Kathy Fewless, Controller at Michigan Rubber Products, describes Cadillac from the eyes of her foreign exchange student, Xian.
My husband Mike and I had an opportunity this summer to host a college foreign-exchange student, Xian, from China. Xian had an internship with Michigan Rubber Products and rode to and from work with me. I listened to her comments during our commute to work and realized I had the perfect opportunity to get an outside perspective of the Cadillac area. Xian lives near Beijing, China, which is one of the most populated cities in the world. One of her comments during the commute to work was “where are all the people.” It wasn’t until July 4th weekend, with many visitors in town and residents out and about, Xian indicated that it seemed more like home. Normally, she experiences crowds. Beijing’s population is 21,150,000 or more and Cadillac has approximately 10,500. Another difference she noted was air quality. She couldn’t believe that the air was “so clear and clean.”
Xian, with blog post author Kathy, shows off her lucky fish.
The Cadillac Area provides so many activities. Xian experienced many firsts, including a campfire with s’mores, biking the White Pine Trail, and kayaking and fishing on Lake Mitchell. Many other activities enjoyed by our guest were hosted by the City of Cadillac, such as, the 47th Annual Cadillac Festival of Arts and the 4th of July fireworks and parade. During the parade, Cadillac City Police officers tossed key chains, one of which quickly became a souvenir for Xian. She became involved with the community and volunteered at the “22nd Annual Senior Citizen Picnic” provided by the Cadillac Moose Lodge in the park by Lake Cadillac. Xian’s favorite new activity is fishing. She caught many bass and crappies on Lake Mitchell and discovered her favorite lure, which she nicknamed “lucky fish.” When it was time for Xian to return home, Mike removed the hooks from “lucky fish” so it could accompany her back to China as a reminder of this non-usual place.