In China for love, thoughts and words from Shenzen border

In China for love, thoughts and words from Shenzen border
gidiemme May 07, 2014 14:35

Hello readers, it's my first post here. I am not native english speaker, so please accept my apologies for any mispell or grammatical error. Why are we in China? Is love one of the reasons that brought you here? No matter what, I'd like to share this with you. I would like to dedicate this post to the gentle souls and the ones longing to catch up with their beloved, anywhere, anytime, anyhow. Also I would like to thank you all for posting your blogs which provide me with many useful tips and infos about China. For this and more I thank echinacities too.

 

I look at Shenzen from across the harbour and think to myself that is China.

 

A few kilometers of dark water divide dreams from reality. It occurs to me what tens of thousands of my migrating fellow citizens did 100 years ago, disembarking on Ellis Island searching for a better life. In my case story is different and not as dramatic as theirs, still I sigh at the idea that someday my America will become true, my dreams fulfilled.

 

Shenzen is almost wrapped in the darkness, a soft deep blue blanket slowly lays down upon it at sunset, while the sun has dissolved into the dusk's mist, like a dream whose feeble gleams cast its black and white remains in the memory.

 

There is this bridge joining Honk Kong to Shenzen, long, it crosses the bay to disappear into the the ligths of the city, street lamps, neon lights, hotel signs. You can admire it in its entire lenght from nearby Ha Pak Lai, in Yuen Long, New Territories. It's a popular spot for watching sunset from the shore, which stretch ahead at low tide, leaving a shallow water that allows a nice stroll through oyster racks and fish ponds. All alone, in twos or in groups, people gather and enjoy the scenario.

 

An old man is standing still on the background as if feeling an intruder in a party. He's taken photo on sunny days, printed and show them around. He seems to be submissively waiting for someone to stop by and buy some. Far from it. He is an amateur, provided with trypod and lens and says he just like the place and come often here. That's why he can show amazingly colored sunset's sky snapshots. He just likes to show and share and asks me if I want him to take me some photos. To kind and sweet to say no.

 

Up ahead in the distance, I imagine, is Beijing, my target, the goal of a life that has come to a turning point couple of years ago by now. For love. I wonder how many of us has moved to China for the same reason. I visited Beijing several times, to find a job, spend with her some time togeher, get to know each other better, see what would come next, how we'd get along. I have some money saved, no particular burden at home, and determinations to make it. As many foreigners, I looked at where there seems to be more opportunities, teaching languages, English first, though I am not native speaker.

 

Nonetheless I have had several interviews, a few of them were promising, but in the end some occurence, problem, or unexpected change of the employer's needs or expectations or else, has not allowed me to be hired yet. Competition, especially in bigger cities like Beijing, is fierce I know, and I am not picky, nor naive or demanding to the extent that I would only accept an offer there. I read job ads on this site everyday, I learn its interesting articles or blogs, they keep me updated, teach me many things, provide me with useful infos.

 

For me, at the moment, China is a series of snapshots, but unlike the old man at the beach, I took them with my senses. Frames such as the Great Wall or the Forbidden City have faded like old photos kept locked in a drawer for years. They gave way to memories of unkown streets, office bulding's lobbyies, endless corridors, smoke smelling elevators, and then the people. What are they doing now? The beggar outside the seveneleven store to whom I'd hand a few yuan every night. The smiling old lady in the street who struggled to exchange a few words with me about her limping dog. The three guys from somewhere in China visiting Beijing, who asked for a photo together, letting me know they love football too.

 

It's time to go home now, Shenzen's lights have grown brighter, I walk back the silent muddy path before me, while the long bridge slowly disappear behind me. It's pitch black around, I light the mobile, on the screen a text alert displayed: “how was your day? I miss you”. I turn around again one last time toward Shenzen: “it's been a good day. I'm waiting for when I will not have to wait anymore dear”. Good night, good night China.

 

GDM

 

 

 

Tags:Relationships

1 Comments

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Guest2508756

Shenzhen is a scarry city in the sense of how quick it changes...

Jun 13, 2014 00:25 Report Abuse