Things i hate and love about China

[Patrick & Li]

I love China. I love the people and the culture, but as in all things that change, sure enough there are things i also hate.

 

I hate squatting to use the toilet.

 

I hate people who cut in line, Ohhhh, I don't know how many times i have come so close to slapping someone for cutting in front of me...LOL!

 

I am in South China, and i hate the heat and humidity. It is oppressive and my wife has no airconditioner!

 

I hate the fact that everything can be cured with Chinese medicine. I have taken a bucket load of chinese medicine and only been here 1 week. Yuk!

 

I hate the fact that i have no cream for my coffee!

 

I hate the hard beds!

 

I hate being looked at as if i was a zoo creature.

 

I hate bus rides!

 

I hate chinese TV!

 

 

 

 

I love my wife!

 

I love the innocence of the people!

 

I love their interest in the American culture!

 

I love Taxi rides,

 

I love the cost of anything!

 

I love the availability of all fruits and vegetables!

 

I love the buffet at Iceland Thai restaurant, $6 for all you can eat with many western foods.

 

Oh yea, I love my wife!

 

 

Patrick & Li

[MoonCarolCafe]

Hard beds? I recall my first time in a Chinese hotel (on business) in Heshan. I sat down on the bed and swore I had missed and planted my behind on a coffeetable.

 

It's amazing they go through all the trouble to make the beds look like "western" boxspring/mattress combinations when in reality, a 4cm thick sheet of plywood on cinderblocks would be just as comfy. Lucky for me I can sleep most anywhere, anytime, provided you are not poking me with a stick to keep me awake.

 

Air quality is not that bad (compared to Los Angeles) but the particulates from the little VW (diesel engined?) taxis fill my nose with gray gooey gorilla-sized boogers.

[owenkrout]

I learned to accept it, but I also always hated the squat toilets! Western toilet was a big selling point at the colleges that I signed on with.

 

I'm the opposite. I loved the busses (at least in the city, the cross-country are death traps on wheels), but I hated taxi rides.

 

The pushing bothered me more than the cutting in. There was never a "line" anyway, so they really weren't cutting in, they just got there first. It was the pushing that really got to me. I eventually learned to not give in to my Middle American tendencies and learned to hold my ground.

 

Most of the time I was in China what we had was either 4 cm of wood covered with a 6 cm "cushion" (very little give to it even!) or, in rural Heilongjiang, a couple of quilts laid on a concrete slab. The slab was heated from beneath in the winter. I now have trouble something hard enough to sleep on as I found it better for my back. Well, not the concrete slab.

 

Chinese TV? As far as I am concerned, at least as good as ours.

 

All those cheap, fresh fruits and vegetables where great!

[Stats]

2 trips to Shenzhen:

 

Never squatted, thank God. I made sure to use the hotel before I left for the day

 

1st hotel bed, like concrete. 2nd was okay, not like home though.

 

Air quality is awlful

 

What is coffee? I drank tea

 

6'4" blond with blue eyes and a 5' 4" financee. definite zoo creature

 

Think of taxis as being an amusment ride. The scare factor is priceless

 

The "cut in line" factor was huge at a few attractions. That was the biggest culture shock for me.

 

Interesting post. Thanks, I love China too.

[TimD]

Patrick, I must say, I LOVE your posts!!!! This one in particular since we just got back from a tour of South West China's Yunnan Province, in which we were witness to the best and the worst of China.

 

I agree, Chinese public restrooms have a lot of room for improvement. Never again will I complain about a good ole American port-a-pottie, heck, I'd eat my lunch on the floor of one of these after what I have seen last week. Some of the places we went to didn't even have a "squatter", they just had a troft with a trickle of water running around it, just plain nastey in my book. I have never and will never use a "squatter", I'd rather make myself sick holding it than have to squat next to another human, just can't do it.

 

What I'd have to add to your list of "hates" is the litter. We were in some of the most beautiful country side of China that was ruined by all the garbage and litter scattered all over the "highway". People on our tour would open the bus window and toss a bag of garbage right out onto the "highway", this made me crindge.

