A lot of people are asking me why I decided to come to China. I agree that it's a perfectly valid question. I would want to know why people are doing whatever it is they're doing too. I'd probably ask the same question if the situation were reversed. However, if you've heard it ten thousand times, it can get very tiring. That is why I've thought of making a list. In a way, it'll also be a way of seeing how far I've gone and if I'm really getting anywhere. So in no particular order, here goes:
1. I wanted to experience living on my own. I know this is taking it to the extreme. I'm living alone in a foreign country, whose language I cannot claim to speak well. But then again, it would be next to impossible to convince my family to let me get my own place and live alone in my own country.
2. I've always loved to travel. And I don't mean just go someplace for a week or two, be a tourist, take some pictures and go back home. I want to see how other people live their lives. How they think, what shaped them into the people that they are now. And I want to know these things firsthand. China is a good place to start (for reasons stated below).
3. I was really bored back home. Don't get me wrong. It was great to not worry about anything at all except getting to school on time and having something to talk about with my students. Wake up, go to class, meet some friends, go back home, play with my cousins, help them with their assignments, go to sleep, wake up again the next day... But I've been doing that every single day of my life. I want adventure! Which leads me to Reason number 4...
4. If I'm going to have an adventure, I might as well do it now while I'm still young. I can enjoy it so much more. No real responsibilities like keeping house, kids growing up and needing my attention. Now's the perfect time to be crazy.
5. I wanted to go some place quiet where I can actually sit down and write. There's that novel to finish. Like I always say, I need the solitude. I need to be able to think clearly and, this will sound like a cliche (and it is), connect with my inner self.
6. My mom will get a kick out of this, but I've decided to brush up on my Mandarin. I've always loved learning languages. When I had Spanish in college, I was ecstatic. It was the same way when I tried learning Cebuano. I'm in no way fluent in both languages but it was really fun. While I was given the perfect opportunity to learn Mandarin as a child, it left a sour taste in my mouth because everything was so stiff. It was forced on me and it felt more like a chore. Now, I'm beginning to appreciate it more.
7. This is a homecoming of sorts for me. Which is why I chose to come to China and not any other Asian countries. Aside from the fact that I already know a little Mandarin so it won't be as hard as say, going to Korea or Japan, I wanted to see how it is like to be Chinese in the fullest sense of the word. I know how I always complain that people here are saying I look Chinese all the time. I do not mean to reject my Chinese heritage. I'm proud of it. I'm a Filipino of Chinese descent. There. I just don't think I look Chinese. If I do, I'd be the first to admit it, but I don't. End of story.
# 4 is very Under The Tuscan Sun-ish. i almost imagined you to be Diane Lane. hehe...
ReplyDeleteAaaargh! I haven't read the book nor watched the movie yet. I'll most probably watch the movie first since there's a better chance that I can find a pirated DVD of it than the book in its English version here.
ReplyDeleteI know this is a fairly old thread, but what the hey. My friend has almost the same reasons for going to China. She tells me that up until now, she always gets an earful from her parents about her leaving for China. They obviously don't want her wandering around a foreign land alone without any relatives. I think she'll be leaving by the 1st or 2nd week of September. I made a "souvenir" video for her here. I chose the theme song of "Cheers". *sigh* I wish I took the time out to really learn mandarin. O.T.: I still remember my mom burning through 10's of chinese "betamax" tapes. She'd stay up all night watching those telenovelas. Wouldn't it be nice to watch with here? LOL :)
ReplyDeleteI know this is a fairly old thread, but what the hey. My friend has almost the same reasons for going to China. She tells me that up until now, she always gets an earful from her parents about her leaving for China. They obviously don't want her wandering around a foreign land alone without any relatives. I think she'll be leaving by the 1st or 2nd week of September. I made a "souvenir" video for her here. I chose the theme song of "Cheers". *sigh* I wish I took the time out to really learn mandarin. O.T.: I still remember my mom burning through 10's of chinese "beta-max" tapes. She'd stay up all night watching those telenovelas. Wouldn't it be nice to watch with here? LOL :)
ReplyDeleteI know this is a fairly old thread, but what the hey. My friend has almost the same reasons for going to China. She tells me that up until now, she always gets an earful from her parents about her leaving for China. They obviously don't want her wandering around a foreign land alone without any relatives. I think she'll be leaving by the 1st or 2nd week of September. I made a "souvenir" video for her here. I chose the theme song of "Cheers". *sigh* I wish I took the time out to really learn mandarin. O.T.: I still remember my mom burning through 10's of chinese "beta-max" tapes. She'd stay up all night watching those telenovelas. Wouldn't it be nice to watch with here? LOL :)
ReplyDeleteOh sheesh, how come nobody made a video for me? That was the first time I heard that song. I liked it and downloaded it. And don't worry about your Mandarin. I don't think anyone really ever learned it back home. Believe me, I was the unlikeliest candidate to be relearning Mandarin. My mom used to watch Chinese variety shows on weekends. I'm not sure if she still does. But I'm sure she's still listening to and singing Chinese songs. :p
ReplyDeletequestion:Ang mga chinese ba dito nire recognize ng mga Chinese dyan?..I mean yung mga Filipino Chinese dito..na dito na lumaki...dito na talaga Family nila..chinese tingin natin sa kanila dito..dyan kaya?Yun lang..sana masagot mo etong tanong ko ATE CHARO!
ReplyDeleteNagmamahal,
Kapuso!
answer: Hati sila sa bagay na yan e. Ganyan kasi ang kaso ko. May mga mas foreigner ang tingin sakin, o kaya mas gustong makita ang "foreign in me". Ang pinakamalapit na naiisip ko na pwedeng ikumpara ay kung pano yung tingin natin sa mga balikbayan. Tipong naaaliw sila pag nagsasalita ako sa Chinese, katulad ng pagkaaliw natin sa mga Pinoy na lumaki sa ibang bansa na nagtatagalog. Pero curious din silang malaman yung tungkol sa kung saang parte ng China nanggaling ang mga ninuno ko, kelan nagpunta ng Pilipinas, kung marunong pang mag-Chinese ang mga kamag-anak ko at mga ganung bagay. Ewan ko lang, baka sa akin lang ganyan. Tanong mo din yung mga ibang tao kung ganun din ang naranasan nila.
ReplyDeletetagalog thread na ba ito? :P
ReplyDeleteNever thought about how they looked upon us. Thanks for the info
It could be a whatever language thread. Gusto mo Chinese? Hehehe!
ReplyDelete