Blogging from a computer locked in Mandarin is not an easy experience, I'm actually kind of shocked how much techno-navigation happens by muscle memory, I can even turn off pop-up blocker without reading a single warning screen, just hitting the Yes button over and over.
Anyway, this is coming from Turpan, one of the hottest cities in the world (not too bad today). The past week or so has been quite an adventure, but as usual I don't have enough time to really sit down and write about it. I've seen some hair-raising things (10 year old smoke a cig, a dead baby at a Tibetan sky burial site) and incredible things (Tibet was amazing, the Gobi is beautiful) but all those stories will have to wait. I'm also getting along really well with all the people in my group, which is nice. We are all starting to get anxious to get back to Beijing and start school, but we still have another 5 days in the Xinjian area, a part of China much closer culturally and ethnically to the middle East than to China.
For now I need to note, and expand upon later, some of the mannerisms and differences between everyone else in the world and the Chinese.
You can never: stick your chopsticks in your rice, it reminds people of funerals. Spend too much time talking about the number 4, it sounds like the word for death. Spit in a napkin, its much better to just spit it on the floor. Put toilet paper in the toilet. Ask for a Happy Ending when getting a haircut, hair salons are oftentimes brothels. Refer to a young woman as "Miss", she will think you think she works in a hair salon, making sure customers leave happy.
You should: Spit anywhere you want. Laugh when you feel awkard. Say "Hello" really really loudly whenever you see a white person. Stare, touch, spit upon, steal from, embrace or sexually proposition any white person you happen to see. When selling a t-shirt worth $2, start by asking for $20 and when offered less than $15 scream "You are crazy! Crazy white man, a-leave-a-my-store".
There are so, so many more, but I need to get these out there so as not to forget. I leave you with some Chinglish (the fantastic version of English spoken by the Chinese) seen in a local park.
"Please to remember, this here park is tip-top, meant for enjoyment of all. Please, keep clean, be ready to defend the purity. If you see soiling of park-area, remove your cudgel and fight for the cleanleeness of this here park"
Anyway, this is coming from Turpan, one of the hottest cities in the world (not too bad today). The past week or so has been quite an adventure, but as usual I don't have enough time to really sit down and write about it. I've seen some hair-raising things (10 year old smoke a cig, a dead baby at a Tibetan sky burial site) and incredible things (Tibet was amazing, the Gobi is beautiful) but all those stories will have to wait. I'm also getting along really well with all the people in my group, which is nice. We are all starting to get anxious to get back to Beijing and start school, but we still have another 5 days in the Xinjian area, a part of China much closer culturally and ethnically to the middle East than to China.
For now I need to note, and expand upon later, some of the mannerisms and differences between everyone else in the world and the Chinese.
You can never: stick your chopsticks in your rice, it reminds people of funerals. Spend too much time talking about the number 4, it sounds like the word for death. Spit in a napkin, its much better to just spit it on the floor. Put toilet paper in the toilet. Ask for a Happy Ending when getting a haircut, hair salons are oftentimes brothels. Refer to a young woman as "Miss", she will think you think she works in a hair salon, making sure customers leave happy.
You should: Spit anywhere you want. Laugh when you feel awkard. Say "Hello" really really loudly whenever you see a white person. Stare, touch, spit upon, steal from, embrace or sexually proposition any white person you happen to see. When selling a t-shirt worth $2, start by asking for $20 and when offered less than $15 scream "You are crazy! Crazy white man, a-leave-a-my-store".
There are so, so many more, but I need to get these out there so as not to forget. I leave you with some Chinglish (the fantastic version of English spoken by the Chinese) seen in a local park.
"Please to remember, this here park is tip-top, meant for enjoyment of all. Please, keep clean, be ready to defend the purity. If you see soiling of park-area, remove your cudgel and fight for the cleanleeness of this here park"
posted by Tim | 4:02 AM
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