10 things I love/like

[IllinoisDave]

I was asked in another thread to list 10 things I like about China. I thought it would be better to separate it from that thread. I’m sure all of us could come up with more than just 10. But I was asked for 10 so that’s what I got. Feel free to disagree or add to my list. Or not.

 

Dedicated to my friend Jesse. Whose unabashed support and admiration for all things China is why ya can’t help but love him.

 

Here they are, in no particular order:

1. The food. No explanation needed.

2. The women. IMHO most beautiful in the world.

3. The fealty, respect and reverence shown to family elders. This is one of the things I admire most about Chinese culture. The idea that succeeding generations actually feel a duty to look after the preceding ones, seeing the sacrifice that may come with it as an honor instead of a burden is very humbling for us in this country.

4. The hospitality of the Chinese people to strangers. Sure some have experienced suspicion and/or open hostility or the curious stares that Westerners can get and that some consider rude. But IMHO those things are very rare and I’m sure sometimes well-deserved. But on the whole, from my own experiences and from those of most of the members here, the Chinese seem to go out of their way to make visitors feel welcome in their country and in their homes.

5. The notion of “swallowing the bitterness.” I think we in this country and some in others have a tendency to wallow in self-pity when bad things happen to us. The Chinese see the futility in this and are able to pick themselves up, realize that they can’t undo what’s been done and make a conscious decision to go on with their lives. Centuries of oppression and hardship, some created from within but much

from the outside, has no doubt contributed to the necessity of this attribute. Do we sometimes wish they would let a little bitterness rise to the surface and demand better for themselves? Sure. But that’s a probably a little arrogant and a topic better left for another thread.

6. Their incredibly unique national and cultural treasures. Included, but not limited to, The Great Wall, The Forbidden City, the Terra Cotta Warriors, Tianenmen Square, The Summer Palace, Ming Tombs, Yangtze River, LiJiang and of course the Pandas, to name just a few. I could’ve cheated and listed each one separately because each one definitely deserves it’s own amount of praise. But I’ll leave them under this one umbrella so I can have more things in my list.

7. Their 5000+ years of history. The fact that the people and the culture have lasted that long while outlasting so many others is nearly as incomprehensible as it is impressive. Five thousand years! I mean when you stop to think that our country, as great and developed as it is, is a mere babe at 232, you can’t help but be envious of and have

great admiration for a culture that’s been around that long. And it’s not like they’ve just been twiddling their thumbs as the time’s passed either. I wouldn’t even try to list all the ways that China has influenced the rest of the world over the centuries or the impact they have on the world today. But how about this for starters; paper, printing/movable type, gunpowder/fireworks, the compass, noodles. All these things probably would’ve been invented by someone eventually. But the fact is China beat everyone to it by thousands of years.

8. The differentness of China. One of the things I’ve always found most profound and most cool about China is how so many things are just different than the US. Maybe chalk it up to having led a comparatively sheltered life and not ever having been outside the US before going to China. But I was constantly amused/entertained/fascinated by almost everything… everywhere we went. Just the Chinese characters on the buildings, signs, walls, vehicles, food containers etc were a source of endless fascination for me. Not because I could or couldn’t read it, but just because it’s so different from what I’m used to. Food is an obvious one. The fresh fruits and vegetables and seafood especially. Where I’m from fresh fruits and vegetables are seasonal or trucked in from Florida or California and don’t seem nearly as abundant or fresh as you find in China. Or maybe it’s just psychological? Who knows? It just seems different when you’re there. And fresh seafood? Well let’s just say Lake Michigan isn’t a huge source of that. And eating chicken cold as an entree instead of a leftover was a new experience. Chicken/duck heads served at the table. Chicken feet as common as French fries. The fact that EVERY part of the animal is consumed. Corn in a cup at Mickey D’s. Not all of these are my cup o’ tea, but they were all something I’d never seen. Those teeny little stalls selling everything imaginable lined up one after another, especially in Shanghai, were a source of amusement for me whenever I saw them. And the fact that they repeat themselves every few blocks? Priceless. Talk about the antithesis of WalMart. I could go on and on (already have ) about the differentness but these are some that really stick out for me.

 

As it’s getting pretty long I’ll break this up into two posts ‘cause that’s what Don does so it must be a good thing. B)

Edited October 31, 2008 by IllinoisDave (see edit history)

[IllinoisDave]

9. The traffic, human and vehicular. While frustrating and frightening, these two

are also a source of endless entertainment for me. Maybe because I spent so much of my time in big cities like Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen. Just watching the people drive, especially cab drivers, is scary and amusing at the same time. And using horns not in angry reaction to something someone else has done or to say “ Beep beep! Get the hell outta my way!” But mostly to just say: “Beep beep, here I am, just lettin ya know. Beep beep, still here. Beep beep, coming up behind ya now. Beep beep, right beside ya. Beep beep, passing ya now. Beep beep, here I go.”

 

And the way vehicles of all shapes and sizes combine with masses of pedestrians to form a kind of moving, amoebic-like form that should, by all rights, lead to complete gridlock and mayhem. But somehow through some kind of telepathic, instinctive form of communication, it all works and nearly everyone gets out alive.

 

And the not forming of lines or waiting your turn? Utterly annoying yet amusing at the same time. I found myself getting smoke-out-of-the-ears pissed one second and laughing out loud the next just watching this phenomenon. Same with the every-man-for-himself rush into elevators, trains and subway cars before those inside can exit. I just had to laugh most of the time watching it happen. I usually ended up just going with the flow. Which pretty much sums up the Chinese people’s attitude towards these kinds of things. They have an incredible capacity to take stuff in stride. Just push your way to the front with regard for neither woman nor child as the woman and child does the same. And if you miss that elevator, train or subway? No problem. Just wait for the next one, no hard feelings. Ya just gotta admire this stuff when you really stop and think about it. At least I do.

