One of my favorites phrases ever is "mix is good". Which is a way of thinking I have embraced here in Barcelona. As I mentioned earlier on my first post, Barcelona has a lot of nationalities and different people from all walks of life. For some of the locals, it might be a strain.. but now, it has become a fact that everyone has to live with. I didn't put much thought to it for a long time, until I decided to get to know more about all the other nationalities living here. Since then, I've made many great friends, learned about different customs and languages, and even had a change to visit some friends in their countries.
One of the more unfortunate aspects of having so many nationalities coming in, is that constantly a lot of also leave. Barcelona is not an easy place to find work, a great place to play and study Spanish for example. So long term prospects of living here, can be difficult. It's something we have gotten used to, saying bye bye is something that happens every day here.
I feel a lot of Spanish are not very connected with some of the expat community here. Some of it, is very closely connected without much outside influence from other nationalities. At least, that's how it seems to be. For westerners who come to play, it's different with a lot of people making Spanish friends.
For me, it started with a casual conversation on the street. I was surprised that a Chinese man, could speak so good Spanish. After talking for a wild, I could understand that it was not easy for them and that they have fought hard to stay in the country. I really respect that, and people like that should deserve to stay in the country.
So a casual talk on the road, became a invitation to eat dinner with a Chinese family living in El Prat, Barelona. I was delightened how warm everyone was, and how welcomed I was. These people seemed like something completely different than I had expected. We became friends, and still enjoy together.. exchanging culture and ideas. You could say, that our relationship is blooming.
A few years passed, and I was invited to visit China! I did not hesitate to come along, and I decided to go with them to visit their families back home in the capital city of Beijing. That really changed my outlook on the Chinese for good. And realised how happy, open and nice people they are. You just need to know someone and cross the language barrier. But isn't it same everywhere? Well, Chinese hospitality was perhaps the best I have ever received.
For a complete two weeks, every day we did the most amazing things. Of course we visited the great wall of China and went to see the resting place of Mao Zedong. We went to see an amazing acrobatic show, which I will never forget. It really taught me, about the dedication of the Chinese people. I am sure that they are not being payed that much, and they do three shows every night! Still they fight hard, and when they come to foreign countries.. as is the case with my friends in Barcelona, they have not come to escape that way of living. But to venture out, just so that they can use that same tremendous dedication to survive and do things well in another country. The only problem is, that some locals don't always see it positively, when someone is doing better than them.. especially if they are foreigners. But China is not like that, anyone is welcome to come and try.. indeed, there were some foreign acrobats on stage too, and I can only try and imagine the fight they had to be on stage with some of the best in the world. If you are in Beijing, I highly recommend the acrobatic show at Chaoyang Theatre. It's simply mindblowing is all I can say! :)
But beyond all the show life, what left me the most long lasting memories were the people. Always smiling, always wanting to talk with you and interested in you. And in a very sincere way. They smile, because they want to be together and I think Spanish have a lot to learn from that.
I also did a quick, two day trip to Shanghai. Just to see the contrast between the capital city. I was no longer with my good friends, so I realized that I needed someone to show me a thrilling experience in the city. And btw. they say that there are a lot of businesses that you cannot trust on, that the Chinese have a lot to learn about "transparent business". And I have to say, that I did not find anything different from Spain, in fact.. given that how the Chinese have less money and are more in need of it, I don't see corruption any more or less rampant in there. You can go a long way, just by feeling people and learning to trust them little by little. Of course, you need some luck to, which is why I am very happy to have found the amazing guys at Show Shanghai which were satisfactory, every step of the way. Days, I was walking around by myself and for the night life, we went out and had the most amazing time. Shina was not that about culture for me, it was to see to what extremes modern convenience had landed to the country. Shanghai is one of the best places to see that in China, with spectacular buildings, restaurants and other nightlife venues all over the place.
All in all my trip was very rewarding, and soon enough I was back in Barcelona. Telling everyone how great people the Chinese were. Now I understand, that I can go up to them anytime in the street and they will be smiling at me.. happy, when someone understands them. Just need to go beyound the outer shell to see the good things in people.
So, I do conclude this post with a "mix is good!". Thanks to the mix I could have such an amazing experience, which continues to this day.. till next time! :)
Yours sincerely,
Erwin Rubio Vargas
PS. See you in Barcelona!