West's negative views

As a Canadian Egyptian who has lived in Canada for more than 27 years, I was influenced by the negative views about China that were abundant in many Western newspapers.

They were fond of portraying the nation in a dark light. Reading those views instilled in me an irrational fear and hesitation toward fulfilling my lifelong dream of visiting the land of a glorious history - China.

As I grew older, I was able to conquer those fears and venture, with a little apprehension, to the land which the Western media had described as "lacking in freedoms".