Back in the UK. My long vocation has finally come to an end. And people would normally ask "So how was China?"
at first it was a very difficult question to answer, as i was trying to adjust myself from one world to another.
It was a great expereince from the first day i set foot in HK: the great night view, the liveliness of the city, the beautiful girls, the tube! and our strange hotel. Men i did regret from asking a friend to find a cheap hotel(I dont mean that cheap!. It was funny in a way as the first impression as we walked in was like them HK films where you walk into this a brothel asking for a girl! I remember my cousin said that he couldn't sleep the first night as he got woken up by a girl knocking next door shouting " did you order a take away ?"! So five days later we finally made it to our next destination "Tai Shan" a small city in the Guang Dong province of China. Men what a dramatic change of environment, like i have gone back in time. Lets not go into detail, as i would be going on for hours and I dont want you to think "what the f is he on about " All i want to say is there is stil some time for China to catch up with the quality standards of other developed countries, but its getting there. Through out that short period of time, there has been endless moments that have now become a good memory. But Men i do admire the disipline of the students in China, I still remember those cold early mornings, where majority of students reading books while making there way to school, all going in one direction and near the big pond, you will see many sitting down reading a book out loud and clear. Emmm you dont see much of that in the UK. The entertainment is great, i wont forget those nites out on the kareoke, having a foot and body massage(no not what you think) with me and my cus making a laugh as usual, the great food, the night view of shanghai, our video, being beaten by a 11 year old at badminton (15-0) The hot spring bath, the motorbike taxi drivers with there bright colourful helmet, uncles talented acting, the peaceful days in Jiang Men, the view i see when i walk to uni, the chinese super markets where i normally go to buy some buns for breakfast......China may not be as great as i have expected it to be.
I guess reality may not always match what you imagined it to be but it has taught that no matter where you go, you must learn to be able to mix with others, forgiving of ignorance and respect things as they are. Theres no point complaining or being unhappy about it? that is reality i guess. Ok to end this article i want to mention a few very important lessons i have learnt from this trip, yes i know? the boring part! Am happy to say that i was glad to have made this step, even though there were certain things i had to put down and to overcome. But it was something I (my heart) wanted to do. I've realised that we should not escape from what your heart wants you to do. I neally gave up half way through, because of fear of the unknown and the cultural shock i was living in, but i kept going because you will never keep it still. Now my heart is much more at peace because i have done what i suppose to do. Imagine if i didn't make this move, how would i know what China would be like? and all those moments i have just mentioned. Its all down to expereince at the end of the day, the more you learn and apply the more you will understand about life and then the better person you will become. We are all unique human beings and each and one of us has a purpose in living. We are all part of eachother meaning the moments and the people we encounter in our lives forms each and one of us, so theres no point in putting yourself down. Finally i want to say respect your parents and your roots. While paying a visit back to our village for Chinese New Year, the root of where my blood surname comes from! I have to say our generation are very lucky and should be grateful for what we have. Well i cant write too much about this as you can see am running out of space. But i have to say that one thing i really admire about Chinese tradition is no matter how much money you earn or whatever, never forget about your roots, love your family and pay regular visits to your anncestors grave. If you do not keep this loving attitude, an old tradition will all just break down. The same goes to a family root, like a tree, If the condition is not rite, it will not grow, simple as that? Ok Just imagine this, in the future when you are old, occasionally your children comes and visits you, they are all happy living there own lives paying good repect to you. How would you feel?
