Hello friends!

It was an adventure traveling around China but I’m back to the blog once again! Thanks for your patience as I set my brain gauge to “inspiration” in the land of gumdrop mountains and rice patties.

My husband, daughter (pictured above) and I took advantage of super travel discounts (aren’t they GREAT?!) to splurge on a once-in-lifetime vacation. Sure, we had to sell our RV to pay for the trip, but who cares? We couldn’t afford the gas for it anymore anyway! While I’m calling the trip a “vacation”, we were moving around from one city to another so quickly that we didn’t rest or relax very much. Instead, we jammed our souls with the sounds, scents, scenes, and experiences that are unique to the rapidly changing nation.

China is a nation with two systems on a collision course: communism and capitolism. On one hand, the country is desperately attempting to maintain control through a communist government policies. But this system seems to be on the slide as capitolism explodes, uplifting the standard of living for a growing segment of the population. It is hard for the government to argue with the success, and, as a result, China continues to open doors that would have been unthinkable 15 years ago. Entrepreneurs are leaping into the market, building retail on every level. Glittering malls with a lavish array of goods are available for the burgeoning class of Chinese families with extra cash in their pockets.

Let’s just hope that China can cling to a few of the pure traditions of their ancient culture in the midst of Western influences. Ideals like respect, honor, honesty, work ethics, and the pursuit of scholastic excellence. With these ideals firmly rooted, capitolism works to the benefit of everyone.

If you have never been to China, you might be surprised by the people and how much they honor Americans. One afternoon in a park, people were celebrating with a band and dancers. When they saw a group of Americans, they made a welcoming announcement and pulled our tour group into the center of their stage. The band struck up “Jingle Bells” and moved to “Old Suzannah” (apparently popular American tunes in China), and the Chinese people took us by the hand, drawing us into a conga line, giving us flags and flowers to wave. It was almost like something from a dream.

Enough about my “vacation” for now, but the inspiration will linger. You’ll see the Asian gift influences in the upcoming Gift Basket Review Online corporate issue.

Tomorrow I’ll post a group of new products coming out this season and shift gears back to a work routine. But for a few more hours, I think I’ll indulge in a few more China memories.

Debra Paulk