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Published: July 25th 2006
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Zhou Zhuang Canal Tour
Floating down the ancient river, we felt like real-live tourists. It was humbling to think that tourists had traversed these very waters in much the same way for thousands of years before us. Sadly, our time in China is coming to an end. The past three weeks have been an amazing blend of urban/rural Chinese life and from what we've seen and heard from others, China wouldn't be a bad place to live. At the very least, we've got a list of cities to visit the next time we're in the area.
A Different Type of Government The last posting seemed to come across a bit too-harshly on the China's political system and the rapid urbanization of it's cities. After seeing clean, world-class cities built from nothing in less than a decade, it seemed necessary to remind ourselves that there were still problems under the sparkling exterior. However, to be fair, we should also mention some of the things that China seems to be doing better - or just differently - compared to the good-ol' USA.
For example, the people we've seen in China appear to be very content with their lives and their jobs -- and they seem remarkably patriotic. They don't appear to be miserable masses, toiling under a brutal regime. Instead, they appear to be a people with a "common goal" of moving into the 21st century as
Shanghai Bund Skyline by Boat
Del discovered that his camera is unable to focus on anything from a moving boat. a leading nation. As such, they recycle religiously, conserve water/energy, and treat neighbors and foreigners with respect. In America, conservation/consideration slogans have been shown in the media from time to time, but it seems that few people actually listen.
Perhaps one benefit of a state-run media system is that there is no mixed message. Assuming that the official message has merit, it becomes possible to push for positive social changes easily (such as in conservation, etc.). Plus, people here do not have to endure endless campaigning on the part of politicians year round and they don't hear about all of the terrible things that are happening thousands of miles away. If they don't see problems at the local level, they don't have to worry about problems at the national level. In America, it often seems that people are constantly fretting over news from far-away places that they cannot control. Additionally, politics in America often seem to be dominated by the pandering of one party or another. The resulting policies often seem to have severe flaws that might have been avoided had they been developed rationally by a single, collaborative group. Naturally, both systems have their strengths and weaknesses, but
View From The Top
The Oriental Pearl is currently the tallest structure in Shanghai, although (at least) two new skyscrapers will surpass it in the next two years. Dr. Freud would probably have a thing or two to say about Shanghai architects' obsession with height and girth. In the background is the Jin Mao building that Tom Cruise leapt from in Mission Impossible:3. neither is unambiguously "right" or "wrong."
For example, one of the key reasons that this recent urbanization of China has been possible is that the government can simply claim a worker's home and build a skyscraper "for the greater good." In America, (until the recent Supreme Court Kelo ruling on eminent domain) such a project would be hindered by years of lawsuits and objections by various groups. In China, the government simply takes the property and promises the tenant an 'equal-or-greater' property in a nearby location. Of course, this can be incredibly painful for the people whose homes are destroyed in the near term, but they should benefit from better-planned and more efficient cities in the long run. Assuming that the process is indeed fair (economically) to the displaced tenants, it is unclear which is better. But enough politics....
Stuff To Bring From USA... After a few weeks in China, it is apparent that a number of standard consumer products in America are either not offered over here at all, or else they are offered in a completely-unusable format (for us at least). Although it is annoying to have to carry your own toilet paper everywhere
Stephanie vs. Evil Michael Stipe
Steph battled a Shanghai artist's interpretation of R.E.M. lead singer Michael Stipe. Steph left in tears, but Stipe continued staring unaffected. you go -- since it isn't available even in restaurant restrooms -- the unavailability of these other items has been particularly vexing. If you're planning a longish trip to China in the near future, consider bringing enough of the following to last:
- Razors/Shaving Cream -- Asian men don't need to shave. Ever..
- Familiar feminine products -- Asian women use something else entirely.
- Chocolate & Cheese -- These indispensible milk products are impossible to find.
- Sunblock -- Even in 100F heat, most Chinese prefer long pants and a hat to SPF30.
- Self Esteem -- It has been frustrating for us trying on clothes in XL and XXL sizes. Steph hasn't needed to shop at all, since womens' clothes here are cut for the curveless masses.
Off to Bangkok tomorrow and then onto an 8-day tour up to Chiang Mai and beyond. Instead of rambling on and on with lots of drivel, we'll just leave you with a few pictures from the last week or so.
Cheers!
Stephandel
Shanghai, China
Cost: $2.5 / beer (20 yuan) Arts & Entertainment: Psychadelic Sightseeing Tunnel
To get from one side of the Shanghai Bund to Pudong, visitors take a psychotic trip on a "sightseeing tunnel." It's like an underground haunted house. 1.5x San Francisco Vermin: 1.0x San Francisco English Proficiency: ~50%!<(MISSING)/i>
Technology: 19 real iPods; tons of knock-offs
Guilin/Yangshuo, China
Cost: $1.25 / beer (10 yuan)
Arts & Entertainment: 0.4x San Francisco - (unless you consider shopping to be entertainment)
Vermin: 1.2x San Francisco
English Proficiency: ~20%!((MISSING)except at our English-speaking hotel)
Technology: 2 real iPods; 3 knock-offs
Descriptions of each metric available at:
http://www.stephandel.com/travelog.htm
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MOM Corrine
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I can definitely understand Del's liking the ham shank! View of river looks stunning and your splunking adventure must have been fun. Great hearing from you.