A Cebu-based journalist embarked on a revealing journey to Beijing, participating in a specialized media program that offered an unfiltered look into China's evolving media landscape and its stark contrast with regional counterparts. The experience, filled with personal discoveries and professional insights, began with a rather chilly morning mishap.
From Cold Showers to Warm Conversations
The first challenge presented itself immediately: a confusing water heater. Anxious and in a hurry for the first day's meeting, the journalist skipped a shower, later learning the simple trick of turning the switch fully to the right. This minor frustration turned into an instant icebreaker, discovering two other participants faced the same issue. The initial self-consciousness about being the oldest in the group was also quickly dispelled upon meeting a participant from Nepal who was a few months older, making the Filipino the second eldest.
The program's academic rigor commenced with a lecture titled "Navigating Changes: The Evolving Media Industry Landscape" by Professor Hang Min of the prestigious Tsinghua University, held in a library near the School of Journalism. This set the tone for days that blended morning lectures with afternoon field trips. The food throughout, described as consistently healthy and scrumptious, proved so tempting that the journalist humorously noted gaining weight by the trip's end.
Awe and Awkwardness in China's Media Giants
The first field trip was a revelation. A visit to the headquarters of the People's Daily left the journalist and colleagues from across Asia astounded. Coming from an area in Cebu City not known for cutting-edge modernity, the scale and sophistication felt like a movie set, offering a tangible sense of the gap between China and much of Asia.
The next stop, the China Media Group, presented a moment of personal and national identity reflection. While translators were prepared for 15 participating countries, the journalist initially heard no Filipino language. The surprise came upon realizing two Chinese staff members were speaking fluent Tagalog. This led to an interview conducted in "Taglish"—a mix of Tagalog and English—a compromise born from the journalist's background of studying Pilipino only until fifth grade before leaving the country, and later attending Brent School.
"Oh, how colonial of me. I felt ashamed," the journalist admitted, before mustering the courage to proceed in Taglish. The interview covered China's economic progress and the delicate Philippines-China relationship. The journalist openly expressed admiration for China's poverty alleviation, lifting nearly 800 million people from extreme poverty, while clarifying these were personal opinions that might be unpopular back home.
Bonding Over Dinner and Personal Revelations
Evenings fostered camaraderie among the diverse group of Asian journalists. Dinners in a private room saw participants initially identifying each other by their country names—Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Timor-Leste, Nepal, Bangladesh. Personal questions flowed naturally among professionals. The journalist's revelation of being single and childless caused a moment of stunned silence, a familiar reaction he had grown accustomed to, before conversations moved on.
The long days navigating Beijing's rush-hour traffic culminated in a cherished ritual: a long, hot shower finally mastered, followed by a venture to a nearby 7-Eleven. There, the purchase of a bottle of vodka promised the first truly good night's sleep, marking the end of an overwhelming but enlightening first chapter of the journey.
