Monday, April 30, 2012
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Patagonia Footprint Chronicles - Supplier, Qingdao Youngone Sportswear Co., Ltd. http://ping.fm/wJ8hp
Monday, April 23, 2012
Top Ten Things I have learned in China
These are the top 10 things I have learned after being in China for the past 3 years. Some of them are more typical of the middle of the country where I have been living and not the larger, more metropolitan cities (e.g. driving on the sidewalk, you can not do this in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong etc..). Ok here is a start. I will continue to add more later but wanted to get my first one out the door, therefore some sections are not very complete.
I am no apologist for the US, for the West, and I am no apologist for China. There is no black and white. There is no one system is good the other is bad. One is open, the other is closed.
1.) Work
Most people work very hard. Service workers generally work 7 days a week and have maybe 2 days off per month. They work either from morning to evening or afternoon until late at night, taking a couple hours off in the middle of the day to sleep. Workers live in dorms maybe 4, 6, or more to an apartment owned by the business, restaurant, bar etc.. Restaurant and fast food workers make about 5RMB an hour or less than $1 an hour. During the two hour midday break, most businesses will shut down, and most people will sleep. If they can't or don't go home then they will find any place they can to sleep. Restaurant workers will sleep in the booths, others may find a place in another room, in schools teachers will sleep in the classrooms, retail shops people may even sleep on the beds! But they will find a place, and they will sleep.
Business cards are handed with both hands. The recipient is expecting to spend several moments making over the business card, reading it over and over, commenting on it etc.. You never simply take a business card and stick it in your pocket. It would be seen as very rude. Chinese are very proud of their work, accomplishments, titles, and their business cards. No bowing. That is Japan, not China :))
Cash is king. Men carry "man purses", and some of the biggest luxury designers in the world, sell more male hand bags in China than anywhere else in the world. This is because most everyone carries only cash, and a lot of it. And they need bags to keep it in. You will see men everywhere with designer bags clutched closely against their body. Serious random crimes are very rare. But petty pick pockets are common. They will snatch your phone or money out of your pocket in an instant. Like I said, other than that its one of the safest places in the world. The government is looking into 500 and 1,000RMB notes. Right now 100 is the largest, so you need a lot of them. For the high end luxury stores you might need a suitcase with guards!
Every shop, mall, restaurant has parking attendants, doormen, and overall security that are all dressed like comandos. They where fatigues, US Army uniforms, Police Uniforms, ParaTrooper uniforms or any other uniform that looks downright badass and cool!
2.) Driving
The sidewalk is for driving and the street is for walking. Drivers have a synergistic relationship I guess you might call it. Everyone knows their place. There are no rules, cars weave in and out, pass each other on side streets, merge in off side streets without stopping at all, veer behind walkers, other cars and motor scooters/bicycles. There is a pecking order, law of natural selection, or Confucian hierarchy among and between vehicles and pedestrians. It goes something like this walker, pushing bike, riding bike, electric bike, motorized bike by cc's, 3 wheeled cars, China QQ mini car, small car, medium sized car, large car, buses and heavy trucks fight it out. Each one gives way to the next larger one. For instance if your riding a bike through a a very crowded walk street, your feet should never touch the ground (remember trying to do that as a kid and balance your bike standing still, well everyone here does it). If your feet touch the ground for any reason I guess you lose the game. It does happen on rare occasion but not very often. When walking rule of thumb is--never break your stride. Its kind of like life. If you start, then don't hesitate or you might become road kill. Drivers will automatically cut in behind you and expect to, if you hesitate, stop, or turn around you throw off the whole system. Everyone does this whether driving, riding or walking, they always expect you to keep going and are already prepared to cut in behind you. People play "frogger" on 6-8 lane roads. They will advance one lane and wait, as cars and buses whisk by nearly taking off their noses.
New cars are loved by everyone, small children can recite all the makes and models better than anything else (I like Benz! Audi! etc etc). Cars are heavily taxed and can cost twice as much as they do in the states. For instance a 700 Series BMW costing 70-80k in the states might be close to 1 million RMB. Essentially anbody owning and driving a car has some means. Drivers licenses and driving school is all paid for out of pocket and is fairly expensive. Its a pretty big deal for someone to say they are finally going to driving school.
As cars are getting more expensive, I just read that bus drivers are now encouraged to learn, and know by heart, expensive models in order to keep from hitting them. Almost everything is cash out of pocket. Hit a Rolls and it might cost you your life savings.
3.) Healthcare
Ambulances are pretty much non existent (as well as fire trucks). There really is no trauma type ER. And for some reason I never see any bad accidents or people really requiring an ER. Perhaps because there are no guns, no chainsaws, and generally people are just more careful. I guess because they know that if they do have to go to a hospital there won't be much they can do and they will be paying in cash. Insurance is a new phenomenon and most people don't have and don't really need or use. Doctors complete at least 4 + 1 grad or 5 years of "med school" and earn the title "Dr.", however they start at the very lowest rung, often early less than teachers and taxi drivers (about 3,000-5,000RMB a month, exchange rate is $1 for 6.3RMB so you do the math). Doctors make up this discrepancy through the receipt of "little red envelopes" filled with cash. If your wife is having a baby, and want better service or any service as all it will behoove you to provide it.
Most people can buy pretty much any western drug (save narcotics etc) Over the Counter OTC at any pharmacy (any antibiotic etc). There are now "western" style doctors per se, all Chinese herbal medicine. People will take a saline IV at the drop of a hat for pretty
much any kind of cold, flu or anything else. And these are done all over all little medical shops everywhere. Chinese do not like to take meds for anything. Most will not take even an aspirin. Most child births are natural and without pain killers. Of course they still have all the traditional Chinese medicine remedies and they will grind up a 7 day BID concoction to drink with hot water for you (and it would gag a horse).