 

The pushing and shoving is something I am getting use to, but last night at the Kumning areport I saw the worst of if. Some of these folks just have no respect for others, they just HAD to be first in line to get on the plane. It was commical really, some of these foljs literally ran onto the plane, don't ask why we are still puzzled by this.

 

From the time I have spent here already, a total of about 5 months, I've noticed that there are several types of Chinese, just like in the states. My wife and our friends are what I would call the new generation Chinese. They have the same issues we do in regards to litter, public bathrooms, pushing/shoving, peeing on the streets, spitting etc. As time goes by and this new generation of Chinese become the majority I think we will see even more positive changes here.

 

There is also a huge difference in the living conditions that is dependant on which city you are living in. Shanghai for example is very modern and some of what I saw in Yunnan province I have yet to see in Shanghai, Beijing or even Nanjing. Kunming on the other hand was one of the filthiest and most impovrished cities I have ever been to, I will never travel here again. The people at the airport we just down right rude and inconsiderate. Our tour guide and bus driver acted like the whole world owed them something and all the food we ate here was just awful and tasteless.

 

Even though I have seen some of the worst of this country my views on living here haven't changed. I still love it. I love Nanjing and love the fact that soon we are moving to Shanghai. Things in China are changing for the better at a rapid pace, which is a good thing, and I feel fortunate to be here to witness this change and growth. On the other hand I miss the good ole USA, it's quiet clean cities, breathable air, and for the most part, polite peoples.

 

-Tim

[frank1538]

Ah, the litter. it has gotten worse over the years. I remember hordes of people cleaning streets, but the number have dwindled.

 

The "gaunlet". Ever been to a tourist spot where you have to pass through the vendors, hawkers, and panhandlers all shouting "one dollar, one dollar"?

 

The pervasive cross selling of CITS. I remember one time, Jingwen booked a trip to Hainan Island. En route to every destination required a detour to the pearl store, the honey store, the shark oil store, the local food store. the Chinese medicine store, and on and on and on. I guess that's the price you pay for a group tour.

 

The young kids (for me, that's anyone under the age of 40). Open, friendly, anxious to try their English, inquisitive, charming, helpful. This is a good sign for China. The next generations will transform the country.

 

The art of haggling. I love it. As an American, we don't do this very often, and Jingwen showed me the techniques. It's amazing how it's done - almost like a courtship ritual with words and body language. I remember when a buddy and I were buying a few trinkets. He haggled and got what he thought was a good price. I got the twice the same things from another vendor at half the price.

[TimD]

Ahhhh yes, the good old cross trips to the Jade stores. We hit about 1 jade store a day on our trip. The only place we stopped for shopping that we bought anything was at the dried Yak meat store. We bought 3 large bags of dried yak meat, and boy was it good!!! The tour guides know Americans don't buy a lot of things at places like this. We were suppose to go on a tour to Thailand and the agent told us that my ticket would be $100 more since folks from the states don't buy a lot.

 

The funniest thing was that we had the largest luggage of our group when we started the tour, but when it was all over we had the least stuff at the airport. We bought a few things like tee shirts, some bracelets, yak meat and a new pair of shoes for me, but other than that we didn't buy much. Most of the places they took us too had the same stuff we can get here in Nanjing or Shanghai, so we just didn't feel the need to get anything.

 

-Tim

[MoonCarolCafe]

Like: The liberal attitude of the Chinese "Highway Patrol" towards speed limits. Makes me feel like I am in back in Southern California.

 

Like: RHD models of cars that are only supposed to be available in LHD (Japanese) form.

 

Dislike: Suicidal moped riders.

 

Like: Ability to park within spitting distance of Hotel Entrances (especially outside the larger cities)

 

Like: The Moon Carol Cafe, the newest one at the south-east corner of DongZhan square. Most romantic cafe on the planet.

 

Dislike: Wondering what happens after I drop the next fool who grabs my wife. Do Chinese jails serve vegetarian food?

 

Like: Playing DDR better than the local teenagers. Actually, I enjoy doing that even when in LA.

 

Like: Lots and lots of stainless steel metalwork.

