BOGOTA — His name was Michael, and he was an expat from Newmarket, Ont., working in Bogota, Colombia.He and his Mennonite wife were teachers, and they had a 12-year-old daughter.It was a nice afternoon in Bogota, as we sat in Zone T, having beers — a special street that features bars, restaurants and shops.Something we should have in Calgary.Anyway, Bogota sits at 8,660 feet above sea level, so it never really gets hot. The temperature is always just right.But the air is thinner, and I found myself gasping for oxygen at times. I was told I would get used to it, but I never did.Michael told me that he has worked all over the world, including Beijing, China. A city he and his wife enjoyed, until COVID-19 hit, and hit hard.When the latter did appear, he and his wife had a serious talk. Who would handle it better? Justin Trudeau or Xi Jinping?They decided to stay, and, ended up regretting it. China went nuts, absolutely nuts, he said.The restrictions were Draconion. For example, if a person on your apartment floor had COVID-19, the entire floor went to COVID-19 jail. No exceptions.Then came a job offer his wife thought was too good to turn down. He was against it, but she was for it.So there we were, sharing a beer at Zone T.I asked him what the future held, and he told me straight up, they're going back to Beijing.Why, I said. Why not come back to Canada.First off, he said Bogota was too dangerous, his daughter could not be a teen. It was impossible. She was being robbed of a childhood.Petty crime is rampant in Bogota, thanks to the influx of Venezuelans over the border. Even in the good areas, such as Zone T, bad stuff can happen.OK, fair enough..Reason two was that his daughter preferred Beijing, even to Canada. She did not think much of Trudeau's world.He was also proud of the fact, she spoke and read Mandarin fluently.The other big factor ... there is virtually no crime in Beijing. A young lady can stay out late, dressed in a mini-skirt in China, and walk home safely, without any worries.It's just the way it is, he said.Reason three: Justin Trudeau. They can't stand him or his policies, and they think Canada is going downhill. Plus the crazy real estate prices, a rising cost of living, and, rising crime. It's getting worse.So what's so great about Beijing, despite the low crime rate?For one thing, you don't need a car, he said. That's a big expense savings.The transportation system is exceptional. China now boasts more than 2,800 pairs of bullet trains — trains that can reach a top speed of 350 km/h, connecting 550 cities.Fast trains in Canada? None. Zero. Nada.Next, the cost of living is much, much cheaper. Apartments in Beijing can be cheap or expensive, depending on where you want to live.Then there is the food, something that is tough to match. It too, can be cheap or expensive, depending on your taste.Medical care is also top-notch. If you're a foreigner with permanent resident status you might be able to access government supported public health insurance or seek private coverage. It varies, Michael said. Some hospitals are ultra-modern, some are not.What about the air quality, I ask? Much improved, said Michael, thanks to harsh new rules, brought in by Xi.Beijing is also a major tourist draw, with many things to see and do, including the Great Wall, the Summer Palace, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven.It also boasts 218 museums, with one museum for every 100,000 people in the city, forming the largest museum cluster in the country..All things considered, Beijing beats Canada by a country mile, he said.What about the heavy handed government, which does not tolerate any form of dissent? Need I mention, Tiananmen Square?Michael shrugged it off, said, as long as you don't criticize the government, you are fine.For now, I thought. But what if things change? China seems to be tightening rules to prevent foreign espionage.How far they will go, is anyone's guess, I would wager.Also, anything and everything is being watched. Where you go, what you buy, etc. It is all being tracked on your phone.Michael told me that one expat tried to get on a train, and wasn't able to. His crime? Officials deemed he was buying too much alcohol.It's called social scoring.For example, donating to charity would increase your score, while buying cigarettes would lower it. People can then either be rewarded or punished based on their rating.Despite that, they would still rather live under Xi Jinping, than Justin Trudeau.I didn't ask him about the ethics of such a move.Such as, how can one gloss over the terrible stuff China is doing, with all their espionage, stealing industrial secrets, human rights abuses, blocking journalistic reporting, building up its navy, expanding their nuclear weapons, expanding their space weapons, aligning themselves with Russia and North Korea, harassing Taiwan ... and God knows what else.Had I asked, I'm sure Micheal would have shrugged it off.That's the part, I'm having a hard time with. Personally, I would not be able to sleep at night, knowing I was living under such an iron hand.So what would you do? If you had a young family, would you toss your morality aside and move to Beijing?The world is changing, folks. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if more of this happens — people leaving Canada for greener pastures.Even if it's heavily communist.