4.) Culture & Society
People are accustom to being assertive for what they get, but there is also this symbiosis that takes place where they will go head to head only to a certain point, and then acquiesce to the party. For instance getting on and off elevators, getting on and off buses, or getting your veggies weighed at the supermarket counter. The way you get them weighed is you push your veggies up there and try to be the first one to shove them onto the scales. If you want to show everyone how polite you are and how your going to show them how to wait, then I hope you brought a comfortable chair with you, because you will be waiting a while. There is no concept of queuing up. Its every man, woman, and child for him or herself! If your waiting in the checkout line at the supermarket and you can fit a sheet of paper between you and the person in front of you, that means that is an invitation that says "please go in front of me". Getting on and off buses, elevators and anything else you can think of pretty much follows suit. Rule of thumb for elevators is that everyone waiting pushes on first, then those ON the elevator then attempt to get OFF. This often doesn't apply to outsiders. Just as I learned studying social anthropology, the ethnic displays of social groups when coming into outsiders differs than the display in isolation. Ethnics groups everywhere tend to "over-communicate" ethnicity when coming into contact with outside groups. Therefore, when I am present the "you go first", "no you go first" starts and they don't give up until I go. The cultural rule of thumb is imploring guests 3 times "after you" before giving in. As a whole people are very docile and non violent. Many outsiders feel the tones
and loud voices, confrontations mean violence, when in essence these are essentially normal conversations and exchanges. In the west this would lead to blows (or worse someone brandishing a fire arm perhaps). In China it almost never does. You will see a lot of saber rattling, puffing up, in order to "save face" but both parties almost always "back down" and it almost never comes to blows. I am really not sure if this is an "Freakanomics-like" economic incentive (if you hit someone and hurt them, there are no attorneys, law or judges, you fork over cash) or if its a cultural, Confucian hierarchical relationship, Buddhist temperance, kind of thing going on or what.
Smoking is ubiquitous. Its polite for one man to offer another man a smoke to extend a hand of friendship. Most business deals involve smoking at one point or another. Even though officially the government has banned smoking in all buildings, I don't think many have gotten that memo. Everyone smokes everywhere, all the time. While they are eating non stop, on elevators, in schools of all kinds, in preschools, in all offices. Cigs are a status symbol. If you can afford the 25rmb (4 bucks) Gold pack of Fu Rong Wangs you have some middle class means, and if you can shell out 100RMB or more, then your really somebody. Cigs are given as gifts. Doctors
smoke because they often get them as gifts.
Police. People do not want to ever come into contact with them. They don't carry guns. They don't need to. People avoid them at all costs. "Flying below the radar" is the order of the day. You do not want the police to know your name. You do not want to mess with them. End of story. I have never seen a policeman chase a car down or stop them in route. Cars are stopped via dragnets. Officers simply stand on the street corner and order cars to the side. Issued tickets can be paid at the local post office or in many cases the officer will be kind enough to save you the trip and personally hand carry the cash to the post office and pay your ticket himself. :)
Ear cleaning is a fetish. Instruments are sold to clean ears, spas offer deep ear cleaning services with a light on the end of a probe (remember your mama told you "don't stick anything in your ears" and the Q-Tip(TM) box says don't even stick that soft, fuzzy thing in your ear.), and many people grow out their pinky finger fingernail (not because they are coke heads, for guess what, to dig in their ear canals). And nose picking is neck and neck, not sure which is more popular.
Hocking and Honking. Here in the "midwest" hocking and honking are beloved hobbies. You can not walk down the street without constantly dodging the landmines. If you hear someone gearing up to shoot a loogie--stand clear! In Beijing during the Olympics they the government went all out with "mind your manners" signs throughout the city reminding people guests were in town and just say no to hocking. In most major metropolitan cities such as Beijing honking and erratic driving no longer exists due to city ordinances. But here where I am, its anything goes. Pass on side streets at high rates of speed, no problem. Drive on the sidewalk, no problem. Red lights mean you continue going until you can no longer get through the intersection because green light traffic has cut you completely off. Honking is non stop. Its a warning to everyone that your coming. Taxis will get up behind someone on a bike and just lay on their horns non stop. It will hardly get a passing glance from the bicyclist, seemingly oblivious to the horn. I don't know why but there hardly ever seems to be any accidents. Everyone just seems to know his place, watches out, and seems to intuitively know where everyone else is at any given time, and they all know where you are. Here if you get hit, your just a Dumb S***. If there is a man hole cover open and you fall in. Again your just a DS. No harm no foul. Which does seem to work. You are always aware of everyone around you and they are always aware of you. There is no false sense of security, there is no the light says walk so I'm going to walk, and if someone hits me I will just sue them (if I am still alive).
Chinese are proud of their history and culture. Every person you talk to will remind you of the "5,000 year history" and will discuss many of the dynasties and emperors and ask you which one is your favorite. They all love their dear leaders, and will never have a bad word to say about Chairman Mao or others, at least in the presence of foreigners.
LaoWei. Foreigners are called a couple of different names in Chinese, and one is controversial, some people see akin to "gringo" in Mexico or "gaijin" in Japan. One term "wei guo ren" or foreigner is pretty inoucous and most people don't have a problem with, the other word "lao wei" is pretty much the same, but often is followed by laughter or heckling. Some simply use this old term and mean no harm, it may be the first time they have seen a foreigner in their life, and its simply the only term they know. Others however may feel threatened due to the long history of xenophobia after Japanese occupation etc. and they may be using the term in a more harrassing manner. Japanese. Yes they pretty much hate them. Some more vocal than others. One of the worst swear words you can call someone is Japanese Devil! A third term to describe no asian looking people is "mei guo ren" and this means "American" or "Beautiful Country American" and it is applied to ALL westerners. In the eyes of many Chinese, especially small children, everybody that is "western" is "American" much to the chagrin of my good friends from Germany and France. They really do not care to be collectively referred to as Americans at all. hehe Sorry guys! Not my fault!
