The Ultimate Winner

I joined a friend for dinner with her family.  A family friend of theirs also came with his family -- his mother-in-law, his wife, and their baby.

Of the crowd, the only person I knew was my friend.  It was a little awkward, but you always learn something meeting new people.  Plus, it could be another way for me to know my friend better.  So, why not?

I was sitting right next to this family friend.  He is a Chinese man in his 30s.  Average height, medium build, nothing distinctive.  The only notable thing was that he was extremely quiet.  To be polite, I thought I would introduce myself and have a little conversation.

At first, he did not seem interested in conversing.  He gave me the impression that he was so beyond engaging in mundane small talks with a stranger like me.  However, as I asked about how he came to the US, he opened up to tell me his story.

"I am a movie director.  I made a lot of popular movies and am quite famous in China." he proudly declared.  

I apologized for my ignorance.  Honestly, I have never heard of him or his movies.  But what do I know?  I seldom seek to watch mainland Chinese movies.

"In China, I had a big house and nice cars.  I could afford everything my family wants.  We lived a great life.  Nothing was lacking."  He stared into the distant space.

"We have everything we want in China.  The newest, the fanciest, highest tech products, . . . you name it.  We have it all in abundance.  I didn't understand why people keep talking about the US.  I have seen the country in photos and movies.  Compared to China, it is so old and backwards.  I don't even know why people call it a world superpower.  So, between projects, when I had an opening in my schedule in 2019, I decided to take a little vacation here to find out for myself.  

I traveled to NY, LA, LV and other famous cities.  I was not impressed at all.  It was nothing compared to what we have in China.  Some places are so run down that it is embarrassing to see.  Just as I was about to return home, COVID hit, and we were stuck.  

The trip that was supposed to be just a couple weeks turned into a stay of months on end.  Everything was shut down.  We could not go anywhere.  We had no idea when we could go home.  We switched from being in tourist mode to live-in mode.  We got to experience what life in America means.  I listened to the radio, watched TV, and read the paper like an American.  It was a shocker to me how civilians were allowed to criticize the government, the officials. and even the leaders at the very top.  For my entire life, I had never done that.  In our system, that is a big no-no.  You just keep your head down, get your education, do a good job and build a life for yourself.  As a citizen, do not question anything.  Just take advantage of the economic opportunities, enrich yourself and be quiet. 

The American way is so refreshing to me.  It is astonishing that everybody can have a voice.  You can say whatever you want without having to worry about potential repercussions.  

In addition, during our stay, we started making friends.  These are not people I normally would mingle with.  They are not powerful, and they are not rich.  Yet, they are nice, friendly and kind.  They had no idea what I do.  They did not know how much money I had.  They did not come to me to ask for a job, help, or money.  They did not want or need anything from me.  They became friends with me just because I was here.  I am really not used to that.

In addition, being here, I got access to books, movies and other material that I never knew existed.  The world is actually a bigger place than I thought.  

Very quickly, I noticed how much more relaxed and happier I have become.  I can let my guards down.  I really enjoy this new freedom that I never experienced before.  Life is so much simpler here.  This is what my money cannot buy.

I looked at my baby boy and asked myself if I want to take him back to our big house in China where such freedom does not exist.  He will need to learn to keep his thoughts to himself so he does not get in trouble by saying the wrong things . . .  That was when I decided to stay here with my family.  Because of my profession, I qualify as a high-skilled individual in a specialized field for naturalization.  It took very little time for us to get our green cards.  Now, we are all naturalized American citizens."

As he was saying this, I saw the first smile on his face in the entire evening.

"So, are you still making action movies?  Are we going to see any of your new work soon?" I asked.

"Nah, I am done with that commercial stuff.  I am now more interested in exploring the meaning of life.  I am working on a human story that is along that line . . . "  He sounded like an enlightened sage.

"Here?  Or back in China?  Can you still go back to China?" I asked.

"Of course I can," he said with pride.  "I am not a dissident.  I am not a refugee.  I did not betray my country.  I applied legally to become an American citizen.  I have broken no laws.  I can travel freely between the two countries and worldwide.  I work wherever I want.  I have the best of both worlds," the sage said with a smirk.

From disdain to admiration.  He must be really proud of being the ultimate winner between the competing world superpowers.