The Wandering Monkey

Hey Folks-

It is Sunday in Shanghai.  I'm waiting around a bit.  I'll be going to the outdoor swing dance in a few hours to say goodbye to the folks there.  One way or another, I will be leaving Shanghai within the week.  Either going to Beijing to work with this company, or back to the States if they cannot come up with an acceptable offer.  Things seem positive so far.  I've been (still) waiting for the HR person to come back from Vacation.  Lousy timing, that.  But I've got a chance to meet with some of my Shanghai friends and say goodbye properly.  Not fun business, saying goodbye.  But it's good to see them all.

 

Yesterday I went with my (recent) ex- to the Cirque du Soliel (sp?).  It's playing here in Shanghai.  Good show, really.  Acrobats, clowns, and all sorts of neat things.  A really impressive show.  It's the first one I've ever seen by that company.  I guess they have eight different groups touring the world right now, so good stuff.

 

I must admit I'm feeling a bit of anxiety.  Going to Beijing will be a good opportunity career-wise, but it's not my home.  There's so much history here in Shanghai.  Just last night I went to dinner with my ex-, a friend who recently moved from Beijing, and a friend of his.  Halfway through the dinner, the waiter asked, Are you the guy who teaches swing dancing?  Turns out the waiter had worked at a previous place where we held a party.  It's really neat running into things like that.  About a month ago, I was also out with the ex- at a small games bar (board games and such).  A guy was playing Settlers of Catan, which is a huge game in my group back in the States.  It is the first game set I've ever seen in Shanghai, so I was watching and trying to explain the rules to my girl.

 

About five minutes into it, one of the players said, Maybe you can put on some swing music?  I thought I did not hear him right.  I asked, Why do you know about that?  He said, Oh, you're Jimbo.  You do the swing dancing and also danced the Monkey King on TV.  You're the next big star!

 

Chris hates when stuff like that happens.  She always says, How come they never remember ME?  I love it, personally.  It gives me a sense of continuity.  A sense of accomplishment at pride.  I don't see that sort of thing happening in Beijing.  I'm going to be just another foreigner.

 

But in all honesty, I was never able to turn the name-and-face recognition into something financially feasible.  I suppose if I were a show business minded person, I could have.  I suppose I still have an opportunity or a chance to do so.  But if I go to work in Beijing, that's going to be the end of that, at least for two years.  After such time, who knows?

 

I've been SAYING I'm going to write a book on the Shanghai Swings experience.  People I talk to think it's a good idea, and say it's probably a good sell.  I have been taking notes and writing character interaction charts and plotlines.  I haven't really been doing much WRITING day to day, however.  It's a hard thing to do a writing project.  A very lonely experience, and it takes a lot of time.  Plus, unlike the blog, there's no immediate interraction by people.  They dont send you and email commenting on what's been going on, or even know about it.  With a book you have to wait until it's entirely finished.

 

Still, I like the idea.  It will give me something to show for my time here.

 

My ex- and I had not talked for several weeks.  I broke it off with here while I was in Beijing, and thought it would be a good idea to take some time off from contact.  Besides, I am either moving to Beijing or the US in about a week.  Either way you look at it, there's a big problem.  I suppose she would have considered moving to Beijing with me.  If I had no doubts (or just reasonable doubts) about our relationship, I would have considered that.  As it stands from our conversation yesterday, she seems to understand a lot more about the concerns I have in the relationship.  She's knowing a lot more about my personality and her own, as well.  However, it is a bit of bad timing.  I'm heading out to somewhere very soon.

 

I think in the long term there is still a possibility.  I can't say for sure.  I'm not a young young man, anymore.  I'm not an old-old man, either.  I'm a young middle aged man.  How about that?  I'm not so convinced about the merits of marriage and children, but I have thought about it more recently.  The big 4-0 is coming up in a few years.  I think that before that time would probably be a good idea.  But there's not much time before that, is there?  You can't start and develop a relationship and know what its going to be like without spending at least a year with someone.  And sometimes, that's not enough time, either.

 

I should not worry too much.  These things have a way of working themselves out.  But I want to plan ahead, you know.  I want to make good decisions, and practical decisions, too.

 

Overall, I like China.  I would rather be in Shanghai if I could, but Beijing has most of what I like about Shanghai.  If I must go back to the States, it won't be the worst thing in the world, of course.  Last time I was back I did not exactly have "fun", but it was good seeing the family again.

 

So, that's about it for now.  In two days I will have my answer from the Beijing company, and I'll definitely give a holler about what happens.

 

Peace,

-J