How poor Chinese people live in China. Antiquity and littered grandeur. Educational system of the People's Republic of China
It would be nice to go to China! With these words began the story of Anna's move from Irkutsk to China, where she has already lived for five years. Anna shared her experience of living in this country: how to move to China for permanent residence, is life expensive in China and what are the prices in stores in China, salaries, real estate and life hacks, as well as a lot of other useful and interesting information.
— Tell us a little about yourself.
- Hello. My name is Anna. My Chinese name is consonant - also Anna, but with an emphasis on the last “A”. I am originally from Irkutsk, and have been living in China for five years. I studied Chinese for the first year at a university in Dalian, then moved to Beijing. My career is inextricably linked with marketing, journalism and PR. In Russia, I devoted more time to television journalism, in China I worked briefly on the Russian channel of Chinese central television, but there I was terribly bored and after six months I left. Now – marketing in all its manifestations.
— How long have you been living in China? Why did you choose this country?
— By the standards of expats who come for contracts abroad, I have been living here for quite a long time. According to my feelings, on average foreigners come for three years. I've been here for five years. Why did I choose China? But I didn’t choose (laughs.)
Five years ago I was sitting on the balcony rented apartment in Irkutsk. That day I lost my job and broke up with the man who, as it seemed to me at the time, was supposed to be my “everything.” How naive! I sat and thought, “It’s time to change something in life, just changing your hairstyle will clearly not be enough...” At that moment the phone rang. Dad called. He asked: “Daughter, how are you?” I answered that it could be better, shared my thoughts that I wanted to change everything, even the country. Dad asked what I wanted to do? I replied that the first thing that came to mind was: “It would be nice to go to China!” And dad without hesitation said: “Get ready!” Two weeks later I was already at the airport.
China then came to mind simply because I had a lot of business trips here during the year.
— Your favorite place in China.
“I have traveled the length and breadth of China. There are a lot of places that I like: Shanghai is modern and stylish, Beijing is more authentic and traditional, and in the south, in Guilin, it’s crazy beautiful nature. So I can’t immediately name my favorite place. China is a very noisy country, loud. When I'm tired, my favorite place is my apartment)))
- Tell me interesting facts about China.
— China is so different that there is something surprising here every day. Moreover, both for good and for bad. Recently, I was delighted and surprised to learn the life story of the last emperor of China, Pu Yi. I visited where he lived. I have a whole series of posts about this on Instagram (@anka_kitayanka), there are also interesting facts about China. It turns out that he was even in prison in Khabarovsk and Chita. I describe a lot of life stories on my Instagram, and as a rule, this is exactly what I found interesting.
— Your life hacks about China.
- First and foremost: they don’t go to someone else’s monastery with their own charter. If you are categorically not ready to put up with differences in mentality, culture, education, and other way of life in general, stay at home. If the word tolerance is not familiar, then it is better not to try it at all. In China, even more so, because many things here are radically different from what we Russians are used to.
- When it's delicious, it's better not to ask what exactly you're eating.
- In order to live more comfortably in China, I recommend knowing the language at least a little. They often say about Russians that we are cold, we don’t smile. Which is true. But try! A simple smile and goodwill solve many issues.
- Sometimes the magic word that helps best is [ting bud dong], which means “I don’t understand.” Well, it’s true that in some situations it’s better to pretend that you don’t speak Chinese at all.
— Do you miss Russia? Would you like to go back?
— I miss my family and friends. There is no country as such, I don’t miss it. My life in China is much higher than in Russia, so I’m not even thinking about returning yet. I am planning to move to another country in the near future.
— It was difficult to adapt to life in new country after moving?
— The most difficult thing was the language barrier. At that time I could only speak Russian, even English was at the level of “es”, “know”, “hello”, and only if no one scared me. Otherwise, it was and is an endless adventure. It was funny for me to go to the local market and pretend to be chicken wings to find and buy them. It was funny to me when, instead of beef kebabs, I ordered bull egg kebabs. I liked to figure out how to pay for electricity, water and gas, how to install Wi-Fi, how to get from point A to point B and not get lost. I even found it funny when I was in Chinese New Year I mixed up the stations and didn’t make it on time to catch my train, made all the staff at the station where I was, and they put me on another train while standing, on their ears. One day in January, I sat at Shanghai airport for ten hours because my flight was canceled and asked a Chinese woman to look after my coat while I went to the information desk. She kindly agreed. She returned - no Chinese woman, no coat. January. But I still think that she didn’t steal it, but tidied it up, because she thought that we would meet later, when we were all taken to the flight. And I have a million such stories.
— What do you need to move to China for permanent residence?
- Wish. Understanding what to do here. I chose the most for myself easy way. First of all, I went to study Chinese at Dalian Polytechnic University. This is the easiest way to get a visa and stay in the country legally. To do this, of course, you need to take care of finances in advance. Without languages in China, and probably like everywhere else, it is very difficult. By the way, permanent residence here is conditional. There is a work visa and a work permit. That is, as long as you have a legal job, you’re fine. There are no green cards here, even if you get married, there are still no. A foreigner can open a business only in partnership with the Chinese; a foreigner cannot buy real estate.
— What difficulties did you encounter when moving to China?
— It wasn’t difficult to move. At first I was scared that it wouldn't work out. But I’m stubborn)) For some time it was not comfortable because there was no familiar surroundings nearby. Long live video calls and instant messengers.
— How do the Chinese treat Russians?
— With respect and partly with admiration. When taxi drivers answer that I am from Russia, they begin: “Oh! A! Very good! Putin is great!” Older generation They can even say a few words in Russian like “holoso”, “thank you”.
— Dear Life in China?
— Life in Beijing is expensive. Prices are unreasonably high. But salaries are correspondingly higher than in small Chinese cities.
- According to my feelings for comfortable life You need an income of at least $1500 per month. It makes no sense to consider buying an apartment, since foreigners cannot purchase real estate in China.
- You can rent a decent room in the central part of the city for $500 a month. 1-room apartment 20 minutes from the very center of the city - about $1000 dollars. By the way, there is no monthly payment, only quarterly. And when you rent a house in China, you must immediately pay a deposit equal to a month’s stay (it must be returned upon departure, but often agents are cunning and find a million reasons not to return the deposit), and you also have to pay a commission to the agency. If the rent is above $1,000, then you can insist that the commission be paid by the owner of the apartment or in half. Real estate in China, or rather rental housing, is the main expense item.
- I spend about $500 a month on food, entertainment, gym, clothes, taxis. You can further reduce this amount. Chinese food is cheap, and if you cook it at home, it will be even cheaper.
