Harald Obereder
AUSTRIAN Harald Obereder has come to terms with a number of changes in his life two years after arriving in Shenzhen, but there is one thing he is reluctant to compromise on: finding a safe place outdoors to be alone.
Head of research and development of an Austrian electronics company in Shenzhen, Obereder says spending some “lonely hours” all by himself helps him “come down” and think about himself.
His desire for solitude was so strong that he once left his home village in northern Austria to join a pilgrimage from France to a town in Spain, without the company of either family or friends. “You ate, slept and talked when you wanted to,” he said. “And you didn’t have to take care of anyone else.”
Obereder, 28, describes his village as a place where “you hear nothing when you open the window.” Needless to say, Shenzhen is a totally different place. “There are always people around you and they are always in a hurry.”
And it seems the desire to seek “me-time” is shared by few in Shenzhen.
At Dameisha beach, which is usually crowded, Obereder was thrilled one day to find a secluded beach not far from the main beach. It was deserted. He quickly moved there and congratulated himself for finally “making it.”
It proved to be a hasty conclusion. He had barely started to enjoy the sweetness of peace when he found himself again surrounded by crowds of people. “I later realized that people here like to huddle together. They won’t venture to a place alone, but once some one takes the lead, others will follow.”
His advice for those who have similar needs to his: Climb Wutong Mountain at night on weekdays, not weekends. “You could encounter no less than 1,000 people when you climb the mountain during weekends even after midnight,” Obereder said.
Renting a tent to spend a night on the beach in Xichong may also prove to be a wise decision. And if you are physically and financially able, sailing off the coast of Thailand can also help satisfy your desire for peace and serenity.
Although he has to search to find a place to be alone, to drive when “80 percent of the drivers don’t know the rules” and to work from 9 a.m. to midnight every day rather than just 40 hours a week, Obereder said he had never regretted coming to Shenzhen. “It’s a learning experience. And I value it very much,” he said.
Eunice Kang