I have been taking philosophy classes since the 1960's, which ultimately led me to get a BA in Religious Studies/Philosophy and a MA in China-US Relations at the University of Hawaii at Hilo (UHH), where I first met Dr. Hsueh'li Cheng. Earlier I had studied comparative philosophy (Radhakrishnan) at Canada College in Redwood City, California, so I had a fair amount of background as a guide to understanding other cultures besides the American one in which I was raised.

Don Eads and US President Obama's sister, Maya Soetoro Ng, in Hawaii. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

I was a rare high school student who tested into college early back in the 1960's. As part of this natural progression, Dr. Cheng encouraged his students to go to China to experience what we studied in person first hand. He did this in a variety of ways, including leading 2 China Culture Tours every summer. He also provided possible contacts for opportunities to live and work in China. I largely ignored the former and chose the latter when an appropriate fit came up.

The International Academy of Beijing, a new international school, was looking for teachers, administrators and chapel coordinators in 1999. Being both a pastor and scholar in Hawaii, this seemed to me to be a possible good choice, so I began to explore it. It did not take long for me to decide to move to Beijing with my young son, Hokulani (a Hawaiian name meaning "heavenly star"). However, it was complicated because my two older children who were 14 and 15 at the time, were already attending college full-time and had jobs, did not want to go. So, after much soul searching, it was decided they could stay home in Hawaii and manage the household. I had serious reservations about this but felt deeply the timing was right to go live and work in China something I had always wanted to do.

As we left paradise, I was beset with guilt and uncertainty, like any parent. But the exodus to China from America had already begun and we were just some small, yet integral, part of it. Deeper in my heart, I was searching for a way to bridge the ideological and cultural gap between our countries, sensing that Hawaii provided the key that might increase trust, cooperation and friendship. After all, Sun Yat Sen had spent a good deal of time in Hawaii. Today I believe all the more that Hawaii can provide the missing link between the US and China, especially because APEC 2011 will be held here in November. As part of my degree in International Cultural Studies, I interviewed Charles Morrison, the President of the East West Center, and we talked about contextualizing Hawaii in Asia and throughout the Pacific Rim.

It is significant to note that US President Barack Obama is from Oahu and grew up in the same exact neighborhood where our family home was back then. I recall being served by "Barry" more than once at the Baskin Robbins Ice Cream store where he worked as a teenager at on South King Street and I know his sister, Maya, too. My oldest brother, Bill, later lived in the house at 2234 University Avenue, where Barry and his mom lived in Manoa Valley back in the 60’s. Just like our President, I am a local boy from the Manoa area. Barack attended Punahou School, which is a couple of blocks from Kapiolani Hospital, the place he was actually born. In fact, my oldest son, Michael, was also born there.

Don Eads' son, Hoku Eads, skateboarding the Great Wall at Badaling. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

It is always hard to leave paradise, and this time heading to China without two of my children, it was exceedingly hard, not knowing what we might find in Beijing. I was sure that my kids could handle it though. I also knew that the journey was essential to my life’s work. I made plans to commute back to Hawaii over breaks to check on them.

As a child, my dad used to be so annoying, often telling me, "Stop bothering me Donnie. Go out in the back yard and dig a hole to China."

As we flew across the Pacific towards Asia, I could hear him still saying that. Little did I know I was in for the most pleasant surprise. What I found out is that the common people of China are very much like our Hawaiian ohana (extended family).

I had been given a choice whether to live in a high rise in Beijing or on the campus where our school was located. I chose the campus and that turned out to be a great decision. The old IAB was located about 8 kilometers south of Beijing Capital Airport on 28 hectares. We had horses and lots of room to roam. I was given the President’s office because he was away doing PhD work at the University of Kentucky. Our home was in one of the old high ceiling brick Chinese buildings probably built before the turn of the 20th century. I loved every part of it. We were right off Jin Shun Lu and could easily get to other parts of Beijing, like Lido (ex-pat hangout), Guo Mau (China’s World trade Center), and Beida (Peking University). Pretty soon Hoku and I would ride the buses or take taxis all over.

Hoku loved to fly kites at Tiananmen Square and skateboard the Great Wall. Back then most Chinese had never seen a skateboard, and the local populace where ever we went followed Hoku around so much so we started calling him "Hollywood." Hundreds of pictures were taken with Hollywood in them. Hoku, like his brother and sister, progressed out of high school quickly and took summer classes at Peking University with our Hawaii group. We decided to go on one of Dr. Cheng’s summer tours to Xi'an, Dunhuang, and Urumuqi where we were exposed to the most amazing cultural artifacts including the Terracotta warriors, Mogao Grottoes (Buddhist cave paintings) and the rural nature of much of China. We rode camels through the Gobi desert, visited Crescent Moon Lake, and spent a day at the ancient city of Gaoli. These memories are forever etched in our spirit. We met many Chinese friends along the way.

I am just getting started as someone who dearly loves China and believes our two countries can find common ground this fall in Hawaii at APEC and in the future. Direct flights between China and Hawaii will begin this year in August, putting Hawaii within reach for thousands of Chinese citizens to experience firsthand our aloha and the magic of paradise, just as I continue to experience and share the wonderful Land of the Dragon with my ohana all over the world.

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