Going Home
It’s almost time to go home. I start out early Saturday, and arrive late Saturday in North Carolina. But of course, that is after crossing the Date Line and sitting on my posterior in an airplane, cars, or boats, for almost 24 hours.
I’ll miss a lot here. I know I will be back in three weeks. But the next visit is my last known scheduled visit to China. It seems difficult to believe. This has been home for three years. It has been a good three years.
I won’t miss the long rides to work. Sure it has been nice to sit in the back of a vehicle and let my driver worry about the congestion and crazy driving of the locals. Lines are forming again at every gas station, as price of gasoline has risen faster than the price regulations, and thus, dealers are limiting output.
And it will be nice to see a full news report without a cutaway to a public service announcement in censorship to some sensitive news report. Today was the first full news report I’ve seen in weeks, with the NPCC and Tibet info in the news. Otherwise, it has been repeat after repeat of Samantha Brown climbing the steps to the tower in Seville, and Jackie Stewart on Top Gear. I don’t think I can go to Seville now.
And no chicken feet on the table as soon as you sit down. Shucks. Now all I’ll get is hush puppies. ………..YES!!
Labels: Dongguan, Gas, Gas Prices, Life in China, Television
China Report in North Carolina
Are my eyes deceiving me? I don’t believe what I’m seeing! Here I go half way around the world, traveling for 30 hours, finally find a hotel, turn on the TV and what is staring at me? The red flag of China!! Ahhhhhh!!! Didn’t I leave China behind me?? I am in North Carolina! Aren’t I???
Sure enough, I turned on the television in a Chapel Hill Days Inn, where I finally found a room last Friday night, and there was a big red flag with golden stars! It just stayed there for several minutes. And I just stared at it in disbelief! I was really tired and wasn’t sure my mind was functioning on all cylinders. I was in such disbelief I didn’t change the channel.
But then it changed to the screen below and the “China Report” started in Mandarin! Unbelievable. China news was being shown here! In North Carolina! ……….. Okay, it is Chapel Hill. Not exactly the bastion of southern roots.
Turns out the local Chapel Hill station (so my daughter later explained), shows news from around the world at different times. Ironically, I timed my arrival and switched on the television just right. A little eerie. Or surreal at the least.
At least they showed the whole newscast without a censor pre-empting it for Samantha Brown to climb to the top of the cathedral in Seville!
Labels: China, Television
