Welcome to The Senate Site

By Curtis S. Bramble
Senate Majority Leader

Today, we concluded our stay in Dalian - the third city we visited in the Liaoning Province. We visited Dalian’s #79 Middle School, an urban school several stories high with children ranging from kindergarten age to 15 years old. As we walked to the school yard, the children were commencing in a physical exercise (almost akin to aerobics), in perfect unison, choreographed specially for the delegation. I asked the principal about the amount of preparation it took to achieve this perfect unison, and the principal replied that the teachers had worked only ten minutes with those students.

In the school building, the first presentation was the student orchestra, which opened with John Phillip Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever." This was one of the best school orchestra renditions of that iconic American song that my wife and I had ever heard. The orchestra then followed up with a traditional Chinese song (translation) "Very Happy Woman Warrior" that was so beautiful that if you closed your eyes, you could almost see the sceneries brought to life by the contemplative flutes and violins.

Historically, this trip is significant. It is the first time the Utah Legislature has tackled a task of this nature. As I listened to the two flawless musical renditions, I couldn’t help but contemplate some of the symbolism. Instruments produce the same sound whether the song is eastern or western. But the notes of the composition combine to create strikingly unique melodies. We are all human with common traits, but culture and upbringing build us into dramatically different individuals, and nations. Too deep for me, maybe, but there is something there worth thinking on.

Everywhere we have stopped so far has displayed a Chinese flag along with a United States flag side by side; a gesture of friendship and respect that remind us why we are here. For me, the sound of those children playing a United States' anthem reinforced the wisdom of cultivating a friendship with these people. The side bar conversations of Senator Mike Dmitrich and Wang Zhuang, for example, or the casual talks with our interpreters on the mini-bus, have all bridged gaps to common ground towards a better future.

New perspective. To say that the delegation is stunned would be an understatement.

Tonight we travel to Beijing. Tomorrow, we meet with national government leaders in the Great People’s Hall in Beijing as well as spending some time on cultural tours. A side note: At the end of this trip, we will have spent about four out of something close to one hundred working hours touring culturally and historically significant areas of China. I believe they are an important part of the overall picture. You can certainly disagree, but please don’t blow it out of proportion.

Internet service in Beijing may be sketchy – we may not have it available in our rooms. If not, we’ll touch base when we get home. I believe we are scheduled to give a brief report this Tuesday in Executive Appropriations.

I hope these posts have been helpful. See you soon.

5 Comments:

 Voice of Utah said...

"Historically, this trip is significant. It is the first time the Utah Legislature has tackled a task of this nature."

And the last, I hope. (Sorry, but I still think it's b.s.)

7/14/2007 9:17 AM  

 The Senate Site said...

No worries. You call it like you see it. Time will tell. We'll all have to do a thoughtful cost/benefit analysis with the perspective a little time will bring us.

Did you see Alex's response to your previous comment? Interesting. I should have thought of the local bloggers in Dalian and tried to hook up with them while the delegation was there. Next time. (If there is a next time.)

7/14/2007 12:18 PM  

 RSLFM said...

This post has been removed by the author.

7/15/2007 3:13 PM  

 RSLFM said...

"Internet service in Beijing may be sketchy – we may not have it available in our rooms."...

Funny, it's also "sketchy" for the 10,000+ political & religious dissidents rotting tonight in China's forgotten dungeouns.

Still waiting to read about your promised questions regarding China's free speech & human rights abuses.

If (as you claim) macro-economic ties can be advanced by "people to people" level contact--why can't other important issues?

Please take a brief minute from your sight-seeing & banquet circuit to inquire & report on these matters.

Thanks, RSLFM

7/15/2007 3:18 PM  

 The Senate Site said...

This post has been removed by the author.

11/16/2007 8:40 PM  

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