Culture is not just a matter of language; it involves the intellect, emotions, and—to me the most important of all—our senses. It is our instinctive responses that invariably reveal our cultural affiliations. Language is one obvious indicator; few people would shout out sudden pain and pleasure in a second language. But there are clear non-linguistic indicators as well, one of the most important being our preferences for food, particularly when feel unwell. All these can perhaps be summed up as “gut feelings”. Since these are responses uncamouflaged by our own or other people's, manipulation and wishful thinking, they are very reliable.
My two worlds not only sounded different, but also had different smells, textures and each moved to different rhythm. I was intrigued by the tangibility of that difference. It was like looking at two paintings, one a traditional Chinese landscapes, the other an impressionist work. Only I wasn't just looking at them, I was living in a both of them simultaneously.