SO YOU WANT TO UNDERSTAND CHINA… PART II

“China” seems to be a buzzword in the news today, and it seems the whole world is suddenly paying attention to the country and its people. But, as I mentioned in my earlier post, China tends to defy any singular definition. I’ve found that the more time I spend in the country, the more I realize it is a strange place full of contradictions. (Where else in the world can you buy a $5 frappuccino on one street corner and a 50-cent bag of fried chicken feet on the next?)

Clearly, for those of you who want to learn more, one 5-item list just won’t cut it— so here you have it, folks: “So you want to understand China… Part II.”

1. MODERN SHANGHAI
If you want an idea of the future of China, look no further than the country’s largest, and arguably most urbane city, Shanghai. Living in Shanghai feels a lot like what I always imagined living in New York City would. And these two videos do a good job of capturing the excitement of city life.

2. LAST TRAIN HOME

The increasing number of migrant workers might be described as one of the many growing pains faced by a country developing at steroid-pumping speed. China’s vibrant urban centers like Shanghai and Beijing attract more than just tourists— struggling rural families looking for job opportunities flood in, bringing a slew of associated social problems along with them. Last Train Home is an artfully done documentary that follows one such family of Chinese migrant workers.

(It’s a little slow, so if you decide to fast-forward, skip to train station scene. Not only will it open your eyes to the plight of the migrant worker population will you have a better understanding of the horrors of waiting in line for anything in China…)

3. CHINESE SCHOOLS
One video in a series on Chinese schools that follows several students of varying ages. It’s stressful, intense, and, at times, tear-jerking. The eraser scene will have you bawling like a baby— guaranteed.

4. CHINESE PARENTING
All I can say is, “Wow…” This excerpt (entitled “Why Chinese Mother are Superior”) from Yale Law professor Amy Chua’s book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, provides a glimpse into the dynamics of a American-Chinese family and has sparked quite a debate in the world of parenting. The “Tiger Mother” is Chua’s personal account of raising her two daughters “the Chinese way” and is charged with her opinions on the differences between Chinese and Western child rearing philosophies. While many Chinese would say she represents an extreme, hers is nonetheless still very popular.

5. SHANGHAI PROPAGANDA ART MUSEUM
Good art. Interesting history. Hidden in a basement. Sounds like a winning combination to me.

ROOKIE MISTAKES: ASSUMPTIONS TO LEAVE BEHIND WHEN TRAVELING IN CHINA

Farewell, China it’s been good. I’m nearing the end of my year spent studying abroad here in Shanghai, and I have to say, I’ve learned a lot. I distinctly remember first arriving in China, way back in August, and being completely overwhelmed by everything that I now take for granted. Looking back, there was no big “A-ha!” moment when I suddenly realized the secrets of navigating the Chinese culture. I realize now, however, that there were several assumptions I came in with that were slowly abandoned as time went on.

For those of you coming to China for the first time, I have included a few of these assumptions (think of them as “rookie mistakes”) below. My advice to you: learn from my mistakes and enjoy making your own instead.

“That cake looks good.”
False. Just say no. Unless you’re paying an arm and a leg for a pastry somewhere within the general vicinity of a major hotel, you’re just setting yourself up for failure in Chinese bakeries. Chinese cakes may look deceptively like their Western counterparts but trust me when I say they are just not good. And when I say not good, what I really mean is dry, tasteless, spongy and/or filled with red bean.

“Crosswalk signs are meant to be followed.”
Save yourself a lot of time and several near-death experiences and completely disregard the crosswalk light next time you’re crossing the street. Instead, take a tip from the locals: the little red hand does not mean you cannot cross the street. And more importantly, the walking green man does not mean that you won’t be run over. Cars, bikes and mo-peds all disregard the traffic lights, therefore, if you value your life, you will to. Cross the street the way you would cross a battle field— look everywhere at once and dodge as necessary.

