Five years ago I was sent by the Shanghai Foreign Language Institute to study for my doctorate at Moscow University. At that time the Russian economy was still not bad. The markets had every kind of fruit and vegetable and you could still buy beer. But now there is nothing. Sausages are the favorite food of the Russians and shops used to have up to twenty different kinds; now there are only one or two types left. The Soviets themselves all say that sausages are the "economic indicator" of the Soviet Union.

　With life having deteriorated to this degree, it is hardly surprising that a lot of Moscow University teachers and students give up their studies in frustration and look after number one by going into management of joint enterprises or trading in imports. Unlike scholars from mainland China, who cannot give up academic rigor so easily and do not, or cannot, go for making money, which gives them the air of destitute scholars, Soviet scholars can be much more flexible.

　Sympathy in Suffering the Same Disease: But, on the other hand, both are communist nations facing decline. The bulletin boards on mainland China's campuses are flowing over with notices concerning every kind of domestic and international issue. The range of concern among students is wide and very sincere when it comes to the future of their own country. Soviet students, however, seem to have a kind of political frigidity with few people discussing or being concerned about the future of society. So those who take part in street demonstrations are all middle-aged people. There is nothing that can be called a "student movement."

　Their young people still have an idea of the nation, but the national economy cannot support you, and now support for pure theory and pure science is extra hard to come by. Young intellectuals must therefore improve themselves; otherwise they will be confined to course work and nobody will cultivate them. Lacking in the most basic investment, how can you do research?

　In suffering the same disease we are mutually sympathetic. We can only frequently console each other by saying: "Looking at it in terms of the social division of labor, in fact you do not need so many people slaughtering each other over course work; let those who really want to study do so and that will be sufficient!" What do you say? "Resources will be used more efficiently." Right.

　Studying Philosophy in the Soviet Union: Now students sent from mainland China also want to find ways to do business and sell things, leaving their grants for use at home. The Soviet government gives us a grant of 130 rubles each month, which is supplemented by 60 rubles from the Chinese embassy. It is still stipulated that we are not allowed to work here. So you might well ask how we live?

　The ticket for the journey back is only around 100 rubles. You wear a leather jacket worth 200 renminbi (about 1000 rubles) and resell it for three or four times the price; bring back a cassette recorder or television and you have living expenses for one or two years. Who would work?

　The students sent here by the central authorities over the last couple of years have been of mixed quality and sent in a disorderly manner. Science, industry and technology have all been alright, but reading psychology and philosophy is all the same--the ideas are old hat and we have them all at home. There are also those who are sent to study agriculture; Soviet agriculture is still stuck in its most traditional period and its productivity is very low. What use is there in studying it? Many of these students, entranced by Moscow's great name, do not study but busy themselves with doing business, becoming wealthy entrepreneurs when they return home. So a lot of people call our life of advanced studies abroad a kind of "recuperation and multiplication."

　A Lump of Gold that Does Not Shine: There are also those people who think that it is boring here. Life is monotonous and commodities are soaring--not only is each year not like the last, but each month they are different! Everyone thinks of America. Ideas certainly change when you go there. Take the time of the Tienanmen Massacre: there were hardly any Chinese students demonstrating in front of the Chinese embassy here. The Chinese and Soviet communists were in step, blocking out the news with only a tiny report in the news media. A long way from the reported images in the West, which were two hours at a time. The power of this publicity was huge, moving the students to stand up and tear up their passports!

　Although the West is more liberal, expenses are too high. How much can you scrape together each month? You struggle to work and earn, and it is all gone in an instant. Better to go back and muddle through!

　The Shanghai Foreign Language Institute that sent me here is Shanghai's only university for language training. With the demand that exists for teachers like myself, they will certainly not let me go. When I go back my work will be arranging courses only and my salary will be 200 renminbi. Everyone is lumped together despite their quality. Going back to that society you are a lump of gold that does not shine. In mainland China people like myself joke that we are not willing to go back to school and work hard for a pittance; if a joint venture were to set up an office or company here, I would certainly be willing to stay.

　A Time of Changing Values: To be able to pursue both one's specialty and business is of course best, but at present only one is possible. Everyone understands that the wealth or decline of the nation depends on education, but there is just no way that the country can afford to support it! The low income of intellectuals is a widespread problem, and a rise in status is even more unlikely.

　Views at home are not the same now. Whereas before there was no understanding of the outside world and everyone's lot was considered to be much the same, now we are engulfed by the commodity economy and everyone is transfixed by money. Our generation is at a time of changing values, which is just unfortunate!