By ACC Delen
Let me preface by apologizing for the silence several columns back.
When I first saw Shanghai, it was through the rain-streaked window of a Cebu Pacific flight back in 2009. It was dawn and the Pudong International Airport tarmac was blanketed by a thick fog that was barely pierced by the airport’s lights. My first thought then was, WTF am I doing here? Good question…considering that I knew next to nothing about the modern Middle Kingdom. I knew of course that it’s a communist country and based on stories coming out of other communist countries like North Korea and Cuba, I shouldn’t have even boarded that flight at all! But I did and there I was.
Fast forward a little more than a decade later. I found myself at my cousin’s place for lunch after I made a very impulsive decision to go home for Chinese New Year 2020 at the heels of a mysterious flu-like virus that was making people sick in Wuhan, China. My cousin kept on referring to me as Ms. Wuhan as a joke but clearly in reference to what was happening back in China. I just smiled each time and deflected. It became my go to reaction for the succeeding months as the virus, later to be officially named CoVid-19 by the World Health Organization, began to quickly spread beyond the Middle Kingdom. Just as I deflected my cousin’s sarcastic jokes, people around me deflected too. They looked for someone or something to blame which ultimately fell on everything Chinese. Conspiracy theories popped up on Facebook and conversations about CoVid-19 and its repercussions almost always ended with a negative remark about the country (and its people) I currently work and live in.
Me? Well, I stayed out of such conversations for two reasons: One, I know as much as the next person who reads and watches the news which is superficial. Two, I am aware that such comments were borne out of incomplete knowledge (which is VERY dangerous) and fear of the unknown. But here is what I do know.
Having lived in China for this long, I’ve met really good people and if you’ve reached this point in this piece, I assume you’re open minded…or perhaps curious. Let me tell you about them, starting with…
UNCLE JOHN
I first met uncle John at my first job. He was the day security guard in the building that housed the language center I first worked for in 2009. He’s retired from his job at an aeronautics plant but went back to work after two years to keep himself from getting bored. His wife still worked and their only child was at school all day. We became friends because as he later told me, I was the only one of the English teachers who replied whenever he greeted us “Good Morning” at the door. He could not speak English extensively nor could I speak Mandarin beyond simple greetings back then but somehow, we were able to communicate.
Later, I would get invited to their house for delicious meals that were cooked by his wife. Over sumptuous meals, I get to practice my Mandarin with the really complicated ones translated by their son Jack, who has better command of the English language than Uncle John. These visits were few and far between but whenever I needed help, they were there.
I remember when I had to move from one area of the city to another, Uncle John helped me with flat hunting. He’s fully retired by then. Auntie (his wife) would advise us on where to look and on those instances when my Mandarin was not enough to communicate with the landlord, Uncle John would do the negotiation, always mindful that I shouldn’t spend more than I have to. So, when I finally was able to find my current flat on my own, I was so proud to have had them over for a short visit. They came with so much fruits and tons of medicine for my persistent cough brought on by the inclement weather.
Uncle John and his wife are of the generation who believes that a woman should get married in order to have a fulfilled life. Therefore, I was not surprised that they constantly worried about my unmarried status. It has gotten to a point where he actually looked for a possible match…single sons from his circle of friends. Thank God he came up empty! Hopefully, he will give up on this quest this year and start concentrating on finding a match for his son Jack who’s 20 years younger than myself but is now at a stage in his life where marriage is the next logical step.
I have not seen Uncle John and his family since I came back to the country three months ago but they have kept in touch and checked up on me more than the people I would normally see every day. I know that they don’t have to but they do anyway.
What’s this got to do with the virus and the s—t show that’s happening to the rest of the world you say? Nothing directly really…perhaps a reminder that a country is made up of its people. Uncle John and his family may not even be a drop in a bucket of 1.3 billion but who is to say that they’re the only ones. It’s when we stop lumping people all together and not looking at them individually that we are truly lost. Let me end this little story by saying, 2021 is just around the corner and as New Year Celebrations go…begin with the positives. The negatives will take care of themselves. I know I started this column with the idea of focusing on OFW stories but as time went by, realization set in. People’s stories regardless of who they are can be as powerful so why limit myself to one group? Everyone’s story matters
Here’s to a positive 2021 to one and all!**
