African Places, Chinese Faces
There and then: Places and moments that shaped my here and now – Part II of III
Beijing, China, 1988
1988 was the Year of the Dragon. Chinese people believe that the dragon is a wonderful mascot that represents royalty, authority, and prosperity. My parents were probably among those who desperately wanted a dragon baby of good luck, rather than an energetic rabbit born a year earlier, or a sophisticated snake born a year later.
There and then: Places and moments that shaped my here and now – Part I of III
The Drakensberg Mountains, South Africa, 2014
I was surrounded by mountains, layers and layers of mountains. I heard butterflies flapping their wings, and birds singing from far, far away.
Staring at the Amphitheatre of the Northern Drakensberg, I took my shoes off, and slowly, I put my feet onto the wild grass. My feet could finally feel it – the land of Africa; a mystery to the rest of the world, and the very origin of the human species.
In an interview with a Chinese language instructor teaching in South Africa, the interviewee, who was ‘born a crime’ as the third kid in his family under China’s One Child Policy, shared his experience of reflecting on cultural differences between China and Africa: “People call me ‘the question boy’ because I like reflecting on my observations and experiences. There are so many questions to ask.”
I am excited to be writing my first piece for the WhoKou project. I guess to give you a proper introduction of myself in my first post, some authenticity would be appreciated. I’ll simply present my various identity documents, and let them speak for me.