7 October 2018
Twenty seven days in China is about to come to an end and so I thought I would try to collect my final thoughts:
Personal Space in China
There is none, leave your personal space at home, you won’t need it in China.
The Rules of Queueing
There are none. If you apply the behaviours you might use at home you will never get to the front of the queue. Its just the way it is here.
Pace of Life
It’s hectic; the only Chinese you will see sitting quietly will be those in a massage chair, the rest are doing something or going somewhere.
The Great Firewall
Dont expect to use Google or Facebook. The Chinese firewall is very effective.
Scenery
Stunning from the mountains to the vegetable plots and rice paddies, rivers to big cities.
Chinese Sense of Humour
It is there, you just have to break through that external facade. A ‘hello’ or ‘thankyou’ in mandarin will always encourage a smile and a nod of encouragement.
Photographs
Be prepared to be asked to be in their photographs particularly if you have blond hair or at least not black hair. Westerners are still a curiosity in some places.
Western Tourists
They haven’t discovered China yet but with the construction of 155,000 western toilets across the country it is expected they will come.
Food
Spicey out west, more like home style Chinese food in Shanghai. Always very good.
Development
Lots of it and it’s happening at a pace. No protests against mobile phone towers in China. Everyone has a smart phone in their hand and no one uses cash or credit cards. All payments are made by Internet transfers.
Police
Everwhere and not just to respond to crime. These guys are just as interested in maintaining social order and good behaviour.
Cameras
Everywhere and I am pretty sure they all work and someone or something is watching and recording people doing the wrong thing.
Plumbing and Toilets
They are getting there. Lots of western toilets being built (155,000 they say) it’s just the maintenance bit that hasn’t quite caught on.
Safety and the Nanny State
Not an issue in China. Riding an electric motor scooter on the footpath without a helmet while on your mobile phone – no problem.
Crossing narrow bridges over a river or steep drop off and no railing – no problem.
The Bad Bits
Stinky tofu – it’s disgusting.
Spitting – I will say no more.
Toilets that didn’t flush.
The cacophony of load music emanating from shops, market stalls, restaurants and karaoke bars; the Chinese love loud.
The Chinese Firewall
Crowds on the National Day Golden Week.
This hasn’t been the most developed travel log series and I apologise to my readers for that result. The internet speeds for me have been slow and somewhat frustrating not to mention the pace of this tour and the limited time available to compose and write one’s thoughts down.
A Traveller's Tale 