Most people believe strongly in eating 3 meals a day, sleeping early, waking early, staying out of the rain or always using an umbrella lest they catch a cold, always avoiding a chill at any costs, and opening windows to "exchange air" even if its 20 below zero. I am not quite sure how they reconcile the not getting a chill and exchanging of the air, but I think the exchanging of air wins out. Also, most people, in the north, will always wear, 100% of the time, until it gets above 80 degrees, long underwear and a jacket. Offices turn the heat down to 60 or below it seems, and people wear their winter jackets and long underwear in the office to conserve electricity. Until its above 80 degrees F you won't see T Shirts at all, generally arms are always covered, lest you get a chill and come down with a cold.
Drinking hot water. Everyone believes drinking hot water all the time, for everything is the great elixir. Whatever ails you, the answer is drink piping hot water. Shops don't turn on refrigerators and sell cold beverages until it is above 80 or 90F! Drinking anything cold will give you stomach problems, stomach ulcers or something bad. They just don't do it. Even beer most of the time is served warm. Chinese are very friendly and always concerned about your health. If you sneeze, they implore you to take care of yourself, lest you catch a cold. Being concerned about someone's health and well being is considered polite.
Working together. Working together is a big part of the culture here. Group projects are seen as essential, even if you tighten one nut onto a screw as your part so to speak. You are seen as having contributed. Standing out is not seen as favorable. No individualism here. The motto here is the tall tree gets knocked down. Fly below the radar and the "bad winds" will not come your way.
People walk as a group. Safety in numbers. Arm in arm is even better. Girls hold hands.
Niceties, personal questions and lying. Complements are given freely. One will always comment on your clothes are very beautiful, your hair is very beautiful so on and so forth. But on the other side of the coin, frankness is not at all a faux pas. How old are you? Your getting little fat aren't you? Any other personal question about income, how much you paid for you house etc is never out of bounds. Lying or perhaps you want to call it "fibber McGee" or "fibbing" if it makes you feel better is seen as a perfectly acceptable excuse and will never, ever be confronted. Its like trying to "nail jello-o to the wall". In order to save face, others will back the fibber up. They will never ever be confronted or "outed" since everyone would then "lose face".
People are overall very very friendly and pretty much love Americans, American culture etc., however there is a bit of competition emerging and that may change but overall there is a love for things American or at least Western, NBA, music, Christmas etc.. Most ads on billboards or stores that want to look "modern" or upscale will feature some English words (even if they make no sense) and Western looking models. There is some animosity due to the long history of being subjected to "Gunboat Diplomacy" by the west, and some protest against this cultural trend, but nevertheless it is what it is and for now doesn't seem to be changing but even flourishing as China moves to develop and take what they see as their rightful place on the world stage. They want everything that they think a "developed" country has, and aim to have it.
Toilets. Yes they are bad. "squattie potties" everywhere, so if you come get used to getting a work out. Again, I am in the "midwest", think farming, coal mining community. Patrons eating "hot pot" might just whip off their shirt at the table. Everyone knows this is not proper etiquette and its changing as development occurs. Many people are now starting to have western style toilets in their homes. If you travel or use a city toilet out in the middle of nowhere, you might not be the same again. Its literally a hole in the ground. The stench will bring tears to your eyes and an experience your not soon to forget. But again a disclaimer because this is changing about as fast as I can write this blog. The small "2nd Tier' city of just 3 million people where I live, has essentially been leveled (or in the process) and built up again in the past couple of years alone. We have 3 new, high end luxury malls around me, just in the past year. But what gets me is you could be right next to 50,000RMB pair of Versace shoes, and still smell the stench from the toilets. I don't get it. Also as a side note, you almost always need to take your own TP. And you will hardly every find soap in the dispensers. There are just too many people and Chinese are extremely frugal and proud of it. If they can save a few pennies on soap or TP then they will do it. Nothing is wasted. And like I have said repeatedly much of this is changing as we speak with the new emerging middle class, and the larger metropolitan areas are much much more developed and advanced.
5.) Business
Everyone pretty much as read about how business works here. Its kind of the old fashioned way that was perhaps the norm of the "Machine Politics" of Tammany Hall in NY. Tributes are paid, similar to a tax. Often companies set up separate bank accounts just for this purpose. Rule of thumb is that when your business starts looking big and making a profit, someone will probably come knocking. There is a foreign owned winery here in my province and I recently read an article online in one of the business publications about how the owner had to hire additional staff just to meet with the stream of government officials and provide them with wine, pay their additional unofficial "tax" and provide many other VIP services when called upon. Its seen as a part of doing business and accepted.
The nouveau riche now have means and are in the "flaunting" luxury stage of development. If your friends and can neighbors can see your new Louis Vuitton bag, then its worth the enormous price tag. However, if your flying, why pay for first class, when your friends and neighbors can not see it, coach will do the trick. My, once backwater, coal mining city, is now dotted with 5 star restaurants, 5 star hotels (built or building now), every luxury brand imaginable and western imported grocery goods.
