It's a mixed feeling even in my rational mind.
No difference from the past trips, the first difference I sensed was the air. The smell was a bit odd when I landed in Beijing. But soon my sense of smell was "neutralized". The pollution, which has been much better than before, however, still makes everything looks dull and dirty. That's quite a turn-off to folks who have been living long in the west.
Almost immediately after I left airport sitting in my friend's brand new beamer (BMW), I saw the biggest growth in China's recent history - cars. It was mind-boggling to watch so many cars, many of which are imported high-end cars, spinning and parking on the streets in unique Chinese ways. I could hardly imagine what an amazing change has happened to the country, including people's lifestyle and many brand new industries, in such a short time. To the large auto makers who suffered economy downturn in North America, China is no-doubt their new hope. To me, I hope soon I can drive a made-in-China Hummer.
Then, the third thing that impressed me was the infrastructure. The high way, the telecom system, online services, and the public transit system all have been greatly improved since my last visit. Crazy, for lack of better word, is the perfect match to China's growth in such areas in major cities. Yet, what equally impressed me was the level of civilization of average Joes (lao bai xin). The historical challenge won't easily be resolved in one or two generations.
One day, I hope the money-talks society will evolve into a credit-talks one.
More to find out next week...
