Although I read books and newspapers, and watched plenty of movies between two China focused courses it’s safe to say there is no substitute for fully embracing an entirely new culture. Take a look at ten reflections I’ve made on my experience in Beijing and the Great Wall.
- Utilizing Resources
One thing that is an obvious difference between China and the United States is the food. The Chinese eat food that many American’s would not consider edible, but what I quickly learned is you can eat just about any part of any animal and there is a good chance that it is actually nutritious. At an outdoor food market, I watched my classmates eat starfish, scorpions, snakes and even a sheep’s penis. Although I would say this is a specialty food market, even the nicest restaurants in the city serve food many people would look at in disgust. On Thanksgiving we went to a nice meal at restaurant specializing in peaking duck and I will say that the duck was delicious. By duck, I mean the whole duck including the head, liver, kidneys and everything possibly edible in between. Consistently I was served new foods or new parts of food at every restaurant. With so many mouths to feed it is no surprise to me that the Chinese have learned how to utilize all of the recourses they have. I can see how some look upon American’s as being wasteful, as there are so many parts of animals that we could, but don’t normally eat.
- Where is the originality?
From the markets on the street, to the shops around the great wall, art was not hard to find. However, art that seemed original was hard to find as almost every art stand had the same exact set of paintings. I thought the paintings were all very nice and I bought two, however when the woman selling them to me told me they were hand painted I don’t know if I entirely believed her after seeing so many of the same paintings everywhere I went. Then when Colin Frost and I were walking down the street, two Chinese college art students asked if we wanted to see their art gallery. They were art students at a nearby university and their work most definitely showed their talent, however I felt as if I had seen all of these paintings before. That is when I realized how different American’s think than the Chinese. We value art not only on its aesthetic beauty, but it’s originality and the creativity of the artist. The artist explained the themes and said they were popular themes in China. However, when it comes to architecture, I don't know if I've ever seen more talented and creative work in my life. Even the simplest parts of building often had intricate and detailed designs.
- Living Like a Celebrity
During my week in China I have been apart of more family photos than I think I have been in my entire life. Being Caucasian and dressing like an American makes you stick out like a sore thumb in China, however this led to many great conversations and interactions that I don’t think I would have had other wise. Within my first five minutes of walking the streets of Beijing I was interviewed on my opinion of the city and as the week progressed complete strangers would constantly approach us looking to take pictures with us. Some of these people were old, some were young, but all were extremely friendly and excited to be with Americans. Those who could speak English were very curious about our story and our opinion of China. The best conversation was with one of the art students I mentioned in the previous reflection. We talked about our families, school, business and policies our different countries have. One thing in particular I thought that was interesting was how content they seemed with the one child policy. If that were a policy I would have to live under I would be openly critical about the subject rather than just blindly accepting the status quo. They may have opinions that they just do not share, but either way I’m glad that it is in our culture to openly criticize and question authority.
Here's a shot Anya took of Colin and I during our interview.
- More Money, More Problems.
One of the not so flattering characteristics of many of the Chinese who have anything at all they could possibly sell is their aggressive sales tactics. When people see group American tourists, they see money. It’s hard to so much as to shoot a glance at a product without someone hassling you to buy whatever it is you’re looking at. Never take something that is handed to you unless you are prepared for a tough time to hand it back or to buy it. Even if you purchase the item, you are immediately prompted to purchase something else. This is why I quickly learned to not look at any stand unless I’m prepared to be rude and walk away mid sales pitch. The annoying sales people were especially bad at tourist spots at the Great Wall as they would shout and scream for you to buy their product. I had to get used to not feeling like a complete jerk by ignoring someone who is clearly talking to you. Even two men dressed as ancient samurai’s who came up to us looking to take pictures with us quickly pinched there fingers together looking for money. In addition the two girls who showed me there art exhibit quickly ended their tour with, what are you going to buy? One time I went to the bathroom and was expected to pay a man after he turned the faucet on for me, put soap in my hands and handed me towels. I didn’t like these types of interactions because they made me feel as if I was being stolen from. What can I do, slap the soap out of his hands and say no?
