Daily Lessons from Life 17-19 October 2009

I could not logged on to the Blog as I was in Shenzhen, PRC, and the website was blocked apparently. I have experienced this each time I am in PRC. It is frustrating and it showed how reluctant or fearful, imaginary or otherwise, the authority is of the power of internet messages that are normally not screened by the authorities first!

A quick summary of my 3-Day journey on earth:

1. Shenzhen has grown. Million US$ apartments are apparently not uncommon! This is hard to imagined and pictured when you know the majority of the factory workers who worked and keep this place humming along as the biggest manufacturing base in PRC will never make a million RMB in his or her lifetime let alone US$1m!!;

2. The grass-root people know their destiny as shared by the driver of my friend who lived and worked there. The driver said this place is just a stop in their journey. Most will go back home with the saving, if any, at the end of a few years as it is too expensive to afford a property in this city. He also said if he goes back NOW, he has nothing much to do at home! That is the dilemma!;

3. For a city known for its efficiency, I was surprised that one of the immigration custom checkpoints did not opened at 6am as stipulated but at 6.30am!! As a result of this anomaly, I missed my original flight of 8am from Hong Kong to Singapore! It is a bit surreal for me to miss a flight for the 1st time after started travelling since 1984!! I guessed there is always a 1st time!!;

4. met and chatted with a young lady who is on her way to Germany. Actually to Paris via Frankfurt. She runs her own business! Had been to USA, Germany, France, Canada, and think that while PRC progressed economically, the quality of the people still need to be raised a lot to match that of Japan, even though it is an old enemy! She said that's the past. It has nothing to do with the new generation of Chinese though there were some who still harboured suspicion and even hatred for the Japanese. Interesting perspective by her on the world. May she be successful and try to help upgrade the quality of the rest of the people who needed help!

I am still learning about PRC! A project that I will continue until I decided that I don't have to make a living in PRC! Not going to be easy!