6.) Romance
Its not unusual for, say, a student to say they have a "boyfriend", but he lives in another province far away and they meet maybe once a year. If you ask when they will marry he or she might respond "oh in 5 years". This is totally acceptable. As long as they have somebody, even if they live far away and even if the date for nuptials is 5 years in the future, they feel secure. Generally if the boy has a "iron rice bowl" kind of job, cradle to grave government, police job etc. it is look upon favorably. Even if the pay is very very low. It is seen as secure. And in the meantime they might "date
around" to see if they can do a little better, if they can not, then they still have the secure Ace in their back pocket. Essentially relationships are more for practical reasons than for "love" per se. But like everything that is changing somewhat with the "Hollywoodization" of people and curiosity about the passionate movie version of "love". Chinese are very curious in this concept because its new to them. They like to emulate what they have seen in the movies and believe the "love" part will then emerge after these actions are carried out. Again in the past its been purely survival and practicality, there was not leisure time for this kind of triviality and angst. Wedding rings. No hard and fast rule. Sometimes on the left, sometimes right, sometimes middle finger, sometimes ring finger, often none at all.
Married women will take on lovers. There was a well publicized scandal of a high ranking woman in government and business that had what they called a "stable of some 10-15 young boys to service her". Married men are doing the same. De facto prostitution is legal. Almost every massage shop has a long menu of "additional services" and are on every corner. In many cities the the hair salons are all "fronts" for prostitution. This kind of dawned on me when I was walking down a side street in the city of Kunming or Nanning in the south, I don't recall now, but there must have been 10-20 "hair salons" with stylists chairs, mirrors etc set up, and as I walked down that street all the girls would come out and beckon me in. Now mind you I am bald! :)) They have sweeps once in a while for public show, if there has been some incident, but then things revert back to the status quo.
Weddings are big business now and malls will have tents set up to hock all kinds of wedding services. Blown up pictures are very big. At the reception hall they will now have life sized pictures, wide screen TVs with videos, life sized dolls with pics, huge blown up pics everywhere. Often one is also placed in the bride and grooms house. There is often party at the house. The bedroom is part of the "open house" and will be decked out with all new huge red comforter, blow up bride and groom pic, decorated throughout the room. Since there are not many Christians. Wedding are a civil affair, with a reception that follows. Games are played where the groom may drink quite a bit then try to lower a peg on a strong into a bottle or something to this effect. Smoking and Chinese white lightening liquor (we affectionately refer to as jet fuel), eating, games, and many toasts are a big part. Guests pay to attend the festivities in lieu of wedding gifts.
7.) Food/Drink
For the most part Chinese don't go to "bars". They have nightclubs for dancing and KTV (Karaoke) for singing. But you won't find many western style "bars" where someone would go in, belly up to the bar alone and order a scotch and water, and strike up a conversation with the gent next to him. Chinese will drink but can not hold much liquor, and often they will drink until their faces are bright red or they expunge the contents of their stomachs. When this happens whether in a restaurant or bar or on the street, it is handled pretty much matter of factly. Doesn't raise many eyebrows and people carry on about their business. People travel in groups. If they go out to a club or restaurant, they go or meet as a group. Usually alcoholic drink is only with food. And lots of toasts for anything and everything. And reason to drink. At night clubs/dance clubs a bottle of western liquor on your table, say, a bottle of Vodka or Whisky, is a major status symbol. If you can afford the 800 or 1,000 and up price tag for a bottle then you show you have some means. Most clubs will allow you to put your name on the bottle and use it the next time if you don't finish it. That way you can show up again and have a very expensive bottle in front of you to show off your status. Foreigners are often invited to sit at a table and offered drinks for free. To be seen with a foreigner at your table is also a big feather in your cap. And of course many are just curious and want to ask questions etc..
Like most cultures, food is a big part of everyday life and culture. To give you a sense when being greeted by someone you may often be asked "did you eat". Asking if someone has eaten is seen as caring about them and their health/well being. If your invited to someone's home they are sure to do their best to lay out many many dishes and encourage you to eat and eat.
Tipping. There is no tipping.
8.) Education
Students that make it into a university are seen to have "made it". Students do study pretty hard for the most part but plagiarism, payoffs to underpaid teachers for test answers, and a less than rigorous curriculum is common place. Most university are very very basic. Frugality is generally the hallmark. Students may live in 4, 6, 8, and when overcrowding occurs 10, 12, and 16 person dorms. In the north the dorms are cold, students sleep in their clothes, are not allowed space heaters, and usually only one low voltage electrical outlet per room, which if overused will trip a breaker and have to be reset by a manager. Many universities, from what I have personally seen, are just 3 and 1/2 years (the last half year students live in the dorm and look for jobs). Students with high test scores pay around 3,000-5,000RMB a year ($500-900), those with lower test scores can "buy their way in" for anywhere from 10,000 to 40,000 and up. For the most part students do study very hard, but have extreme difficulty with any kind of creativity. Rote memorization, preparing for exams, and plagiarism is typical. Due to the large population, and most average people living on very modest means, to even make it into a university at all is seen as a major accomplishment. If your in, then you "have arrived" and there is not much need to do a whole lot more.
9.) Family
China has the one child policy which has now been relaxed. In the past if you wanted more than one child, and could afford it you could take trip abroad, to Hong Kong, or simple pay the additional tax. Single children are a new, and different generation. They are accustomed to being well taken care of, and getting most of everything they want. Children are taught to always be harmonious and give a toy to little sister or little brother. Everyone is a sister or brother, usually a cousin but could even could be a friend or cowoker. Giving and sharing is a big part of ethics among parents. They will always tell the child to give to little brother or sister. Even if the child ripped the ball or toy out of their hands. They are taught to acquiesce in the sake of harmony and peace. However some kids have no qualms about fighting it out. They are told not to hit, but sometimes when one child whacks another over the head, the parents will not be too outraged, and the offending parent will just encourage the child to say they are sorry. I think in the US they would get a lawyer!
10.) Relationships
Guan xi or connections, relationships is an integral part of life. Relationship are seen as lasting for life. Once a friend always a friend. It is truly a deeper and more engrained meaning then simply networking. It is a vital and truly integral part of everything someone does. I could literally walk up to any stranger, on the street or anywhere and ask for his business card and/or mobile phone number, and they would give it to me. Making friends and networking is such an integral part of everything, that no one would ever miss the chance to meet somebody new, make friends and network with them. In their eyes they have absolutely nothing to lose, and everything to gain from this kind of encounter.
