When China Called: Introduction
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When I first started writing When China Called, on September 5th, 2018, I was fueled only by requests of a few individuals to bring back a recollection of as vivid an experience as can be. They wanted me to remember… Possibly because they knew this will be a memory to cherish.
I listened, hoping it'd be to your benefit or leisurely entertainment one day. I eagerly documented my experiences in a small notebook I got as a gift sometime back. The majority of this, may one day be published as, book except for my last day of sightseeing and the following day of departure was drafted during my trip. The accounts of the last two days, not drafted during the trip, are based on short notes I jotted during my stay in China.
I recorded everything I could: where I went, what I saw, how I reacted, what I felt, local norms, and some interesting pieces of information.
I recorded instances of Chinese behavior I ran into that you may encounter too, no matter how short your stay is, that seemed unfamiliar to me. Though admittedly, said behavior will likely only seem unfamiliar to you if you are from a Western audience, as would be my intention. But it is also my hope that English speakers of all backgrounds will find my trip helpful.
In some sense, this book is more of a guide rather than a story: it brings you into the events, it teaches you about the stops, and it lets you know exactly how it felt to be there.
Learning that there are people close to me with interests in learning more about what it felt like to be in China motivated me even more to bring my experience into your hands.
By doing so, I intend not to limit your experience. So, please don’t feel restricted by the specific route I took. It is but a guiding post on the intersection of many possibilities. Find your own journeys, explore the limits of your own imagination, and experience the full extents of your own adventures.
I only provide you this work with but a simple goal: to make it easier for you, and excited travelers like you, by body or soul, to have an easier journey. Here I share my encounters to make yours more enjoyable.
Mohamed Hakim
Original copy - October 23, 2018
