Daily life here in Chengdu is fast paced. Pedestrians, taxis, cars and buses all rush to get from one destination to the next. From the early morning to around midnight, people are always seem to be on a mission. The only time that I have seen people completely relaxed was at the People's Park where the elderly come together for martial arts, sword fighting, yoga, dancing and singing. We were told that once you retire in China, it is hard for the elderly to go from a structured, hard working life to a slow paced, relaxing environment. I have also noticed that it is hard for the average individual to make ends meet finacially. In order to succeed here you must obtain a degree at a university. As the market for jobs become more competitive, getting into a university is becoming even more challenging than in the US, but the quality of education is not as great.
Although it seems that the daily life of waking up, working, eating and sleeping seem similar to our own, the structure of life and working to the point of mere exhaustion is quite a wake up call. It seems that most people here in the city only have the basic essentials that they need, but don't take for granted what they have. Each and every day, most people seem more content with their lives. Instead of wanting more and more material wealth, family values and looking out for one other is more important.