“The bathroom will have toilet paper, right?”
Nope. Stock up on those little packaged tissue packs and carry one with you EVERYWHERE.

“I got such a good deal!”
Chances are, regardless of how good of a bargainer you are, you got ripped off on whatever you just bought. Often vendors will start with prices upwards of three times of the fair price of an item, so even if you bargain them way down you’ll still walk away paying far more than you should have. My advice: accept it. Learn what the prices of items should be, but also learn to ignore that inevitable “Dang, she said okay way too fast for that one” feeling when you mess up. Accept your new purchases with the blissful ignorance of most tourists and let the seller celebrate their few extra kuai.

“Street food will give me food poisoning.”
No, it won’t. Well, sometimes it will— but you’re in China now, don’t live for the “sometimes.” You’d be denying yourself one of the most unique, cultural and delicious experiences of traveling for that bit of false security. After eight months of eating street food in Asia, I have gotten sick from it a grand total of once. So go grab yourself some MSG-covered noodles or oily dumplings and vegetable skewers and enjoy.

SO YOU WANT TO UNDERSTAND CHINA…

Two words for you: good luck.

After living in the country for nearly six months now, it seems that the more I see and learn about the country, the more I realize how little I truly understand. From the very beginning of my stay here, I found myself marveling over the diversity of life and culture, and confused over the strangeness and uniqueness of it all. More than anywhere else I’ve seen, China is a country of paradoxes— the very rich and the very poor, the very modern and the very traditional— and as such, it can often seem like another planet those trying to learn more.

So, to help those who, like me, are attempting to better understand this place called China, I’ve compiled a short list of some things I’ve come across that enhanced my perspective of the country and its people…

1. THE CORPSE WALKER: REAL LIFE STORIES OF CHINA FROM THE BOTTOM UP

This book is AMAZING. Set up as a series of interviews between the author and various people on the margins of Chinese society, it offers a rare glimpse at China through Chinese eyes. It’s funny, quirky, shocking and heartbreaking, and I learned a lot about the hardship and injustices the country has experienced from Mao-era the present. If you live in China, plan to live in China, or have even a slight desire to understand China better, you MUST read this book. Read an excerpt here.

2. FUN INFOGRAPH

China was recently projected to be the world’s biggest economy by 2030. But I feel this lovely info-graphic from the Economist does a good job of offering insight into what exactly that means for a country as large and diverse as China. It compares the GDP, population and exports of each Chinese province to a different country. Some provinces by themselves would hold their own in the global economy— Shanghai, for example, has a GDP-per-person as high as that of Saudi Arabia. Yet on the other hand, some provinces fall far below that— like the poorest province, Guizhou, which has an income level per person close to India’s.

3. RADIO FREE ASIA

Radio Free Asia boasts “Fifteen years of bringing free press to closed societies” and is a vital supply for reporting on many of the human rights issues often glossed over by Chinese state-sanctioned news media.

4. SEXY BEIJING

Sexy Beijing is the YouTube Channel of Su Fei, a 20-something waiguoren (foreigner) living in Beijing. Her videos are hilarious and really capture some of China’s idiosyncrasies from a western perspective. Not to mention, her Chinese gives me hope and something to strive for when I’m struggling to stay awake during 8 a.m. Chinese class. This one about English names picked by Chinese locals is one of my favorites.

5. CHINESE PARKS

Let me preface this by saying I love parks. At home, I go to the park all the time to walk or sit and read. So one day last fall I decided to walk to a local park here in Shanghai to find a quiet place to study. What I learned was that parks in China are entirely different than any park I have ever experienced in America. What I didn’t learn was anything in the textbook I brought with me. Far from tranquil bubbles of nature, parks here are like microcosms of Chinese society, teeming with life and activity— dancing, singing, card-playing, music, kite-flying and Tai Chi. If you want to get a glimpse at real Chinese social life, visiting a park necessary. For those who can’t physically go, this video does a pretty good job of portraying the unique culture of your average Chinese park.