08.09.09 Thoughts on China
I kept a journal while going through China. Some excerpts:
This airplane food is actually kind of decent.
End of first day: Exhausted.
I bought a memory card and battery. They were knock-offs. I feel dumb.
Only got an hour and a half at the Great Wall. Disappointed.
Lunch was at tourist stop (trap). White people everywhere.
Chinese planes are better than American planes.
Nicer hotel in Xian. By nicer, I mean there’s an elevator.
Ate at McDonald’s.
I almost got locked in the bus. How embarrassing.
I biked on top of a 1000 year old wall today. Best. Moment. Ever.
There’s dumplings everywhere!
I had my picture taken a lot on the plane today . . .
Saw a restaurant entrance that had a cage of live chickens at the door. Fresh meat.
Some guy from a YMCA came up to us and asked us if we loved Jesus.
I’m museumed out.
So some guy skates along past us, then all of a sudden, turns and stops in front of me, whips out a case, and trys to sell me stuff. Points for style.
The leak in the room is leaving brown water stains on the bathroom wall. Pleasant.
The leak stopped. That’s nice.
I want Subway. But I’m tired. Tomorrow.
There’s white people everywhere!
Mmmm. Hagen Daz.
This isn’t a lake, it’s a pond.
I feel like I was just in an upscale open air shopping mall in Dallas.
That temple was rather pleasant. Much like the other temples. I must like temples.
Mmmm. Subway.
Iran is blowing up, and I’m in China. Surreal.
There’s construction workers everywhere!
Thoughts on Shanghai photography: Pretty bad. Or rather, one artist that’s bad, but has work everywhere.
I liked Chinese Ansel Adams.
There’s a blue sky beyond that haze. Somewhere.
I’m so high right now. Literally. Thousands of feet.
Mediocre to decent aquarium is mediocre to decent.
Everything’s a knockoff here. There’s even knockoffs of Vegas style shows.
I hate airports.
First class was nice and all, but I still want my $70 back.
Hong Kong: Prettier, cleaner skies.
Everyone in Beijing uses their horn. A lot. But in a polite way to warn pedestrians and cars about their presence. They are all, regardless, assholes.
China is more capitalistic than America. America is about bottom line, but you have things like wrranties and quality control and assurance that the product is legitimate. But everyone in China is out for the quick buck, and their whole intent is to rip you off and sell you fake stuff. Assholes.
China’s only indication of communism, or at least state control, is hardly there. Most of that stuff is behind the scenes or general functions that have little impact on daily life – it’s not as if the street vendors are regulated, there aren’t curfews, and people aren’t assigned jobs. China is as communist as a cockroach is cute and cuddly.
Very few people have any semblance of etiquette. People cut in line, hawk and spit, throw trash in the street, act obnoxiously selfish, and especially pushy vendors of fake wares will grab you. Assholes.
It is worth mentioning that the Chinese are the nicest people you’ll ever meet, but the biggest assholes in passing.
An Australian in the elevator this morning said to me, “Cheers mate.” Awesome.
It. Is. So. Very. Awfully. Humid.
