Life and Travel in China

For some time now I have been receiving rudimentary information from a Chinese friend who was traveling around New Zealand. It seemed to me that he was visiting his friends - I know that he loves traveling and often looks for new destinations. It recently turned out that she escaped from China because... her parents wanted to marry her off to a man she doesn't love. It sounds like the story of a medieval princess, but this is the Chinese reality. The girl had a Malaysian (Chinese) boyfriend. The guy kind of led her by the nose for several years, took advantage of her, I even guess that he may have had other girlfriends or even a wife during that time. Eventually, their long-distance relationship fell apart. The parents couldn't stand it and wanted to marry their daughter off to someone else. The girl's life became complicated, she broke up with the Malaysian, quit her job, quarreled with her parents, finally obtained a visa, spent the last of her money and fled China. She was in New Zealand for a few months and now she's in Australia trying to get a work permit. She doesn't even have a return ticket to China... I must admit that her life has become terribly complicated now, and actually it's mainly the fault of this guy who took advantage of her naivety and their long-distance relationship didn't have much chance. It may be hard to believe, but she had been waiting for him for almost 10 years, and they had only met in person a few times.

In Hong Kong, there is a New Year sales period, which will basically last until February, the Chinese New Year. Hundreds of thousands of Chinese from Shenzhen and other towns close to Hong Kong cross the China-Hong Kong border every day. The vast majority of them buy baby milk, diapers, sweets and food products. Many Chinese do not trust Chinese powdered milk at all (since the melamine scandal), imported milks have become very valuable and are desirable, although the prices are much higher than those of Chinese products. Others buy branded sweets, such as the popular Ferrero Rocher. Everyone crosses the border with suitcases and boxes, there are simply very long queues. Additionally, customs officers check many people, and smuggling milk (in larger quantities than allowed) is punishable by imprisonment or a fine of HKD 500,000 (approximately PLN 230,000). Despite everything, the Chinese buy massively in Hong Kong, without moderation, without limits.

Some time ago, with great sadness, I attended the funeral of a 5-year-old Chinese boy. It was hard to hold back the tears and I couldn't even comfort his parents in any way. I was surprised when this little boy's father took a 'selfie' with his dead son. Is this a sign of our times? Or maybe by sharing such a dramatic photo, the father will share his sadness, complain, arouse greater pity, and gain understanding? Maybe it's just about saving the last photo on your phone, capturing the last moment, always having the last portrait with you? I know that people often don't have time for their children. Now I wonder how much this father must regret all the days away from home, how much he regrets all the refusals towards his son because he was busy with business, phone calls, was too tired or simply didn't feel like playing with the child. I know now that they simply lost the greatest moments forever. Now no 'selfie' can replace life, happiness and family. Therefore, it is worth considering how we spend our time and how we deal with children.

I regret to admit that Chinese propaganda works very effectively. Recently, while talking to people from a village in Hunan province, we heard that things are very good in China now, and the authorities are fighting all fraudsters and bribe-takers and purifying their ranks. People even said that there are no ordinary street pickpockets or thieves now. Average Chinese people trust the country's main leaders, and in their opinion, President Xi Jinping is very effective in fighting deals and corruption. In fact, the new president contributed to revealing several major scandals, but maybe he only got rid of inconvenient people from the party? It has long been known that every government (this probably applies to the whole world, not only China) is involved in something and operates in some system, taking care of its own interests, of a specific group. In my opinion, a few party members were simply thrown to the lions, i.e. Chinese society. The Chinese will be satisfied, and the 'power group' as a whole will be relatively safe until the next 'Olympics'.

In Chinese cities, more and more people are developing their hobbies and interests. There used to be no funds for this, now the Chinese buy, for example, decent mountain bikes, cyclists, roller skates, skateboards, musical instruments, cameras and HD cameras, costumes for classical dances, etc. There are also more sophisticated interests, such as yachts or sports cars such as Ferrari, Maserati or Lamborghini. There are also more and more tuned cars, such as BMW, Audi, Toyota and Honda. Sometimes the budget for such pleasures and entertainment is simply unlimited. The development of the Internet is a decisive motivation for all these sports and interests. It's true that Facebook is still blocked, but there are thousands of other websites where you can show off your skills, your talent, and sometimes your stupidity. There are even some very popular websites where you can showcase your singing skills. Some people have invested a lot in this hobby: good computers, microphones, IP cameras, sound systems and professional lighting like in a TV studio. The Chinese caught up very quickly when they were cut off from the whole world and now keep up with all the news. Of course, with varying results, sometimes it is harmful, sometimes it is simply 'aping' the West. I think they should develop their own interests more, such as playing traditional Chinese instruments, Chinese chess, kung-fu, tai-ji, calligraphy, table tennis and badminton.