marked to be the next world superpower. My friend, Billy, is a well-educated professor in Beijing. I have an enormous amount of respect for his thoughts and opinions. He says things that make me think and make me walk away wanting to understand China better. When i told Billy that China was the next world superpower he looked at me and said, “Yes, i agree, but it’s going to take a very long time.”

“Like 15 or 20 years?” I asked.

“NO! More like 50 or 100.” He quickly replied.

In that moment with Billy i wanted to disagree. I wanted to be upset that he was such a pessimist. I want to believe the best for China and that she is progressing quickly toward being the advanced economic and political superpower that she dreams of.

Then two days after that conversation i landed in Nanchang and during the last 36 hours of being here i have seen that Billy is right. China needs more time. There are many rich people in Beijing and it is a city that boasts of China’s great future. I believe China does have a bright future and that should be exciting for us all. But when i have opportunities to travel one thing that becomes crystal clear in my mind is the great divide between the rich and poor, the developed and undeveloped.

While cruising down the highway with my new van driver friend i was reminded that China is changing at break-neck speeds, but it’s still going to be a while before the China of Beijing reaches the China of Nanchang. They are both equally China - the old mixed with the new - but they are world’s apart. I’m thankful for the cities like Nanchang and the side of China that it represents. There are so many things about being here that make me miss my days of living in small-town China. Some of you will know what i’m talking about when i say that being in Nanchang is exciting because of a warm cup of Nai Cha. Or maybe it’s exciting because in places like Nanchang foreigners are still superhuman, where as in Beijing we are often more-or-less just a nuisance. I learn so much when i have opportunities to get out and experience the fullness of China.