Maria Gómez Umaña's art: China

Jose and I spent a year in China and a year in Japan. I am still digesting the experience, but the luxury of time during the quarantine has enabled the Asian dust to settle down. Now I can write about it. I owe it to myself, and to my friends.

We flew to Shanghai in August 2017. Often during the weekends, we would go for hikes to small villages and forests using Meetups, as well as WeChat, the most popular application in China. It is a government screened app that combines Facebook, WhatsApp, Zoom and bike-lending applications such as Mobike and Ofo. It enables you to pay at restaurants, taxis, museums, etc., and you can transfer funds to friends which is very handy. It has a built-in translator, thank goodness! However, it is unmistakably a means of social control, as people are graded according to political tendencies. China is beginning to reward good behaviour giving bonuses and facilitating access to credit. Despite all of its flaws, WeChat was one of the things I missed about China.

My favourite part of China were the wet-markets, where the depth of culture is palpable. I never saw pangolins or bats for sale, but I did see other assorted critters Chinese have learned how to cook and enjoy. In our shopping routines, we mostly went for live shrimp and different types of fish. We were fascinated by their many ways of processing eggs and did try them all, and the incredibly diverse vegetables and fruit they produce. We would always go to the same sales ladies, and they gifted us with wide smiles and often a small tribute to encourage our return. The wet-market of our neighbourhood suffered from the opening of a modern supermarket, with the excess packaging and products modern people love. Before our departure from Shanghai there was a brick wall in front of the entrance, ending the business.

I found Chinese people are a lot like durians, which are large fruits that grow in Asia. Dry and spiky on the surface, but fleshy, rich and waxy inside. Somewhat like a jackfruit, but different. It takes time to get used to the foul smell, but as other acquired tastes you cannot stop loving it. The Chinese people I met were rough on the outside, but once you are allowed in their homes they are generous and open, and even willing to share their deep historical roots with illiterate foreigners like me. I am humbled and grateful with them. Thank you Bing Bing, Vera and Li.