THE LENS OF DISTANCE

I sometimes think of England and my village from this distance and wonder how I feel about it. What will I think when I return? I feel a sense of apprehension as there are some things I don't miss: chief among these is the difference in personal interaction I experienced. Customs are so different here and I'm just beginning to get used to them. I sometimes feel I've developed a steadily widening social circle among colleagues, students and Chinese professionals: but it can be easy to deceive yourself that many of these are deep friendships. Often they can be superficial and change at the drop of a hat. Things won't be clear yet for some time as I get to know the people and customs better.