 

Dislike: Tile. Chinese school of architecture = "Never paint... when you can tile!" And what is with tiles on only the front, while leaving the sides uncoated?

 

Dislike: My inability to speak fluent Mandarin.

 

Like: Getting saluted by a bunch of guys in military-style uniforms when driving though the main gate into a factory compound. Yes, it really gets to your head.

[BillT]

Moon -

 

Gotta say, I've read several of your posts and I thoroughly enjoy the way you phrase things! You've given me several belly laughs reading about your experiences. Funny because of the way you say it, and funny because it's the same things I've seen!

 

I think my biggest complaint about China is that they treat coffee like a controlled substance - given in small doses with no refills. It's a bit strange how you can feed 4 people with $20, but easily spend $8 on a cup of coffee.

 

What I love is the food. Very good, plentiful and quite cheap. I simply can't eat Leeann Chin anymore! What surprised me my first trip there is how little rice they actually eat. My fiancee says rice is the "main food", and served after all the other dishes (kind of like dessert, I guess). But no one I've seen gets the rice because they're full from all the good stuff.

 

My fiancee loves seafood (she says it's NOT seafood, because it comes from the lake or river, not the sea!) like lobster and crab and fish, and I'm almost embarrassed to think about the first time I take her to the local grocery store, where everything is frozen and wrapped in plastic. And not only that, you can actually buy immitation crab! Not quite sure how I'll explain that one...

 

I don't eat a lot of sweets here, but for some strange reason after a few days in China I get cravings for chocolate cake. Maybe a sugar deficit from the soda I drink here but not in China, who knows.

 

Anyway, love this thread and hope to see more!

 

Bill and Fengjuan

[Robert S.]

Like: The liberal attitude of the Chinese "Highway Patrol" towards speed limits.  Makes me feel like I am in back in Southern California.

 

Like: RHD models of cars that are only supposed to be available in LHD (Japanese) form.

 

Dislike: Suicidal moped riders.

 

Like: Ability to park within spitting distance of Hotel Entrances (especially outside the larger cities)

 

Like: The Moon Carol Cafe, the newest one at the south-east corner of DongZhan square.  Most romantic cafe on the planet.

 

Dislike: Wondering what happens after I drop the next fool who grabs my wife.  Do Chinese jails serve vegetarian food?

 

Like: Playing DDR better than the local teenagers.  Actually, I enjoy doing that even when in LA.

You are driving?

 

Thanks for telling about where you adopted your name tag from.

 

I don't understand about people "grabbing" your wife. What is that about?

 

What is DDR?

 

When I was in Dalian something I really liked was the time when I gallantly opened and held the door for fairly distinguished looking older lady as we were going into the department store. Her heartfelt appreciation was audible in her tone of voice and her face when she said "xie, xie" to me and it made me feel good to have made her day in such a simple way, but a way that was so thoroughly unexpected.

[MoonCarolCafe]

You are driving?  

 

Thanks for telling about where you adopted your name tag from.

 

I don't understand about people "grabbing" your wife.  What is that about?  

 

What is DDR?

 

When I was in Dalian something I really liked was the time when I gallantly opened and held the door for fairly distinguished looking older lady as we were going into the department store.  Her heartfelt appreciation was audible in her tone of voice and her face when she said "xie, xie" to me and it made me feel good to have made her day in such a simple way, but a way that was so thoroughly unexpected.

You are driving?

Never inside the cities. IMHO a car gets in the way inside most of GZ. I'd really advise agasint it, plus Hertz won't rent to you without a Chinese drivers license, so you'll need one of those or know someone who has a car.

 

I don't understand about people "grabbing" your wife. What is that about? hahaha, this is funny. Well, not at the time, but looking back...

The missus and I are walking through a side-street "farmer's market" in a smallish town (sorry, I don't recall the name). It's starting to get late and she is worried that we'll be hassled by the local troublemakers because she's with a foriegner. We are walking back to an arterial thouroughfare, with her about 4 seconds in front of me. A young man (perhaps 16 years old?) she passes grabs her shoulders from behind--

 

I'd like to say I was the perfect image of 220 pounds of caramel hued karmic retribution bent on ripping off his arms and using them to beat him senseless; except that I'm really a peaceable double-stuffed oreo, and anyone in the states would have fallen over laughing at my totally stereotypical imitation of an angry black man. My intention was not to hurt him, just to get him to stop grabbing my wife, and run away.

