Neil Yaun prides himself on knowing a little about everything, despite no formal college education. He is self-educated, with a love of Chinese culture focused on their history and traditions. Growing disillusioned with the direction America is taking and his negative experiences with American women he is seeking a new path in China. He plans to teach English in China. This blog is about the journey to China and all the pitfalls along the way.
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Chinese Dreams and American Realities

1229 Views | 12 Comments | 8/9/2011 9:30:59 PM
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yep this is what I expected, it's sad but true. Often our dreams become nightmares if we don’t cultivate them in the right way. If we expect our dream to be just handed to us or that it will just happen on its own we risk spinning our wheels and getting nowhere. Then there is the scenario we’ve all been warned about. “Be careful what you ask for, you might actually get it.” That is personally the worst thing anyone has ever said to me because if you aren’t willing to work hard to get what you asked for in the first place then not only do you not deserve it. You deserve any ill that befalls you for not being prepared for whatever you were wanting.

So when I dreamt of coming to China, I did all the research a person could do. I worked hard to have backup plan, after backup plan. What did I think I was going to find in China? I have to admit that even though I did research my vision of this dream was off. I could help but thinking I’d find the rickshaws from the old Chinese movies. Advanced civilization I expected but not in the degree that I saw when I got here.

There was culture shock but not really like stepping onto another planet as I expected. There were plenty of creature comforts from back home here and that lead me to believe my stress would just disappear in China, which did happen but was replaced by new stress. What was my reality in China? To be honest I found life, a different life with different joys and different sorrows but a life none the less.

I found a better life. It isn’t stress free and it isn’t a living vacation, but it is great and I do feel more alive than I have in 15 years. I think the best reality of this dream is that I see a future. Back home, there was nothing, just the decay of a once great society and the oppression of the corporate machine. Here in China I see that corporate machine also, but it doesn’t touch me yet. I can see it from the outside for the first time. It’s amazing how a person can change their opinions if one can change their perspective. I think international travel should be a requirement for American’s just so we can truly see how the world works and how the world see us.

I still keep up with U.S. news and what I hear makes me ill and afraid for my friends back home. It’s like the people really have become sheeple just waiting to be herded to the slaughter, but I will keep my hopes up and pray that there will be some sanity left in my homeland if and when I return. Who would have guessed I’d have it so good?

It’s pretty damn scary thinking about all my friends who’ve lost jobs back home and to see how well I’m living in another country. Even though my dreams fell short of reality as most dreams do. It still reminds me that I made the best decision I could have in my life. I’ve gone around the world to find true freedom and found it in a Communist country.

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(Showing 1 to 10 of 12) 1 2 More...
#2011-08-12 18:06:24 by qiaoxiaoqiao

Wish you a happy life in China

#2011-08-13 21:59:55 by Flama

True freedom in China? What exactly is the true freedom? Or maybe you enjoy more freedom than the general Chinese public do because you are a foreigner, especially from the United States.

#2011-08-14 02:11:16 by kahnsfury

True freedom lies within us all, I just happen to find it in a place I was told I couldn't. I found I can be myself here in China and not what is expected of me in the U.S.

#2011-08-14 06:19:27 by oneforall

You are quite correct Neil. The America I dream about is not the America we live in now! The corruption in our government is well hidden and our leaders seek to make the average American work his butt off and increase his tax burden while continuing to increase their pay yearly and hide their taxes behind government induced loop-holes. If Kim Jong Il, and his son, lose power in N. Korea I think they would find America now-a-days a comfortable fit!

#2011-08-15 12:56:14 by bmccull

A communist country? Who told you that?

#2011-08-16 13:50:41 by Snow8023

little bit funny comment here, I agree with Ms Flama,Chinese are very friendly, foreigners are very popular in some big modern city, sometimes they get more respect than even a local Chinese,which make me embarrassed when some foreigner friends asked me why Chinese people didn't friendly to their compatriots.
Some of them abused this friendly, any way, wish you good time in China and find the beauty of china, be a good foreigner in china too :)

#2011-08-18 00:00:53 by kahnsfury

yes I agree, if you ask a chinese about freedom they will talk about the U.S. but in reality. They know about as much of the U.S. as I do of China. I will admit that an average Chinese lives with less freedom than I do, but as we say in America. It's the nature of the beast.

#2011-08-21 02:12:35 by alasdair

In a sense I agree with Flama since many years ago I experienced the same great times in Japan before the Japanese started to meet the many foreign individuals who had little or no respect for Japanese culture and feelings. I fear the same thing is going to happen in China once foreigners of every description discover this wonderful country. I just hope foreign men will show some respect for Chinese culture and the feelings of Chinese people and remember that when in China you are a guest not master.

#2011-08-27 00:27:11 by Anonymous Member

Nice to meet incoming missile warning devices you know how it was oh ............. a developed city of Wuhan

#2011-09-06 04:55:37 by Anonymous Member

China rules.

Simple as that.

Hands down, best country on Earth.

I pledge allegiance, to the flag, of CHINA!

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