On his travels and observations in China, Colin Thubron wrote that it was "the land of a billion uncomprehended people." Watching the foreign landscape whiz by through the window of the train- a land of rural farming villages and factory cooling towers connected by unkempt roads and scattered with unfamiliar trees, I can't help but feel just as overwhelmed. A history stretching back to the Xia dynasty and prehistoric times, China is a world comprised of varied peoples with their own subcultures, variations of Mandarin, and unique foods to dish up. Even a lifetime seems too short for the greatest of sinologists to explore and comprehend. I look over at my brother, his head bouncing with the train, eyes still fighting jet lag, and I wonder what we're doing here. Who do we think we are? Two twenty somethings, packs on our back, meager belongings, and an ambition bigger than both our resumes combined. How could we possibly record each person's story, taste every dish? Have we bitten off more than we can chew?
MKT