In China Now: Observations

[theBruiser500]

I've been in China for 12 days now I think. A couple days in Shanghi and then the rest in Hangzhou (sp?). Everyone here is skinny, it is amazing. This city is huge, Boston is not a city compared to here, Boston is orders of magnitude smaller than this place, just out my window I can see like 5 Bostons. And in all of the people I have seen here, only about literally 3 or 4 have been overweight. None obesce.

I hear a lot about how America is taking over the world culturally, and I guess in some ways it has in China. Most of the clothes here are western (actually, it looks like people dress better here than in the US). I thought though that a lot of people would speak English here, in fact very few people do. And those people don't speak it well. Also, there are very few non-Chinese people. In fact, there are almost none, amazing to me how few Americans here. Why is that?

Maye it is just the group of people I have spent most my time with (at a Kung Fu school, like 50 students maybe, 10 teachers/staff) but the people here seem better than Americans. All the students I have met here are great people, unfailingly friendly, polite, happy. They're also more physically affectionate.

Food here is good, also a lot cheaper. $3 for a meal at Mcdonalds. I just paid $3 for a nice lunch a mall, same lunch (worse quality) would have cost like $7 in US, or $9 or $10 in airport. The waiters and waitresses are much better here. Tipping either isn't allowed or isn't a custom here.

A lot of the people here are poor. Someone here tells me tha a lot of people come into the city from the country side and are at the complete mercy of their bosses. Their bosses can make them work 7 days a week 10 hours a day or whatever, and not pay them, and if they don't like the country girl they just fire her. The country girl lives in the housing provided by her boss, so if she gets fired she has to move out and her life is completely changed. I read though in a psychology book, that a survey on happiness done around the world was basically the same in every country, irrespective of how rich the country is...

Anyone have good books to recommend on China?

[andyfox]

John Bryan Starr, Understanding China

[Dynasty]

[ QUOTE ]
Food here is good, also a lot cheaper. $3 for a meal at Mcdonalds.

[/ QUOTE ]

You went all the way to China and ate at a McDonalds?

At the very least, you should have looked around for a Chinese restaurant and ordered some chicken wings or chicken fingers deep fried the way the Chinese have been doing it for millenia.

[ML4L]

[ QUOTE ]

Maye it is just the group of people I have spent most my time with (at a Kung Fu school, like 50 students maybe, 10 teachers/staff) but the people here seem better than Americans.

[/ QUOTE ]

If someone who knows how to do stuff with digital photos, I would eternally owe you if you could superimpose Bruiser's face on the Karate Kid's body. Please.

ML4L

[theBruiser500]

I've eaten all Chinese food (I learnt how to use chopsticks too). I've had one pizza and one McDonalds, thats all.

[theBruiser500]

A few more thoughts. I really like the food here, have had dog, sheep, rabbit, quail, duck, and other stuff. The drivers here are really crazy, it is a lot of fun.

When I got here someone said "the chinese love to open windows" and I thought "um, yeah okay whatever." How could a population of people be more inclined to open windows than another group of people? Well, I don't know but the Chinese really do love to open windows. It is 30 or 40 degrees here (cloudy everyday I've been here, which I like, though not the temperature), and windows are open everywhere. Everyone walks around in their coats. My room doesn't have heat, it is very ghetto.

[Cyrus]

I hear if you break anything in china, you pay for it. [ QUOTE ]
Everyone here is skinny, it is amazing.

[/ QUOTE ]

Have you any idea at all how fat the westerners look to the chinese ?

[tek]

For fun, walk around with a book entitled "To Serve Man" /images/graemlins/grin.gif

(Twilight Zone reference...)

[elwoodblues]

[ QUOTE ]
you should have looked around for a Chinese restaurant

[/ QUOTE ]

In China, aren't Chinese Restaurants just called Restaurants?

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
Have you any idea at all how fat the westerners look to the chinese ?

[/ QUOTE ]
Well I imagine looking through those squinty eyes is kinda like looking in a carnival mirror. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[KingMarc]

[ QUOTE ]
I really like the food here, have had dog

[/ QUOTE ]

:-X

[Bubbagump]

[ QUOTE ]
This city is huge, Boston is not a city compared to here, Boston is orders of magnitude smaller than this place, just out my window I can see like 5 Bostons.... Maye it is just the group of people I have spent most my time with (at a Kung Fu school, like 50 students maybe, 10 teachers/staff)

[/ QUOTE ]

Just curious, your profile does not specify where you are from but in your post you compare Boston to either Shanghi or Hangzhou and you also mention you are in China with a Kung Fu School. Is the school you are in China with Boston Based? If so, which school?

Bubbagump

[1800GAMBLER]

How come you're there?

[jakethebake]

Me: Here now, Bruiser. Let's see if your Snake Style is better than my Crane Style.

Bruiser: I must avenge my master. Aaaaaaaiiieeeee!

Old Merchant Man: Come now. Please don't fight. Please don't fight.

Me: Get out of the way, Old Man.

Bruiser: You have disgraced my school for the last time.

Me: Uh? You think you're so tough?

Bruiser: Come on then. I will beat you like a dog.

[AncientPC]

Glad you're having fun in China. Keep in mind Shanghai is more expensive than the rest of China too. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[theBruiser500]

"Is the school you are in China with Boston Based? If so, which school?"

Not sure exactly how it works. Master Hu (sp?), runs a school in South Windsor, I think this is also his school in Hangzhou. He is small, I haven't seen him do much kung fu but he when he did a little he looked excellent at it. He's been in some movies too. He's also a great host, smiles and laughs a lot, makes other people laugh, and can drink a lot.

[Cyrus]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Have you any idea at all how fat the westerners look to the chinese ?

[/ QUOTE ] Well I imagine looking through those squinty eyes is kinda like looking in a carnival mirror.

[/ QUOTE ]

I saw that one coming all the way from China.

[knifeandfork]

bruiser which route did you take flying in? in two trips to japan i saw two obese japanese women a few more fat men but 0 online pro sizers. the only thing cheap in japan though was the japanese food (yum yum) once i got the balls to just eat and not ask or look.50 % of those under 40 spoke some english only half of those enough to give coherent directions. drawing a few similarities here, and when you go "out" shop around for good deals it made a huge difference for me (but if everythings cheap it may be different). also in tokyo there are two large districts where most europeans and americans hang out, dunno of course if this is the same there. this post is pretty worthless i guess but just thought id share. if it wasnt for the damn 14 hour flight...... enjoy it you might not get to go back.
jason

[Wayfare]

Whoops, you're a racist.

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
Whoops, you're a racist.

[/ QUOTE ]
Not really. I just have a sense of humor.

[BigF]

Have to ask this question. Do people there play poker? A lot of Chinese guys like to gamble but I don't think a lot of them are playing Texas Hold'em. With a population of 1.3 billion and a booming economy... Drooling over the prospect of .... you know what.