What hit me first at Beijing Capital International Airport was the scent. Clean, fresh air, and the sheer beauty of the surroundings. I stood there, luggage in hand, completely awed. The infrastructure and technology in China are amazing, way ahead of my country.
I was in Beijing courtesy of the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China. I was part of a delegation of 25 media managers and editors from various media houses in Kenya, taking part in a two-week media seminar.
At the airport, we were given a warm welcome by our hosts from the China International Communications Group (CICG). They ensured everything went smoothly, just as outlined in the program they had shared with us long before our arrival. The content was rich and took us well beyond meeting rooms. We spent the first six days in Beijing before we moved to Ningbo in Zhejiang Province.
My experience in Ningbo went beyond learning. It introduced me to a concept I had never imagined before life in the village.
Tengtou redefined for me what a village can be. Clean, green, orderly, and what seemed to me like an affluent population. This is indeed a model village for the world.
We also visited the Ningbo Media Group. The advancement in technology, both in the studios and the outdoor equipment, was amazing. I was also impressed by the level of investment that goes into storytelling. It was incredibly inspiring.
But outside those official visits, reality kicked in: the language barrier.
Yes, language was a real hindrance. Back in the hotel or out shopping alone, we suddenly realized we were mute! But with the help of AI, we found a way.
We used our phones like little interpreters. We would record in English and command our phones to translate to them in Mandarin. They would reply in Chinese and the phone would translate back to English. That way, we were able to come to a common ground, laughing in between.
When buying, we bargained using the internet showing prices on the screen, typing, nodding, laughing. The sellers would laugh, we would laugh, but somehow we always agreed on a price!
Trying to locate places, ooooh man, the internet really simplified everything for us. Maps, metro, taxis, menus everything worked. You just point your phone and it tells you where to go.
That is the lesson I bring home to Kenya.
Technology bridges all barriers and brings humanity closer. Technology cannot replace human connection, but it can enhance interactions and make life easier. We need to embrace technology to bridge existing gaps in human relations. We also need technology to further simplify our work and create room for more innovations. Indeed, the sky is the limit.
