[Sundae]

Thanks Riddil.
Although you realise I now have insider knowledge about another country that I can only explain with the lame response, "Someone I know lives there. Well, someone I know on the internet..."

My previous insider knowledge came from a Hong Kong born Chinese lady. She had family in China but had only been there a couple of times herself and was very critical of it. But I would expect that - her family sent her to boarding school in England to learn English "for the sake of the family" and then moved here when Hong Kong went back to China. Her parents have made an effort to learn English, but generally rely on her as the eldest daughter as a translator and deal mainly with other Hong Kong ex pats. I wouldn't expect a positive report on Communist China from her, but the whole situation proved to me beyond a doubt how strong the family ties are.