I am no apologist for the US, for the West, and I am no apologist for China. There is no black and white. There is no one system is good the other is bad. One is open, the other is closed.
1.) Work
Most people work very hard. Service workers generally work 7 days a week and have maybe 2 days off per month. They work either from morning to evening or afternoon until late at night, taking a couple hours off in the middle of the day to sleep. Workers live in dorms maybe 4, 6, or more to an apartment owned by the business, restaurant, bar etc.. Restaurant and fast food workers make about 5RMB an hour or less than $1 an hour. During the two hour midday break, most businesses will shut down, and most people will sleep. If they can't or don't go home then they will find any place they can to sleep. Restaurant workers will sleep in the booths, others may find a place in another room, in schools teachers will sleep in the classrooms, retail shops people may even sleep on the beds! But they will find a place, and they will sleep.
Business cards are handed with both hands. The recipient is expecting to spend several moments making over the business card, reading it over and over, commenting on it etc.. You never simply take a business card and stick it in your pocket. It would be seen as very rude. Chinese are very proud of their work, accomplishments, titles, and their business cards. No bowing. That is Japan, not China :))
Cash is king. Men carry "man purses", and some of the biggest luxury designers in the world, sell more male hand bags in China than anywhere else in the world. This is because most everyone carries only cash, and a lot of it. And they need bags to keep it in. You will see men everywhere with designer bags clutched closely against their body. Serious random crimes are very rare. But petty pick pockets are common. They will snatch your phone or money out of your pocket in an instant. Like I said, other than that its one of the safest places in the world. The government is looking into 500 and 1,000RMB notes. Right now 100 is the largest, so you need a lot of them. For the high end luxury stores you might need a suitcase with guards!
Every shop, mall, restaurant has parking attendants, doormen, and overall security that are all dressed like comandos. They where fatigues, US Army uniforms, Police Uniforms, ParaTrooper uniforms or any other uniform that looks downright badass and cool!
2.) Driving
The sidewalk is for driving and the street is for walking. Drivers have a synergistic relationship I guess you might call it. Everyone knows their place. There are no rules, cars weave in and out, pass each other on side streets, merge in off side streets without stopping at all, veer behind walkers, other cars and motor scooters/bicycles. There is a pecking order, law of natural selection, or Confucian hierarchy among and between vehicles and pedestrians. It goes something like this walker, pushing bike, riding bike, electric bike, motorized bike by cc's, 3 wheeled cars, China QQ mini car, small car, medium sized car, large car, buses and heavy trucks fight it out. Each one gives way to the next larger one. For instance if your riding a bike through a a very crowded walk street, your feet should never touch the ground (remember trying to do that as a kid and balance your bike standing still, well everyone here does it). If your feet touch the ground for any reason I guess you lose the game. It does happen on rare occasion but not very often. When walking rule of thumb is--never break your stride. Its kind of like life. If you start, then don't hesitate or you might become road kill. Drivers will automatically cut in behind you and expect to, if you hesitate, stop, or turn around you throw off the whole system. Everyone does this whether driving, riding or walking, they always expect you to keep going and are already prepared to cut in behind you. People play "frogger" on 6-8 lane roads. They will advance one lane and wait, as cars and buses whisk by nearly taking off their noses.
New cars are loved by everyone, small children can recite all the makes and models better than anything else (I like Benz! Audi! etc etc). Cars are heavily taxed and can cost twice as much as they do in the states. For instance a 700 Series BMW costing 70-80k in the states might be close to 1 million RMB. Essentially anbody owning and driving a car has some means. Drivers licenses and driving school is all paid for out of pocket and is fairly expensive. Its a pretty big deal for someone to say they are finally going to driving school.
As cars are getting more expensive, I just read that bus drivers are now encouraged to learn, and know by heart, expensive models in order to keep from hitting them. Almost everything is cash out of pocket. Hit a Rolls and it might cost you your life savings.
3.) Healthcare
Ambulances are pretty much non existent (as well as fire trucks). There really is no trauma type ER. And for some reason I never see any bad accidents or people really requiring an ER. Perhaps because there are no guns, no chainsaws, and generally people are just more careful. I guess because they know that if they do have to go to a hospital there won't be much they can do and they will be paying in cash. Insurance is a new phenomenon and most people don't have and don't really need or use. Doctors complete at least 4 + 1 grad or 5 years of "med school" and earn the title "Dr.", however they start at the very lowest rung, often early less than teachers and taxi drivers (about 3,000-5,000RMB a month, exchange rate is $1 for 6.3RMB so you do the math). Doctors make up this discrepancy through the receipt of "little red envelopes" filled with cash. If your wife is having a baby, and want better service or any service as all it will behoove you to provide it.
Most people can buy pretty much any western drug (save narcotics etc) Over the Counter OTC at any pharmacy (any antibiotic etc). There are now "western" style doctors per se, all Chinese herbal medicine. People will take a saline IV at the drop of a hat for pretty
much any kind of cold, flu or anything else. And these are done all over all little medical shops everywhere. Chinese do not like to take meds for anything. Most will not take even an aspirin. Most child births are natural and without pain killers. Of course they still have all the traditional Chinese medicine remedies and they will grind up a 7 day BID concoction to drink with hot water for you (and it would gag a horse).