- If you use public transport, this will also reduce costs. Metro – 3 yuan, bus – 2 yuan. It costs about $300 a year for electricity, water, and gas. Lunch in a Chinese restaurant per person - $10, in a European restaurant - $20. Dinner is a little more expensive.
- Prices in stores in China: half a kilo of beef - $5, pork - $4, chicken - $3. Bread – $1 (but it is not tasty, sweet), I buy our bread for $3, a 0.6 liter carton of milk – $1 (but the milk is not natural).
— How are things going with work in China for Russians? Is proficiency in Chinese required to apply for a job?
— It seems to me that it is becoming more difficult for Russians to find work in China. There are a huge number of offers for carriers English language. We have to prove that we can and can do it too. However, since we are not native English speakers, salaries are reduced in almost all areas. Salaries for middle management are about 1700-2000 dollars. But Russians, as a rule, have lower salaries - 1200-1400 dollars. This is very little for Beijing. I work in a foreign company where I am the only Russian. I have English and Chinese skills. And I was incredibly lucky! As I already said, I do marketing.
In principle, there is miscellaneous work in China for Russians. It's easy to find teaching jobs here. But this is possible for native speakers. Non-native speakers, of course, can also find such work, but this raises the question of official employment. By law, English teachers cannot hire a non-native speaker without a diploma. Some small training centers still hire people, but there are some terrible conditions there, it’s unclear what kind of visa, every time there’s an inspection, foreigners have to run and hide. I don’t consider such options for myself. There is a lot of work in nightclubs, also a dubious area and employment. Girls should sit and drink with guests. Hello liver! This type of work pays well, about $300 per night. No prostitution.
In general, there is nothing to do here without professional knowledge of English. And now Chinese is becoming a mandatory item on a resume.
— Is there good medicine in China? Is it paid?
— For foreigners medical care completely paid. Therefore, when applying for a job, it is very important to check with the employer what insurance is included in the contract. By law, insurance is required when applying for a job, but different companies different conditions. In some places, according to insurance, you can only get emergency care in a Chinese hospital, in others, insurance allows you to go to private foreign clinics and even dentistry is covered. I recommend that everyone who lives in China buy insurance, otherwise the bill for the services provided turns into an unaffordable amount.
Medicine in China is a mix of traditional Eastern medicine with Western medicine. In theory, the doctor should ask you what you prefer. But in a city hospital they most likely won’t ask; in a private hospital for foreigners they will definitely ask. The difference in Eastern and Western medicine is in the approaches. In the first case, you will most likely be prescribed a bunch of herbal remedies, in the second - something chemical, but this will help much faster. The Chinese prefer the first option, while foreigners prefer the second.
— Is it true that the Chinese can now have two children?
- Is it true. To do this, they need to obtain permission for a second child from the local administration. This law was introduced just a few years ago. And according to the latest data, the expected baby boom did not happen. There are several reasons given. Firstly, the Chinese, who grew up in a “one family, one child” environment, experience a break in the pattern. They just don't know how to raise two. Secondly, the younger generation of Chinese, in principle, is in no hurry to start families and children.
—Are you traveling? What does this give you?
- Yes, I’m traveling. If possible, I try to go somewhere for all long weekends, holidays and holidays. I love traveling both within China and abroad. I'm in love with southeast Asia! And in China itself there are so many places worthy of attention!
For me, traveling is an opportunity to recharge my batteries. No other entertainment gives me as many emotions and impressions as new places and people!
— Your advice and wishes to those wishing to move to China for permanent residence.
- Don't be afraid! And everything will work out! But seriously, it’s still worth preparing for the move in advance. Starting from job search to fluency in English and Chinese.
Interviewed by Olga Avrah
China is, without exaggeration, another planet; its population lives by its own laws, different from those that rule in the so-called “civilized” world.
Faktrum tells what's wrong with modern China.
1. The problem of counterfeits is bigger than you think.
Everyone knows that craftsmen from the Middle Kingdom create millions of counterfeit goods disguised as products large companies- Chinese Louis Vuitton and Gucci bags flood the markets of all countries of the world, and Chinese versions of Apple devices have long become the talk of the town. In addition to gadgets and branded clothing, archaeological and paleontological artifacts (say, dinosaur fossils) and even... Meat are counterfeited in China.
Counterfeiting of banknotes is extremely common in the country - even ATMs can give you counterfeit money
In the country, there are quite common cases of selling the meat of rats, foxes and minks under the guise of, for example, lamb, so when traveling around the Middle Kingdom, carefully observe where the seller gets the desired product from. If he separated a piece of meat from a completely reliable-looking carcass before your eyes, you can take it, but if they try to sell you something that does not inspire confidence, it is better to refrain from buying a “delicacy” of dubious origin. Many tourists are shocked by the sight of carcasses hanging right in the windows, but this is not just native exoticism - this is how the butchers signal to customers: “They sell good meat here, without deception.”
In China, they counterfeit everything that can be counterfeited, including school textbooks. Needless to say, counterfeiting of banknotes is extremely common in the country - even ATMs can give you counterfeit money.
2. China is riddled with bureaucracy and inefficiency.
Be prepared to spend hours answering questions and signing documents in Chinese government and commercial institutions. It couldn't be easier to exchange a couple of counterfeit banknotes! Give your passport for scanning, fill out a dozen forms and go through officials to get some stamps.
A huge number of officials, tons of official papers and “strict control over everything” actually have virtually no effect on the standard of living of the Chinese (rather, they even worsen it). The most telling example is the disgusting quality of buildings, roads and infrastructure. Once Qiu Baoxing himself, deputy head of the Ministry of Construction, said that average term service life of buildings under construction in the country is from 25 to 30 years. Information regularly comes from the Celestial Empire about collapsed bridges, suddenly appearing gaps in highways and similar incidents, but the ruling party prefers to talk about “the great achievements of the Chinese people” and not about “minor misunderstandings,” such as the death of dozens of workers under the rubble of new buildings.
3. For the Chinese, white people are a “fashion accessory”
Some large Chinese corporations hire Americans and Europeans to sit in their offices, creating the appearance of “success” and attracting new clients. By appearing in public in the company of white people, the Chinese increase their social status in the eyes of others - in other words, whites play the role of “expensive trinkets.”
Often, when hiring, skin color is more important than professional skills - having an ethnic European on your staff is much more prestigious than, for example, an African American, even if the latter has higher qualifications. Many establishments literally offer free drinks to whites from the doorstep and do their best to retain such enviable customers. A European or American behind the bar is the best advertisement!
The Chinese are literally crazy about “white” culture - more and more settlements are appearing in the country, built in traditional European or American style, not to mention the fact that almost every city has a copy of some world-famous architectural landmark of the Old or New World.
