The freedom thing

Yangshuo, the town where I had just arrived in my last entry, will probably be remembered as a highlight of this trip. Electric scooters are all over China and I couldn't resist renting one to tour the countryside. Great scenery, well chosen tunes, a quiet ride, and accommodating weather made the scene.

I met a Chinese man who like many was once a farmer but had moved into town when tourism took off. He had taught himself English and was eager to practice. On one evening, his wife joined us for dinner. It is typical for one person to order for the table and for everyone to pick at the dishes which are put in the center. We had eggplant with "various meats", caramelised taro, string beans, and snails. I was particularly attentive to the string beans. I asked him what he thought of Mao and the drives he lead. Like most people here, he is a big Mao fan and sees him as a liberator of sorts, a great leader, and the person who unified China. He couldn't even place a rough number on how many people died during the great leap forward or the cultural revolution. His most vivid memory of the cultural revolution was when at two and a half his parents took him to watch the execution of some "capitalist roaders".

A few days later, I would find myself on a boat heading down the Yangste on a tour of the famous three gorges, having a similar discussion with a Chinese man in his late 70s (his son acting as the interpreter).

His family had been wealthy land owners for generations, but when Mao took power, all land was divided up and given to the peasants. This man was suddenly no better off than anyone else. Despite his misfortune, he believed in the cause and joined the movement. He recognises that mistakes were made along the way (as in millions of needless deaths, but I digress), but he thinks China has come a long way and is optimistic for the future. He asked me what America thought of China and I said it is seen as a rising giant but I added not without its human rights violations and censorship. Our conversation seemed to transition there as his son, who had more than once mentioned that he was a high ranking govt official, felt the need to weigh in.

This man who had been once been a student activist, was educated in Canada and got his masters in polisci. He told me that the west doesn't understand China and is to quick to criticise. The Falun Gong for example is a potentially dangerous group that treats their leader as divine and would die for him. The growth of such a cult could seriously undermine the stability of China. Tibet may have been conquered territory as other countries have conquered neighbouring territories, but it is now part of China and should no more be allowed to secede than Quebec or a state from the union. Not to mention the fact that when the Dalai Lama ruled, there was more poverty, it was feudalistic and slavery based. The conversation went on like this for hours. I had to admit there were angles I wasn't used to hearing. His main point was that what China needs most now is stability, which requires a single party system and censorship of anything that could destabilise the country. He recognized that many of these things were necessary evils that could slowly be dissolved as China moves towards democracy. I expect my opinions to continue to change as I read more and spend more time here.

The gorges were impressive although the nothing amazing and the whole excursion was too heavily soaked in tourism. I spent time hanging out with a couple middle-aged Germans too. One owned a model train shop and the other a shop for windows and doors. We parted ways after seeing the great dam which will soon flood the whole area leaving much of what I saw on my tour underwater.

I am glad to move on though because being in such tight quarters with the Chinese for three day can be trying at times. When not pushing for a better spot in line, they are very nice people who are enchanted by foreign faces. But, there are a bunch of characteristics I have yet to get used to. For one, they like everything loud. I used to think there were arguments all around me, but I soon learned that they just talk loudly and aggressively. They also keep the television loud and have an affinity for bullhorns. Earplugs may have been the best thing I brought on this trip.

They take pleasure in regularly clearing their throat. Not as in "eheem" but as in loudly digging for flem and then projecting it into the environs. My celebrity status is sometimes flattering, like when people ask if they can take their picture with me, but often trying, as in the common"HELLO!"s when walking down the street. It was similar in India, but I never got used to it.

The city I am in now is about serene water scenes dotted with pagodas and bike filled causeways. Outside of the touristy areas, its been a charming place to relax.