You know, I'm an old sentimental old man. I was born in the year Mao declared the PRC. I experienced poor China in the 1950s and saw terrible misery. I later returned to China twice more and each time I didn't recognize it anymore. So I always had my fingers crossed for China during the years of friendship, when I performed several times in elementary school with a story about China, during the years of discord (the Russians ordered us to do so) after many years I was able to come for a business meeting and the last time was 12 years ago. Each time I didn't recognize China. Then the years of worse relations came again.
You know, I know that this verse of an older song is terrible kitsch. But it brought tears to my eyes. Maybe this evening I'll find some old photos and my mother's diary from those years..
Excuse me, maybe I'm repeating myself.