Tag Archives: China

No One is Moving

What’s this? It’s a traffic jam in the Muslim Quarter of Xian, China. I’m just trying to walk down the street, what street there is, and I come across a jam-up, cram-up of bicycles, pedestrians, cars, scooters and other assorted vehicles. You know it’s a bad jam-up when the pedestrians can’t get through. Someone has to back up and no one’s giving ground. The insults and insinuations are flying about. At least I thing they are. Truth is, I really don’t know what they are saying to each other. All I can go by is the tone, which sounds anything but complimentary.

Dried Fruit

It’s simply a bag of dried fruit. Assorted dried fruit. The amazing thing about it is that the whole bag cost me a total of $1.50, which I find to be an almost miraculous price for something so good. In America I’d expect to pay around $10 for such a find. My biggest problem was how much I enjoyed the dried fruit. If I’m not careful I’d want another bag and then another bag and another and 200 pounds later I’d look in the mirror and say "Maybe I’d better stop eating all that dried fruit."

Chicken Foot

It’s a chicken foot. I was with a Chinese friend and they stopped to get a chicken neck and a chicken foot. They asked me if I wanted one. I said "You’re kidding, right?" They said no, they then proceeded to chastise me for being so closed-minded about food I’d never eaten before. So, I have now eaten a chicken neck and a chicken foot. Or rather, a part of them. Will I eat another one? Probably not. My predjudices run really deep.

Xian Wal-Mart – China

Yeah, it’s a Wal-Mart. Yeah, it’s in China. Is Wal-Mart a success in China? I don’t know. What I do know is that the average Chinese person under the age of thirty is smitten with western values. How do I know? Because they are such obvious consumers. They live with a cell phone in their hand. The wear clothing with writing on the clothes that is in English, not Chinese. Chinese knock-offs are of western products, not Chinese. I’ve yet to see a Chinese automobile. I’ve seen lots of Buicks. It’s hard to get a seat at a McDonald’s. Then again, it’s hard to get a seat anywhere that I’ve been in China.

Hostel Lounge

Physically, the first hostel I stayed at in Xian was really nice. Everything was clean and nice and comfy. My only real complaint was that the bar and restaurant staff on two occasions asked me to give up the table I was occupying to some Chinese people. "They’re friends of the management." they told me. I told them that I couldn’t care less who they were and there might have been a confrontation had the people I was with not insisted we move and avoid any hassles. Eventually, I moved to a different hostel. The best vote that can be cast is one made with dollars. Truth is, from what I understand, the vast majority of lodging establishments in China do not accept non-Chinese peoples.

Train to Xian

I caught the overnight train from Shanghai, China to Xian, China. It cost me about $70 and saved me about $15 in overnight hostel charges. Once again, I had a Chinese person who was also occupying the four bed sleeper room who spoke English. It took about 14 hours to get to Xian.

White Folks – Pudong

Where are you guaranteed to see loads of white folks when you go overseas? At the bus parking lots at the tourist sights.

Shanghai Train Station

It’s the train station in Shanghai. The day before I left I made a trial run to the station to make sure I wouldn’t get there and mess up the train connection. It’s confusing enough to catch a train in China without having a clue what’s going on.

435 Meters

This is the sign in the elevator in the World Financial Center in Shanghai, China. I’m taking a ride to the 100th floor observation platform which is supposed to be the world’s highest observatory. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. I know it’s high up there and I paid $25 for a really bad view of Shanghai due to the haze that covered the city on the day I was in the tower to get a good view of the city. Had I known how disappointing the view would be I wouldn’t have gone up. Then again, how often does a person have a chance to go to the highest public observation point from a building in the world?

Serenity Poker

There was a beautiful pond at the green space in People’s Square. It was so serene. It was such a great photo opportunity. And then I was distracted by a couple of guys who were arguing over a card game. I watched them for a while. I think they came to the park to argue. Not to enjoy the serenity. Not to enjoy the card game. To argue.

Rolling Okie

Travel, Adventure, and more…