I wanted my next post to be a deep and meaningful reflection on China and the life that I'm living here, but I don't have any of my notebooks with me, and I feel the urge to spill my guts anyway. So here's a stream-of-consciousness, half-baked, half-ripe little bit of what's going on on my head.
I know I'm not the only one chasing China. Why do we do it? What is its draw? Of course, the answer is far more complicated than any one word or phrase. For some, learning Chinese is a gateway to a place that is as far away from "home" as possible. Running away is the motive. People have their own reasons for running away from home. But this is merely running away from something, not toward any particular goal. China is attractive merely in its exoticism and distance. For others, it is much more than that.
There is the draw of China as a hub of business. There is money to be made here, and industry for developing. With the failing of the Western economies, China is seen as the next step. There is the draw of China's culture. I think this is my motive. Over two thousand years of profound history and culture puts even Europe to shame. When the Europeans were feuding and crusading, China was settled into itself, a rich nation, and self-sufficient. Although it was and still remains an agricultural country, the culture that emerges from the cities and scholars is worth considering. Obviously this country isn't perfect. Every place and people has "flaws". But that's what makes it interesting, no?
I think today, on this cloudy "Manchester" day, I'm looking for inspiration. If I can't find it in China, where else can I possibly look?
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