He had spoken to me many times about Chinese culture and was interested and fascinated by my upbringing. When he returned, he told me how surprised he was to see firsthand all the things we had talked about. He was amazed to see the level of economic growth, from simple things like the size and number of skyscrapers being built in large cities he visited like Beijing or Shanghai, to the scale of China's train stations and transportation systems being built. He told me that despite all the conversations, he was still shocked when he saw it with his own eyes. He told me that he has gained a new appreciation for the struggles of the Chinese people, the scope of the challenges that exist in this country, and the scope of my country's potential. He told me that one of the most surprising things he learned was when, speaking with a Chinese colleague in Beijing, he learned from him that the revolution that occurred in China in 1949, which ushered in the era of communism by Chairman Mao, it is called by the Chinese people as the Liberation of China. It was shocking for a Westerner like him to hear about communism in a positive light. All his life he grew up with the assumption that democracy was best and communism was best