Back from China

[C Elegans]

Now I am back home again after 1 month in China. The hubby and I spent 3 weeks travelling around in the south and west parts, then we went to Shanghai to meet up with his business partners and I spent the last week in Beijing where the World Congress in Psychology was held. It is very difficult to sum up all the impressions and experiences from such a vast and variating country as China, but to sum it up: of all the different countries and cultures I have visited around our beautiful planet, China reminds me most of the US, for good and for bad. Surprised? Well, the Chinese people can vote for one party whereas the American people can vote for two, and the US is of course a richer country, but as a European, I certainly see more similarities than differences between China and the USA.

China is a country of about the same size as the US, and like the US the population is composed of many different ethnic groups with distincly different cultures and languages. Officially, China counts 56 ethnic groups, but depending of definition, many more could be counted (China has a very special way of defining ethnic groups). The largest group is the Han Chinese, who are regarded as one ethnic group for political reasons, but actually the Han people in different provinces can often differ more in culture and language than European countries differ to each other.

China holds a tremendous variation in climate, nature, scenery, culture, language and socioeconomic factors. Like in the US, social class differences are huge, much larger than is common in Europe. A majority of the Chinese population are farmers, but in the cities (and the cities are many, and big) there is a fast growing middle class who seems to share the general values of the American middle class. The extreme focus on money and looks seems to be the same, and rich people look down on poor people as if the amount of money you earn is some kind of measurement of success and superiority, and poor people have themselves to blame. According to a colleague of mine who is from China, the entire Southern China is very concerned about looks and surface, and understanding of social determinants are generally poor.

Some other striking similarities between the US and China, are the strong nationalism, the never-ending bureacrary (which of course also reminds me of Sweden), and the reluctancy to move your body. In China, as in the US, people don't walk. In China, the farmers of course walk or go by bike, but the middle class people simply find it impossible to walk more than 150 meters, and if they do so, they walk extremely slowly. Walking is not a mode of transport, as it is in large parts of Europe. Walking 3 kms is viewed as a gymnastic excercise

However, it has been a fascinating trip through southern and western China. To me, the absolute highlight of the trip was Tibet, and I will write more about that later as well as post some photos as soon as I get them developed.

[Xandax]

Wellcome back @CE - good to "see" you alive and well after your adventure into the east

I'm sure there are people that have missed your input in various threads this last periode of time

[fable]

Nice to see you again, @CE. Looking forward to a discussion of Tibet. Hopefully, within the next couple of weeks; as three weeks hence, we'll be in Hungary.

[Craig]

Welcome back CE! I think I posed a question here but I forgot what it was. Anyway It's great to have you back.

[CM]

Welcome back! You bring presents?

[Georgi]

You were gone??

Well, welcome back, anyway. Looking forward to seeing your photos.

[Lost One]

Welcome back CE!

I lived in Singapore (which has a large chinese population, and many of its customs) and visited China once or twice in my youth, and I also found it a marvellous place. I especially liked those 'bike taxis'. Well, not sure what they were called, but you sit on the back with a friend, while this Chinese guy on foot pulls you on two wheels.

Oh yeah, if you feel like dropping an expert opinion about male & female differences in the Male vs Female gender differences, that would be appreciated too. (I hear you are an expert on this kind of stuff)

[giles337]

off topic.... but i saw a really funny thing happen with one of them..... a guy had one set up, with the back 9where the passenger/s sit resting on a pole. his passengers paid him, then he set off, pulling the yoke, but leaving the main compartment sitting on the pole. I laughed so hard i cldnt sit down for weeks

[C Elegans]

Thanks everybody! My photos will be ready tomorrow, so hopefully some of them will be good enough to post here.

@Xan: I will check out the active threads as soon as I can, right now I have to get back into my work which is difficult enough after a 1 month break - my brain feels like chewing gum!

@Fable: Hope you will have a good time in Hungary!
The situation in Tibet is complicated. Like all occupation powers, China is populating Tibet with their own people, building infrastructure and setting up businesses. The Tibetans have become a minority in their own country. Most are quite poor, and they either live a semi-nomadic life or they live in agricultural villages in the valleys. At an individual level, Tibetans, Chinese and Nepalese get along very well, and there are also many Chinese people who think China should leave Tibet alone. Others gladly participate in the opression and view themselves and their culture as superior to the Tibetans, and rather think they do the Tibetans a favour.

Regardless of the political situation, travelling in Tibet is a fascinating cultural experience. Like most poor people living under harsh conditions I have met, the Tibetans are very friendly, open and generous people. The hubby wasn't too fond of the yak milk, though

@Craig: I am sure you will think of new questions Hope you had a good summer too!

@Fas: Of course I bring presents - yak butter tea, anyone?

@Georgi: You didn't miss me? *sob*

@Lost One: I saw many such bike taxis, we tried it once but I felt really sorry for the guy having to pull me, my 82 kg hubby and our luggage uphill at 4000 m altitude. I'll check out the gender difference-thread this weekend - I am not an expert on gender differences, but as a medical researcher and a licenced psychologist I'm at least updated with the scientific findings in the field. Gender difference-research has been increasingly popular in both Europe and the US for some years now, but politically correct and popular beliefs are often not in concordance with scientific findings.

@Giles: LOL I didn't see any bike taxis with that kind of setup, lucky for me perhaps.

[giles337]

A RICKSHAW!!!!

thats what its called... not a bike-taxi but a rickshaw...
hehehe rickshaw... what a funny word. rickshaw, rickshaw rickshaw. anyway

[C Elegans]

Quote:

Originally Posted by giles337 A RICKSHAW!!!!

Rickshaw? I though a Rickshaw was the ones where the "driver" is running, not pulling the wagon with a bike...

[fable]

There are both varieties around. The name refers to the carriage, not the driver.

And I suppose if the driver is dressed formally, it would be called a Richard Shaw. (runs, very, very fast)

[giles337]

wow.... proved right by fable. never befor have i felt so wanted

[C Elegans]

Aha, well it's good to learn something new (which you often do when Fable is around).

And you'd better run fast, 'cause that joke was worth a hit with a baseball bat

[giles337]

hehehe i knwo you're just jealous

wuv voo all really