In rural parts of China, it's like stepping back into the era of my grandfather or great-grandfather - not much has changed.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
China itself is now in the process of sloughing off not only the communist system, but also those outdated parts of Confucianism that prevent the rapid acquisition of knowledge needed to adjust to new ways of life and work.
I feel I grew up in a different century than I live in. I think most of them are changes for the good.
We may feel the pain of falling back from a level of affluence to which we have grown accustomed, but most people in developed countries are still, by historical standards, extraordinarily well off.
Even though I'm very Westernized as an individual and very Canadian, I guess I've lost some of my Chinese culture.
I lived in China for 9 years straight. I saw how my Chinese friends benefited and gained much more freedom to determine the course of their lives, their jobs, their creative works, and their identities over the course of a decade. Much of this increased freedom is thanks to economic engagement by the West.
A huge change has taken place in my lifetime.
I have to be grateful to our society here in China, grateful to the economic reforms for letting me get rich, and grateful for the efforts of my staff. If there had been no reforms, I would have been a farmer.
People are becoming more and more aware of how the dominance of development and business is altering their lives and, in particular, their own heritage.
My grandfather went through a lot in his life.
My grandfather was originally from the south of China before he emigrated to Malaysia pre-World War II. And I wanted to learn more about the history of the country of my ancestors. I knew I wanted a narrative set in contemporary Beijing. I was really interested in the effect of the rapid social and economic change on ordinary citizens in China.