The yearning for a place to call home---故乡才是真正的家

Steven is 45.Despite having lived in Dublin for over 30 years something is still missing forhim to call it ‘home’.

I met Steven on myway to Dublin Airport at the end of a business trip. A cheerful, talkativefellow with a friendly smile, Steven spoke with a strong Irish accent. Hedrinks Guinness, plays Gaelic football, and as a local taxi driver, hasprobably visited every street of the city. But his childhood yearsspent in Swansea makes him feel Welsh.

“I often wonderwhere home is for me, I’d like to think it’s Swansea but I have a life herenow,” he explained to me, as if trying to convince himself. Having left Swanseaas a teenager, he has since lost contact with all his childhood friends, andmost of his family left there too.

His wordssurprised me, as I had assumed cultural similarities and ease of movementacross Europe deemed the concept of home irrelevant. I had thought high techcommunications in our globalized world would have collapsed the 250 milesdistance between Dublin and Swansea to almost none. I had thought that Steven’sCaucasian look would help him fit in, that in Dublin no one would constantlyask him the ‘where are you from’ question.

I was wrong.

But I should nothave been surprised. Despite growing global connectivity, identity is stillcentral to people’s hearts, and the UK’s Brexit vote was perhaps one dramaticconsequence of such emotions.

Looking back at myown life I felt perhaps I share Steven’s dilemma. I was born and grew up inChengdu, in South West China, but after living for eight years in London I havemade many local British friends and learnt to appreciate British humor. EvenLondon’s dark and gloomy rainy weather has seeped into my personality, I quitemiss it on sunny days.

With a reputationas one of the world’s most multicultural cities, London always makes itsresidents feel welcome regardless of their origin. But I also felt a little“something missing”, in Steven’s words.

Meanwhile Chengduhas changed beyond recognition, thanks to China’s unprecedented economic growthand huge infrastructure investment in recent decades. Our flat in Chengdu, inwhat was once a calm residential area, now is at the heart of the citysurrounded by skyscrapers and busy traffic. Crossing those eight lane roadsalone makes me feel scarred in a strange way.

With tens ofmillions of Chinese living overseas today, the Chinese has been the largestoverseas diaspora for over a decade.

“Do feel homehere? Will you stay or return to China?” Those have become standard questionsto initiate a conversation between Chinese people on the streets of London,Paris and New York. A lengthy conversation would flow without exception, andafter sharing their fond memories of China, even strangers quickly becomefriends.

As Chinaincreasingly opens up to the world, more and more Chinese will travel abroad towork, study and live, but China will remain forever a home for them. Andsitting in Steven’s taxi, witnessing his love for Swansea, I realized theheart’s yearning for a place to call home is universally shared.