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