Leaving one's home of ten years is a bit of an ordeal. Having to do so at short notice, without much of a plan of what to do next, is even worse. And to do this against a backdrop of increasing government hostility and harassment - what regular Chinese folks are starting to call a "white purge" - and a succession of illnesses, injuries, and mishaps is really very unpleasant. I have been oozing stress out of every pore for the past couple of weeks.
But I have finally finished all of my outstanding bits and pieces of work and taken care of the most important of my leaving chores (bought a flight out, confirmed my first accommodation on arrival, obtained a big wedge of foreign currency, etc.), leaving myself with SIX DAYS CLEAR before I leave. I still have a fair amount of running around to do (buying presents for people, trying to firm up a sub-let on my apartment, having farewell drinks and such), but the pressure is mostly off now. And I find I am looking forward to a change of scene, to getting away - for a while, at least - from the oppressive atmosphere of this crazy, wicked, obtuse country.
I'm feeling quite uncommonly buoyant, actually; positively exhilarated about the imminent prospect of escape.
So, apologies if I've been more than usually grumpy and navel-gazing over the last few weeks. Time, at last, for some happy stuff!
And what is more uplifting than Cream's I Feel Free? I was tempted to embed this famous TV appearance (not sure which show this is; one of the precursors of Top of the Pops in the UK, I suppose), or this montage of stills from Easy Rider, in which the song was featured, but I finally plumped for this - one of the earliest examples of a promo video? - in which the trio caper around the countryside in cassocks. It has something of a Monkees feel to it. Or Python... Or Pete and Dud....
Ah, Pete and Dud. Yes, that reminiscence puts me in mind of this, something else that always makes me feel good - one of the great comedy duo's very finest hours, the climax of their 1967 feature film Bedazzled, featuring the Leaping Order of St Beryl. (The original skit featuring this idea from their BBC TV show Not Only... But Also can be seen here.)
5 comments:
I wonder if after a few weeks break you'll start missing the place. Even if not, you can be glad to say that you saw China first-hand at arguably the best it's ever been for the last 200 years. Both when you first visited and the good times you've had over your long stay there.
What the future holds for it who knows but I read your blog because I can trust your educated guess and that seems to imply that this is the best time to take stock of things and maybe move out (and onwards & upwards.) I expect you're not the only one who's also doing so.
Just enjoy the trampolining nuns!
This wasn't supposed to be The Serious Post About Leaving China. (Perhaps that opening paragraph was a mistake...
To be honest I skipped over the videos, I watch too much YouTube as it is...
Read the comment again when you do leave the serious post!
Outrageous dereliction of duty, Mr Commenter!
Besides, you can't really survive the glumness and earnestness of my accumulated output without these little restorative treats I intersperse among my posts.
The bouncing nuns are a piece of ecstatic silliness, pure joy.
Of course, you really ought to watch the whole film to appreciate the context. (Dudley Moore has sold his soul to Lucifer [Peter Cook] in return for seven 'wishes' - attempts to construct an ideal scenario in which he can get together with the woman he adores [Eleanor Bron] and live happy life with her. Lucifer always exploits an oversight in Dud's description of what he wants. For this, his final try, he thinks he's been very specific, and has avoided all the pitfalls that Lucifer caught him out with previously - Bron being married to someone else, fancying someone else, being easily distracted by the surroundings, etc. This time he's going to get a quiet and secluded environment where she returns his feelings and is not involved with anyone else. Poor chap - he forgot to specify that he should not be a woman... or a nun... in one of the strangest orders in the Church!)
I don't see what's so bad about that predicament but then it is a 60s film. I guess that's why they chose to make a (terrible) remake!
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