From One Capital to the Next

Note: This entry is particularly long because it covers my first five days in China, so I've broken it up into sections. Everything is still chronological. Also, I apologize for any formatting issues as I'm not posting directly onto the blog.

到北京 (Arrival in Beijing)

            Kenny and I arrived in Beijing on Friday June 5, and, upon leaving the airport, boarded a cab to our hotel. Immediately, my Chinese skills were put to the test. Our taxi driver had never heard of our hotel, nor the street it was on. I explained it was on a street to the east of Tiananmen but to the west of Wangfujing (a big shopping street.) That got us most of the way there. The ride was exciting, and a little scary. I'd almost forgotten the crazy driving customs (or lack thereof) found in china. Cars swerve left and right without signaling, and lanes (as well as turn signals) are reduced to mere suggestions. Pedestrians and bicyclists also seem to be regarded as obstacles – things to be navigated around as efficiently (and with as little margin) as possible. I have yet to figure out the safest mode of transportation…

            The rest of our stay in Beijing was a mix of street wandering, tourist sites, and culinary delights (I have now tasted donkey and ox tendon). The first night, in an attempt to avoid falling asleep at 4 PM China time, we walked around the Wangfujing shopping area, just a block from our hotel. Two things strike me about shopping and advertisements in China. The first is the use of bright, unmuted colors. Who would have thought bright pink awnings would make someone want to buy snacks or a book? But the more I see of these colorful storefronts with their crayola-colored goods, the more I am drawn to them. I will have to watch my pocketbook. The other thing I've noticed is the preponderance of tiny shops that all sell identical products, be it bottled drinks or battery-powered stuffed lions and donkeys that wobble and shake violently in their shoes. Perhaps this is an example of a market in which there is perfect competition?

万里长城 (The Great Wall)

            After Kenny and I were relatively adjusted to the time difference, we took a trip to the Great Wall. Because I had been to Simatai two years previously, we decided to see the portion of the Great Wall at the newly opened Mutianyu site. Mutianyu is a much easier climb than Simatai because the steps have been paved over with relatively even black tiles of tar and you can take a cable car part-way up the mountain (or a toboggan down the mountain, if you are so inclined). These additions made the experience seem somewhat less authentic, but the landscape was absolutely gorgeous. I'm glad I got to see both sites, because they are very different, but worthwhile experiences.

到南京 (Arrival in Nanjing)

            On Monday, we left Beijing for a new city. After nixing Chengdu and Guilin (too far/expensive and too rainy, respectively), we decided on Nanjing, which is only a short three hour ride from our final destination, Shanghai. Our arrival in Nanjing was a little stressful, due to the last-minute nature of the decision. The people at the elong.com stand (the Chinese version of expedia) helped me get a near-budget price for a room at a three star hotel in a bustling part of town called 夫子庙 (fuzimiao). (Side note: If you're ever at an airport in China and in need of a hotel, talk to these guys – they're really helpful! Just be prepared to use your Chinese, and they'll haggle with the hotel for you until you have a decent price.)

Crazy Taxi!

Perhaps it was the relief of having found a place to sleep for the night, or perhaps it was just sheer stupidity, but, having decided to splurge an extra 20RMB for a taxi instead of the bus, we stepped up to the nearest available taxi. This taxi was inevitably not one of the licensed and reputable taxis waiting in line, just a few yards behind us. I only realized my mistake once our suitcases were in the trunk and we were seated, but again, I was too naïve to assert myself and get out of the taxi. And so, the scariest taxi ride of my life ensued. Once the driver convinced me not to use the fare meter (打表) and instead accept a ridiculously inflated flat rate (a tell-tale sign that you are being ripped off, by the way) he began to drive like a mad man, speeding down a deserted and unlit road off of the highway, running just about every red light, and even bypassing an entire toll booth. To make matters worse, he was talking madly on his cell phone in a dialect I had no prayer of understanding, to people that I could only assume were a part of the scam. At one point, he even rolled down the window to talk to some of his colleagues, who were standing by a taxi parked in the middle of the road. I recognized only one word of their conversation – 打表. In the end, we arrived safely at our hotel and paid him the exorbitant fee. By that point, Kenny and I didn't even care about the money. We were just glad to be alive, have all of our stuff, and be out of the taxi. It was a truly terrifying experience, not knowing where we were going, and not knowing if our driver merely intended to rip us off, or if he and his partners in crime had something worse in store.

I hate to make this blog overly preachy or advice-ridden, but I feel that if anyone can learn from my experience without making the same mistake, it's worth it. So my advice is as follows: If you're at an airport, look for the official line of taxis. Even if the driver has not come up to you to try to take your luggage, if they're waiting out of line, they're probably not legitimate. Also, look for identification on the dashboard. (Side story: the next day, I wound up with a female cab driver whose poor attempts at covering the ID on the dashboard concealed only half a masculine face. I have no idea what that was about, but at least she was willing to use the meter.) Finally, don't be afraid or embarrassed to change your mind if you think you've gotten into a disreputable cab. You can always tell the driver you have no money, and he should immediately lose interest in you.

Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall

During our first full day in Nanjing, we went to the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall. Its look and feel was strongly reminiscent of Holocaust museums I've been to in the United States, but I felt there was a subtle difference. I think that a good memorial museum ought to try to present facts in as unbiased a way as possible, and let those facts speak for themselves, allowing viewers to draw their own conclusions. This museum seemed to push viewers simultaneously towards a hatred of the Japanese, and a patriotic love of China, by using words like "tenacious" to describe the Chinese, and words like "wanton," "evil," and "whiskers," to describe the Japanese. I'm not saying that one ought not describe the actions of many Japanese soldiers during the rape of Nanjing as thoroughly morally reprehensible, but I think it makes more of an impact to let the viewer come to such conclusions on one's own. The capstone to all this was the final display with a quotation about the importance of "patriotic education" for today's youth of China. To be fair, perhaps western memorial museums have the same kind of bias, but I just don't notice it because it is, not coincidentally, already in alignment with my world beliefs. I will have to wait to wait to return to the US before I can make a fair comparison.

说中文 (Speaking Chinese)

As a large purpose of this blog is to informally track the progress of my Chinese, I'll make a few observations about my communication skills as they stand now. I have been relatively pleased with my ability to convey thoughts, questions, and needs, and to be understood by most people. For most things that I would like to say, I am able to find a way, even if it involves some ineloquent work-arounds. On the other hand, I have great difficulty in understanding the replies. I think that whenever I initiate conversations in Chinese, the person I am talking to assumes my level of Chinese is much higher than it actually is. The results in a lot of 'dui bu qi's, 'bu dong's, 'bu ming bai's, and 'shuo shenme?'s. Many conversations are almost 20 questions-like, with me asking questions that attempt to elicit simple "dui" or "bu dui"-type answers. (Yes-no answers.) I'm sure these frequent, real-world conversations are helping my Chinese, but I think the pace will accelerate greatly once I am at PiB and studying the language formally under a language pledge, in addition to these street conversations.

照片 (Photographs)

            Since I'm updating this blog via email, and it seems I'm currently unable to email photos, it looks like I'll have to figure out another way to post photos in blog entries. In the mean time, I'm uploading photos to this website:

http://picasaweb.google.com/DeepThought0042

 

That's all for now!

 

~Rachel

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