Eric's Beijing Diary

Had breakfast with my homeless friend this morning. He told me that he can get some kind of signed statement from his embassy, then pay the fine and fly to Singapore. He told me he has a friend there who can help him find a job. The problem, of course, is that this all costs money. This is the problem with folks like this who come to China. They are completely unprepared. They have no job. They are just hoping that something will magically materialize and they will be able to change their visa. Then they run out of time, and they become fugitives from justice.

Another problem is that right now Nigerians have a bad reputation in China. There is a lot of crime, particularly Internet crime, but other kinds also. So when a person from Nigeria begins to tell his story, he is naturally greeted with a good measure of skepticism. Actually, I have known Nigerians who have come to China and done quite well. But they don't just show up. They come to China, learn Chinese, go to school to get some sort of degree in a demand field, and then get very good jobs with international companies. So there is no inherent discrimination against Nigerians. But a Nigerian who is basically a drifter without legal authorization to be in the country, is likely to be regarded as criminal, or at least suspect, even if such is not the case.

The Foreign Office put on a nice Christmas dinner for us again this year. They always do a nice job of it. One of the Japanese teachers came up to me and patted my stomach, "Oki desu ne?" That's what I like. Brutal honesty. This time of the year, it's hard not to have that problem. The food keeps coming and it is all good. And this after a big lunch at noon today put on by the Software College.