4.) Culture & Society
People are accustom to being assertive for what they get, but there is also this symbiosis that takes place where they will go head to head only to a certain point, and then acquiesce to the party. For instance getting on and off elevators, getting on and off buses, or getting your veggies weighed at the supermarket counter. The way you get them weighed is you push your veggies up there and try to be the first one to shove them onto the scales. If you want to show everyone how polite you are and how your going to show them how to wait, then I hope you brought a comfortable chair with you, because you will be waiting a while. There is no concept of queuing up. Its every man, woman, and child for him or herself! If your waiting in the checkout line at the supermarket and you can fit a sheet of paper between you and the person in front of you, that means that is an invitation that says "please go in front of me". Getting on and off buses, elevators and anything else you can think of pretty much follows suit. Rule of thumb for elevators is that everyone waiting pushes on first, then those ON the elevator then attempt to get OFF. This often doesn't apply to outsiders. Just as I learned studying social anthropology, the ethnic displays of social groups when coming into outsiders differs than the display in isolation. Ethnics groups everywhere tend to "over-communicate" ethnicity when coming into contact with outside groups. Therefore, when I am present the "you go first", "no you go first" starts and they don't give up until I go. The cultural rule of thumb is imploring guests 3 times "after you" before giving in. As a whole people are very docile and non violent. Many outsiders feel the tones
and loud voices, confrontations mean violence, when in essence these are essentially normal conversations and exchanges. In the west this would lead to blows (or worse someone brandishing a fire arm perhaps). In China it almost never does. You will see a lot of saber rattling, puffing up, in order to "save face" but both parties almost always "back down" and it almost never comes to blows. I am really not sure if this is an "Freakanomics-like" economic incentive (if you hit someone and hurt them, there are no attorneys, law or judges, you fork over cash) or if its a cultural, Confucian hierarchical relationship, Buddhist temperance, kind of thing going on or what.
Smoking is ubiquitous. Its polite for one man to offer another man a smoke to extend a hand of friendship. Most business deals involve smoking at one point or another. Even though officially the government has banned smoking in all buildings, I don't think many have gotten that memo. Everyone smokes everywhere, all the time. While they are eating non stop, on elevators, in schools of all kinds, in preschools, in all offices. Cigs are a status symbol. If you can afford the 25rmb (4 bucks) Gold pack of Fu Rong Wangs you have some middle class means, and if you can shell out 100RMB or more, then your really somebody. Cigs are given as gifts. Doctors
smoke because they often get them as gifts.
Police. People do not want to ever come into contact with them. They don't carry guns. They don't need to. People avoid them at all costs. "Flying below the radar" is the order of the day. You do not want the police to know your name. You do not want to mess with them. End of story. I have never seen a policeman chase a car down or stop them in route. Cars are stopped via dragnets. Officers simply stand on the street corner and order cars to the side. Issued tickets can be paid at the local post office or in many cases the officer will be kind enough to save you the trip and personally hand carry the cash to the post office and pay your ticket himself. :)
Ear cleaning is a fetish. Instruments are sold to clean ears, spas offer deep ear cleaning services with a light on the end of a probe (remember your mama told you "don't stick anything in your ears" and the Q-Tip(TM) box says don't even stick that soft, fuzzy thing in your ear.), and many people grow out their pinky finger fingernail (not because they are coke heads, for guess what, to dig in their ear canals). And nose picking is neck and neck, not sure which is more popular.
Hocking and Honking. Here in the "midwest" hocking and honking are beloved hobbies. You can not walk down the street without constantly dodging the landmines. If you hear someone gearing up to shoot a loogie--stand clear! In Beijing during the Olympics they the government went all out with "mind your manners" signs throughout the city reminding people guests were in town and just say no to hocking. In most major metropolitan cities such as Beijing honking and erratic driving no longer exists due to city ordinances. But here where I am, its anything goes. Pass on side streets at high rates of speed, no problem. Drive on the sidewalk, no problem. Red lights mean you continue going until you can no longer get through the intersection because green light traffic has cut you completely off. Honking is non stop. Its a warning to everyone that your coming. Taxis will get up behind someone on a bike and just lay on their horns non stop. It will hardly get a passing glance from the bicyclist, seemingly oblivious to the horn. I don't know why but there hardly ever seems to be any accidents. Everyone just seems to know his place, watches out, and seems to intuitively know where everyone else is at any given time, and they all know where you are. Here if you get hit, your just a Dumb S***. If there is a man hole cover open and you fall in. Again your just a DS. No harm no foul. Which does seem to work. You are always aware of everyone around you and they are always aware of you. There is no false sense of security, there is no the light says walk so I'm going to walk, and if someone hits me I will just sue them (if I am still alive).
Chinese are proud of their history and culture. Every person you talk to will remind you of the "5,000 year history" and will discuss many of the dynasties and emperors and ask you which one is your favorite. They all love their dear leaders, and will never have a bad word to say about Chairman Mao or others, at least in the presence of foreigners.
LaoWei. Foreigners are called a couple of different names in Chinese, and one is controversial, some people see akin to "gringo" in Mexico or "gaijin" in Japan. One term "wei guo ren" or foreigner is pretty inoucous and most people don't have a problem with, the other word "lao wei" is pretty much the same, but often is followed by laughter or heckling. Some simply use this old term and mean no harm, it may be the first time they have seen a foreigner in their life, and its simply the only term they know. Others however may feel threatened due to the long history of xenophobia after Japanese occupation etc. and they may be using the term in a more harrassing manner. Japanese. Yes they pretty much hate them. Some more vocal than others. One of the worst swear words you can call someone is Japanese Devil! A third term to describe no asian looking people is "mei guo ren" and this means "American" or "Beautiful Country American" and it is applied to ALL westerners. In the eyes of many Chinese, especially small children, everybody that is "western" is "American" much to the chagrin of my good friends from Germany and France. They really do not care to be collectively referred to as Americans at all. hehe Sorry guys! Not my fault!
