Inception

Time, location, people... all could be deceiving. 

After having lived for 7 years in Europe, I finally came back to China, to Beijing. In this city, I was born, I have spent my childhood, primary school and middle school. In this city, I have met the first true love in my life, I have got the first job. It was also the city that I tried to get as far away as possible when I reached 18 years old. 
Now, I finally came back. It's been one year and half now, but it seems several years already. Am I getting too old and lost my memories? 

I guess Beijing is one of the cities that change at the highest pace in the world. During 7 years' in Europe, I came back home only twice. Each time was like a new exploration. Remember that the first time I came back home, after 3 years without seeing my family, I could not even find my home any more. New routes, new buildings, new bridges... Since when Beijing has became such a mega city!!

But today, I suddenly had a feeling that I had never left Beijing and Beijing had not changed at all. When I walked on the street after work, the lights, the cars, the buildings, the people, the air, the noise, I feel so familiar, everything around me is just a structure, a framework. I am still myself, the same person as when I was 18 years old. Maybe with a few winkles on my face, but nothing else has changed. Like the smell of Beijing in Spring, it's never changed.

Strangely, a few minutes later, I felt that I was in Paris again, just with different decorations and different color of people. But you are still there, se balader with me, holding my hands and making me laugh. We walked back home from UGC in La Defense to Puteaux. How strange is that? 


Maybe everything was just a dream, like the Inception, someone designed an atmosphere a decoration, a scenario for me. One day, I may wake up and see the reality, or maybe I'll be inserted into another dreamland?