ulturally, China is so different from the U.S. that, coupled with the
language barrier, we didn’t always understand what was up. Our very
first day in China, Jill was hit in the back by the handlebar of a man’s
bicycle. No big damage, but it was hard to watch this man ride away
from the collision
smiling! Little did we know that people
smile here when they are embarrassed. So, he wasn’t grinning at
hitting a tourist, but ashamed that he couldn’t avoid the accident in
the first place. It is these sorts of things that made us love to learn
about China, and to appreciate it for all the ways that it was
different from our culture.
or instance, this country is full of
spitters. Everyone does it. It’s not just any kind of spitting either,
but the "conjure up from the bottom of the lungs and clear out the sinuses"
kind of thing that makes you wonder if breakfast gets heaved up with
everything else
in the process. Despite national campaigns to stamp out this unclean
habit, it still exists. No place is free from splattered lugies.
This includes the floors of crowded trains, buses and restaurants.
We found it difficult to get used to this practice, but after a few
bikes rides of our own - through densely populated cities with lots of
pollution and dust in the air - we found ourselves more sympathetic
and even contributed on a few occasions. Now we know why the soles of
shoes are considered extremely unclean, and why no one wears sandals!
ourism is no foreigner in China, and the almighty dollar has found its
way into a few Chinese hearts. It’s a mixed blessing in many aspects.
It’s nice to find an English speaking ticket agent, the occasional
Western toilet, and a translated menu. After a frustrating ticket
queue experience, squat toilets, and trying to communicate "no meat
please" in sign language, the subtle touches of home can be a
refreshing "ah". Certainly even the most intrepid travelers can
appreciate those times when something is easier than expected and all
your travel gears can downshift, if only for a moment.
or those
vacations from your vacation, China even sports a few "backpacker"
destinations complete with English speaking guesthouses, Western food
and Hollywood movies. We passed through a few of these spots and found
them great hangouts, a good place to trade stories and information
with others, but maybe a bit too much like home (we’re supposed to be
seeing the world right?) and it seemed easy to end up becoming a
semi-permanent fixture around town. Besides, how many mornings can
you eat banana pancakes?
n a wearier note, China historically had a multi-tiered pricing
system - one price for locals, another for foreigners of Chinese
descent, and then everyone else. The government has changed to a
"one price for all" strategy, making any government institutions (like
transportation) affordable to the independent traveler. Officially,
this is supposed to be the modus operandi for all of China, but in
reality many people connected with the tourism industry are "on the
take" in some way or another.
ven those not associated, like a fruit
vendor in a market, seem to fumble over how much to charge for an item
when asked by a foreigner. This is sometimes demonstrated blatantly
when a vendor carries on a discussion with his neighbor and Chinese
numbers go flying through the air before he answers you with a price.
We always try to bargain our hardest, but know we probably still pay
more than a local person. It’s this kind of thing that can drive you
crazy or just make you realize it is part of the deal when you are a
visitor.
ulturally, China is so different from the U.S. that, coupled with the
language barrier, we didn’t always understand what was up. Our very
first day in China, Jill was hit in the back by the handlebar of a man’s
bicycle. No big damage, but it was hard to watch this man ride away
from the collision
smiling! Little did we know that people
smile here when they are embarrassed. So, he wasn’t grinning at
hitting a tourist, but ashamed that he couldn’t avoid the accident in
the first place. It is these sorts of things that made us love to learn
about China, and to appreciate it for all the ways that it was
different from our culture.
or instance, this country is full of
spitters. Everyone does it. It’s not just any kind of spitting either,
but the "conjure up from the bottom of the lungs and clear out the sinuses"
kind of thing that makes you wonder if breakfast gets heaved up with
everything else
in the process. Despite national campaigns to stamp out this unclean
habit, it still exists. No place is free from splattered lugies.
This includes the floors of crowded trains, buses and restaurants.
We found it difficult to get used to this practice, but after a few
bikes rides of our own - through densely populated cities with lots of
pollution and dust in the air - we found ourselves more sympathetic
and even contributed on a few occasions. Now we know why the soles of
shoes are considered extremely unclean, and why no one wears sandals!
ourism is no foreigner in China, and the almighty dollar has found its
way into a few Chinese hearts. It’s a mixed blessing in many aspects.
It’s nice to find an English speaking ticket agent, the occasional
Western toilet, and a translated menu. After a frustrating ticket
queue experience, squat toilets, and trying to communicate "no meat
please" in sign language, the subtle touches of home can be a
refreshing "ah". Certainly even the most intrepid travelers can
appreciate those times when something is easier than expected and all
your travel gears can downshift, if only for a moment.
n a wearier note, China historically had a multi-tiered pricing
system - one price for locals, another for foreigners of Chinese
descent, and then everyone else. The government has changed to a
"one price for all" strategy, making any government institutions (like
transportation) affordable to the independent traveler. Officially,
this is supposed to be the modus operandi for all of China, but in
reality many people connected with the tourism industry are "on the
take" in some way or another.
ven those not associated, like a fruit
vendor in a market, seem to fumble over how much to charge for an item
when asked by a foreigner. This is sometimes demonstrated blatantly
when a vendor carries on a discussion with his neighbor and Chinese
numbers go flying through the air before he answers you with a price.
We always try to bargain our hardest, but know we probably still pay
more than a local person. It’s this kind of thing that can drive you
crazy or just make you realize it is part of the deal when you are a
visitor.
