Nothing has changed in post-quake Chengdu

When I'm asked why I like Chengdu so much, I always reply: "Chengdu is where I feel totally comfortable."

Elsewhere in the country, I have to constantly pause and reassess where I'm. Only in Chengdu can I sit anywhere and effortlessly feel at home.

I was 17 when I first visited Chengdu and sampled tea in Baihuatan Park. As I watched the stream murmuring among the giant nanmu trees, I felt the tribulations of my adolescent years melting in an instant.