Falling in love with China all over again
<p><span word="What">What</span> <span word="attracts">attracts</span> <span word="migratory">migratory</span> <span word="humans">humans</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="wing">wing</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="homelands">homelands</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="alight">alight</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="particular">particular</span> <span word="foreign">foreign</span> <span word="shore">shore</span>? <span word="Why">Why</span> <span word="does">does</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="expat">expat</span> <span word="move">move</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Italy">Italy</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="Colombia">Colombia</span> <span word="or">or</span>... <span word="to">to</span> <span word="China">China</span>? <span word="What">What</span> <span word="makes">makes</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="stay">stay</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="years">years</span>?</p><p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="ponder">ponder</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="question">question</span> <span word="every">every</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="US">US</span> <span word="asks">asks</span> <span word="me">me</span>: <span word="When">When</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="home">home</span>? <span word="Some">Some</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="inflection">inflection</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="seems">seems</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="mean">mean</span>: <span word="When">When</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="giving">giving</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="crazy">crazy</span> <span word="ideas">ideas</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="coming">coming</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="belong">belong</span>?</p><p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="think">think</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="inflection">inflection</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="little">little</span> <span word="sharper">sharper</span> <span word="among">among</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="can">can</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="imagine">imagine</span> <span word="living">living</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="history">history</span>, <span word="culture">culture</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="language">language</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="unlike">unlike</span> <span word="theirs">theirs</span>.</p><p><span word="On">On</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="question">question</span>, <span word="surely">surely</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="top">top</span> <span word="reason">reason</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="economic">economic</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="case">case</span>, <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="kids">kids</span> <span word="grown">grown</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="chance">chance</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="live">live</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="seemed">seemed</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="satisfy">satisfy</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="wanderlust">wanderlust</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="lived">lived</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Latin">Latin</span> <span word="America">America</span>, <span word="where">where</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="caught">caught</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bug">bug</span>.</p><p><span word="What">What</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="pleasure">pleasure</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="living">living</span> <span word="surrounded">surrounded</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="exotic">exotic</span> <span word="tongues">tongues</span>? <span word="While">While</span> <span word="sameness">sameness</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="comforting">comforting</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="some">some</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="isn">isn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="always">always</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="me">me</span>.</p><p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="admit">admit</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="everywhere">everywhere</span> <span word="abroad">abroad</span> <span word="I">I</span>'<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="lived">lived</span>, <span word="I">I</span>'<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="days">days</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="aggravated">aggravated</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="that">that</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="harder">harder</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="different">different</span>. <span word="Most">Most</span> <span word="times">times</span> <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="better">better</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="worse">worse</span>, <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="different">different</span>. <span word="Sometimes">Sometimes</span> <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="cultural">cultural</span> <span word="misunderstandings">misunderstandings</span>. <span word="Other">Other</span> <span word="times">times</span> <span word="I">I</span>'<span word="m">m</span> <span word="frustrated">frustrated</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="limited">limited</span> <span word="ability">ability</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="express">express</span> <span word="myself">myself</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span>.</p><p><span word="These">These</span> <span word="frustrations">frustrations</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="particular">particular</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="country">country</span>, <span word="and">and</span>, <span word="once">once</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="think">think</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="it">it</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="usually">usually</span> <span word="find">find</span> <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="own">own</span> <span word="problem">problem</span>.</p><p><span word="Most">Most</span> <span word="days">days</span> <span word="life">life</span> <span word="abroad">abroad</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="relatively">relatively</span> <span word="routine">routine</span>. <span word="Occasionally">Occasionally</span>, <span word="my">my</span> <span word="wife">wife</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="call">call</span> <span word="a">a</span> "<span word="bad">bad</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="day">day</span>", <span word="which">which</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="day">day</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="we">we</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="frustrated">frustrated</span>. (<span word="I">I</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="bad">bad</span> <span word="day">day</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="home">home</span> <span word="a">a</span> "<span word="bad">bad</span> <span word="US">US</span> <span word="day">day</span>", <span word="and">and</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="back">back</span>.)</p>
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