Atfirst,Iassumedsuchlifestylescouldonlyexistincapitalistcountriesbecausetheirwealthmadethingssoeasyandcomfortable.
AftertravelingtoawiderrangeofWesterncountries,Ieventuallyrealizedthatthephenomenonshouldalsobeattributedtodifferenteatinganddrinkingculturesaswellasvariedattitudesdependingongeography.
ItseemedtomethatWesternersdrinkcoffeeandbeer,whileChinesepreferteaandliquor:theformerpairpromotesacasuallife,whilethelattertwoareusedtorelaxafterhardwork.
Sinceancienttimes,Chinesepeoplehaveadvocatedalifestyleofdiligenceandthrift.Theyhabituallysavetheirearningsinabankandthinkaboutthenextgeneration.Westerners,however,aren’tasconcernedaboutthefutureandtendtospendasmuchastheymake.
MostChinesecitizensstillleaddiligent,thriftylives.Atmyageof75,Ihavemanyliteraryfriends,battlecompanions,schoolmates,andbusinesspartnerswhostillworkandcan’timagineretirement.InChina,wewouldconsideryoungmenidlydrinkingbeerandsippingteaduringthedaytobelazy.
Inthe1960s,IservedinthearmyinNanjing,JiangsuProvince,whereIsavedmymonthlysixyuansubsidyinthebank.Yearslater,whenIboughtahouse,Isighedwithemotionuponseeingtheendlesslistoftinydeposits.
Lastyear,aftertheHannoverfairinGermany,IdidsometravelinginShkoder,Albania.It’sarelativelysmallcitywithapopulationof80,000,andneatandbeautifulstructureswithwhitewallsandredtilesscatteredacrossagreenblanketofplainsandlushtrees.
Thestreetsarelinedwithshopsandstores,infrontofwhicharetables,wherepeopleenjoycoffeeandbeerinthesunlight.
OurguidewasayoungladyfromSerbia,whostudiedMandarinChineseinShanghai.“Don’ttheyworkduringtheday?”Iasked.Shereplied,“Peoplemightspendacoupleofhourshereforjustonecupofcoffee.It’spartofourworkculture.”
Aswewerehangingaround,shepointedatlinesinEnglishonthebackofapasserby’sT-shirt:“See?‘Live!Live!Live!Thereisnolifeaftermarriage.’”Istilldidn’tgethowthisbehaviorcouldbeaccept-able.“Whopaysthesepeople?”Isnapped.“You!”sherebutted,andIwassilenced.
“Everyyear,wewelcomeover3milliontouristsfromeverycorneroftheworld,”sheillustrated.“Tourismhasbroughtaninjectionoffundsthathastremendouslyboostedthelocaleconomy.Whyshouldwestilltoilawayforlonghourseverydayinsteadofenjoyingsomeleisuretime?”
Onthetrip,IvisitedatotalofsixeasternEuropeancountriesthatwereoncepartofYugoslavia,butarenowindependentfollowingmanyyearsofwarlatelastcentury.Ithasbeenthenew-foundinboundforeigntourismthathasbroughtfreedomandhappinesstotheresidents.
ChuJiwangispresidentandfounderoftheNingboRuyiJointStockCo.,Ltd.,amajorChineselogisticsequipmentmanufacturer.Morethanjustanentrepreneur,ChuisarecipientoftheChinaCharityAward,thetopphilanthropichonorinthecountry.Ineachissue,heshareshisbusinessinsightsandinspirationsgainedfromhislifeexperience.