Well that was the plan.
As many of you may know, last summer I made a major decision to relocate to Yunnan where the Linden Center is located. Together with my dear, long-time friend and new single Mom, Isabella, I planned to join the Centre in its noble mission. I have been working with the Centre for the past three years (see Linden Centre section on this website) and knew that Isabella could be a very valuable addition to the Centre and I thought that it would be a clean, healthy, supportive place for her to live and raise her son.
In June we packed up our household goods and shipped 39 boxes and my solar-electric tricycle prototype (website section on the Treecycle) and moved to Xizhou a little village outside Dali with grand expectations.
Very Rude Reception
But the expectations were short-lived. The first three months were a grueling experience that I do not ever want to repeat. I was soon to learn that the cordiality bestowed on guests was sorely lacking when dealing with co-workers. In fact, I haven’t been so mistreated since Basic Training in the Army and the gruesome Ph.D. dehumanizing.
Suffice it to say, my tenure at The Linden Centre turned out not to be at all sustainable. I have ceased to donate my time and effort to this dysfunctional operation. I have recounted many of the gruesome details in an essay “Pathology of a Workplace” where the names of the guilty have been changed to spare them embarrassment and to protect any credibility they might have (you know the old face-saving game).
Not being so attached to outcome and the bigger vision of what could be (not to mention her cultural conditioning to silently endure whatever arises), Isabella continues to endure what ever is thrown at her. And as you know in such a dysfunctional situation rampant with incompetence, it is the capable and responsible that are thanklessly exploited. But she manages and has comfortably settled in our Xizhou house.
Xizhou Courtyard House
After a three-month search and seven moves (receiving virtually no assistance) we decided to rent a part of a courtyard house near the village square. The space was virtually a cement shell needing major renovation, all appliances and furnishings. Nonetheless we agreed to the five years rent in advance agreement (standard here) and began the renovation, which portends to be a never-ending work in progress. The pictures posted here will give you an idea of how far we have gotten. I have consolidated most of my books and magic here (in fact, I was going to donate the ten boxes of books to the Linden Library). Now I am not so sure that was such a good idea.
The house is comfortable enough. Isabella busies herself at the Centre and, with the help of her wonderful Ayi, is happily raising her little son, Roland.
I continue my writing, occasional performing and continue to decorate and troubleshot the renovation. I have also “localized” the treecycle by adding cushions and draping of fabric like what the local horse-carts use.
I am still not over how easily my feelings and concerns were dismissed after three years of donated time and effort. But I know that I need to make the best of my mistake (perhaps the largest to date in China). I am glad that I kept the Shanghai apartment. I was expecting to market Linden through extensive expat and returnee network that I have acquired over the past 12 years there. While that is not now going to happen, I am still expecting to spend considerable time there doing as I have in the past.