It's so nice to be going back to all the familiarity. The thought of curry, true, Indian curry, Rendang, and our local Malaysian Chinese dishes just makes me sooo hungry! I'm so eager to go back home all of a sudden!
So, what have I learnt from my trip in China this time?
1. China beds are really hard! Some of the beds in Malaysia are hard, but not as hard. The beds in China may be beautifully decorated, with clean white bedsheets, colourful quilts, look soft and inviting, but don't be deceived! Once you decide to jump in it, you may be be jumping out of pain instead of jumping for joy. It feels as if it has a thick layer of wooden planks in it and a thin layer of cotton wool inside. Ouch!
2. Money makes the world go round. In China, everybody is all out to make money. Most will think of various ways and means to earn cash. If we approach a stall to buy something, we must never touch the goods. 'coz once we turn our heads away, the stall keeper might call us back and accuse us of damaging their goods and ask for compensation. So, be smart! Don't touch, just look! Don't ask if you're not interested! They have time only to earn money, no time to answer so many questions!
3. Even the number plate in China is based on the economic status of a region. If it begins with A, it means it the province that contributes the highest income in the region.
4. We must appreciate our culture, family tradition and values. Who are we without them? We all belong to a tree. Take good care of the tree. Don't lose it!
5. If we know our history well, we can predict our future. People who never study history will never learn from the mistakes that others commit. If we want to be smart, we learn through the experiences and mistakes of tohers, not our ownselves.
6. I learnt that the art of collecting teapots is not such a useless hobby after all. Each teapot was not designed randomly and without any objectives in mind. Each teapot was designed with the purpose of teaching its tea lovers the philosophy of life. So that, when we are old and all alone, we might bring this tea pot and its cup out and think of the wonderful times that we had together, and what we should do to improve our character and behaviours. We are taught to be patient and rise above ourselves.
The part that touched me most this trip was the fact that I was finally able to identify with what I learnt many years back in school. I could feel Qu Yuan's disappointment when he had to commit suicide when the King he served did not believe in his loyalty; the unfulfilled love between Zhu Ying Tai and Liang Shan Bo; the wrath and sadness of White snake when she was tricked by the monk; the scholar's disappointment when he failed his entrance exams to be one of the ministers and wrote a long, sad poem on the temple of Han Shan Si; how grand it was for the King to have 4000 girls to welcome him on each side of the river bank when he arrived and another 3000 more girls to row his boat.... and many more. I never really identified with the great and famous characters, historians and authors of China until the moment I stepped on the lands of Shanghai. Bit by bit, as we travelled from the North to the South, to the West and the East, the doors of my heart were gradually being rippped open by the gentle gestures of the winds and words. Finally, I feel every bit as Chinese as the Chinese in China. I finally feel that I came from China, my ancestors came from China and I am every bit as Chinese as I can be! I finally feel that I belong to China and vise-versa, China belongs to me too!
So, what have I learnt from my trip in China this time?
1. China beds are really hard! Some of the beds in Malaysia are hard, but not as hard. The beds in China may be beautifully decorated, with clean white bedsheets, colourful quilts, look soft and inviting, but don't be deceived! Once you decide to jump in it, you may be be jumping out of pain instead of jumping for joy. It feels as if it has a thick layer of wooden planks in it and a thin layer of cotton wool inside. Ouch!
2. Money makes the world go round. In China, everybody is all out to make money. Most will think of various ways and means to earn cash. If we approach a stall to buy something, we must never touch the goods. 'coz once we turn our heads away, the stall keeper might call us back and accuse us of damaging their goods and ask for compensation. So, be smart! Don't touch, just look! Don't ask if you're not interested! They have time only to earn money, no time to answer so many questions!
3. Even the number plate in China is based on the economic status of a region. If it begins with A, it means it the province that contributes the highest income in the region.
4. We must appreciate our culture, family tradition and values. Who are we without them? We all belong to a tree. Take good care of the tree. Don't lose it!
5. If we know our history well, we can predict our future. People who never study history will never learn from the mistakes that others commit. If we want to be smart, we learn through the experiences and mistakes of tohers, not our ownselves.
6. I learnt that the art of collecting teapots is not such a useless hobby after all. Each teapot was not designed randomly and without any objectives in mind. Each teapot was designed with the purpose of teaching its tea lovers the philosophy of life. So that, when we are old and all alone, we might bring this tea pot and its cup out and think of the wonderful times that we had together, and what we should do to improve our character and behaviours. We are taught to be patient and rise above ourselves.
The part that touched me most this trip was the fact that I was finally able to identify with what I learnt many years back in school. I could feel Qu Yuan's disappointment when he had to commit suicide when the King he served did not believe in his loyalty; the unfulfilled love between Zhu Ying Tai and Liang Shan Bo; the wrath and sadness of White snake when she was tricked by the monk; the scholar's disappointment when he failed his entrance exams to be one of the ministers and wrote a long, sad poem on the temple of Han Shan Si; how grand it was for the King to have 4000 girls to welcome him on each side of the river bank when he arrived and another 3000 more girls to row his boat.... and many more. I never really identified with the great and famous characters, historians and authors of China until the moment I stepped on the lands of Shanghai. Bit by bit, as we travelled from the North to the South, to the West and the East, the doors of my heart were gradually being rippped open by the gentle gestures of the winds and words. Finally, I feel every bit as Chinese as the Chinese in China. I finally feel that I came from China, my ancestors came from China and I am every bit as Chinese as I can be! I finally feel that I belong to China and vise-versa, China belongs to me too!
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