As I boarded the bus to Kaifeng looking a bit uncertain as to whether a) this was the right bus – everything was in Chinese - and b) seats were allocated, I was assisted by a Chinese man who spoke very good English.
His original home was Kaifeng he told me but he is now a New Zealand citizen living in Auckland.
His manner though helpful was despondent. He'd had a lot of his belongings stolen when he arrived at Beijing airport he said. What a welcome back.
Reason enough for despondency I thought but then he added more.
He is a mental health worker. Having known in passing several people working in mental health, I know this is either a natural attribute or a commonly acquired one.
To these two reasons he added another. Like many migrants he had had a much more senior position in China and his job in Auckland was less than he had hoped.
But then he added a final one – his name.
As he explained, when commencing life in New Zealand he'd decided to change his name to one which would be easier for the locals to pronounce.
He'd chosen one which had associations of determination, strength, bravery and stature but, he said, perhaps he had chosen unwisely.
Yes I thought. Big error. To most New Zealanders Napoleon would be on the other side [or a pig]
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