4. The government controls everything. Absolutely everything!
The desire of the Chinese Communist Party to control citizens has long been the subject of not only rumors, but even legends. Of course, some of these shocking “facts” are greatly exaggerated, but many mundane aspects of the lives of, for example, Chinese civil servants would not be dreamed of by a resident democratic country and in a nightmare.
In China, the party decides what is good for the people of the country and what is bad - so, one day one of the officials of Hubei Province ordered his subordinates to smoke more to increase tax revenues from cigarette sales
Let's say all the women working in government institutions, must undergo regular gynecological examinations to confirm their commitment to the party’s “one child policy.” Against this background, the practice of distributing discount cards from Chinese abortion clinics through pregnancy tests looks quite harmless, although, for example, in some conservative American states this would provoke a huge scandal.
In China, the party decides what is good for the people of the country and what is bad - for example, one of the officials in Hubei province once ordered his subordinates to smoke more in order to increase tax revenues from the sale of cigarettes and thereby boost the economy of the region. Recently, family relationships have also been in the sphere of government interests - a couple of years ago a law was passed according to which every Chinese is obliged to take care of their elderly relatives. If elderly parents live separately, children must visit them at certain intervals; if this requirement is not observed, relatives have the right to sue. We can talk for a long time about the bizarre turns of the course of the ruling party of China, but it is best to visit this amazing country and see everything with your own eyes!
Alien among centers
When you come to Asia for a period longer than the validity of a tourist visa, you have only two options. Either you accept Asia with all your heart and discover that from now on you cannot live without it, or you get a nervous tic and run towards the airport, cursing the locals for their habits, appearance, language, climate, food and everything else.
I saw both categories of laowai - that's what the locals call us, assuring us that it just means “foreigner”. And keeping silent about the fact that this is, rather, something like an ironic “foreigner,” that is, a creature standing at a completely different stage of development than the Chinese - a resident of the Center of the World, a citizen of the great Middle State (this is how the self-name of China is translated - Zhongguo). And one should not be deceived into thinking that this level in the Chinese consciousness is higher than their own, the Chinese. In China, it is generally easy for a foreigner to fall into delusions, which is why they treat laowai with a grin, sometimes open, sometimes carefully hidden.
This important point. You will always be a laova here, even if you master the language perfectly, learn a couple of dialects, reach heights in calligraphy, become a master of wushu - you will bathe in compliments and sincere admiration of the locals for your abilities, but you will remain a “foreigner”. You will never become “one of us.” If you approach this with calm understanding or even humor, life in China can become very comfortable, interesting and not particularly troublesome. At least that's what we can hope for. And those who come here with missionary intentions and a desire to fight a culture that is at least five thousand years old inevitably suffer fiasco of varying degrees of drama.
© KHH 1971 / GETTYIMAGES.COM
To accept China in my heart did not mean to become more Chinese than the Chinese themselves. I don’t arrange my furniture according to Feng Shui, I don’t wear scarlet silk robes with golden dragons embroidered on them. I don’t listen to folk opera (or rather, I listen - together with my Chinese neighbors from above, big fans of it, but I no longer suffer from it like a toothache). But China has changed me a lot. I began to look at many things differently. Only one thing has remained unchanged, for which I love the Celestial Empire most of all - almost daily surprise and admiration for the life that boils in its cities and villages. Every day brings such amazing observations and discoveries that you can’t help but feel like a child looking in amazement at the vast world.
Chinese hard work
Everyone knows: the Germans are punctual, the French are the most skillful lovers, Americans are all cowboys, and Russians drink vodka from a samovar and ride bears. And the Chinese are hardworking. They have no greater joy in life than to work hard. And we even have a song about them, about how the sun rises over the Yellow River, and the Chinese walk into the field, clutching a handful of rice in their fist, and carrying portraits of Mao...
In fact, of course, the Chinese are no different from other people in this regard. Nothing human is alien to them. They also avoid work at the first opportunity. They also like to eat well and take a nap after eating, right at their workplace. Although no, this is what they love most of all in the world, but this is a topic for a separate article.
Their diligence - in study, work - is often based on fear. In front of parents. Before society. Before the future. The demand is very strict, from childhood, that’s the way of the East. This makes you sad and you remember being in the army. The first six months of my service I worked hard: I dug holes, filled them up and dug new ones. Digged trenches. Carrying it in my hands curb stones- there was no trolley allowed - from the checkpoint to the guardhouse, it’s a kilometer and a half across the entire part. I painted something, pulled something, loaded it... Was I hardworking then? Not really. But my work and the work of other “spirits” was monitored by Sergeant Ivakhnenko, the size of a breeding bull and with approximately the same character. His blows were all-crushing. There were no options, we had to work.
The work of many Chinese is exactly like this - forced and not particularly meaningful. Where it should be done quickly and well, the Chinese will spend a long time poking around, gluing, tying, patching up constantly, so that in the end everything will fall apart and they will have to start again. They can do it quickly, but this speed is reminiscent of the “demobilization chord” - somehow in record time to restore “beauty” so that it all, as usual, falls apart after delivery.
© PHILIPPE ROY
The Chinese are not hardworking. But they are very hard-working. That is, where I or someone like me is overwhelmed by unbearable working conditions, the Chinese will work with a serene expression on his face. And for this they deserve both respect and praise. It is these hard-working ant-people, short, dark-faced, dressed in baggy blue uniforms, who create grandiose new buildings, multi-level interchanges that will take your breath away, roads are laid, streets are swept, goods are transported...
The work ethic of the Chinese is incredible. It amazes foreigners living in China no less than the realization of the complete failure of the myth of Chinese industriousness.
Such is the paradox.
Amazing - close
China constantly surprises.
On a thick and warm Shanghai evening, my wife and I walked along a bridge over some regional river. It was stuffy, humid, as if in a huge greenhouse. Over our heads they were thrown back and forth bats. Clouds, yellowish from the smog and lighting, were crawling, rain was brewing, which would not make it any cooler or lighter. We hurried home. Suddenly, in the darkness, something small, oblong, similar to a turtle appeared right in front of us. It was a real turtle. She floated silently in the air, swaying slightly at our eye level, almost touching our faces. We froze. Lightning flashed, and then an old man on a bicycle emerged from the pre-storm air. In fact, he taxied from behind us, and he wrapped a rope around the turtle and held the end of this very rope in his outstretched hand. He wanted to sell it to us for evening soup. But, hearing foreign speech, out of delicacy, he silently sneaked behind us across the bridge on a bicycle and decided to seduce us by simply showing us his excellent product: what can I say, after all, the laowai are still unreasonable and do not understand Chinese speech.
