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Q: Is your home country frozen in time?
I rarely do so, but today I had a quick look at Facebook using my VPN. I looked at what my old friends and acquaintances have become, some of them I did not see for many years.
As I scrolled through my wall/newsfeed and photos, the more I felt that things have no changed so much back home. The topics people talk about are roughly the same as when I left, most of them don't seem to have a life that much different from before.
You know what I mean, many of us here in China have experienced so much, we went through so many things and in most cases our life is very different from what it was when we left out home country.
I have been here for 8 years, but I feel that back home only 1 year has passed.
I though so, until I came back, it really felt 6 years passed by ^^
Back home (France)
* a strong decentralization movement is going on since several years now : more and more responsibilities are delegated to local authorities (towns and regions). We can see the first effects of that policy. Obviously, some town/provinces play the game better than the other. My home province happen to do really well, and it shows. The capital city was barely waking-up from decades of slumber when I left. Now, it's attracting workers and tourists like a magnet, plenty of infrastructure upgrades.
* home for rents, nope... it seems nobody rent homes anymore, because people buy those or they can't even rent a home so they live in apartment.
* working culture suck even more, it seems. Understaffed, overworked everywhere.
* kids are now fully the head stuck in their phone. It wasn't as bad as that when I left.
* public administration is underfunded and it shows
* law & administration is on its way to be simplified. There's a long way to go, but it's going on and I feel the change.
* concern for ecology accompanied by genuine efforts is visible : I see less littering, I see more investment made to conserve natural areas while making them accessible, sorting of rubbish is more pervasive. Solar panels/boilers on roofs are not rare anymore, I would say 5% household got those.
* people pick their dog poop in poop bag. France without dog shit on the pavement, we can do it !!!
I though so, until I came back, it really felt 6 years passed by ^^
Back home (France)
* a strong decentralization movement is going on since several years now : more and more responsibilities are delegated to local authorities (towns and regions). We can see the first effects of that policy. Obviously, some town/provinces play the game better than the other. My home province happen to do really well, and it shows. The capital city was barely waking-up from decades of slumber when I left. Now, it's attracting workers and tourists like a magnet, plenty of infrastructure upgrades.
* home for rents, nope... it seems nobody rent homes anymore, because people buy those or they can't even rent a home so they live in apartment.
* working culture suck even more, it seems. Understaffed, overworked everywhere.
* kids are now fully the head stuck in their phone. It wasn't as bad as that when I left.
* public administration is underfunded and it shows
* law & administration is on its way to be simplified. There's a long way to go, but it's going on and I feel the change.
* concern for ecology accompanied by genuine efforts is visible : I see less littering, I see more investment made to conserve natural areas while making them accessible, sorting of rubbish is more pervasive. Solar panels/boilers on roofs are not rare anymore, I would say 5% household got those.
* people pick their dog poop in poop bag. France without dog shit on the pavement, we can do it !!!
Well... I think it's simply because of the nature of social media... people upload/update the events/happy events that truly matter like birthdays and weddings... human still get excited about the same stuff that they did hundreds of years ago.
If you visit physically.. you would notice hell a lot of change as Dr M said.
Not sure about country, but my city had changed a fair bit over the years... well, at least the CBD. And quite a few more new (major) roads. And more land turned into housing and the like.
A couple of months ago, I did a trip from the airport down to my university... I took 2 days to do it (well, flight arrived about 5pm...). All of that was pretty similar to more than 20 years ago.. farms, small town atmosphere (clear clean blue skies 
). On my return, I stopped for a couple of nights at a mid-city coastal town (Coffs Harbour). Again, pretty much the same.. though looks more modern.
However... on driving back up to my home town (Bris-vegas), I firstly went through Byron Bay... and OMG has it changed!!! tourists tourists and tourists.... and all the shopping and other crap to go with it! I couldn't park (and, even if I did find a spot, the charge was high!)
After my brief visit through there, I continued on my way, and again, back to the sleepy towns (though, with wifi, more international choices in food & bev, newer cafes, etc).
I chose to go via the Gold Coast, and moysied my way up along the coast road, and into the heart of the GC... The outskirts (Burleigh, Currumbin, etc,) haven't changed too much - although the roads are now highways! But the heart ofthe GC - Surfers Paradise... Oh crap! Again, tourists everywhere, more new apartment blocks, new malls, etc etc...
What I'm saying is... some places change quick... and others fairly slowly... It probably all depends on demographics and economics.
I believe my country is going back in time...... to hell with stagnant/frozen. Boom and Bust
all downhill from here on in .... not usually a pessimist, but glad I am in China right now.
I left my home town after it was destroyed by an earthquake. I'm sure it's changed a lot since the rebuild. I'm sure I wouldn't recognise the place.
laowaigentleman:
You are from Christchurch?
You've gotten around the place a lot. There's a bit of a bubble down there with all of the rebuild workers desperate for accommodation, but it still isn't as bad as the speculating boomers in Auckland. The values are appreciating at a rate of $1,000nz a day. Good for chinless wonders like Mr Key.
Shining_brow:
The CBD is of course quite different.
And I've been told that all those outer-city supermarkets and malls are a new addition.
You may not recognise it, but it's still quite a nice city....
Oh, and the constant roadworks everywhere..... they keep getting tremors, and so the roads keep having to be re-done.. I've been to CHCH 3 times in the last couple of years, and the same damn roads are still under repair!!!
And, yeah, housing costs are ridiculous!!!!
They're getting the internationals coming back now... tourists and students.
I got some crap photos from the drive up to the hills "Sign of the Kiwi" (still not repaired) area - if you want to see how it looks now. The cliffs around Sumner are also off-limits.
My local town is a university town...Since I graduated 8 years ago, they have gone upscale, increased tuition by a factor of 4, and all the students have import cars and NY state plates. No more local people. Rents are through the roof, and even more brick and ivy.
I check Facebook like once every few years. The only differences I notice are people getting older and having more kids. It does seem like nothing really new is happening in their lives and many of them probably think I am in some kind of exotic land, solving the mysteries of life or something.
To be honest, I am glad I got out of the grind when I did to come to China. To be trapped in housing payments with kids and stuff... going on those family friendly... tourists trips... no thanks! Since I came to China, I have traveled A LOT more than I have when I was back home.
Plus China gave me the time to explore my creative talents while not having to live like some sort of starving artist. Sure, I had to sacrifice a lot, but still got my humanity intact.
Of course it's not frozen in time. University undergrad life is different from medical school/working life is different from married with kids life. When I go back home everyone will have moved on to different things. I on the other hand will just have come back from a trip to China and will feel like I'm in the twilight zone or something.
My home city in the UK has changed a lot from when I first left. It looks like massive amounts have been invested in infrastructure. More roads, improved internet and sewers. A lot of new homes are being built. There are a lot more solar panels (lol, because the UK is famous for it's sunshine). I was impressed. The people haven't changed though.
Certainly not. In China I see the daily growth of new stuff made of concrete but no growth in the people. In my home country there may be things that appear to be stuck or even moving backwards, but then it is to give way for the things moving forward.
The same would happen if you left China. It would seem as if your pals in China are stuck in time, whereas you would feel different. Everyone is the same same same... move..different... then same same same. We all feel safe with routine, change your routine, and other people in your old routine seem different. We all just go through life swapping one routine for another.
UK actually going backwards....to the time of Charles Dickens .
Get those kids moving...that chimney isn't going to clean itself you know...what-ho, what-ho.
To the Union Workhouse with you!, you disgusting pleb!
