My China story, through a camera lens
That especially became possible in 1992, when my regional authority in Scotland offered a year working and living in Guangzhou as part of an exchange program with Guangdong province. That created a chance to live in and be part of a large community within Guangdong Foreign Languages Normal School. Again, another eye-opener. I was Impressed by both the dedication and intensity of study my students showed. "If we study hard, we will be successful. If we are successful this will also help with China's future success," they would say. Their aspirations have certainly come true.
I appreciated the support and encouragement I was receiving, not only from colleagues but also my students. It was not the easiest of times to be living in the suburbs of a rapidly developing metropolis. However, I became deeply involved with the college, going on residential visits to cities such as Jiangmen. My students, as was tradition, invited me to their hometowns and communities during vacation periods. These became priceless moments, whether it was at the rice fields and villages around Taishan, the lands of the Yao ethnic nationality around Liannan in Northern Guangdong or the many other places I had the pleasure to visit.
To really understand China, travel beyond the "comfort zones" of Beijing or Shanghai became a personal focus. To me, railway journeys often present the best way of seeing a landscape and meeting people. Such journeys in my early days were often slow, which would give plenty of time to watch scenery pass in front of the window. There was beautiful countryside but everyday life in many places was still tough for the villagers. It has been a privilege to witness how such areas have changed since then.
