the "I'm back" chapter

Back to reality.
It has been 5 days now. Five days in France, in Paris and its suburban area... Already it is hard to believe I ever left. I read again a few chats I had with Andrew, Alex, or Christine: we all feel the same the moment we come back. It's like we have not been to China, and the world around us makes sense... again ;)
Except for a few things, I can find my way around in France with eyes closed.
But I can sense my perspective has changed: I see things differently, or I feel them in a very "new" way.
- the newspaper talk about the government. More than that, I can actually understand what the newspaper talk about! which is a big progress :). Articles from the opposition parties. News from the wide world are in every magazine, even the free ones (20 minutes, Metro)
- the subway, the streets feel empty!China's population make every single place in the country bustling with loud crowds at any time of day or night;
- the buildings in Paris look low, so low, small and tiny compared to HongKong's impressive skyline or the shanghainese Bund's breathtaking view.
the complexity of the subway network, the stations, where you walk for such a long time underground; Beijing is much more straightforward: walk in, you are in, walk out you are out.
- I see clothes and fashion as if it came out of a magazine: long jacket, blazers, western-style haircut (that could qualify as "normal" or "non-alien" compared to what I've come across in China!)
- when I visited relatives, I would stomp my feet on each step in the staircase, expecting the light to switch on. then I remembered this was not China, and you actually have to light the place manually, finding the switch in the dark!
- so many seats in the subway trains and stations!! you can sit down while waiting for your train. what a relief. makes me wonder why they don't have them in Beijing. too many people require every square inch available? people would fight for the seats?

I have to admit, I still turn around and look behind my back every time I talk about China. Just checking who is listening. It surprises me how strong this habit has become, and how hard it is to lose it. I can access every blog, every website here is open.

It's good to see my family again, also, and reconnect with the French culture: big chunks of meat, mashed (fully cooked and not spicy!!)potatoes, etc.

My time in Beijing has been totally great, thanks a lot to all the people I met there for being so nice and welcoming. China is a big country, on its way to becoming a great one. Just "don't look too hard behind the back of the sofa"; your country of origin also has its flaws, and you can't lead 1,3 billion people like you do with just under 70 million. or 230 million, for that matter. I miss many things from Beijing, the welcoming smile of people most of the time, the bargaining at any time of the day, finding food just in the street down my apartment, and the ability of people to cope with anything and adapt so fast. I found myself in a mold: it shapes me, I dont shape it.
These small details, feelings that things have changed whereas in fact I am the one who changed... help to remind me that my experience in China was real, that it was not a dream.
Talking about dream, a really nice location to visit is Tioman Island and the archipel around it, on the East Coast of Malaysia.

Cheers to all and thanks for following.

Jean