© SHIRLYN LOO
We bought a turtle from him. The happy old man rushed away into the darkness, and we went down to the river in search of suitable place, where we could release our purchase. I don’t know what her fate would be like next. But I remember my wife’s phrase when we finally got caught in the rain and returned home: “It seems that I have lost the habit of my country. I started to be surprised by everyone here...”
When crossing the street, look both ways (traffic rules)
A short excursion into relatively recent history. During the period of the Cultural Revolution, the frantic Red Guards jealously searched for everything that might turn out to be counter-revolutionary. And, as you know, whoever seeks will always find. They found it - a traffic light. Alert comrades noticed that cars stopped at a red light. But red is the party color! There is a threat to the progress of the revolution and an obstacle to development. Stopping at a red signal should be prohibited. But reason in the person of Chinese Prime Minister Zhou Enlai defeated the energetic revolutionaries: he assured the activists that stopping at red is good, this symbolizes that the party guarantees the safety of all revolutionary activities. This was all the way back in 1966.
But in China, even in our time, the attitude towards traffic lights is very ambiguous. True, without any political background.
Every time we fly from Moscow to Shanghai, in the first days I watch both myself and my wife on the street. Spoiled by the relative respect for pedestrian rights in Moscow, we do not immediately remember that in China, for many drivers, a traffic light is just a three-color lantern decoration at an intersection. He can somehow attract the attention of bus drivers and sometimes truck and taxi drivers. All the numerous two-wheeled small fry rush “on their own wave” to any signal, turn wherever they want, and ride along the sidewalk, beeping at pedestrians.
© D3SIGN / GETTYIMAGES.COM
And if he parks his jalopy, then he certainly parks it across the sidewalk - for beauty or for some other reason. But clearly not out of malice and without challenging society. In the same way, not out of malice, you will not be allowed to pass at a pedestrian zebra crossing - in China these are just stripes on the roadway, devoid of any meaning. But you have to cross the road, right? So this must be done without fuss, without running or rushing about. Just walk and carefully look at the traffic scurrying around you. And don’t try to be indignant, don’t start calling on the natives to obey traffic rules. They won’t understand, because the main rule on the road in China is one thing: I go where I want and where I need to. And this is what every driver religiously observes.
The government is fighting this - surveillance cameras, fines... It’s hard to talk about success yet. However, in lately We have already been allowed through at the zebra crossing several times - which means the work is not in vain.
“Khhh!”
This sound is heard constantly and everywhere in China. It just so happens - the Chinese sincerely (and not without reason) believe that noisily clearing the nasopharynx and spitting deliciously anywhere is good for the body and there is nothing wrong with that.
In a local newspaper, I once read an article imbued with the spirit of romance about the sounds of the city - they surveyed passers-by and asked them to name a typical sound. There were the bells of a pagoda, the rustling of bamboo in the park, the songs of cicadas, the melody of the wind in high-rise neighborhoods, the tinkling of bicycle bells, the hum of an elevated train was indicated as typical and recognizable. But none of the respondents remembered the most frequent and famous sound “khhhh!”, which hits the ears of everyone who arrives in the Celestial Empire. And all because it is familiar to the locals and does not even receive attention. Small children and school age young men, respectable old men and touching old women, graceful girls and mature aunties, commoners in rags and sleek Asian gentlemen in expensive suits - everyone coughs. Hairdressers, taxi drivers, waiters, salesmen, artists on the embankment, couples in love in the park. Loudly, with pleasure, without hesitation.
The government is trying to fight this too. Posters appeared in the subway and parks with a crossed out spitting silhouette and the inscription that this should not be done in public places - in Chinese and English. What if one of the guests of the Celestial Empire wants to join in the violation of order, but sees the inscription and is ashamed. But it is clear that the Chinese spit not out of malice or lack of culture, but for the benefit of their health. Here, no prohibitions can overcome the people’s craving for health procedures.
© ROGIER VERMEULEN / FLICKR.COM
By the way, this craving is surprisingly combined with a devil-may-care (since we’re talking about it) attitude towards him. Take, for example, the Chinese passion for smoking in transport, banks, hospitals, restaurants, shopping centers, sports centers, elevators and other various places. They are also trying to fight it; in Hong Kong and Macau they have even achieved success - high fines have helped. Mainland China has not yet decided to severely punish its citizens for such trifles.
Be healthy!
It’s better not to get sick at all, everyone knows that. But few people manage to live their lives serenely and not have to see a doctor.
One Chinese morning I woke up, touched my forehead, listened to the cough and realized: it was my turn. Of course, I visited doctors many times. But these are our own, domestic doctors. But there was no need to go to their Chinese colleagues. The first thing I did was go to the small university clinic on campus, believing that since I worked at the university, this was the place for me to go. But the sleepy doctors shied away from me as if I had the plague. I thought it was my appearance that was to blame, and I was partly right. But it was not the pallor of my brow and the sparkling eyes that alerted the local doctors, but my Laowai appearance. “You don’t belong with us!” - they stated categorically. “And to whom and where?” - I was puzzled. “You need to go to the international hospital, only they accept foreigners.” I didn't want to go there. For the money that an international hospital pays for a “visit from a doctor who speaks English,” I have to work for several months, sleeping under a bridge and eating on the outskirts of a food market. After thinking, he proposed a compromise: “I’m a simple guy, from the people. Direct me to an ordinary people's hospital, of which there are plenty around. I will leave and will not interfere with your work.” In addition to me, the negotiations with the doctor and two nurses included an old security guard in a cap, his cleaning lady friend with a mop in her hands, and several completely strangers who looked like students and teachers.
© ASIA-PACIFIC IMAGES STUDIO
They participated as equals, looking at me and discussing my future fate. In the general hubbub, I didn’t catch who made the final verdict. I hope it was a doctor and not a watchman or a cleaning lady. I received a piece of paper with an address and a referral for examination. I must say that the compassionate participants in the discussion offered to take me - some by bicycle, some by bus, and one professor-type guy insisted on a taxi and even began to call him by phone. Out of fear that the whole company would take me to the traditional doctors, I refused help and went to the hospital on my own. I was followed by wishes to get better faster and recommendations to drink more hot water. The latter is a universal Chinese medicine. If you drink a lot of hot water, you will always be healthy, or you will get better quickly. If you don’t drink a lot of hot water, your affairs are bad, and your days are numbered...
In the people's hospital, the first floor of which looked more like a bizarre mixture of a bank and a train station, I toiled in different queues at all sorts of windows - paying for an appointment, taking tests, paying for tests, waiting for an appointment... The doctor - cheerful, bald, full-faced, wearing round glasses - looked at me carefully, at the printout of the blood test, and back at me.
