When I go back to Guangzhou, I go back for trade shows, to meet other entrepreneurs doing product development, to see whats new, to work on our new bag collection, and  because this was my home for five years and frankly, I just miss really good noodles. 

And it occurred to me that Guangzhou IS San Angeles from Blade Runner. Guangzhou has a past, a present and a future--a city of layers. Beneath its sleek neon exterior, you don't have to go far to find a mishmash of grittiness, opium wars, and the economic miracle of the 90's.

San Angeles

View from my Guangzhou apartment. (By the way, Guangzhou rhymes with 'buffalo'. Or 'status quo'. Or 'torpedo'. Not Guang-zoo. Although sometimes it does feel like a zoo.)

I think of those days when I first arrived in 2011, when parts of the city had not yet come into being. I know the place. But it's barely recognizable from my memory. I know where to go and the right words to say. It’s like watching a projection where the edges are fuzzy. I have this weird feeling like I missed something important. A moment lost in time, an opportunity, or an old friend. Sometimes I wonder if it was just part of my imagination of if it all really happened at all.

I wonder what the next five years will bring for Guangzhou...

In the next post, I'll talk about the Canton Fair, one of the world's largest trade shows which takes place twice-yearly in Guangzhou. 

But first, you should probably find out if you're a replicant. The Voight-Kampff test distinguishes replicants from humans based on their emotional response to questions.