Chinese oddities and tidbits…

Ni Hao! After returning to France for three and a half years and not able to find the right teaching position to fit my experience, I accepted a position in an International school in Suzhou, China…. (I have always wanted to go to Asia, just for the food!!) So, by accepting this position, I can live and work and experience the wonders of a country that is the talk of the planet now, due to the upcoming Olympic Games of 2008 in Beijing.

I must say, it is a totally different experience here than anywhere I have ever been. However, I find myself immersed in the daily Chinese lifestyle, culture, food (never had a bad meal anywhere!) and just trying to realize that I am actually in China.  I also find myself liking China more and more as long as I understand and accept certain oddities that I have discovered since arriving….which are quite astounding as far as oddities are concerned.

The first noticeable oddity here is the way they Chinese drive their cars, buses and trucks. Now you might say that the Italians and French are bad drivers or fast drivers or reckless drivers, but those two nations drive like every car has a driving school instructor in them compared to China. It actually looks like a huge real-life video game on the streets here. I was even told that the Chinese people actually learn how to drive using video games, so it is their system and it seems to function relatively well.

My first clue was when our school bus driver passed other cars and buses on the shoulder of the road and weaved in and out of traffic on the freeway as if he was the driver of a bank robbery get away car, forgetting that he had 30 small kids and 5 adults in the bus with him!

In town, as cars come to pass others on the large, well-marked roads, they all honk their horns EVERY time, to let the others know they are coming and they pass on the right and left without regard to anything or anyone else who might find themselves within proximity. Pedestrian crossings mean absolutely nothing for a pedestrian as cars just honk to tell you to get out of the way or you will become an immediate statistic. I could go on and on about driving, but there are other things I must tell you about.

It might be because of excessive pollution in the cities and a combination of humid air and pollution (I AM looking for a reason to understand this, in their defense) but the Chinese men (and quite a few women, to my surprise) have an elegant habit of spitting on the ground after loudly clearing their throats. It is quite offputting, especially when a woman does it too.

I live in a city called Suzhou, situated just west of Shanghai about 80km, a medium-sized city of about 10 million. Apartment complexes as far as the eye can see as in Shanghai (population 20 million) as well as the most gigantic and daunting buildings I have ever seen anywhere! Everything is gigantic in Shanghai, including the night light shows and city lights that are illuminated constantly.

As far as the cost of living is concerned, we live royally with our western salaries in a place where the average workers salary is under 2000 Yuan (approximately $277.00 US per month).

You can eat at very nice restaurants for two for under 13 dollars, wine and other drinks included; a taxi to school costs the same as a bus ticket in most European cities; our rent for large, new and fully-equipped apartments is under $380.00 US and you can eat regional specialties from street vendors for less then $3.00 US or have a tailor-made wool suit that fits PERFECTLY for under $100.00 US!!  Being the tall person that I am, that part is especially enticing to me, needless to say.

On the bright side, it is very refreshing to meet people on the street or in the shops as the Chinese are very friendly, helpful and very much enjoy using their English with westerners whenever they get a chance, because they know we don’t speak any Chinese worth mentioning.

They are very curious when they see a tall person like myself (2.07m) and they often want their picture taken with me or they just follow me around or stare into my grocery cart to see what a giant person likes to eat! They are friendly about it, however, so that is a fun part of being here.

It is also a refreshing concept to know that the Chinese still believe in tradition, traditional dress, customs, and history and are very proud to talk about it and to teach it to you if you show them you are interested in learning about it.

I took a weekend trip to a city called Yi Woo, the location of the largest commodities market on the planet. Six-hundred thousand square meters of shops, over one hundred thousand merchandisers. Everything and anything that is manufactured and sent to every country in the world is sold here in bulk. I left bewildered and even disgusted at the prices there compared to the mark-up of the prices of these Chinese made goods in the USA and Europe.

I am falling in love with China, little by little, as there are beautiful gardens, great food, friendly people, and gorgeous women, (oops) river boat excursions and fantastic views from the Pearl Tower, for example, in Shanghai, some 390 meters in the air, overlooking all of Shanghai—which looks like a monopoly board from that altitude!

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