Entry One: The Journey of a Lifetime

As Air Canada flight 31 landed in Beijing, China, the Claflin University Concert Choir was filling it up with music.

 

 

Having been on the flight for over 12 hours and answering questions about who we were, where we were going and why, the stewardess, who had asked the choir members repeatedly to sing, announced in three languages that the plane would be landing soon, told passengers to fasten seat belts and that the Claflin University Concert Choir was in Beijing to participate in a choral salute, and would treat the passengers to a song.

 

So, with all seatbelts buckled, members of the choir began to sing as the plane descended, touched down and taxied down the runway. It was a fitting welcome to China.

 

Over the next two weeks, it will be my pleasure to allow you to peak into the experiences of the Concert Choir while we visit Xi’an, Beijing and Shanghai, China. We are heading into out second day here now having traveled for nearly 24 hours. The experience the students are having is hard to put into words. I’ve watched amateur flyers turn into old pros, heard students be true ambassadors of the University as they answer questions from the Chinese about what Claflin University is. They are taking this trip as a learning experience, often asking our tour guides Julia and Leo questions about Chinese culture.

 

As I am writing this, the students are rehearsing with Dr. Isaiah McGee. We just finished an exciting day of touring Xi’an, one of China’s oldest cities. We visited the Terra-cotta Soldiers exhibit, one of the “eight wonders of the world.” We are leaving in the morning to head back to Beijing, where the choir will begin to perform. It’s been a long few days. We’ve traveled from Atlanta to Canada to Beijing to Xi’an and now back to Beijing.

 

We will continue to blog throughout this journey, so please join us for the highlights.

 

- Charlene Slaughter

 

P.S. – More pictures from our first day…