Cai 1 Michael Cai Mrs.

MacDonald ENG 4U1 November 8th, 2013 The Big Move China a country engulfed with trees as luscious and as plentiful as those of the Amazon, as tall as the highest skyscraper. However, these trees were not trees, but people, and their heights were the measurement of academic standards impossible to reach. I was born in the city of Qingdao, in the province of Shandong, where people move like water in the ocean, where crowds are so immense that one could not see the streets. At the young age of eight, I had no idea what the world was like, I had no idea what life would throw at me, until one day, we packed our bags, said our goodbyes and left China to start a new life in Canada. Now at the age of seventeen, I realize what I didnt know back when I was four. I have seen the economical and educational changes occurring in China, and the impact it has on the country and its people. We left China for one reason, according to my mother who has discussed this with me over and over again, as if I was plagued with short-term memory loss for the prospect of a better future. When I was attending grade one in my little town, things were already on the verge of a dramatic shift. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Commissioner, Li Deshui, spoke at a press conference in Beijing, January 25, 2005, revealing that Chinas GDP jumped to a staggering $13.65 trillion Yuan ($1.65 trillion USD); with retail sales trumpeting over 13.3% increase, and industrial outputs towering at 11.5%. To many economists, a hot market meant high inflations, as everyday products suddenly cost consumers more. However, food was not the only thing that rose sharply in price, as the education system also saw a sharp increase in

admission fees. The cost of admission, when I attended school, was no more than one thousand dollars per term, but this fee as gone to over ten thousand dollars within the last decade. Soon, people with low income jobs will not be able to even pay for schooling! This is what my mother feared; that she wouldnt be able to provide for her child, that eventually education would cost more and more. Though, it is not just the cost of education but the sheer number of people that are in school these days is mind-boggling. With more than 500 million students and with an astounding attendance record of 98.9% for all school across China, it is impossible not to think of the competition that these students must go through to find jobs. School in China is very different from school here in Canada. I remember the first time walking into a Canadian school classroom and thinking to myself that it was really bright, but not bright as in an overwhelming amount of light, but bright as in brilliance, with colors bathed all over the walls, shades of blue and yellow, all fitting so well with each other . . I remember classrooms filled with no more than 20 kids, and kids of all sorts of cultural backgrounds. School here offers so much more than just academics. Here, students can participate in activities after school, join various clubs, and students can have the opportunity to get involved within their community with much more flexibility. I remember the first few months after we had moved to Canada, I had such a hard time adjusting to the Canadian life-style because there were so many options that I could choose from. That class wasnt all work. That recess included a variety of activities such as soccer, and baseball when I didnt even know that baseball was a sport! It seemed like I was in an entirely new world. I remember the first time I stepped inside a grocery store, and the first thing I saw, were bags and bags of milk. I was utterly shocked. My experience in Canada undoubtedly left its mark on me; it has changed my life. Had I stayed in

Cai 3 China, life would have proved much different and possibly much more difficult than my life now. Had I stayed, I would have faced many hardships with school, restricted freedom, and limited access to materials outside of the classroom. Had I stayed, I would have missed an experience of a new culture. My mother told me that we moved because of me, and I can now see exactly why that is. In Canada, there is so much more potential to grow, so much more room to be free, to explore. Here, the mind is not confined: it has the opportunity to be nurtured not only academically but also culturally and socially. My mother wanted for me to have this chance, to learn from a different perspective, because ultimately, it is this exposure to new environments that creates great minds, that creates innovation, which creates success and a brighter future. Undoubtedly, as I pursue future endeavours, I will always keep this nagging yet angelic voice of my mother in my mind; I will always remember what she did for me.

Work Cited
"China's Economy Grows 9.5% in 2004." China's Economy Grows 9.5% in 2004. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2013.