© SIMON'S PHOTO
“It seems to me that you are sick,” he finally said in a tone that did not allow for objections. I didn't argue and nodded. Then he shyly asked what kind of illness happened to me. The doctor’s answer struck me with honesty: “I don’t know.” I nodded again in understanding: if I were Chinese, the doctor would quickly determine everything. But since I am a carrier of a Laowai organism unknown to him, my affairs are dark and my prospects are vague. Just as I was about to find out what to do now, the doctor’s face lit up. The doctor rummaged in the desk drawer and pulled out two large, finger-sized ampoules. "It's very good remedy! “Chinese,” he said proudly, holding the ampoules in front of me in his open palms. “Which one do you choose?”
I took a closer look. There were no names. One ampoule contains a colorless liquid, the other contains a suspicious yellowish liquid. “Very good product, it helps a lot!” - the doctor encouraged me. "What is this?" - I asked. The doctor sighed and repeated: a very good remedy, Chinese. To be convincing, he even duplicated it in English: “Chinese medicine. Lead the guda." Indulging in fatalism, I waved my hand: “Let’s both!” The doctor shook his head in fear - it’s impossible, it’s a very strong medicine. You only need to choose one.
Many people, in addition to the doctor and nurse, watched our communication with interest. I didn’t know who they were, but I guessed: ordinary patients, bored in line, who decided to come with me to the doctor’s office and look at the “talking dog.” The doctor reacted calmly to their desire and did not drive them away - he gave his compatriots the opportunity to admire the laoi to their heart's content.
I hesitated, like Neo from The Matrix, when offered the blue or red pill.
Samurai Yamamoto Tsunetomo advised in such cases: “In an “either-or” situation, choose death without hesitation.” Armed with this fierce wisdom from China's eternal enemies, I refused both ampoules, thanked everyone for their concern and hurried to leave the crowded office.
“Drink more hot water!” - came after me.
And you know, I listened to them and recovered. In a week.
Food, you are the world!
In order not to get sick, you need to not only drink a lot of hot water, but also eat well (often means plentifully). Food is the foundation of Chinese life. Until recently, people in the Middle Kingdom even greeted each other instead of the usual “nihao!” with the question “chi le ma?” That is, “have you eaten?”
No other topic is capable of arousing the same keen interest of the Chinese. Food is not only a favorite topic of conversation. If you see a Chinese person in a state of deep thought, you can be sure that in nine cases out of ten he is thinking about food. Even money and housing issue inferior to the topic of food, let alone the weather, politics, sports, art and everything else. If you want to “revive” your Chinese interlocutor and make him feel good, start talking about food and listen carefully. The interlocutor will be flattered by the role of an expert and will proudly tell you many incredible recipes for the most outlandish dishes, even if in fact it is just a way to prepare a simple onion soup.
© MINH HOANG LY / EYEEM
The Chinese are generally proud of everything they own, but national cuisine- especially. And, I must admit, there are reasons for this. This is a whole philosophy of life, with a pronounced Chinese character. This is the basis of Chinese culture. The main beauty is that it is quite accessible and enjoyable to study even for those who are not able to master hieroglyphs, which are also part of the culture.
Roughly speaking, there are several main directions in this most important of all Chinese arts. Northern culinary school - an abundance of noodles, dumplings, and rice is not held in particular esteem. Southern Shanghainese is famous for its sweet and sour dishes. Szechuan - terribly spicy, fiery. Well, you can treat yourself to all sorts of delights like newborn mice in Guangdong province. But is it necessary?
Pragmatic and life-loving Chinese explore the world through food. Each province has its own cuisine, special and unique. Why, every city cooks it differently. And in the city itself - in each quarter there is possible its own preparation, unique for this place. Nuances are very important and valuable. Traveling hundreds of kilometers from home on the weekend to eat “famous delicious donuts” in some remote place is very Chinese. A Chinese person’s impressions of a trip abroad are also formed primarily from descriptions of food. Many, many times I heard from Chinese friends who had traveled around Europe a list of countries where it was “tasty” and where, on the contrary, it was “tasteless”. Everyone, of course, has their own list of preferences. It’s easier with young people; they may even like Western food. But for the elderly, almost everywhere - “bu hao chi”, that is, completely tasteless. That is why, during tourist trips, the Chinese are brought in organized busloads to specially created huge Chinese canteens and restaurants. There are several such places in Moscow, and one of them is inside the Olimpiysky sports complex. The daily crowd of noisy Chinese tourists at the entrance to the restaurant against the backdrop of the huge golden dome of the Moscow Cathedral Mosque gives this place a very unusual flavor.
© RICHARD GOULD / EYEEM
So, despite the Chinese craving for so-called “food tourism,” this applies more to the borders of the Center of the World, that is, China. But the entire periphery of the world is something else. Only a few inquisitive brave souls leave the hotel in the evenings and make their way to some of our “Yolki-Palki”, where Russians order national dishes and with a shudder they look at the okroshka and jellied meat brought to them. The bravest ones may even try it, but only to recoil from the dish and remember their homeland - a great country with the most wonderful food in the world.
How to live and communicate
Even though China may seem like another planet to many, the local rules of life are universal. Calmness and politeness - best ways brighten up your life in a foreign land and establish contact with the locals. The Chinese are very sensitive and highly value respectful attitude (which sometimes does not prevent them from being completely unceremonious from our point of view, but, again, this is not out of malice, but, for example, out of curiosity or due to natural spontaneity). It's best to avoid talking about politics, especially when it comes to sensitive topics like Taiwan or Tibet. Moreover, why touch on politics when there is an opportunity to discuss lunch - past or upcoming. It's more interesting and useful.
© DIGIPUB
The Chinese are generally very friendly towards people from Russia. They will definitely praise your appearance (no matter how depressing it may seem to you) and your Chinese (even if it consists of only two, but the most important words - “sese” and “nihao”). They will pay a compliment to the president - they will diligently pronounce his last name (fortunately, it does not contain the “r” sound, which is irresistible for many Chinese) and show thumb. They will try to help if necessary, even if they don’t know how exactly to help. And they will teach you practicality: one day you will discover that you have not used an iron for a long time, and walking in beautiful pajamas along the evening street, doing your evening exercise, is just the thing.
It is generally accepted that China is heaven on earth for the budget traveler. It’s warm and cheap there, and the kind locals have known Zen and are waiting for us with open arms. After all white man for the average Chinese this is almost fantasy.
St. Petersburg photographers and bloggers Peter and Violetta are engaged in food photography, wedding photography and write about home life, impressions, travel, and cuisine.