 

Except I got to him before he managed to split. I end up wth an arm around his neck, shouting in his face, when my missus explains that he was already apologizing because he thought she was someone else. Oops! Yeah, we laugh about it now, but at the time it was quite unfunny.

 

What is DDR?

DDR = Dance Dance Revolution. A Korean videogame.It only looks easy.

[Dave G.]

Except I got to him before he managed to split.  I end up wth an arm around his neck, shouting in his face, when my missus explains that he was already apologizing because he thought she was someone else.  Oops!  Yeah, we laugh about it now, but at the time it was quite unfunny.

 

That's one of the funniest damn things I've read in a long time! I literally had tears running down my face when I read it.

 

That reminds me of once talking to JM about living in the US. She said she's very comfortable about everything, but she asked, "Tell me...what do I do when Black man have speaking for me?" Needless to say, I wasn't ready for that question....I burst out laughing. Now, keep in mind I had many options in answering her question. I could have given a lecture on the equality of man or on the importance of diversity in the US. I could have explored her possible bigotry. But, no...I decided to do the right thing. I taught her how to say "Whaaaaaaz Up!" just like on the Bud commercials. I told her that was the "Black man's" greeting. (It was later taught to her family; a table of 9 people were doing it at a Chinese restaurant in Qing Shen. After about 10 gam bei's, it was one of the most hysterical things I've ever seen!) As it turned out, it was a great intervention. It led to a long discussion about the many differences of culture and language here in the US. Somehow, it made her more relaxed about everything. Laughter really is the best medicine sometimes.

 

Funny too....on my first trip to visit her, an African-American friend of mine house sat for me and took care of my dogs. On Christmas day, I made two calls. One to my mom and one to my buddy. After the phone calls, JM said, "Oh...your English makes me dizzy [confused]. When you have phone call for your mother, I understand everything. But, when you have phone call to your friend, I do not understand you anymore." I had never realized just how much I adapt my speech depending on who I'm talking to. Over the years, I guess he's taught me W. Virginia slang. Oh...in case you're wondering? Yes...JM did get on the phone with my friend and asked, "Whaaaaaaz Up?" To this day, my buddy still says, "You crazy." http://smilies.sofrayt.com/%5E/h0/hollering.gif

[tonyontherock]

Carl, things may have changed. In the good old days, people never go to jail for fighting in the street. I once was caught by police rigt on Changan street in Beijing and instead of being taken to the police station, was taken to a hospital. I was in police custody till the other guy was al stiched up and after I paid the hopital bill for him as well as his watch that was lost in the fight.

Grabbing woman in China was a common occurance on crowded buses. On my last two trips, I did not have a change to take a bus. All my friends got cars and I was offered one for use but was too chicken to drive there.

Here in New York though, the rules for a fight is: watch both sides of the street for cops before you start throwing pounches or kicks and never get into a fight unless you are in a suite and tie.

I was once approached by a cop asking me if I was ok when the other guy flagged the cop car down and screamed to the cop that I kicked him in the balls. I just came out of court. I told the cop that I would not press charges against him and advised the cops not to listen to him, adding that he must have forgotten to take his medication, handing the cops my business card. Funny isn't it! It is the stereotype here is that the Chinese here always gets picked on.

The thing I hate the most about China, Corruption. In my home town, my friend always drives me on the side walk when there is a traffic jam, with traffic cops at the intersection directing traffic. The police chief was our high school classmate and buddy. Every dinner was paid for by some one using money that sure was not out of their own pockets. The other one is the way they treat the workers, one of them was my childhood friend who was working for a high school buddy. The thing I hate the most: people getting used to being abused.

[Robert S.]

Wow, what a great story! You have got to write a book!!! I would pay actual money for this stuff and so would a lot of others, I bet. Your posts in the other threads are also very interesting. I agree that corruption is despicable.