Preparing to Return to China
Wow, that was fast – well – not really!
Mike’s Blog 166
Mikesblog.com/chinareturn2018
Its that time again – time to board the flight and fly to the other side of the world – to China.
This time I am ready to go back more than ever. The trip served the main purpose – kids to meet my parents, do a China Business Workshop to learn what people want, go to Colombia. A bunch of speed bumps in the way, creating more stress and a much higher cost than expected – but I am more confident than ever.
My future is China – well let’s say Asia. This is why I called my blog and podcast Global from Asia (not China) – sure there is a risk of being in China. Many of my friends in America have reminded me the political risk of settling down in China as an American. To me, I’ll always (hopefully) have a home in Asia.
Or let’s say in a emerging market. Something that is growing and has room to grow and there is a big divide between knowledge and cultures.
Will I live the rest of my life in China? Until the day I die? This is something people commonly ask me – I am not sure – we will see the way the world goes. I can’t control if I am even allowed to stay there long term, I will always be a visitor and a foreigner.
Another thing this trip has taught me is how annoying this immigration stuff is. I can’t wait to be re-united with my wife, and still am in shock we had to leave her at the airport and lose her flight ticket. For really no reason!
Who is to blame for that? Have had some pointless debates with people in the US that want to say it isn’t American policy that did that, but who else controls that policy? I’ll hold my tongue, but this nationalism is bothering me.
We are all Earthlings. What it seems to need to take is a bigger threat than another country in order for all of us to consider each other the same. It will take an alien invasion forcing all humans to come together and stop saying “you are Chinese, you are American, you are African, etc”. We are all freaking humans! Same organs, blood, brains.
Will it take an alien invasion to end this ignorant nationalism? Or maybe these blogs I write can help influence just a few more people and enough others talking about this can change the momentum of the ignorant nationalism thinking – which is another form of racism in my opinion.
Anyway, I’m back in China – and plan to be here for quite some time.