While touring the Forbidden City in the heart of Beijing, I came across an interesting piece of information. Despite living in the lap of luxury in one of the most spectacular settings on Earth, Chinese emperors and empresses often entered into loveless union for political or economic gain-proverbial marriages between a dragon and a phoenix.This adage struck me because of its stinging similarity to my own reasons for studying in China. I was lucky enough during my junior year to be accepted into the five year BA/MA program offered by the International Business School. I found out later that I would have to spend one semester of my post-graduate year studying abroad.

As an undergraduate I studied in Maastricht, in the Netherlands. It was an unbelievable experience, and I was tempted to return-with tall, beautiful blondes, an English-speaking population and the legality of certain vices, who wouldn't be? However, my parents told me there was no chance they'd let me return to such hedonism, and deep down, I knew I should try something new.

So I chose China for all the wrong reasons, not the least of which being that my parents told me to study there. I also knew that while I had little interest in the country or learning its language, China truly is the next frontier for business, and there is an endless amount of money to be made as China opens to international markets. I was entering into a loveless marriage for economic gain.

I enrolled in language classes over the summer, but instead of trying my best to learn Chinese, I mostly whined about how hard it was. I didn't try to learn anything about China; I simply lamented my decision to study there.

But as soon as I stepped off the airplane it was clear to me just how wrong I had been. Life is about experiencing new things, and there is no better way to enjoy learning than studying abroad. Ask anybody who has done it; it's college's equivalent to a paid vacation.

In Chinese cities, a Hutong is a neighborhood with narrow, windy streets lined with tiny, destitute dwellings. Up to 10 families live in each structure, all sharing public bathrooms where a shower is a barrel of water balanced on the roof. They might make forced triples feel luxurious, but Hutongs are not without their charm, with a major emphasis on communal living and family values.

The Chinese government is trying to remove many Hutongs before the 2008 Olympics-something poor and ugly, they figure, should not take up prime real estate in the middle of the city. It's quite similar to the Three Gorges Dam being built on the Yangtze River to provide electricity to 10% of China and benefit the environment, at the expense of displacing many Chinese citizens.

The effects of modernity aren't limited to the lower class. In the coming years, it will be difficult for the Chinese government to maintain a Communist, authoritarian rule in the face of capitalism. For better or worse, changes are happening all across China in many different capacities. Everything I have seen exemplifies how China is trying to marry a dragon and a phoenix.

In this case, the dragon is China's ancient culture and values, while the Phoenix is China's rebirth as a major player on the global economic stage. How can the country reconcile its cultural emphasis on serenity and tranquility with the demands of a market economy? Is the country's commitment to its historical values, or is it to the greater good in an economic sense?

It's not unlike the controversial debate that raged across Brandeis last year. Should the University remain a Jewish school committed to the Zionist values upon which it was founded? Or should we mature into a more encompassing school, now that anti-Semitism is no longer prevalent at other top-tier universities?

There is never any love lost between the agents of change and the people negatively affected by it, but the world is dynamic and nothing is more important than a nation's ability to adapt. At least some of the ancient Chinese emperors and expresses had to have lucked into an enjoyable partnership, much like I did in coming to China. But the question remains, with this country as with Brandeis: Is there any chance that the dragon will be able to find the phoenix's proverbial G-spot?

The writer is a graduate student at IBS, and a former columnist for the Justice.