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参考资料，少熬夜！ChinaThroughMyEyes我自己的国家和中国之间有许多几乎颠倒的差异。除了明显的差异，如食物和天气，人们不禁被巨大的人口差异所淹没，不仅仅是人，还有如此多的自行车和如此少的汽车（其中很少我能认出来)!在这样一个主要的新兴国家的首都看到驴车，我也很惊讶鈥？一些我绝对没有想到的事情！虽然当时的生活对许多人来说似乎很艰难，但人们强烈感觉到一些不寻常的事情正在发生，中国有一个美好的未来。AsbestIcanrecall,myfirstvisittoBeijing,inthehotsummerof1990,wasanalmostoverwhelmingexperience.Ivisitedawiderangeofplacesoverathreeweekstay,includingsometrulyamazinghistoricalsitesliketheGreatWall,theOldSummerPalace,theTempleofHeaven,theForbiddenCity,etc.,aswellasaChineseUniversity,markets,anoldcourtyardhouse,restaurants,parks,bookstores,andhutongs.Amongstitall,whatstruckmemostwasthefriendlinesspeopleshowedme,andtheirgenuinedesiretoconverse,inEnglishorinChinese,aboutarangeoftopics鈥?frompoliticalissues,toAIDS,towhatAustraliawaslike,andsoon.我自己的国家和中国之间有许多几乎颠倒的差异。除了明显的差异，如食物和天气，人们不禁被巨大的人口差异所淹没，不仅仅是人，还有如此多的自行车和如此少的汽车（其中很少我能认出来)!在这样一个主要的新兴国家的首都看到驴车，我也很惊讶鈥？一些我绝对没有想到的事情！虽然当时的生活对许多人来说似乎很艰难，但人们强烈感觉到一些不寻常的事情正在发生，中国有一个美好的未来。Itwasduringthisexcitingthree-weekperiodofexploringaveryforeignculturethatImet,completelybychanceatapartyatmyyoungerbrother鈥檚University,ayoungChinesewomanstudentwhowouldchangemylife.Wespentmanyhourstogetherexchangingideasandinformationonwherewelived,onwhatfilmsandbookswehadread,andsoon,untilfinallyitwastimeformetoreturntofinishmyUniversitydegree.WhilecompletingmydegreeinAustralia,IcontinuedtokeepintouchwithmyfemalefriendinBeijing,anddecidedtoreturntoBeijingupongraduationto参考资料，少熬夜！studyChineseforsixmonthsasaself-fundedstudent.AfterarrivinginBeijingagain,withaUniversitydegreeundermybelt,Ibeganmyfirstexperienceoflivingoverseaswithoutmyfamily.Itwasbothlonely,aswellasexhilaratingtoliveinasomewhatsegregateddormitory鈥?aworldofforeignstudentsfromawiderangeofcountries鈥?floatingamongstaseaofChinesestudents.Sinceallourclasseswereheldinthesamebuildingasourdormitoryrooms,wehadrelativelyfewopportunitiestomeetChinesestudents.ThemainopportunitiesweretomeetatEnglishcorners,theChinesestudentscafeteria(mostforeignstudentsateattheirownbetterquality,moreexpensive,privateandsegregatedcafeteria),atrestaurants,oronthesportsfield.Butthroughpatienceandastrongdesiretomixdespiteourdifferences,weovercamethelanguagebarriers,thedifferencesinincome,theculturalbarriers,andthebarrierssetbytheUniversity,andmixwedid!Today,10yearslater,someofmybestChinesefriendsarestillthefriendsImetatUniversityin1991.Anenormousamounthastakenplaceduringthe11yearssinceIfirstvisitedChina.DuringthattimeIhavelivedinChinaformorethan8years,mostofitinBeijing,butwithayearspentlivinginbothNanjingandGuangzhou.MyownviewsonChinahavenodoubtalsoalteredoverthattimeasChinahasexperiencedsuchrapidgrowthandchange,andasIhave,overtime,andthroughtraveltomostpartsofChina,gainedabetterunderstandingofthesizeanddiversityofyourcountry.NolongerdoIfindChinasuchabewilderingplaceasIhavecometounderstand,ifnotalwaystoagree,withChineseviewsonsuchimportanttopicsasthenewworldorder,thedeathpenalty,familyplanning,humanrightsandmaintainingthestabilityessentialforeconomicgrowth.HavingnowspentmorethanhalfofmyadultlifeinChinaandbeingmarriedtothesameChinesegirlIfirstmet11yearsago,IamtheproudfatheroftwindaughterswhoarehalfChineseandhalfAustralian.参考资料，少熬夜！Isometimesfeelmuchthesamewaymyself!EdwardSmithisanAustralianbusinessconsultantandinvestorwhohaslivedinChinaformorethan8years.Hespeaks,readsandwritesChineseandisagraduateofMonashUniversityinMelbourneandtheJohnsHopkinsCenteratNanjingUniversity.InadditionhehasundertakenfurtherstudiesatMelbourneUniversityandtheBeijingSecondForeignLanguageInstitute.HeismarriedwithtwindaughtersandlivesinBeijingwherehealsoservesasamemberoftheBoardofDirectorsoftheChina-AustraliaChamberofCommerce.