Written by Greg
|
05 July 2010
I don't want you to get the wrong idea from my last post about China, so here's 5 things about China that puts a smile on my face...
POULTRY PERSPECTIVE - Fried chicken hearts, marinated feet and crispy heads...The parts of a chicken that we discard and don't think twice about are considered the most valuable ingredients in Chinese cooking. They couldn't care less about the breasts and thighs that we cherish so much in the West. And do you know what that means? 40 cents per breast, that's what.
SPONTANEOUS DANCING/EXERCISING - Why is that woman strolling down the street flapping her arms like a bird? And what about that guy who look's like he's doing John Cleese's "Silly Walks" routine? They're exercising of course! As long as you're moving something, you're burning calories. Sometimes I get inspired when one of these health conscious members of the community walk by, and start smacking myself about the face, hoping to burn off that ice cream I ate for desert. As for the dancing - it starts off with one person setting up a small PA system on a sidewalk to play some pop music. All by their lonesome, they'll begin to go through a set sequence of dance steps, much like line dancing. And as people pass by, you'll see one or two of them join in, and before you know it, 300 people are all dancing along to a horrible rendition of "That don't impress me much" by Shania Twain. It is quite a sight to behold, let me tell you.
I'm still secretly holding my breath for a big group of people to break out in a Kung Fu fight before I leave though...
FOOD - There's a bit more to Chinese cuisine than Guo Bao Rou (Sweet and Sour Pork). The noodles, soups, steamed buns stuffed with everything you can think of, and more bbq shacks than you can shake a stick at. And it's all cheap, filling and extremely delicious. And as Changchun has such a strong Korean influence, it's easy to find a place to stuff your face with kimchi. And even better? Most buffets have uniimited beer as well. Zing! Mind you free food and many, many rounds of beer can easily lead to the "Ok, now try eating that" game. Which can be very dangerous with a full belly.
PEOPLE - When they're not staring at you, Chinese people are really nice people. Like bend-over-backwards-to-help-you nice. Struggling to shop at the grocery store, not making heads or tails of a menu or simply waiting in line for the ATM, you'll find someone with a big smile on their face, offering to help you out. Though I've experienced this throughout the world, China's sense of Guanxi - the strong importance of relationships, obligation and reciprocation of favours, lead the society as a whole to "help out" more than usual. Who says we can't all be friends?
COST OF LIVING - I take taxis everywhere, eat out at least 4 times a week, and always have a wad of cash in my pocket. I also send 75% of my salary back to Canada every month. How? Because it's sooo cheap to live here. Those 40 cent chicken breasts, $2.50 meals or $2.00 cab rides allow you to live quite comfortably. And by other foreigner's standards, I'm living quite frugally. On the flip side, from a local's point of view - it can be considered quite lavish. (The subject of wages and manpower in China will be discussed in another post). If you're looking for the most bang for your buck when planning a vacation - China, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia are all great options. I can't begin to fathom what kind of lifestyle I could lead if I kept all of my money here....