After a month of traveling around this country, we concluded that only the latter is truly true. China is beautiful, but it may not be what we imagine it to be.
This is the first part of a long story about their journey to China.
We went to China completely by accident! This idea suddenly came to mind and seemed so crazy to us that we urgently needed to implement it. True, it had its own prerequisites - I had already been to China several years ago, on an ordinary tourist trip to the sights, and I wanted to see more of the real, deep China. And besides, our friends recently visited China and told us a bunch of stories, which greatly fueled our interest. As a result, the trip turned out to be completely different from theirs, and not at all the way we imagined it.
A Chinese visa is given for one month, and we decided that since we were going to such a huge and interesting country, then you need to revoke your visa completely, so we were in China for exactly 30 days.
We flew to Vladivostok on photographic business, and from there we entered China by bus, along the Vladivostok-Mudanjian route. Then we passed through Harbin, Beijing, Taiyuan, Pingyao, Xi'an, Lijian, Lugu Hu, Kunming, Rice Terraces, and Guazhou, not counting small villages.
Antiquity and littered grandeur
The city of Pingyao is already a lot of years old, of which it has not changed over the past 800 years. These houses are several hundred years old, these stone slab pavements are already a thousand years old. Chinese films about antiquity are shot in Pingyao, because this is real antiquity. Very dirty, like everything else in China, but majestic. Seeing all this ancient, littered grandeur in person changes consciousness.
For the first hour in Pingyao, we just stood on the street, with backpacks on our backs, mortally tired after the train (at that time we were not yet used to riding for 11 hours on Chinese trains), stood and just watched, silently, unable to say a word. We have never seen anything like this in our lives.
The thousand-year-old stone slabs of the pavement are polished by feet to a mirror shine, and reflect the street - although it is dry outside, the pavement seems wet. But it's not wet, it's polished like a mirror.
Food and difficulties
Fake Chinese eggs - made from chemicals, shells made of chalk. Neither externally, nor internally, nor in taste, they are almost no different from the real ones; if you don’t know, you can’t tell the difference. Natural eggs are cheap, but artificial eggs are even cheaper - and in China they eat a lot of eggs. Multiply by one and a half billion Chinese, and you will understand the scale of savings on artificial eggs.
Choosing “what to eat” in cafes in China is greatly complicated by two factors.
- Firstly, even if the name contains familiar hieroglyphs written in a notebook (rice, noodles, chicken, nuts), these things in the dish itself may not be at all in the form or quantity in which someone raging with hunger pictures them. imagination. And they certainly won't taste like they're supposed to taste - it's China, baby.
- And secondly, Chinese cafes don’t bother photographing exactly the dishes they prepare. All pictures in Chinese menus are stolen from the Internet, and represent an approximate set of ingredients rather than their appearance. How a dish looks in the picture on the menu and how it looks in real life – these two things are not even close at all. No way. Never.
So the advice “choose by pictures” can immediately fall on deaf ears. The pictures should only be considered as an approximate list of ingredients, nothing more. Every meal in China is a surprise and a lottery. And the surprise is not always pleasant, let's face it.
In China, they do not eat foods that have not gone through infernal and unimaginable methods of preparation in our country. Cucumbers - boiled or beaten with a club and turned into a washcloth. Meat – fried in jam. Fish - you can never tell the taste from chicken, and chicken from meat.
Or here are the eggs. Boiled in water or fried? There is no such thing in China, forget it. Eggs are either boiled in soy sauce with hot pepper, or coated with lime and buried in the ground for a month, or they do things with them for which there is not even a name in Russian. Inside they look like this - a dark brown white, similar to a very dark but transparent jelly, and an absolutely black yolk. Voila, Chinese cuisine at its best! Serve with soy sauce And a large number garlic And you know, it's surprisingly edible, and even tasty, if you eat it with your eyes closed and your nose plugged.
For example, here is the Xian bian-bian-men. First of all, the character “bian” is the most complex character existing in the world, it consists of 12 other characters, and when written it looks simply killer. There are two of these hieroglyphs in the word bian-bian-men.
Well, the noodles themselves are one huge noodle, 4 meters long, placed in a bowl, and topped with stewed meat and vegetables.
Noodles are not rolled out to such wild lengths; it is physically impossible; they are stretched in the air, holding the edges with both hands, like a skipping rope. The noodles become longer and longer, and fill more and more air space, and so that they do not stick to themselves, the cooks use them to describe absolutely incredible figures in the air. Most of all, this process is similar to the performance of rhythmic gymnasts with ribbons. It tastes like noodles with vegetables and meat, delicious.
The famous Xi'an street with street food is located in the Muslim quarter - our hostel was almost right on it, so we walked along it every day.
Well, what are Muslims without lavash and flatbreads? With bread in China everything is very simple - there is no bread. None. Therefore, when, after two weeks of Chinese food, you pass by the tandoor and smell the aroma of freshly baked flatbreads... This is the aroma of nirvana. We bought three flatbreads at a time, and tore them with our teeth right as we went, dry-mouthed, growling with excitement.
Paid and free holidays
In China everything is paid. You need to pay for everything, in general, everything, always and everywhere. For entry anywhere except toilets - all toilets in China are free - standard price Almost anything in China is 100 yuan. Paid entrance fees to parks and even some cities. Rarely found free place, where you can just sit, stretch your legs and relax.
Usually a good free place to stay is Buddhist temples. There is always silence, tranquility, prosperity and beauty. But the photo shows in this temple in Taiyuan the monks are playing with a dog that is chasing a huge metal ball around the yard. An excellent toy for a dog, the main thing is that a durable dog runs around with a ball, the ball rolls with a roar along the pavement and crashes into walls, the monks purr mantras - at such moments in China, real relaxation and rest descended on us.
Lots of cars and little air
All Chinese wear respirator masks on the streets. Here in Russia we make fun of them because we think they are obsessed with protecting against bird flu that doesn't exist in reality. But in fact, in China, a respirator mask is necessary due to the polluted atmosphere. The streets are filled with smog, there is nothing to breathe in the cities, if you wave your hand in the air, your hand will become black and sticky.
So we also bought ourselves masks and wore them when it became impossible to breathe.
In China, few people have a personal car, and buying a car in China is not an easy task- there is a quota on the number of cars that are allowed to be sold per year, the rights to a car are played out in a lottery, and you can enter Shanghai with a personal car only on even days, if the license plate of your car is even, or on odd days, if the license plate of your car is odd.
But even this small number of cars is still several times more than the entire population of Russia, and the problem of air pollution is a huge problem in China. So this smog that you see in the photo is ordinary Chinese city air.
