Claudia Arevalo-Lowe Feb. 7, 1998

It is very interesting to see how points of view change as we get further exposed to different cultures. Chinese culture has always been something you do look at from afar as Chinese people seem to be very introverted, even though, they seem to be very pleasant. Of course, there are exceptions, I happen to know 2 of them.

At any rate, going with the group to see the Chinese New Year’s parade was the first part of it. New China town is beautiful and even though the sky was overcast, it did not rain; we had the opportunity to see the parade in its entirety. I wish they would have had more dragons. Professor Liao gave us a tremendous amount of information about the community in general and the comparison between Old China Town and New China Town. We were to return to the bus by 12:20 so I missed the tour part of the group got through the stores.

The road to our second stop was long and by the time we got there, I was starving. The Monastery was grand, peaceful and filled with priceless art. What struck me the most, upon arrival, was the respect and devotion Chinese people have for their religion. As we walked to the food area, I was observing them and was thinking of how different it is from any other religion. We finally got to eat, and to tell the truth, it was good. I could get use to a healthy dose of vegetables and fruit on a daily basis as long as it includes some kind of meat sometimes.

After we were done with lunch, we walked to meet the Master. This was another incredible experience as it strengthened the knowledge that there is a major difference between our religions and our cultures. We spend the majority of the time listening to him and learning from him, not only did we learn about their beliefs and customs but to meditate as well.

A great experience and a very enlightening day.