12/27/2008 - 2 days of reflection

Finally got a chance to write after my flight to Shanghai. Current location is on a train ride from Shanghai South train station to Hangzhou. So since I've landed it has been a none-stop 2 days. It is filled will many different emotion. Some are preconception of what coming to this place is like and also the thought of finally meeting my dad after 10 plus years later. To know what to comment is difficult since I wish I started to type my thought when I had them. It is funny how emotionally energized I get at that moment in time and then I the thought would escape me a few hours later. But I will try to reflect on what has happen so far. To begin, my step-dad picked me up from the airport. We didn't find each other until 40 minutes after I clear custom. Apparently a whole village of Chinese people were waiting outside holding signs and have the eyes starring at each person coming through the door. It is funny how everyone looks the same. Plus I did not recognize him right away since it has been so long since I've seen him and nor he recognize me for obvious reasons. Finally I found him because he apparently like to standout from everyone else by wearing a brown leather jacket. At first sight, I was amazed and shocking how a person ages after so many years. Before he illustrated confidence and a sense of know how when I am around him. Now I can see that the passing of time reflected on his physical appearance. His past struggles showed in his hunched over stature, the growing wrinkles on his face, and the bags below his sagging eyes. To be honest and a bit morbid, I was glad that I got to see him because I can literally see the dying of a man. Since there is no way of putting it so that I can avoid being disrespectful I should just say that the man is this way because he spent nights of staying up playing Mah Jong or poker, hustle to make a living in the restaurant business and his continuous desire to be a friend to everyone are the catalyst that took a chunk of life away from him. But that same fault can in a way be a person's valor. One thing that never changed is my step dad's ability to make friends with everyone wherever he goes. But I can tell from the hustle of Shanghai, he's become less friendly. Nevertheless, he seems to know more friends than you can fill an entire Rolodex. He always surrounded himself with people and the time that I spent with his showed me his popularity is mainly due to his innocent belief in brotherhood and friendship. That innocence has hurt his as well. I just hope that he learn from history that a friend is not too far away from an enemy. The difference is that when life throws you a rotten egg, they are there to help you wipe your face.

I can't help but to feel sorry for him. Because I feel that the people who I care about should always deserve a better life. I feel it is foremost their responsibility to maximize their potential and second my desire that they deserve to get more of what they have now. Then on the other hand, everyone needs to make their own story of their life and who am I to judge. So far the time that I spend with him I can tell he continue to manage his daily chaotic life while still present himself to me as the man (dad) that he once was. Life is not easy for him, but like a father he present the best of him to me while I am here. For that I am grateful and honor for him to given me what he has and more so I feel lucky just to be able to see him. Aside from that, I hope he understands that by me coming over to visit him was just a reminder to him that the world is not that alone and tough. Sometime maybe we don't get everything we wanted, but sometime what we got was what we are supposed to work with. Well there are many more things that can be comment on this. One thing I wish that could of happened is for E to visit his dad. I already know the sense of resentment and anger that's in him, but at some point he needs to make peace with it. We all get our share of unfairness, even those people who done the deed to us that we still have the scares for also at one point got their share. Maybe life is about putting away things than to always look to take things from life.

So here are my comments about Shanghai, China so far since I've been here for the past 48 hours. I have this analogy. I see this place as young man that still needs to find its identity. He accomplished a great deal, learned a lot from different people, and yet try to hold on to it roots. This "fusion effect" that people are seeing is really a residue of trying to seek to a better future while have the knowledge it will need to maintain its history. In doing so conflict occurs between the east and the west from the north to the south. Other countries are critical of the booming nation. From my observation of other people, such hostility is also brewing between the Chinese and other Asians. One common things that I hear people who been to China claim its people are uncivilized. Well they can be right or they can look at once they were views as uncivilized when their forefathers came to seek a better future and to a claim a part of the new found land. With that said, I had more than once said to myself that people are so rude. I am a byproduct of how I am raised by my mom and my environment. A person can struggle for years to shave away their old habits, lets imagine how to do that with a few billion people. This place right now reminds me a lot of Japan of the old. It is learning a balancing act. While prosperous for the past decade, it will encounter its roadblocks. It also has its critics expecting an expedience transformation with their bias opinion of how China should do it. With that said, everyone will continue to have their opinion about China. You love it or you hate it. But I think don't expect to have that same opinion 5 years later. The one thing that this place has going for itself is the uncertainty in what the change will led them to.

A quick comment on other things I saw. Actually these are thoughts more than facts. I am done with shaw long bao. Both days I had the local bun as a part of my daily meal. It is good, but its heaviness just too much for me. The texture of the skin is what makes it so tasty. Food here is relatively cheap it you eat local food. On the other hand, nothing is missed here as all the western products and services got imported to this place. I went to a wine bar on my first night and I felt like I was in NY or SF. They had all sorts of martini and even some that I have never heard before. It is very NY, but yet added other additions to the menu and decor. Imagine the fusion pagoda design with the western vibe. The only difference is that the table next to us was a couple making out will full on tongue action. Something like that you would not see in a lounge. Of course aside from food and drink, a person need to experience some further pampering. Last night my dad offered to pay for a massage that last for 3 whole hours. It was a Chinese massage where they apply heavy pressure on your entire body. My god that was amazing. Super cheap since I didn't have to pay for it. But from what I understand the amount is 1/3 of what the tourist would pay. I got done by 2:30 AM while my dad and his friend played poker in the other room. I felt super relaxed afterward. Half asleep, my dad called me a cab that drove back to my hotel and needless to say, I had a good night sleep last night. Only in China can this happen.

