Almost Home

Friday, March 30

Skyscrapers Abound

Almost Home                            

This is the point of the trip where you arrive before you leave or it feels like it. It was time to go back over the International Date Line and into Los Angeles on our way to Georgia.

We left the hotel for the airport with mixed emotions. It’s always good to be going home but we had enjoyed China, land of 1.3 billion people, so much and there seemed to be a lot more to explore. Our eyes had become accustomed to the masses of people, the plethora of cars and the abundance of towering skyscrapers in the cities. We had, also, thrilled to the might of the rolling rivers, the majesty of the ancient buildings and the warmth of the Chinese people. We had tasted both familiar and overwhelmingly unfamiliar foods. We had learned that the Chinese consider beer a soft drink and anything without a designer “label” not very desirable.

We were told the one child policy of this country has produced a situation where there are not enough women for the men and, if a man does not have the

Four Cs: cash, car, condo and cute; there is little hope of marrying. Even within marriage, many young people ( DINKS- double income, no kids) have been so spoiled by their parents and grandparents, they are not interested in having children of their own. Arranged marriages are beginning to come back in the big cities because the eligible adults are too busy working. Elderly parents even take pictures and resumes of their adult children to the park to “shop” them after exercise or a walk. Prenup agreements are on the rise and high divorce rates ( 37% in Beijing in 2011) are an unexpected result of the “little baby emperor generation”. Only in the rural areas of China can a couple have more than one child and then may have to pay a fine for the additional baby. Ethnic groups in Western China, however, get a pass and may have up to four children. As one might expect by looking at the numbers, there are fewer possible workers and that is resulting in companies leaving China for countries where workers are more readily available. How could one guess that a one-child policy, which seemed so prudent, could have such an effect on the country’s economy?

We were astonished to learn that Chinese children begin to learn English at age six and most of the “thirty somethings” actually have studied English. All schools in China are free after the child turns six though the parents have to pay for uniforms. Students stay in school for eleven years (forms) and then go to university if they pass the requisite competitive exams. All students do, however, have opportunities to attend technical schools or apprentice in some professions. Our guide, Owen, had graduated from college and then studied to become an “international guide”. He had to complete rigorous training to obtain a license and now freely travels all over the world.

Though 70% of the population is farmers, we marveled how China could feed their people while still employing the collective type farms. We questioned how long it would be before it is realized that small plots that cannot be mechanized can never be efficient enough to meet the demand for food. We were told that now taxes are not collected from farms, farmers can choose what they grow and many farmers leave the farms to work in the factories and in the cities. These changes may just be the beginning of the end for those big water buffalo and their owners.

It was revealed that Hong Kong, the most modern of cities, is leading the nation and one must speculate this is the model for the China of the future. Many Chinese certainly believe it to be true as the women who have the resources flock to Hong Kong to give birth so their child can have citizenship of the city.

Housing in Hong Kong

So with these thoughts and more, we gaze on the waters of Victoria Bay, the clinging shipyards, the ports and the warehouses and the immense apartment buildings as we travel across the long suspension bridge and on to Hong Kong Airport.  We say goodbye to those Smart People journeying on to Bangkok and those who are taking other flights and, of course, Owen-guide extraordinaire.  After a rapid check in and through security, Paul and I begin the hunt for those last tee shirts. Who could guess that we’d be assailed with Prada, Tiffany, Gucci and their kin as the airport shops? Seems we are not yet ready to escape the Chinese proclivity for the luxury goods.

The trip back involved a leg to Seoul and a mere 10.5 hours on to Los Angeles. Once again Korean Air provided good service but even the pilots couldn’t guarantee a smooth flight. At least seven of the hours on the plane were the bumpiest I’ve ever encountered in flying. I never felt in real danger but I surely was uncomfortable as I watched movie after movie to try to pass the time.

At last, almost blinded by the sparkling sunlight, we spied LA sprawling on the horizon.  The city skyline seemed so diminutive after the enormity of the skylines we saw in China.  Even the airport seemed inadequate in comparison to the gleaming, modern airports in the country we had just left. But, in the end, we had returned to our homeland and it felt good.

Home in Los Angeles...5132 El Rio Ave.