National dances and fake cities
In the main square of Lijian, local residents dance in a round dance - national dance this area. They dance 24 hours a day, in shifts. A tourist can look into the square at any time, and therefore there should be a round dance in the square at any time of the day! A tourist, returning home, should click his tongue with delight and talk about what wonderful round dances of local peoples he was lucky enough to see in Lijian Square!
It takes time to see and recognize a fake. Three hours were enough for us to realize how screwed we were by coming here for 5 days (on the advice of the guidebook, which was choked with delight on the page describing Lijian). But even though this is all fake and untrue, one cannot help but give China its due - in places it is very beautiful. If you stay in Lijiang for no more than a day, you might not even be disappointed.
In fact, all this beauty and cuteness is not even intended for Western tourists, of whom there are relatively few in China (the language barrier and insurmountable differences in the way of life scare off many; you have to be completely crazy to travel around China for a month like we did, without a plan, without pre-purchased tickets, on trains, and plunging into the abyss of Chinese reality).
All this beauty is designed for domestic Chinese tourists. Tourism in their native country in China is developed to sky-high levels, you can travel very cheaply, and the Chinese are accustomed to constant hardships, harsh conditions, and the hardships of Chinese reality that are unbearable for Europeans. And every Chinese from birth knows that great Chinese culture already 5000 years old, but how old is yours? You stupid white monkey? A?
The Chinese idolize their country and their history, they revel in their culture, the oldest existing on Earth, and have no illusions about how insignificant worms we all are compared to them. Remember this well, this is a very important point that will help you understand a lot about China.
So the Chinese travel and are delighted with how beautiful it all looks, but the fact that it is a fake - who in China will be surprised by this? Everything in China is fake. Absolutely everything. Everywhere. This is fine.
Chinese market and real life
In search of real China, we look into markets where Europeans have never seen, and where the Chinese themselves buy food. This is where everything is real. Chickens are selected, purchased, and slaughtered right here. And right there they cut out the chicken liver, fry it on a hot cast iron and eat it.
And looking at all these fresh and juicy vegetables, fruits, herbs, mushrooms, roots, and other delicacies, it is difficult to understand how Chinese food, which is prepared from all this, turns out so, to put it mildly, strange.
In Chinese markets and Chinese streets there is a powerful smell of Chinese spices and overheated sesame oil, sweet and unusual. After a week, this ubiquitous smell begins to cause mixed feelings, it makes you feel sick, but at the same time it greatly stimulates your appetite. It’s very difficult to eat Chinese food for a long time, but you always want to eat it.
Naxi and matriarchy
Lijian and the surrounding area are inhabited by the Chinese Naxi tribes, which have been ruled by matriarchy since time immemorial.
Matriarchy looks like this: women do everything, and men do nothing. Women work in all jobs, including heavy work physical labor, and a man’s duty is to come to a woman in the evening and go home in the morning. Men live at home with their mothers and come to their women only at night. There are no marriages as such here, just a woman telling some man - you will come to me for the night. All.
This leads to comical situations: for example, if you come to a store and the salesperson is male, you can safely leave. This means that the woman who owns the store went away on business, and left the man as a dog, to make sure that nothing happens and that no one steals anything. The man will not be able to sell you anything.
I don’t really like visiting markets, but the regime of total economy forces me to visit such places. One day, while buying something new, I met a saleswoman; she came from China to build her own business here. We struck up a friendship. The girl told me how ordinary Chinese people live, explained why they value their health so much, and I will share the information received with you.
Celestial Empire: new values
China is called the Celestial Empire because the country has many mountains that support the sky, and people also live there. They may see the world better, but they definitely see beautiful landscapes. Therefore, they live differently.
I immediately want to highlight the men. Guys in China are very dependent on women (younger generation). Because women are not inferior to men, working in factories, building successful businesses and taking their time to have children. Girls are immersed in the world of business and calmly do men's work.
Personal life
In China more men, and the number of single women is still growing. There was even an interesting service “Groom for an hour”. A successful Chinese woman goes to an agency and chooses a groom to meet her parents. The groom must smile, maintain small talk, answer questions from the relatives of the temporary bride (everything except marital duty). Girls take the groom for an hour so that their parents do not worry about their future. One annoying question in particular was not asked: “When will you get married?”
How the Chinese live and relax
In China, good work and good play. For example, young people visit clubs and bars.
The older generation devotes time to their health. They are going to Hainan. This is a city of clinics and health centers. People come here because it is believed that Hainan has the most clean air.
Here they undergo the most dangerous procedures:
- Fire massage.
- Beauty injections - sheep tendon tissue is injected under the skin to tighten the skin and remove excess fat.
- Electric massage.
Men and women take care of themselves and are willing to spend a considerable amount to be healthy, because good health is the basis of a carefree life in harmony with oneself.
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When I was a medical student, there were many Chinese in our group. In the first courses, we almost didn’t communicate with him, because we didn’t understand each other well. But, having learned Russian, they began to make contact. During our friendship, the Chinese talked a lot about their lives.
The realities of Chinese life
I, like many, am used to thinking that China is a continuous celebration of life, where everyone has a luxury car and the latest model equipment. But when I saw ordinary residential areas of one of the Chinese cities, I couldn’t believe my eyes. It seemed to me that I was walking down the street of an ordinary Russian city during the USSR:
- the streets of residential areas are the same as ours - narrow, dirty and with bad roads;
- multi-storey buildings have the same appearance (cladding, entrance doors, porch) as our houses;
- fences are actually something (most yards are surrounded by a homemade crooked picket fence).
One of the residential areas in China In our country, we have long been accustomed to seeing shops and markets filled with Chinese goods. Therefore, it was a matter of honor to explore the markets of the greatest plagiarism country. But here, too, disappointment awaited me - rickety buildings, broken trash cans in the area, dirty counters and the same women in oilskin aprons (Chinese, please note), weighing fish and meat.
There are, of course, many fabulously rich people in China. The most interesting thing is that luxury and poverty peacefully coexist with each other.
Features of the Chinese character
The Chinese are quite an interesting nation. They are good-natured, hospitable and smile a lot. Distinctive feature The Chinese have a habit of talking loudly and constantly arguing.
How does a typical Chinese person spend their day?
Early in the morning, every Chinese goes to work, where he works very productively until 12 noon, and then sleeps right at his workplace. After work, visiting a cafe is a must (the Chinese don’t cook at home - many don’t even have a kitchen).
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I can’t call myself a fashionista: my entire wardrobe is labeled “Made in China.” There are no branded items, only luxury copies (I can’t buy expensive items). Asians have cleverly learned to fake things. I became interested in how they live, and I learned invaluable information that I am ready to shock you with today.
