As China’s booming economy becomes the locomotive to bring the polluted world out of regression, more and more folks are coming to China chasing their Chinese Dreams. Among them there’s a group of people who were born in China or their ancestors emigrated from China generations ago. These ethnic Chinese returnees are called 海归 (haigui), or 海龟 as a nickname (sea turtle, has same pronunciation as haigui). In fact, haigui is not a new phenomenon. There were five generations of haigui since the late nineteenth century, if Xuanzang doesn’t count. Relying on their advantage of having both good connections inside the country and specialization/experiences gained from abroad, many of them made epic contributions to the nation and achieved huge individual success at the same time. On the list we have big names like Zhan Tianyou (a distinguished rail-road engineer), Mao Yisheng (famous architect), Sun Yat-Sen (first president of the ROC), Qian Xuesen (Chinese father of rocket science and space program, who quizzed American father of rocket science in a POW camp), Zhou Enlai (first and the mostly beloved Prime Minister of PRC by the Chinese people), Deng Xiaoping (reformer who led China to insufficient regulated capitalism open market economy), Jiang Zemin (former President who … hmmm… did a lot to China), Justin Yifu Lin (great political refugee from Taiwan Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of the World Bank), Kai-Fu Lee (founding president of Google China), Li Hongyan (founder of Baidu, Google’s cheap knock-off worst nightmare) and the list goes on and on.
However not every haigui has made immortal achievements after they returned to China. Some were less successful in competing with “local turtles” and became 海带, some had difficulties in adjusting themselves in a rapidly transforming society, and some tragically jumped from a building to free themselves from unbearable occupational stress.
A recent internet viral video composed and performed by two Chinese guys Timothy and 我爱微风 (the video portion made by Reno Studios), who are now living in North America, received a lot attentions from oversea Chinese communities. The music video is based on the writers’ real story of returning to China, with a complexity of excitement and frustration, optimism and disappointment, hope and hopeless. The post in the video creator’s blog has been viewed for 240k times and received almost 2700 comments and the video has been recommended to many Chinese forums. A lot of commenters agree that the video resonated in their hearts with the truth in it. Indeed, the pictures in the video are like a microscopic panorama of Chinese society and readers who want to understand China better can use them to test their knowledge. BTW, you should have already known a lot of them from reading posts here in chinaSMACK.
On Youku:
A revised version on YouTube (revised version):
Netizens in China who are blocked from YouTube by the Great Firewall can use Freedur’s VPN service. Freedur is a sponsoring advertiser on chinaSMACK and provides us with VPN service.
Following is a loose (and rather poor) translation of the lyrics. The 妈呀 (Mother) in the title serves as a pun and can be translated to exclamation of surprise, excitement or frustration.
妈呀，中国
Mother, China
我生在新中国，我长在红旗下
I was born in the new China, I grew up under the red flag
我带过红领巾，我爱国如爱家
I’ve worn the red scarf, I love my country as I love my family
十年寒窗苦，我好不容易进清华
Through ten years of hard studies, I managed to get into Tsinghua
我成绩不算差，可我户口落不下
My grades are not bad, but I can’t get a Beijing hukou
阴差又阳错，我出国象出家
In a strange circumstance, I left the country like a man who left home to become a monk
为了养家糊口，我得赶紧办绿卡
To support my family, I had to quickly get a green card
出国护照难拿，回国却偏要VISA
It was not easy to get a passport to leave the country, and now I need a visa to return to China
入了外国籍，但我做梦都说中国话
Though I have obtained foreign citizenship, in my dreams are in Chinese
我的大中国，我的大华夏
My great China, my great Huaxia [another name for China]
尽管我在外飘泊，总是把你牵挂
Though I am wandering abroad, I always keep you in my heart
我的大中国，我的大华夏
My great China, my great Huaxia
风里雨里同度过，我只认你这个妈
Even through all hardships, I only call you my mother
我曾经爱闯荡，现在却很想家
I once loved going out into the world, but now I very much miss home
爸爸已经去世，家里就剩妈妈
Dad had passed away, and now only my mom is left at home
我很想做海归，怕你嫌我年纪大
I really want to become a haigui, but am afraid you [China] would think me too old [to fit back in]
可是你看那谁，他八十二能娶二十八
But look at that person, he’s 82 and was able to marry a 28-year-old [meaning even old people can adapt]
在国外住得越久，我心里就越放不下
The longer I live abroad, the harder it is for me to put my heart at ease
好不容易请了假，我兴冲冲地飞回家 北京欢迎你
Managing to get a vacation from work, I excitedly flew home, to “Beijing welcomes you!” [to attend the Olympics]
看着立交桥发傻，我迷失在高楼大厦
I was stupefied by the overpasses, I was lost in the skyscrapers [while back]
江河流着黑水，天空下着黄沙 妈呀，这也算是晴天啊
In the rivers flow black water, and yellow dust under the sky, “gosh, this is considered a clear day?”
老同学一见面，感觉亲如一家 哥们，喝酒！
Upon seeing my old schoolmates, it felt like a family reunion, “Brothers, let’s drink!”
可陌生人对我，有时冷眼有时骂 嘿！你长不长眼啊
But with strangers, sometimes it is cold stars and sometimes it is scolding, “Hey! Are you blind?”
车比纽约还多，路比伦敦要大 那当然
There are more cars than New York City, and the roads wider than London, “but of course”
到处奔驰宝马，坐进去那真叫害怕 找死啊你！
Everywhere there are BMWs, but sitting inside is what is true fear, “Do you want to die!”
不管怎么样，是你把我养大
But no matter what, it was you who raised me
即使跑遍了全世界，也忘不了这个家
Even if I have traveled around the entire world, I could not forget this home
只希望你更好，原谅我有时乱说话
And I can only hope for you to become better, and that you’ll forgive me when I speak ill of you
儿女发点牢骚，当妈的根本不用怕
Because when children grumble a little, a mother does not even need to worry
我的大中国，我的大华夏
My great China, my great Huaxia
尽管我在外飘泊，总是把你牵挂
Though I am wandering abroad, I always keep you in my heart
我的大中国，我的大华夏
My great China, my great Huaxia
风里雨里同度过，我只认你这个妈
Even through all hardships, I only call you my mother
风里雨里同度过，我只认你这个妈
Even through all hardships, I only call you my mother
风里雨里同度过，我只认你这个—-妈
Even through all hardships, I only call you my — mother
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