Around and About....

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

Since I've been in China, I've had the personal joy of living without a car, maintenance, insurance, and gas. I couldn't be happier about it. So, as you would expect, I have to find other ways to get around; they are:

 

1. Walking, which I do a lot of; to and from work, to and from the stores.

 

2. Taxi. When it's too far or too inconvenient to take a bus or walk.

 

3. Trains and subway. The subway is fast, clean and efficient. When I can get to the station easily, it's an ideal way of getting around.

 

Still, the walking part can be challenging. Just learning how and where to cross the street confidently and safely takes a lot of time. Most of us men, have had the experience of passing someone on the sidewalk, who didn't seem to want to yield or make room for you to pass. In fact, some guys, even go out of their way to make sure that you're the one that moves out of the way. A macho thing I'm sure. Because my experience with this sort of thing, is mostly in the US, I can't really speak as to the reasons why things are how they are in China. I can however tell you about what I've experienced here.

 

Many of the streets in China, are so crowded, that knowing how and where to just get through from one place to another can be a real challenge. Most everyone in my experience is relatively kind and courteous, though there are plenty of times where people push, shove, and cut in line.

 

My walk to and from work, is pretty short; about a mile, and takes about 15-20 minutes. I live in a newer part of town, away from the busier downtown streets, so the roads and sidewalks are not loaded up with people, cars, bikes, and motor-scooters. Still, there have been several times where I have passed younger Chinese boys, that just didn't seem to want to yield any room as I pass. Because I am a visitor here, and don't want to seek a confrontation, I simply move out of the way. Now, when it's raining, and you're carrying an umbrella, passing another person gets even more challenging.

 

My wife told me several times that when toasting with another person in China, that the position of your glass indicates whether you think of yourself as being more important. For example, toasting with someone and having the rim of your glass be above theirs, even ever-so-slightly, indicates that. I'm not sure if passing someone on the street is the same or not, but for now, I just yield to them.