 

10. Shanghai. Last but not least. Most of the qualities I listed above can be applied to

Shanghai, along with many others. My first introduction to China was Shanghai as my wife is a native Shanghainese. So I’m sure that colors my perspective a little and my travel experience is fairly limited so keep that in mind. I’m a small-town guy who definitely is not crazy about city life. I lived in Chicago proper for five years and that was enough. But Shanghai is different somehow. It has a certain vibrancy to it, a buzz, a feel that I’ve never gotten in any other place I’ve been to. I’ve said before that it’s like you can feel the pulse of the city as you walk around it.

 

I know Don has a different take on it but I like the smell. The smells of a city, good and not so good, mix with the aroma of the food and just get into your brain. The alternating between pungent and pleasant aromas as you walk around the streets of the city just adds to the experience for me. Despite the ever-present pollution and issues with sanitation and water, I could definitely see myself living in Shanghai one day.

 

Keep in mind this list is based just on my extremely limited experience in China. I’ve only seen a fraction of a fraction of what this huge country has to offer. I look forward to going back and finding many more things to add to the list.

Edited October 31, 2008 by IllinoisDave (see edit history)

[rogerluli]

What a great list Dave...but...but...unfortunately...

 

Now you've gone and made me desparately home-sick for China... And it will be at least a few years before I get back...WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA...

[rogerluli]

I had to pin this...This is the essence of why we come here... To learn more about our beloved China...

[IllinoisDave]

I had to pin this...This is the essence of why we come here... To learn more about our beloved China...

I'm truly honored Rog. My first pinned post.

[IllinoisDave]

What a great list Dave...but...but...unfortunately...

 

Now you've gone and made me desparately home-sick for China... And it will be at least a few years before I get back...WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA...

Sorry Rog. Ya want I should make a list of what I like about Wisconsin?

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

Wow Dave. Very nice list indeed. I'm impressed. I didn't think you would do it. I like being proven wrong in this way.

 

[GZBILL]

What a great list Dave...but...but...unfortunately...

 

Now you've gone and made me desparately home-sick for China... And it will be at least a few years before I get back...WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA...

Sorry Rog. Ya want I should make a list of what I like about Wisconsin?

 

Double edged sword.

 

The things you like best about China are some of the things that make it also suck.

[IllinoisDave]

Wow Dave. Very nice list indeed. I'm impressed. I didn't think you would do it. I like being proven wrong in this way.

 

Glad you liked it Jesse. It brought back lots of memories.

[IllinoisDave]

What a great list Dave...but...but...unfortunately...

 

Now you've gone and made me desparately home-sick for China... And it will be at least a few years before I get back...WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA...

Sorry Rog. Ya want I should make a list of what I like about Wisconsin?

 

Double edged sword.

 

The things you like best about China are some of the things that make it also suck.

Very true Bill. I meant to make that point in my post and forgot. My sentiments are genuine and heartfelt but also based on a very limited amount of time there. As I"m sure you've experienced, whatever quaint novelty some of them possess no doubt wears off after living there for an extended period. But for now they're still pleasant memories.

[amanda1969]

Dave,

Thank you for your list.I am hoping others to add more on the list,

Being Chinese, I am so proud.

My husband and I will go to Shanghai for traveling next month.

It is the right time for us to read your great post!!!!!!!!!!

[IllinoisDave]

Dave,

Thank you for your list.I am hoping others to add more on the list,

Being Chinese, I am so proud.

My husband and I will go to Shanghai for traveling next month.

It is the right time for us to read your great post!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you Amanda. Say Ni hao to Shanghai for us. Are you from Shanghia? If not, ever been before?

[GZBILL]

What a great list Dave...but...but...unfortunately...

 

Now you've gone and made me desparately home-sick for China... And it will be at least a few years before I get back...WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA...

Sorry Rog. Ya want I should make a list of what I like about Wisconsin?

 

Double edged sword.

 

The things you like best about China are some of the things that make it also suck.

Very true Bill. I meant to make that point in my post and forgot. My sentiments are genuine and heartfelt but also based on a very limited amount of time there. As I"m sure you've experienced, whatever quaint novelty some of them possess no doubt wears off after living there for an extended period. But for now they're still pleasant memories.

 

I should qualify my statement with the observation that every country sucks at times and that doesn't necessarily mean the country is bad.

 

China sucks in a unique way that makes the country not only interesting, but refreshing. The US also sucks, but after so many years there it's just not unique or refreshing anymore.

 

BTW, there has been a major change in Beijing due to the pre-Olympics public education campaign. People seldom spit and you can actually find most people lining up for busses and the subway these days. If you ask me, Beijing is the best major city in Asia. Wonderful place!

[amanda1969]

Dave,

Thank you for your list.I am hoping others to add more on the list, B)

Being Chinese, I am so proud.

My husband and I will go to Shanghai for traveling next month.

It is the right time for us to read your great post!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you Amanda. Say Ni hao to Shanghai for us. Are you from Shanghia? If not, ever been before?

Hi,Dave

You are welcome. We will say hello to Shanghai for you.

I am not from Shanghai,

And it will be the first time for Richard and me to go there.

We are very excited to talk about traveling there!!!!!!!!!

[griz326]

Great list! I might have used different words, but the intent would be the same. ...mostly...I don't like the traffic thingy...even though I agree that it is entertaining in a terrible sort of way.

Edited October 31, 2008 by griz326 (see edit history)