Life the Chinese way
Another country is an incomprehensible world. We will never fully understand the traditions of the Chinese, but it is worth trying to live one day as they live. In order to diversify your identical everyday life.
Every Chinese person's schedule is very busy. Because these people have long established themselves as a hardworking and disciplined nation. No matter how much a Hong Kong resident is in a hurry to get to work, he must do some exercise in the morning. Healthy image life is one of the secrets of longevity.
Busy working hours lie ahead. But lunch and rest are according to schedule. As soon as the clock strikes 12, the Chinese take over restaurants en masse. In the literal sense of the word. There is no room for the apple to fall (the cafes are crowded with visitors).
In China there is a tradition: after lunch, take a nap for half an hour. And after a working day, the Chinese, like most people, want to quickly get home and spend dinner over a noisy conversation. Only weekends are varied (clubs, day trips).
Unknown facts
China is an advanced country. But some facts about her are simply terrifying:
- In China there is strange profession- phone finder This is a man who searches for and retrieves corpses in lakes and on the streets.
- In the provinces there is no smell of scientific progress (they move on donkeys).
- There are dating sites where you can choose a girl for a week.
- China's population is growing rapidly, the government does not know what to do about this problem.
The Celestial Empire is a big anthill, which also has its own problems.
Fakes
China is famous all over the world for counterfeits. Moreover, they are of high quality and not very good. The economy boomed thanks to enterprising businessmen. Now you can buy an iPhone not for 1500, but for 250 dollars. Household appliances, clothes, shoes, cars - everything is counterfeited!
The Chinese live in a stressful environment, but they also receive the fruits of their work.
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At work, I have to communicate with residents of port cities in China, I can say that people all over the country, regardless of social status, unites inexhaustible optimism. Where the Russian folds his hands and falls into depression, the Chinese will sculpt new projects, be it sewing socks from silkworms or producing corrosion-resistant steel.
Chinese people live differently
There is a noticeable clear stratification between rich and poor, and, despite the stable growth of the economy as a whole in the country, some are literally basking in luxury, while part of the population lives in terrible poverty. Youth in search better life flocks to large cities, it is not uncommon for parents to work in the city, coming to visit their children in the village once a year.
Beauty in Chinese
Northern Chinese, also known as Manchus, are usually stocky, short people with bowed legs. This is what is called the working class. There are also pretty girls in the north, but just pretty girls, nothing more. But in the south you can meet a real Chinese princess, especially if you taxi into some fashionable boutique or luxury hotel. Such ladies are no less than 180 in height, porcelain-white skin, operated eyes, and this beauty will weigh no more than 45 kg. I also saw incredible girls among the flight attendants of southern airlines. Eyes like saucers, long eyelashes, perfect skin, you even doubt that it is real. Southerners, both men and women, have softer facial features, tall stature, and, as they say, a sense of aristocracy.
By the way, in China you can make a good modeling career if you only have the following signs:
- European appearance;
- tall;
- brown/blond/red hair.
Family Institute in China
Once we got into a conversation with a young guy from Shenzhen, he complained about how expensive life was in the city, how difficult it was to earn money for housing and how difficult it was to find a bride. In China there are more men than women, so matriarchy reigns. For every pretty Chinese girl there are 10 Chinese guys.
Girls are capricious and dominate men. It is not uncommon to encounter female managers of large plants and factories.
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Before talking about how the Chinese live, it should be understood that China, despite its apparent sameness, the country is very contrasting. Usually we are shown it from one side - the one with megacities, production and high technology. I personally was shocked when I saw its underside in the form of traditional villages with subsistence farming.
How do the Chinese live in the provinces?
Chinese way of life outback has changed little over time. The peasants are still the same cultivate the land, raise livestock, are engaged in traditional crafts, and in the evenings they get together to relax and have fun. Yes, there are technologies, but they have not penetrated life as much as in big cities. As a person accustomed to life in the computer-phone-concrete box mode, I find this charming.
If you are a person with European appearance(and especially if you are white-skinned and fair-haired), then be prepared to become main focus local residents. They will point fingers at you, or even touch you. Nobody will understand your indignation in English (or even in Chinese), and also will try to deceive you and squeeze you out more money (to the locals, white means rich).
Life in a Chinese metropolis
But life in big city I'm much more used to it now. But still only partly: there’s too much there features.
- There is no personal space. The Chinese are accustomed to the fact that there is always a crowd around and it is useless to fence yourself off from it, so constantly pushing each other and making a way through the crowd with your elbows is in the order of things.
- The Chinese hardly cook at home. Street food here - practically cult, it is cheap, and therefore few people spend time cooking at home.
- The Chinese are ill-mannered in the understanding of European people. They can relieve their natural needs in public, and they also eat very untidy. I lose all appetite when Chinese people dine nearby. But in their culture loud slurping it just means that they like the food.
Strength of the Chinese State
The Chinese live under constant control. The Internet is closed (to open it you need to go to Hong Kong), no anonymity, and the party is vigilantly watching to make sure that no one says anything unnecessary. I definitely wouldn’t be able to live like that. Where do the Chinese live?
Probably the most stereotypes about Chinese life are associated with their diet and housing. We are used to thinking that all Chinese are crammed into tiny apartments of 10 square meters however, this is not the case. Of course, this also happens, but a resident of a big city can easily afford decent apartment. Basically, the apartments are located in tall skyscrapers30–50 floors. Often these are even entire complexes of buildings, with very developed infrastructure. Usually the younger generation lives in such houses. Old people often live in old houses that are planned to be demolished to build new skyscrapers.
Chinese life in a big city
I don't know what about the outskirts, but the city is dominated by incredible turmoil- in the morning people rush to work, in the evening - from it. But during the day, when everyone has already gone to work, the street becomes very quiet and calm. By the way, I advise you to take photographs at this time, so no one will accidentally “climb” into the frame.
Transport in China is difficult due to traffic congestion getting to the right place on time will be difficult. Taxi is a separate conversation altogether, since in addition to ordinary cars, you can often find motorcycle taxi, and although this method of transportation is much faster, it is officially prohibited, so I do not recommend choosing this type of taxi.
Habits of the Chinese
IN everyday life The Chinese also have some features that depend on urban conditions and established traditions. So:
- they love healthy food(even the street food here consists of healthy ingredients and is steamed, or they simply sell peeled fruits and vegetables in cups);
- most people in the city rides bicycles, mopeds and motorcycles;
- the Chinese are very love to eat(surprisingly, they eat everywhere and always);
- love to drink tea(no matter how stereotypical it may sound, it’s true, and their tea is simply delicious);
- after work they, like us, like to watch popular shows on TV.
Of course, these are not all the features of life in China, but general idea you can get it.
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