Most people believe strongly in eating 3 meals a day, sleeping early, waking early, staying out of the rain or always using an umbrella lest they catch a cold, always avoiding a chill at any costs, and opening windows to "exchange air" even if its 20 below zero. I am not quite sure how they reconcile the not getting a chill and exchanging of the air, but I think the exchanging of air wins out. Also, most people, in the north, will always wear, 100% of the time, until it gets above 80 degrees, long underwear and a jacket. Offices turn the heat down to 60 or below it seems, and people wear their winter jackets and long underwear in the office to conserve electricity. Until its above 80 degrees F you won't see T Shirts at all, generally arms are always covered, lest you get a chill and come down with a cold.
Drinking hot water. Everyone believes drinking hot water all the time, for everything is the great elixir. Whatever ails you, the answer is drink piping hot water. Shops don't turn on refrigerators and sell cold beverages until it is above 80 or 90F! Drinking anything cold will give you stomach problems, stomach ulcers or something bad. They just don't do it. Even beer most of the time is served warm. Chinese are very friendly and always concerned about your health. If you sneeze, they implore you to take care of yourself, lest you catch a cold. Being concerned about someone's health and well being is considered polite.
Working together. Working together is a big part of the culture here. Group projects are seen as essential, even if you tighten one nut onto a screw as your part so to speak. You are seen as having contributed. Standing out is not seen as favorable. No individualism here. The motto here is the tall tree gets knocked down. Fly below the radar and the "bad winds" will not come your way.
People walk as a group. Safety in numbers. Arm in arm is even better. Girls hold hands.
Niceties, personal questions and lying. Complements are given freely. One will always comment on your clothes are very beautiful, your hair is very beautiful so on and so forth. But on the other side of the coin, frankness is not at all a faux pas. How old are you? Your getting little fat aren't you? Any other personal question about income, how much you paid for you house etc is never out of bounds. Lying or perhaps you want to call it "fibber McGee" or "fibbing" if it makes you feel better is seen as a perfectly acceptable excuse and will never, ever be confronted. Its like trying to "nail jello-o to the wall". In order to save face, others will back the fibber up. They will never ever be confronted or "outed" since everyone would then "lose face".
People are overall very very friendly and pretty much love Americans, American culture etc., however there is a bit of competition emerging and that may change but overall there is a love for things American or at least Western, NBA, music, Christmas etc.. Most ads on billboards or stores that want to look "modern" or upscale will feature some English words (even if they make no sense) and Western looking models. There is some animosity due to the long history of being subjected to "Gunboat Diplomacy" by the west, and some protest against this cultural trend, but nevertheless it is what it is and for now doesn't seem to be changing but even flourishing as China moves to develop and take what they see as their rightful place on the world stage. They want everything that they think a "developed" country has, and aim to have it.
Toilets. Yes they are bad. "squattie potties" everywhere, so if you come get used to getting a work out. Again, I am in the "midwest", think farming, coal mining community. Patrons eating "hot pot" might just whip off their shirt at the table. Everyone knows this is not proper etiquette and its changing as development occurs. Many people are now starting to have western style toilets in their homes. If you travel or use a city toilet out in the middle of nowhere, you might not be the same again. Its literally a hole in the ground. The stench will bring tears to your eyes and an experience your not soon to forget. But again a disclaimer because this is changing about as fast as I can write this blog. The small "2nd Tier' city of just 3 million people where I live, has essentially been leveled (or in the process) and built up again in the past couple of years alone. We have 3 new, high end luxury malls around me, just in the past year. But what gets me is you could be right next to 50,000RMB pair of Versace shoes, and still smell the stench from the toilets. I don't get it. Also as a side note, you almost always need to take your own TP. And you will hardly every find soap in the dispensers. There are just too many people and Chinese are extremely frugal and proud of it. If they can save a few pennies on soap or TP then they will do it. Nothing is wasted. And like I have said repeatedly much of this is changing as we speak with the new emerging middle class, and the larger metropolitan areas are much much more developed and advanced.
5.) Business
Everyone pretty much as read about how business works here. Its kind of the old fashioned way that was perhaps the norm of the "Machine Politics" of Tammany Hall in NY. Tributes are paid, similar to a tax. Often companies set up separate bank accounts just for this purpose. Rule of thumb is that when your business starts looking big and making a profit, someone will probably come knocking. There is a foreign owned winery here in my province and I recently read an article online in one of the business publications about how the owner had to hire additional staff just to meet with the stream of government officials and provide them with wine, pay their additional unofficial "tax" and provide many other VIP services when called upon. Its seen as a part of doing business and accepted.
The nouveau riche now have means and are in the "flaunting" luxury stage of development. If your friends and can neighbors can see your new Louis Vuitton bag, then its worth the enormous price tag. However, if your flying, why pay for first class, when your friends and neighbors can not see it, coach will do the trick. My, once backwater, coal mining city, is now dotted with 5 star restaurants, 5 star hotels (built or building now), every luxury brand imaginable and western imported grocery goods.
6.) Romance
Its not unusual for, say, a student to say they have a "boyfriend", but he lives in another province far away and they meet maybe once a year. If you ask when they will marry he or she might respond "oh in 5 years". This is totally acceptable. As long as they have somebody, even if they live far away and even if the date for nuptials is 5 years in the future, they feel secure. Generally if the boy has a "iron rice bowl" kind of job, cradle to grave government, police job etc. it is look upon favorably. Even if the pay is very very low. It is seen as secure. And in the meantime they might "date
around" to see if they can do a little better, if they can not, then they still have the secure Ace in their back pocket. Essentially relationships are more for practical reasons than for "love" per se. But like everything that is changing somewhat with the "Hollywoodization" of people and curiosity about the passionate movie version of "love". Chinese are very curious in this concept because its new to them. They like to emulate what they have seen in the movies and believe the "love" part will then emerge after these actions are carried out. Again in the past its been purely survival and practicality, there was not leisure time for this kind of triviality and angst. Wedding rings. No hard and fast rule. Sometimes on the left, sometimes right, sometimes middle finger, sometimes ring finger, often none at all.
