I returned yesterday evening from an exhausting trip to the "special administrative regions" (so special they have their own currency and border guards) of Hong Kong and Macau, sites of the annual Fulbright China Research Forum. The event brings together junior and senior scholars from both Taiwan and the mainland for four and a half days of meetings, briefings, meals, mingling, and a little sightseeing thrown in at the end. Above is the view from the Shatin Hyatt where we stayed in Hong Kong. I would have stared at that view all day if I could but our days in HK were scheduled from 8am to 9:30pm; there wasn't time to do much but take indulgently long showers in the high-tech, high-pressure facilities (this was the #1 topic of conversation at breakfast on day 2 - I'm far from the only one who misses such things).Our hotel in Macau wasn't nearly as nice but it did share at least one characteristic with the HK Hyatt: the large glass viewing window connecting the bathroom and the main room. No one had any idea why the people of the "special regions" are so apparently obsessed with watching each other bathe (and why put one in a room with twin beds?), but we were relieved to find that those of us who preferred privacy could lower window shades that also doubled as excellent shadow puppet screens after long days of conference presentations.
Our two days in Hong Kong went by in a blur of dinners, theme groups, and mutual introductions with the more than 80 other participants. During tea breaks I found myself drifting away from the group more than once to seek a moment of peace or enjoy the art collection at our host university:
These images of skinned animals wearing their own pelts are from a series called Fursion Show by Cheung Wai Man.
On our last night in the big city we were herded onto buses and driven up the vertiginous Pike's Peak for a reception at the residence of the United States Consul-General. Unable to figure out exactly what a Consul-General a colleague and I decided the institution must exist to host groups like ours, ensuring the bright young things of today are inculcated with the greatness of the American nation and the hope it places in them to do great things tomorrow.
I can't speak for the kids but it sure worked on me.
It wasn't until our second day in Macau that we were released from the lecture halls and conference rooms to do some sightseeing (though we were reminded to use this as an opportunity to meet more people and make connections).
Ladies and gentleman, these are the faces of U.S.-China relations of the future.
They may look like kids (typically about 70-80% of Fulbrighters are recent graduates) but most every single one has already done impressive, even inspiring, work here. Had I not just gone on an energizing vacation only a week before I might feel rather old and unimpressive by comparison.
As it was, I just felt old. I had a nasty cold and fever just a day before I left for the forum and between travel stresses (snow in Beijing kept us on the tarmac for 3 1/2 hours and forced me and a few travel companions to rush through the border at Shenzhen and skip a few meals) and poor, insufficient sleep, I didn't fully recover until I got back to Beijing. I didn't go out even one of the four nights of the conference, but stayed in my room re-reading Lord of the Rings and feeling sorry for myself and my congested sinuses.
Still, it was pretty cute to listen to the stories at breakfast and I don't want to complain too much: I learned fascinating things, met interesting people, and saw some wonderful places. It's just that I'm accustomed to having fairly robust health and endless energy for exploration. It is difficult for me to acknowledge that the stresses and anxieties of living in a dirty, crowded place and doing ambitious, challenging, and frankly terrifying work are really having an effect on me. There's nothing to do but take good care of myself these next few months while at the same time forcing myself forward to engage the many obstacles ahead. Ready. Set. Go!
(More Macau pictures to come...)
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