棉花糖
I believe there is some kind of magic in the air when someone is in mid air, abound another land, anticipative, yet slightly nervous, and you see that in another. It was there and then that I met Mei, a Chinese National from a suburb part of her homeland, bound to Chile for business. 32, Pint sized and smiley, we broke the ice over filling immigration cards. Her in her southern accented and me in my half baked Chinese. She was back in Chile after the CNY holidays, already 1 year mature into her business. Having just taken 5 flights from Shanghai, clocking a total of 35 hours in air, she was tired, and just wanted to touch land.
I was curious. Why Chile, halfway around the world, the only country she has ever been to other than her homeland? Only for a simple practical reason that Chile is not half as strict about work permits as many other countries.
H: 智利好做生意吗？
Mei: 还可以啦。都做了一年但还没看到钱。
At this point we start eating our meal of a sandwich.
Mei: 你在家习惯吃什么的？
H: 饭和面，有时面包之类的
Mei: 我吃西方面包吃得好腻啊。但不吃又饿着肚子...
H: 那你在家是吃什么的？
Mei: 烧菜和饭啊。吃家里最好。
H: 对啊对啊。 (at this point, thinks about the food back home and tells her how unique Singaporean food is)
H: 你不想家吗？
Mei: 当然想啦！我第一次离国时你不知道我有多伤心。我不满七岁的儿子抱着我，哭着 "妈！我恨死你，为什么你要走呢？"
H: 那为什么呢？
Mei: 我丈夫去哪，我就跟。我们只想过好日子啊，赚很多钱实现梦想。
H: 为什么做生意呢？
Mei: 不做生意能做什么呢？在中国不做生意不能赚钱。
She stares out of the tiny square window and suddenly turns to me and say,
Mei: 你不觉得我们能在空中飞行，飞得比云还要高是一件很奇妙的事？
H: 哈哈，对啊。
Mei: 我好想能动这些云朵。好像棉花糖！
H: 哈哈！云朵是水蒸气，冷冷湿湿冰冰的！
Mei: 真的吗？哇！
People. Different people of this world. We meet them to exchange ideas, and sometimes feel so foreign from them. But are we really that different?