Beijing

A friend of mine name Shauna France is leaving for Hong Kong and Beijing this week. She will make a short visit to Hong Kong and then settle long-term at Beijing for school and for work. I met Shauna through Oxford Seminar's TESOL program. She had expressed her deep love and interest for China, Chinese Culture and is fluent in Spanish and Mandarin. She will ultimately teach at the local schools at Beijing, similar to my contract as a NET at Hong Kong.

For awhile, I was trying to ponder what is it about Beijing that makes Shauna so excited to the point where she will leave behind all her close friends and family in the Bay Area to live and work in a 'foreign' country? She told me it's an adventure that only comes once in a lifetime. Her affinity with Beijing is partially due to her birthday - August 8! Of course that's just part of it. She is truly fascinated with the growth and development of China, and its culture and people. There's nothing more thrilling to Shauna than stepping outside beyond the borders of the United States to experience something new and life-changing. I offer her my continuous support, and even gave her a contact person at Beijing who is quite dear to me. I don't know anyone who loves Beijing as much as Shauna.

I dedicate this song from the 2008 Beijing Olympics to Shauna. This was one of my favorite Olympic songs aside from Whitney Houston's One Moment in Time. I sent Shauna a bon voyage yesterday and have her in my thoughts as she embark on a magnificent journey to Asia. May the 2008 Beijing Olympics' theme 'One World, One Dream' lives on in hopes of making all of us be and feel closer while living worlds apart. Peace everyone!
You & Me