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Published: January 26th 2008
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Chinese Toilets
These toilets are completely low to the ground and are found in most public places in China. I was fortunate enough to be warned about them before coming. They're actually not as bad as they appear. Plus, U.S. style toilets are in our dorms, hotels and a few of the malls and restaurants we've been to. Many places even offer both types of toilets in their bathroom. Interesting, huh? As part of our travel seminar, we have to submit four journal entries to our professor, Caroline. Though these journals are slightly more formal than what I will normally post here, I figure I might as well let you see them. I only got a 9 out 10 on this journal entry. I'm hoping to do better on the next one. :-P Wo ai zhongguo! I realize that I've only been here a week, and that I'm still in that honeymoon stage, but so far I love China. Strangely enough, I haven't been surprised too much by what I've seen on this trip so far. I've been studying Chinese since high school (though I don't like to admit it because my language skills are subpar), I've done language and culture exchanges with Chinese students studying in Chicago, and I've even taken a Chinese history class titled "The Rise of Modern China". This background knowledge plus the fact that a friend warned me about Chinese toilets and Chinese beds means that very little has shocked me since my arrival in China. However, two surprising events have stood out in my mind.
The first one occurred the morning after
Walmart invasion!
A Chinese friend of mine told me that Walmart is actually a good place to go in China if you want products of a better quality. Walmart's products actually cost more than other places, but the quality is better. I still don't know how I feel about that... my arrival. I was walking to the supermarket when all of a sudden I noticed a group of about thirty Chinese people using shovels and rakes made of sticks to clear the freshly fallen snow from the night before. This is very different from the snowplows that I often see clearing the snow in Chicago.
The other thing that shocked me is that the dining halls at Tsinghua don't appear to be heated, or if they are, they are kept at a low temperature. Everybody sits around eating in their winter coats. If this happened in the United States the students would definitely complain. Although the cold dining hall is slightly uncomfortable, I actually do not mind it too much because I know that it costs a lot of money to heat a building that big and it can also contribute to pollution.
Obviously there are going to be many incidents such as these two that highlight the differences between China and the U.S., but that is to be expected. I didn't come to China to live an American lifestyle. Unfortunately, many American things have made their way into China, such as McDonalds, KFC and Pizza Hut. In
Argh.. McDonalds
I think I'm one of the few people in my group of 19 that has outright refused to eat at McDonalds so far. I do sit with them while they eat it though.
However, since McDonalds is the only 24 hour "restaurant" I've seen here so far, I'm sure to give in and eat her at least once during the five months. I'll try to hold out as long as possible though. the United States I rarely eat at these places because they are very unhealthy and the food is of low quality. It saddens me to see China allowing these fast food restaurants to open. I don't understand why other countries like these places so much. Is it just because they are popular in the U.S., or are there other reasons?
I was also disappointed to see a Walmart in Xi'an the other day. About a year ago I found out that Walmart stores were opening up throughout China, but actually seeing one with my own eyes really affected me. What does it mean for the world that so much of our population is contributing to monopolies such as Walmart?
Despite my ranting on about the negative consumerism I have already experienced in China, I am having an amazing time. I loved visiting Xi'an over the course of the last two days and seeing sites such as the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and the Terra-Cotta Warriors. We don't have anything nearly as old in the United States. I feel very fortunate to be able to learn about China's rich history while visiting the actual places I am learning about.
As I continue completing the readings for this class and visiting sites in Shanghai and Beijing I hope to learn more about Chinese culture and and history, and raise more questions about why things are the way they are. I am interested to learn more about Mao and how he contributed to making China the way it is today.
Right now, I think my greatest weakness is that I don't understand the economic world. I know very little about stocks and even less about economic policy. I know that the United States is keeping a close eye on the economic policies of China right now, and that China itself is in the midst of figuring out its economic policies, so I plan on learning more about it by reading the newspaper and talking to people about it. By doing this, I hope to understand the present economic situation in China.
I look forward to learning more about China and writing again soon.
(This journal entry was submitted on January 23.)
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Lindsey
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Hey Sarah. Greetings from the language lab! Your trip looks amazingly interesting...I'm sure you're learning tons. Anyway, I wanted to cry when I saw a Wal-Mart in Buenos Aires and a Starbucks in Santiago. ( I went in the Starbucks. Everything was exactly the same as in the US...creepy...) so I understand your sentiments ;-) Globalization at its best?