China Post #4

I just had some random observations about China I felt like sharing:

- Big price hike in China from SE Asia for things like transport and accommodation. Prices for tourist attractions are so dear I wonder how it doesn't exclude most Chinese (we are talking $25 - $30 AUD for foreigners and locals alike). On the plus side food is dirt cheap, and so good, that we never really had any cravings for western food.

- Western tourists are scarce here. They are outnumbered by Chinese tourists by a factor of about 100 to 1. It shows in accommodation options, with only a few hostels/hotels that cater for foreigners and have English-speaking staff. The rest cater for the Chinese, are perfectly nice, much cheaper, but not a word of English.

- With so few foreigners, I would have thought the locals would have more of a reaction to seeing us, but that's not so. People definitely notice you, but in a polite way. They give you a few discreet glances, but if you catch them looking they immediately look away. Much better than a torturous "Hellllloooooo Mister" accompanying you everywhere you go.

- The fashion here is really, really bad. It’s a combination of cheap fabric, lack of decent cut and as much writing / glitter / appliques / bows / lace packed on as possible. Even if I had the money to shop here, I wouldn't want to buy anything.

- Things are straightforward, people don’t really try to cheat you or overcharge you (unless you are shopping for souvenirs, in which case good luck). I have heard of many scams, but as a couple I don’t think we are natural targets.

- In a weird cultural twist, waitresses tend to stand over you until you order. I think it's impolite for them to walk away until you order. This stresses us out, ‘cos we need time to decide!

- The Chinese love to queue. They will queue up to be first on the bus, first off the bus, to buy a coke, to get bags scanned, anything. They will queue up an hour early to get first onto a train they have designated seats for. They will push and shove to make sure they are first, and they will jump the queue if they can.

- Women have a deadly fear of the sun. They would rather sweat in a long-sleeved shirt in the middle of summer, with a hat and an umbrella to top it off, than expose an inch of skin to the sun. Even when on a bike an umbrella is deemed essential. Chinese women want to be white as much as Western women want to be tanned!

- Meanwhile, if the men are hot, they tend to roll up their t-shirts to just under their boobs. I have seen more flabby bellies this way than I ever needed to or wanted to. Is the belly really such a heat-producing part of the body?

- The pollution is pretty bad in some cities. Beijing air is apparently like smoking 70 cigarettes a day, and you definitely feel it. However on a positive note I think China has jumped onto the environmental bandwagon in some ways. Plastic bags are not used in supermarkets, you have to pay for them. I also see many electric bikes on the road, some just a normal pushbike with a tiny motor; haven’t seen that anywhere else. Plus, there are people everywhere collecting empty plastic drink bottles for recycling - guess you can make a living that way.