Source: chinatoday.com.cn

04-22-2008 19:07

By DAI CHANGLAN, reporter for China Youth Daily

(chinatoday.com.cn Oct. 2001)

I originally made an appointment for an interview with John, a Spanish student at Tibet University, but when I arrived at his dormitory at the agreed time, the only person there was his classmate, Ruben Varela. Since John had urgent business I had to change my plans and make Ruben, who never dreamt he would ever be buttonholed by a reporter, especially in Tibet, the subject of the interview.

Ruben, 29, is from New York. After graduating from college, he worked for a government aid agency. For him, these were "very comfortable" days. New York City is known in the United States for its large numbers of Chinese inhabitants. As a child, Ruben was scared of these "odd-looking" easterners, and thought that he and they came from two different planets, until he entered middle school, and became close friends with a Chinese boy. "He was often bullied by other schoolboys, and I would always come to his rescue," recalled Ruben. From that time onwards he felt an affinity with China, and in 1998 he flew across the Pacific Ocean to Hong Kong.

Ruben finds it difficult to explain why he left the U.S. for China so precipitately. "My boss tried to get me to change my mind by promising me a promotion and raise in salary. He told me that China was backward and poor, and that the people there were deprived of personal freedom. My mom wept at the thought of my being so far from home. She had no idea about China at all, and was afraid that I might never return home. But my life now could not be any better," Ruben declared, contentedly. "China is utterly fascinating, especially Tibet. I love Lhasa."

When in Hong Kong, Ruben started a refrigerator magnet business with his Chinese friend. Also having sculpting skills, Ruben found no difficulty in making a living there. He made trips to many cities on the mainland, including Shanghai, Nanjing, Xi'an, Jinan, and Hangzhou. "Never go to Wuhan in summer, it is sweltering," said Ruben with a grimace, fanning himself with his hand.

In September 1999 Ruben moved to Beijing, but found that metropolises such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, where people are hell-bent on their relentless pursuit of money, are not to his liking." I saw similarly money-grubbing types in the United States, so I think people in big cities such as these suffer from the same syndrome," was his comment. In October 2000 Ruben arrived in Lhasa, his idea of heaven. He was ecstatic at the sight of the Potala Palace atop the Red Mountain, the Jokhang Temple shrouded in sandalwood smoke, and the bustling Barkor Street. "This is what I want," Ruben concluded.

Ruben is studying Chinese at Tibet University and greatly admires the Canadian D.J. of CCTV4. "It would be great if I could speak Chinese as well as he does," he said, longingly.