Married women will take on lovers. There was a well publicized scandal of a high ranking woman in government and business that had what they called a "stable of some 10-15 young boys to service her". Married men are doing the same. De facto prostitution is legal. Almost every massage shop has a long menu of "additional services" and are on every corner. In many cities the the hair salons are all "fronts" for prostitution. This kind of dawned on me when I was walking down a side street in the city of Kunming or Nanning in the south, I don't recall now, but there must have been 10-20 "hair salons" with stylists chairs, mirrors etc set up, and as I walked down that street all the girls would come out and beckon me in. Now mind you I am bald! :)) They have sweeps once in a while for public show, if there has been some incident, but then things revert back to the status quo.
Weddings are big business now and malls will have tents set up to hock all kinds of wedding services. Blown up pictures are very big. At the reception hall they will now have life sized pictures, wide screen TVs with videos, life sized dolls with pics, huge blown up pics everywhere. Often one is also placed in the bride and grooms house. There is often party at the house. The bedroom is part of the "open house" and will be decked out with all new huge red comforter, blow up bride and groom pic, decorated throughout the room. Since there are not many Christians. Wedding are a civil affair, with a reception that follows. Games are played where the groom may drink quite a bit then try to lower a peg on a strong into a bottle or something to this effect. Smoking and Chinese white lightening liquor (we affectionately refer to as jet fuel), eating, games, and many toasts are a big part. Guests pay to attend the festivities in lieu of wedding gifts.
7.) Food/Drink
For the most part Chinese don't go to "bars". They have nightclubs for dancing and KTV (Karaoke) for singing. But you won't find many western style "bars" where someone would go in, belly up to the bar alone and order a scotch and water, and strike up a conversation with the gent next to him. Chinese will drink but can not hold much liquor, and often they will drink until their faces are bright red or they expunge the contents of their stomachs. When this happens whether in a restaurant or bar or on the street, it is handled pretty much matter of factly. Doesn't raise many eyebrows and people carry on about their business. People travel in groups. If they go out to a club or restaurant, they go or meet as a group. Usually alcoholic drink is only with food. And lots of toasts for anything and everything. And reason to drink. At night clubs/dance clubs a bottle of western liquor on your table, say, a bottle of Vodka or Whisky, is a major status symbol. If you can afford the 800 or 1,000 and up price tag for a bottle then you show you have some means. Most clubs will allow you to put your name on the bottle and use it the next time if you don't finish it. That way you can show up again and have a very expensive bottle in front of you to show off your status. Foreigners are often invited to sit at a table and offered drinks for free. To be seen with a foreigner at your table is also a big feather in your cap. And of course many are just curious and want to ask questions etc..
Like most cultures, food is a big part of everyday life and culture. To give you a sense when being greeted by someone you may often be asked "did you eat". Asking if someone has eaten is seen as caring about them and their health/well being. If your invited to someone's home they are sure to do their best to lay out many many dishes and encourage you to eat and eat.
Tipping. There is no tipping.
8.) Education
Students that make it into a university are seen to have "made it". Students do study pretty hard for the most part but plagiarism, payoffs to underpaid teachers for test answers, and a less than rigorous curriculum is common place. Most university are very very basic. Frugality is generally the hallmark. Students may live in 4, 6, 8, and when overcrowding occurs 10, 12, and 16 person dorms. In the north the dorms are cold, students sleep in their clothes, are not allowed space heaters, and usually only one low voltage electrical outlet per room, which if overused will trip a breaker and have to be reset by a manager. Many universities, from what I have personally seen, are just 3 and 1/2 years (the last half year students live in the dorm and look for jobs). Students with high test scores pay around 3,000-5,000RMB a year ($500-900), those with lower test scores can "buy their way in" for anywhere from 10,000 to 40,000 and up. For the most part students do study very hard, but have extreme difficulty with any kind of creativity. Rote memorization, preparing for exams, and plagiarism is typical. Due to the large population, and most average people living on very modest means, to even make it into a university at all is seen as a major accomplishment. If your in, then you "have arrived" and there is not much need to do a whole lot more.
9.) Family
China has the one child policy which has now been relaxed. In the past if you wanted more than one child, and could afford it you could take trip abroad, to Hong Kong, or simple pay the additional tax. Single children are a new, and different generation. They are accustomed to being well taken care of, and getting most of everything they want. Children are taught to always be harmonious and give a toy to little sister or little brother. Everyone is a sister or brother, usually a cousin but could even could be a friend or cowoker. Giving and sharing is a big part of ethics among parents. They will always tell the child to give to little brother or sister. Even if the child ripped the ball or toy out of their hands. They are taught to acquiesce in the sake of harmony and peace. However some kids have no qualms about fighting it out. They are told not to hit, but sometimes when one child whacks another over the head, the parents will not be too outraged, and the offending parent will just encourage the child to say they are sorry. I think in the US they would get a lawyer!
10.) Relationships
Guan xi or connections, relationships is an integral part of life. Relationship are seen as lasting for life. Once a friend always a friend. It is truly a deeper and more engrained meaning then simply networking. It is a vital and truly integral part of everything someone does. I could literally walk up to any stranger, on the street or anywhere and ask for his business card and/or mobile phone number, and they would give it to me. Making friends and networking is such an integral part of everything, that no one would ever miss the chance to meet somebody new, make friends and network with them. In their eyes they have absolutely nothing to lose, and everything to gain from this kind of encounter.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Sunday, April 15, 2012
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