Since having returned from our trip around SE Asia 5 or 6 weeks ago, for the first time ever, we have been wondering out loud about the possibility of leaving China. I have a feeling that it is going to happen in the next 12 or so months. Ideas are forming about where to and nothing is definite as of yet, but I do think we are China-ed out.
For now, in any case.
It was strange leaving China for the 1st time in 3 years. Being outside reminded us of something we have forgotten: just how absolutely DIFFERENT and yes, DIFFERENT, this great, great country is, and how we have allowed ourselves to not only accept but also no longer see these differences.
Being outside reminded us of how comfortably uncomfortable we have become.
One rekindled memory was about something as basic as food. The taste of real bread without sugar added as they do in Shanghai and the taste of meat without sugar was just magical .... (yes, Shanghainese food is sweet - the bread we can now kind'a do, but the meat and sausages - no!!! Even after 3 years neither of us can stomach it!!)
The next was the simplicity of walking around and actually understanding what the signs, the advertisements, the street names, everything, said and meant.
We had forgotten how it feels to NOT feel like an illiterate person .... this photo, I hope, will give you an idea of just how illiterate we feel. You know the price, but you do not know what it is for .....
Very important was seeing a blue sky again, breathing air not smelling of petrol fumes and being able to see more than 17 stars in the sky (our record here in 3 years is 17 stars in half of the hemisphere as visible from our balcony - normally we are happy if we see 5 or 6 in a three months period). Please do remember we are form Africa where, just about every night, you have a sky spray-painted with white clouds of stars ..... we understand why it is called the MILKY Way ....
Probably most importantly was to again find the sheer joy of people able to debate and form opinions - in whatever language available.
Outside China, we had so many wonderful, vibrant, exciting and inspiring conversations with people capable of voicing a PERSONAL and more so, hallelujah, an ORIGINAL opinion .... Sad to say, but despite the absolutely charming, warm and generous nature and character of people here, there is an inherent inability to think outside of the box and to engage in an argument involving anything alternative to what their parents have taught them or what they have read in the papers. All "debates" have to end in agreement, and normally it boils down to "What you do is OK, what I do is OK and therefor we do not disagree or discuss it", or as in Chinglish, "We do not put our minds on other people". Beautiful sentiment, guys, but .....
There are sooo many socio-historical and socio-political reasons for this, and I honestly do understand and above all respect these reasons, but it is getting a little tiresome getting the same answers and excuses to anything remotely controversial.
By the way, for the sake of interest:
The only NOT OK's are
It is NOT OK to use violence or become angry.
It is NOT OK to slap a child (for he does not know any better).
Both beautiful and OK characteristics making this a special people .....
For the rest, if it is OK or if not, it is OK too.
Sadly, in the end, it just becomes limiting and limited.
Although our hearts will stay behind, I think our brains need new challenges.
On a more positive note, should we leave, neither of us see this departure as permanent. This departure will simply be a way to a means - a return and final retirement in the Western parts of China, probably in Sichuan Province. We must just figure out how we can make that happen within the next few years.
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