[July 05, 2011] Official reflects on China Tweet Jul 05, 2011 (The Brunswick News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- There were turtles for sale in the food section of grocery stores. There was cooked donkey ready to eat on his plate. There were cell phones so advanced it put his modern Blackberry to shame. While teaching and touring during his recent trip to China, Glynn County Administrator Alan Ours experienced more sights, sounds and strange tastes than he ever thought possible. "It was truly an awesome experience," Ours said. "There were a few strange things, but the whole trip was just better than I could have ever expected." During his time in China, Ours taught Chinese officials about Glynn County government practices through a program with the University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute for government studies and spent time touring the eastern region of the country. He returned to Glynn County the weekend of June 25 after about two weeks in China. In his first week, he stood before his students and lectured about the ins and outs of operating Glynn County, passing on management strategies and practices. He managed to take sightseeing trips to the Great Wall of China and Beijing. "That time spent in the classroom was so valuable, and just as exciting as going to the Great Wall of China and the other attractions," Ours said. Students in his class were curious about the American way of life and the operating tactics of its government. One of the most common questions he was asked was how elected officials could hold office without a certain level of training. "They had a hard time really understanding how anyone could hold office, even if they didn't have the qualifications," Ours said. "I explained that was how our system worked. It was because of our federal and state constitutions. But that seemed to be a really tough concept for them." His students were not the only ones learning. He learned equally as much, he said. Of all the experiences he encountered during his stay, Ours observed one resounding lesson. The Chinese officials he taught and the residents he met all held the common trait of extreme courtesy and respect. Throughout his journey, Ours said he was constantly enamored by the degree of hospitality he found, from clerks in grocery stores to city leaders. It's a trait Ours said he would like to emulate both on a personal and professional level. "There was a tremendous amount of respect between the people," Ours said. "That is something I would like to see here. I would like to pass on that level of respect to our community, between the people and the government, and the residents as a whole." As impressed as Ours was by the courtesy and decorum of his hosts, he was equally, if not more so, impressed by the advanced technologies he discovered. Prior to his venture around the globe, Ours took pride in the level of technology used in Glynn County. "But they are light years ahead of us," Ours said. "The cell phones we think of as new are old there. The systems we have put in place recently to update the county, they have had for years. "It really made me wonder, if America is the leader of the free world, why are we so behind in our technology? I don't have an answer for that, but I'd like to find one." Ours was also astounded by the cuisine prepared for him on his trip. Dishes ranged from the slightly bizarre, such as whole frogs, ducks with heads still attached and sea turtles, to the very bizarre, like that steaming plate of donkey -- which, he added, didn't taste bad until he learned what it was. "The food was all really very good," Ours said. "And the way most people ate, they put the whole meat in their mouths, bones and all, and processed the food. They spit out the bones, right there at the table." It took a few days for Ours to adjust to the new ways of eating, but, he said, he eventually got the hang of it. Before he knew it, he, too, was spitting out bones beside his plate. "You know, when in Rome," Ours said, shrugging. "But I will say, I don't think that's a custom I'll be trying to bring back to Glynn County." In the weeks that Ours was off eating donkeys and teaching Western ways, his office staff members said they were eager to have him return. Daily, employees could be seen reading Ours' China blog and chatting about the entries. Now that he has returned stateside, staff members are looking forward to seeing how the trip influences daily office life and county business, said Candice Temple, communications officer for the county. "We were all so proud of Alan (Ours) being able to have this experience. I know he's glad to be back at work, and we're glad to have him back," Temple said. "He's a great team leader -- always positive. We missed that." To see more of The Brunswick News or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.thebrunswicknews.com/. 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