Journey to the East: feeling at home across the globe

“The Eastside students were so open,” says global educator Bill Kwong, who designed the program curriculum and led the trip itself. “Open to new ideas, open to interaction, open to trying new foods…this is one of the best groups, if not the best, I have ever traveled with.”

The admiration was mutual, with the Eastside travelers reflecting on how much they appreciated Bill’s knowledge, energy, and enthusiasm.

Although many of the experiences were unfamiliar, the students also noticed parallels between Chinese culture and their own cultures. As Jocelyn Urbina-Diaz says, “The developed areas in Shanghai reminded me of the busy streets of San Francisco, their restaurants of Chinese buffets in America, their traditional buildings of famous monuments, and their duck with flat bread reminded me of Mexican tacos.”

Similarly, Lupita Diaz shares, “A memory that will stick with me forever was watching the older Chinese women stand for hours outside their shops cooking zongzi [rice dumplings]. It reminded me of watching my family cook with the same passion and ease…It was beautiful to feel at home when I would watch them cook effortlessly.”

The students were also struck by the friendliness of the Chinese people everywhere they went – from the chatty strangers at the garden they visited in Suzhou to the children at the migrant school, who were so excited to play basketball with them despite the rain. Sarai Wagner recalls being greeted with “warmth, curiosity, and beautiful smiles” throughout the trip, and says she left China “with a new appreciation for how Chinese people often look out for others and make kindness a top priority in their everyday lives.”

The trip culminated with a homestay in Shanghai: each student was matched with a “buddy” from the Jinshan World Foreign Language School, and they spent three days going about daily life with these buddies and their host families. Jaya shares that the homestay experience was “definitely a highlight” for the students, as well as great practice navigating language barriers.

“During the homestay with my buddy Daphne and her family, I could call upon all the skills I had learned through interacting with the local people,” says Lupita. “Whether it was through universal signs, like a thumbs up or a smile, it made the differences feel smaller.”

“Although I didn’t always understand everything my homestay family said (and vice versa), we still shared many of the same interests: music, movies, and card games,” says Chris Guerrero. “But, most of all, it was our humanity that connected us…at our core, there are more similarities than meet the eye.”

Bill notes that “there were tears” at the farewell gathering that marked the conclusion of the homestay, as Eastside students spoke about their gratitude for the people who had welcomed them into their lives and treated them as family.

And after the Eastside group headed to the airport and boarded their return flight, they had more time to reflect on all they appreciated about the trip. As Juan Carlos Macias wrote, “I’m very grateful that I was given this opportunity to see the beauty of China in person and the chance to learn about its incredible history and culture…I will never forget my first time in this amazing country, and I know for a fact that it will not be my last.”

With Gratitude

We’re very grateful to DL Holdings and the CJSE Family Foundation for supporting the Journey to the East program. We also want to thank Bill Kwong for planning such an amazing experience; all of the experts, educators, and tour guides who shared their knowledge and perspectives; and the people of China who so graciously welcomed our students into their country, their homes, and their hearts.