Last month I spent more time watching television than I have in the previous two years combined. Like many of you, I was glued to the tube watching and cheering for the athletes at the 2008 Olympics. And I was definitely more tuned into the Beijing Olympics than I had been for previous Olympics, I just wasn’t sure if this was due to my Chinese-American heritage; or to the fact that I lived and taught English in China from 1995 to 1996, and was awed by the changes and upgrades of the nation. However, after talking with friends and officemates, I noticed that they too seemed more drawn into this year’s games.

The amazing feats and skills of the athletes certainly kept us entertained, as did the spectacular opening and closing ceremonies. But, there was something different this year…something that kept more of us engaged. I think it was the true spirit of the Olympics the athletes personified: the coming together of varied cultures and nationalities under the common goal of patriotism and unity. While the athletes were striving to win medals in honor of their country, there was also a distinct flavor of camaraderie and affability between competitors.

My officemates and I got to talking a little more, and concluded that the spirit of international understanding and relations of the Olympics mirrors the vision of Cultural Embrace. As our tagline “Discover the Similarities, Share the Differences” implies, our goal is to put each of our participants in a position similar to that of the various athletes traveling to the host country: to be an Ambassador, bringing good will and showing the positive strengths of your own culture, while at the same time appreciating and learning from the cultural differences of your foreign surroundings.

In keeping with the Olympic spirit we were all reminded of in August, this month I’d like to focus on the host country, China. As a country, China worked hard to accommodate the expectations of the international sponsors, athletes, fans, and viewers of the Olympics. It has been calculated that over $40 billion was spent to prepare and modernize the country, to fuse Western influences with their centuries-old traditions and culture. As the images and behind-the-scene stories during the Olympic telecasts demonstrated, there is much that is familiar to the Western eye in the major metropolitan areas of China. But, as our Participant Feature quickly reveals, there is so much more to this country than what we saw on television.

Cultural Embrace offers a variety of ways for you to expand your experiences and create international relationships of your own—with the locals, not as a tourist. We offer programs to teach, intern, and volunteer in China, which would grant you first-hand experience and exposure to a land that has been shrouded in mystery for centuries. With this type of cultural exchange, you are frequently able to explore other parts of your host country with local friends. With every country you will encounter cultural differences, but, as the Olympics show us time and again, you’ll find there are more similarities.