Finally I am getting to what I am doing now. I got up at 7:30 this morning and making my one and a half hour train ride. So far my train ride has gone through the countryside. It's vast amount of farmland, bicycles, trucks, and cell phones. I just saw a farmer working in the rice field while talking on his phone that probably has more interactive feature than my cell phone back home.

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Right now awaiting my train back to Shanghai. I decided to take a break and make some time for dinner here in Hangzhou. First time ever I had to write in a restaurant while waiting for my dinner to arrive. The chef use to work at the Marriott, maybe he thinks I am a food critic. My god I amuse myself. Anyways, this afternoon's experience as it turns out left me with mix feeling about this place and my previous view about how much China has changed over the years. Needless to say when I first got to my destination I was a little fluster of all the activities within the train station. Countless vendors will offer you every possible gimmick and deals to make your trip to the West Lake that much more special. I probably took a good 15 minutes to get myself situated and get my mind to understand where am I or what my plan of action is. I notice here you have to plan before you venture out to your intended destination. Because every turn bring you to another location that just so much alike the one you just passed 10 minutes ago. Of course everyone look the same. Well I digress a little. I finally found out that I had to get on the K7 train. Obviously, me looking like a tourist (plus carrying a tourist book does not help) I attracted more attention then I would like. Well one old lady approached me and told me the train to get on and also advised that I get the exact change. She offered the location to get change and also some suggestion on the location to stop at. The reason is because West Lake is huge. The nice old lady asked about me and shared a little bit of who she is. She advised where to look and finally offered the best place to stop first as well as which connection (K27) to take to my final destination. I went along with it since what can a nice old lady do right? Did I mention she had a kicking breath that needed a whole pack of "Tick Taks". A way to improve a country's tourist industry, make sure your countrymen have fresh breath. Through our trip she suggested a stop and then suggest another stop. Her killer breathe distracted my attention to understand which stop she meant. Finally she said she will get off at the same destination and then guided me to get on K27. She did not get on, but she did left saying where she recommended me to get the best tea. As I ride this connection it would take me to the other side of the lake. It showcased some beautiful farmlands. Imagine a Napa valley like place but just with tea and then step back to the old Chinese movies where they have tea huts build in front of the rice fields. Every few kilometers the bus ride took you to another farm with its own tea house and unique decoration to entice the visitor to come in. As I sat on K27, another old lady approached me and asked where I was planning on going. I shared my destination and she said she would also stop by there as she makes her way home. I am getting suspicious, but the beauty of the land sold me and I let her give me some facts as I rode this bus through the mountains. It is truly beautiful. Upon arriving at my destination she started walking with me. I continue to enjoy and try to capture every frame of what I am seeing right then and there. We walk further up the hill and I started to notice the trend. Every person or couple that got off the bus had a helpful old lady chatting with them. The also had that dumb struck look on their face as probably I did too. So I knew I have to pull the plug soon and plus she is starting to lead me further down the ally along with other stray dogs that got off the bus. So people came up down the hill with bags of tea and I knew if I go any further I would be buying tea for people who don't even like tea. Well I said my goodbyes and turn the other way. Needless to say, she followed behind yelling at things that I had no idea what she was saying. As I trek my way back to the bus stop I saw the nice old lady that first helped me. She even greeted me with a surprise how come I was here too. Man, I can't believe she can still hold that sweet smile. Well I got on the bus and in the rear of the bus K27 is the second lady that I escaped. Man they got a system working for them and I saw many people leading down further to the road and many people on the return bus with bags of tea. I was mad at first, and then I find the entire experience rather amusing also in a way sort of sad for the ladies that have to do this. Life must be tough to keep up with the Wongs around here. You have to use tactic to draw people up the mountain because everyone below the mountain is booming with new buildings and fashionable clothes. I think China prosperity is also it own Achilles heel. I think Asian in general has a very focus sense of getting what they set out to do. At time they do get tunnel vision and their own stubbornness make them very inflexible in adopting to change and of course the opportunities that arise with things are different. But when it come to money, the have laser like focus and tenacity. I think they abandon their own morals in order to grab the dream that they seek. It is probably hard for me to understand, but my dad tried to explain this to me. He said that some of the people are so poor their entire life were raised without ever being able to be fulfill. That lack of basic fulfillment of life's most simple necessities leaves you empty. Our basic needs in our civilized culture are unimaginable luxury items to many people in China until now. But my experience with Hangzhou and its people makes me wonder that such harsh life also makes it very difficult to associate in a society where our protocol is completely different. Hangzhou is filled will many amazing history and many fantastic stories were written about this place. Writers came here to be inspired by the plush green mountains and the grand lake that is centered reference point for this town. They said during the spring, there is a type of flower that will blooms which created a scent that is unnanimously make this place mystical and amazing. No wonder Marco Polo once called this place the most beautiful place he ever seen. But now this place is polluted with 20th century architecture. People are caught in getting to claim their wealth that they probably felt they missed in the past. They are looking to go somewhere. In the mist of going somewhere I am experiencing people who bump into you and do not care to apologize, people who compromise a person's integrity in order to make a buck, and the annoying cutting in line without giving it a second thought. All of this and many more made me understand the reason why there will always be the concept of class. No matter how you want to be politically correct, but it seems to me that you can be rich and take a person out of the country, but it is harder to take the country out of the person. China is a country that went through a dynasty much like it did in the past. It's history shows you that a dynasty rules over another, political party reign while another fall, the poor ran out the elite, the communist rise and then fall. Now communist fall, the poor rise, and the capitalism flourish, it is a bit chaotic in my opinion. In the midst of this change a person can become a rich jackass or a rich senex.