- City Wealth
My China Consumerism class proved to be relatively spot on as we analyze the spending habits of the Chinese. The streets of Beijing were packed with a variety of different stores, many of which were geared towards the rich. BMW’s, Mercedes, and especially Audi’s were extremely popular on the streets. In Beijing, many people dress to impress as designer looking fashions were extremely popular throughout the streets. Next to some people I felt underdressed to ride the subway.
- The Great Wall
The great wall was possibly the most beautiful man made structure I have ever seen. The amount of people and time that has gone into creating this incredible wall is difficult to even imagine. For our first trip to the wall I’d say the views were a touch more spectacular, however my favorite section of the wall had to be our second stop. This section of the wall was clear of tourists and had little to no restoration done from its original form which allowed me to really take in the experience of the wall and the surrounding nature. Although the other sites provided a lift ride up and an awesome toboggan down, it lacked the sense of adventure I got from exploring the old wall.
As powerful as the Mongols were at the time of the walls creation, even Genghis Khan must have felt intimidated by the seemingly endless walls climbing over even the most treacherous mountains.
Here are a few photos I took of what invaders were up against.
- Reality Check
One of the most beneficial aspects of traveling abroad is gaining a new perspective on the world and the various people with in it. While hiking the great wall we stumbled past an abandon home crafted out of wood, straw and newspaper. In the surrounding fields left the remains what was left of a farm. I found this scene allowed me to paint a picture of how many rural, hardworking Chinese have to live. I think it really puts into perspective how luxurious my life is in comparison with so many people. When Peter Hessler describes rural living in his book country driving, I feel that he is not too far off from what I saw in my brief encounter with Chinese rural life. He says he met a farmer who makes only $200 a year and considering I spent over double that in my one week stay that does not seem like enough income to survive. At times when I feel like I am a little too low on cash for comfort I will think of this rural community as a reminder to how fortunate I really am. Here is a photo I took that day of a man herding sheep and one Colin took of me at the house.
- Forgive and Forget?
Without seeing the documentary about Tiananmen Square in class visiting the real place would have had little to no meaning to me. After visiting I could see how that place must have been incredibly powerful place to advocate advancement for your country. It’s center city location, with close proximity to the portrait of Mao, in an iconic public place must have really hit the Chinese government hard when the people took over the square. I find it interesting how it is set up now so that could never happen again with heavy security with both guards and cameras. I also found it interesting how they have an enormous monitor at the top of the square displaying beautiful images of people and places around China as way to say look at how great our country is. This was a very strategic move, as the government attempts to destroy the association the square has with the tragedy that occurred there.
- Skateboarding in Beijing
Skateboarding in Beijing was quite an adventure from dodging rickshaws in busy streets to cruising through Hutongs. It was cool to move quickly through the city covering much more ground than if we were to walk. It seemed that many people have never seen or rarely see skateboarding. Being starred at was common and if we stayed in an area for long enough a few people would stop and watch every once in a while. On two occasions young boys with their parents would come up to Colin and I and we would make what little small talk we could. We would try to get them to try skateboarding, but in both instances, they were too shy. I was surprised that they did not want to try because they were clearly very interested as one child watched us for about 15 minutes and would show excitement if we landed a trick. I thought this was interesting in comparison with experience with rambunctious American kids who have jumped on my skateboard the moment I offer. I think this exemplifies how the Chinese culture is to be generally a little more reserved.
Here's a video of Colin Frost and I skating and snowboarding in Beijing.
- Snowboarding in a Ghost Town
How do you get away from crowds in one of the largest cities in the world? You go skiing or snowboarding at Qiaobo right in Beijing. On our last day in China we went skiing and snowboarding indoors and had a great time loosening up before a 12 and a half hour flight. I found the snow quality to be surprisingly good and we had the slopes all to ourselves. Although, I am certainly not complaining I found it rather odd that no one was there except for a large number of staff and a hilariously unnecessary security guard. The shops inside were run down and empty indicating that the slow days at Qiaobo don’t end on the weekends. This makes me wonder how long it will be before skiing and snowboarding become popular in China?
