At different times, China and US both buoyant and refined
<p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="longer">longer</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="lived">lived</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="America">America</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="felt">felt</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="similarities">similarities</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="China">China</span>.</p><p><span word="Constant">Constant</span> <span word="comparison">comparison</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="regular">regular</span> <span word="activity">activity</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="expatriates">expatriates</span>. <span word="One">One</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="awed">awed</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="country">country</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="comparative">comparative</span> <span word="advantages">advantages</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="acute">acute</span> <span word="awareness">awareness</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="own">own</span> <span word="country">country</span> <span word="lags">lags</span> <span word="behind">behind</span> - <span word="not">not</span> <span word="exactly">exactly</span> <span word="ashamed">ashamed</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="eager">eager</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="progress">progress</span>.</p><p><span word="Gradually">Gradually</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="curiosity">curiosity</span> <span word="factor">factor</span> <span word="evaporated">evaporated</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="truth">truth</span> <span word="loomed">loomed</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="multifaceted">multifaceted</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="complex">complex</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="started">started</span> <span word="seeing">seeing</span> <span word="parallels">parallels</span>. <span word="A">A</span> <span word="colleague">colleague</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="mine">mine</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="recently">recently</span> <span word="visited">visited</span> <span word="San">San</span> <span word="Francisco">Francisco</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="struck">struck</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="beauty">beauty</span> <span word="asked">asked</span> <span word="me">me</span>: "<span word="Why">Why</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="leave">leave</span>?" <span word="I">I</span> <span word="blurted">blurted</span> <span word="out">out</span>: "<span word="Because">Because</span> <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="equivalent">equivalent</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Sichuan">Sichuan</span>."</p><p><span word="Not">Not</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="earthquake">earthquake</span>. <span word="An">An</span> <span word="old">old</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="saying">saying</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="youngster">youngster</span> <span word="should">should</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="live">live</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Sichuan">Sichuan</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="rationale">rationale</span> <span word="goes">goes</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="place">place</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="comfortable">comfortable</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="sapped">sapped</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="energy">energy</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="create">create</span>. <span word="Of">Of</span> <span word="course">course</span> <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="stereotype">stereotype</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="does">does</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="apply">apply</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="everyone">everyone</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Bay">Bay</span> <span word="Area">Area</span> <span word="offers">offers</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="ideal">ideal</span> <span word="mixture">mixture</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="everything">everything</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="need">need</span> - <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="diaspora">diaspora</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="high">high</span>-<span word="tech">tech</span> <span word="environment">environment</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="artistic">artistic</span> <span word="atmosphere">atmosphere</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="weather">weather</span> - <span word="I">I</span> <span word="felt">felt</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="living">living</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="youth">youth</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="retirement">retirement</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="every">every</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="come">come</span> <span word="back">back</span>, <span word="my">my</span> <span word="love">love</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="reawakened">reawakened</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="terms">terms</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="length">length</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="stay">stay</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="heart">heart</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="City">City</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Bay">Bay</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="always">always</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="second">second</span> <span word="hometown">hometown</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="mid">mid</span>-'90<span word="s">s</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="lived">lived</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="York">York</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="years">years</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="clear">clear</span> <span word="purpose">purpose</span> - <span word="to">to</span> <span word="immerse">immerse</span> <span word="myself">myself</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="arts">arts</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="culture">culture</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="love">love</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="performing">performing</span> <span word="arts">arts</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="there">there</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="better">better</span> <span word="place">place</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="experience">experience</span> <span word="it">it</span>. <span word="Arts">Arts</span> <span word="aside">aside</span>, <span word="New">New</span> <span word="York">York</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="me">me</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="China">China</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="future">future</span> <span word="looks">looks</span> <span word="like">like</span>, <span word="at">at</span> <span word="least">least</span> <span word="urban">urban</span> <span word="China">China</span>. <span word="This">This</span> <span word="mega">mega</span>-<span word="city">city</span> <span word="teems">teems</span> <span word="with">with</span> "<span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="characteristics">characteristics</span>" - <span word="its">its</span> <span word="unceasing">unceasing</span> <span word="crowd">crowd</span>, <span word="its">its</span> <span word="sprouting">sprouting</span> <span word="edifices">edifices</span>, <span word="its">its</span> <span word="invading">invading</span> <span word="army">army</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="entrepreneurs">entrepreneurs</span>, <span word="its">its</span> <span word="chaotic">chaotic</span> <span word="vigor">vigor</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="spent">spent</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="afternoon">afternoon</span> <span word="observing">observing</span> <span word="pedestrians">pedestrians</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Times">Times</span> <span word="Square">Square</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="found">found</span> <span word="tourists">tourists</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="China">China</span> - <span word="or">or</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="least">least</span> <span word="Asia">Asia</span> - <span word="exuded">exuded</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="confidence">confidence</span> <span word="crossing">crossing</span> <span word="streets">streets</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="America">America</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="Midwest">Midwest</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="kind">kind</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="civility">civility</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="latter">latter</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="brought">brought</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="island">island</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="hectic">hectic</span> <span word="competition">competition</span>. <span word="Crazy">Crazy</span> <span word="Stone">Stone</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Crazy">Crazy</span> <span word="Racer">Racer</span>, <span word="two">two</span> <span word="hits">hits</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="screen">screen</span>, <span word="can">can</span> <span word="pretty">pretty</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="describe">describe</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="metropolis">metropolis</span>' <span word="buildings">buildings</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="traffic">traffic</span>.</p>
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