The Hugging Revolution

Ahhoy from China 

You know what I have noticed…Chinese people (gross generalization but true to the area I am in and from what I have seen) don’t hug..or kiss or do annoying romantic couply (I know there is no such word but go with me here) things…well not in public anyway. I guess there must be some form of couple activity at home as they do have one child each – well more if they rich.  (Yes, just as in the western world, the more money you have, the more um action you can get)…And no matter how your parents tried to convince you otherwise, babies are not brought by singing bees and dancing birds. But in the streets, at restaurants, on the bus…nothing.  Most of us back home hug and kiss friends hello, and we have no qualms in general about PDA (public displays of affection) with our friends, with our kids, with our boyfriends, girlfriends, friend’s wife…  Hell, I am sure there are couples having activities in buses all around the world. But in Chengdu china…nothing. (Ok I am glad no one is doing the nasty in buses, I have enough bodily function mishaps, with the peeing and spitting in the street, to worry about.  

Anyway, back to the hugging. I find it incredibly sad. That on the outside, everyone is so unaffectionate and almost robotic.  Perhaps I am just projecting because the last proper hug I gave someone was the day I flew off to China (hello Nicky) and that was six months ago. Perhaps I need to hang out at more foreign bars, although they all tend to grope rather than hug. Or I can start a hugging revolution in China. Start teaching the Chinese to rebel against social niceties and “hug” (or whatever) everywhere…in the store, in schools (I mean they do spend 90% of their time there anyway, poor guys), at grannies house, at parliamentary meetings (oh wait, they don’t have a parliament…), going up and “hugging” total strangers and telling them to pay it forward….I could sell T-shirts that's say “Mother Hugger” and “What the hug!”… I suppose if I throw in some free LCD we right back in the 60’s and Buddha knows, the 60’s haven’t happened here yet! 

But, Yesterday as I walked the damp street home from gym and passed a lady lifting a toddler off the ground so she could pee in the middle of the pavement (now we know why the streets are damp), and the Nai Nai (granny) behind me spat a big throaty one…I realised, I wouldn’t want to be hugging anyone here either and what I really desperately need is a weekend at home hugging all of you (And I mean hugging, not “hugging”) 

Wo Ai Nimen (I love all of you) 
Nix