For the last four years, my husband and I have been in China at Christmastime. I opened up the trunk that holds our Christmas decorations after an absence of four years, and pulled out the familiar, and the half-forgotten, ornaments for a Canadian Christmas. We've got a turkey and cranberry jelly and all the trimmings that were not available to us back in China.
People ask me, "are you happy to be home?" and the answer is, I miss China and my life there and my friends. A lot. I miss the crazy, bustling streets and the little children in their grandparents' arms and watching all of the changes of a developing economy.
Although Christmas is just another working day in China, we had lots of Christmas joy and wonderful experiences. We forced students to sing the 12 Days of Christmas, Ross was Santa Claus, and we ate dumplings in an unheated school cafeteria instead of Christmas dinner and we were perfectly happy.
Of course we knew we were living in a dictatorship. But compared to the bad old days of Mao and the Cultural Revolution, China had made so much progress in terms of individual liberty. We hoped that it would continue to do so, since the benefits were apparent and obvious. But during my last year in China, I noticed a change in the atmosphere...
People ask me, "are you happy to be home?" and the answer is, I miss China and my life there and my friends. A lot. I miss the crazy, bustling streets and the little children in their grandparents' arms and watching all of the changes of a developing economy.
Although Christmas is just another working day in China, we had lots of Christmas joy and wonderful experiences. We forced students to sing the 12 Days of Christmas, Ross was Santa Claus, and we ate dumplings in an unheated school cafeteria instead of Christmas dinner and we were perfectly happy.
Of course we knew we were living in a dictatorship. But compared to the bad old days of Mao and the Cultural Revolution, China had made so much progress in terms of individual liberty. We hoped that it would continue to do so, since the benefits were apparent and obvious. But during my last year in China, I noticed a change in the atmosphere...
The central government was asserting itself more and more. Communist-red slogans and public art blossomed on every other street corner (see example below). My school put up big red banners, extolling the so-called socialist virtues. As you can see, these virtues are Good Things that have nothing in particular to do with Socialism, most especially the virtue of "democracy."
And now, for the first time I can recall, Canadians are being cast as the Bad Guys in an international dispute. Up to now, Canadians were welcomed everywhere because we're 'not Americans.' This will have an impact on the numbers of Canadians interesting in going to teach in China; though how great of a one remains to be seen.
I am no longer able to teach in China because I'm over 60. That regulation in itself has cut off a significant number of people who would gladly work in China as a post-career adventure. The news that China is incarcerating as many as a million of its own Muslim citizens in re-education camps and stepping up the persecution of Christians will also cause more people to give China a pass. That's a big loss for all concerned and I hope the pendulum swings back to opening-up and modernization.
I wouldn't trade my time in China for anything and no matter what you hear about China, remember that the government is one thing and the amazing, kind, wonderful people of China are something else again.
I am no longer able to teach in China because I'm over 60. That regulation in itself has cut off a significant number of people who would gladly work in China as a post-career adventure. The news that China is incarcerating as many as a million of its own Muslim citizens in re-education camps and stepping up the persecution of Christians will also cause more people to give China a pass. That's a big loss for all concerned and I hope the pendulum swings back to opening-up and modernization.
I wouldn't trade my time in China for anything and no matter what you hear about China, remember that the government is one thing and the amazing, kind, wonderful people of China are something else again.
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