30,000 ft above the vast brown land of China and making my descent into Beijing airport, otherwise known as Peking Airport. I, a 28year old was quickly coming to realize that I was about to endure a life of excitement and at the same time was thinking ‘Have I made the right decision?’ Being from the western world, where life is very different and developed as many eastern people say, I was about to start the complex task as an English teacher with no real understanding of China and its people, but with my eyes wide open ready to capture the memories and events as they unfold.

Looking out the window of the plane with my head buzzing and my thoughts pulsating fast as if they were the beats to a trance CD from an undergroung rave party, I could not help to notice that the land was beginning to look more like a hard dried up chocolate cake with dead tress resembling the likeness of burnt candles. This was adding more butterflies to my stomach that already was playing a rapid tune of emotions and feelings. After several minutes of looking out the window then turning to view the main projector screen with the temperature, map, plane position and altitude showing, I looked around the cabin at the people and finally noticed that all I really could see was a connect-a-dot of heads with black hair and the language of jumbled Chinese whirling around and around the whole economy section of the plane.

When the stewardess announced over the speaker for everyone to hear that we were arriving, the only words that I recall were ‘Welcome to Beijing China, the temperature is 4 degrees and sunshine’. Sunshine! All I was seeing were frozen ice ponds, naked trees, heavy smog and brown land. As the plane slowly descended, the sound of the Chinese language was getting louder and louder like a crowd at a concert and the clapping of happiness. I felt that everyone on board was excited to be home again safe.

Crawling up to the gate of the airport terminal, I slowly got my documents ready and my small hand luggage. Then I realized that I had landed in China and was about to begin my life of teaching in a country known as Communist China or by it other nickname ‘Red China’.

There was a scurry of Chinese people flowing out of the aircraft aisle and door with one little foreigner floating amongst like a lost sheep. It was a short time but felt like an hour, before I was greeted by the official at immigration giving me a slight smile and strongly looking at me while viewing my passport. After giving a friendly western thankyou and smile, I was officially welcomed to China by a small unnoticeable red stamp. Moving to collect my luggage and proceeding to the main exit entrance before having that final document check by the walking security, I was greeted with the faces of loved ones waiting eagerly with smiles and a tall western foreigner (shorter than Yao Ming) standing above the heads. I saw my name in big black marker pen English letters.

Shaking hands with the representative we walked fast to the private car that awaited me like a celebrity with style having to smile at the driver standing beside the door who quickly finished his cigarette and talking with the locals.I felt a small ease of butterflies and quietly acknowledging in my mind and heart that I finally planted my feet on Chinese soil and its ancient traditions of culture, language and tea.