Family Story: Taking unpaid leave and venturing into Zhongguancun

Organizing travels around the world

Liu cannot live without computer. He is online almost all the time and has tens of thousands of friends on his MSN, on which there is a large group of travel buddies. As a professional captain for outdoor sports, Liu, in his days staying in Beijing, needs to continually organize activities, find routes and recruit travelers on the Internet. “On September 10, we are going to Nepal,” he said, and he has taken his medicine and expects that his left leg, which is swollen due to gout, would recover.

In October 2008, I recall being in front of the  Huangguoshu Waterfall. There were thousands of  travel buddies on my MSN friends list. As the group  leader, it was my responsibility to constantly a rrange various activities on the MSN chat forums  and to invite travel buddies to take part.

Because of his irregular life and with no need to take care of a business, Liu now has left his home on the North Fourth Ring Road and rented a house in a community around Badachu Park in Shijingshan District. “My son is now in his second year of college and has his own life, and my wife is quite busy with her work, therefore, I wanted to give them a pleasing environment with each having his or her own room. I will drive my car to visit them on weekends.” explained Liu.

His car is still the Jetta bought ten years ago. When it is driven, the car engine gives out a rumbling sound. Liu said, “Now I am so attached to it and I am hesitant to get a new car.”

Since the reform of public institutions, the job in which Liu worked has become China Earthquake Disaster Prevention Center and is still located on the North Fourth Ring Road. Now it is very difficult to get a job at this institution, even if you have a master’s or doctor’s degree.

“It is lucky that my wife did not leave her position at that time and still stayed in her job.” Liu said, however, that he has no regrets about his choice made twenty years ago.