So, please sit back with your cup of tea or coffee, or glass of red (very appropriate, as red is a lucky colour in China) and enjoy part 2 of my first 3 months. Let's start with a tough question.
Do they have honey chicken in China? (Jo Macarthur)
Trust you to ask me a question about food Jo Mac. For those that don't know, honey chicken is a popular item on Chinese menus in Australia. And you will be glad to know Jo that I have had honey....prawns. Sorry, I haven't had honey chicken yet. But I am sure you would be able to find it somewhere. I have tried many different dishes over the last 3 months, so I am sure there would honey chicken. I'm just looking for the curried prawns and rice.
What did you think was really weird when you first arrived that you now consider normal? (Angela Heise)
Angela, I would love to say that I am getting used to people spitting on the street, but no. I still find that pretty disgusting. Probably not the actual spitting, but the clearing of the throat that precedes it. I think the thing I found most weird, is the use of the car horn. The car horn has become a tool in China for pretty much every road procedure you can imagine. Changing lanes? Hit the horn. Turning left? Yep, I'll give the horn a toot. Warning the driver three lanes over that I am overtaking him? Beep Beep. Letting the car in front of me know that I am behind him? Let's give the horn a try.
But, the horn is so overused in China that it has lost its power. In my first few weeks hear, I would turn at the sound of every horn. But now, it doesn't even make me blink. However, the drivers believe it will protect them from anything. The other night I was in a taxi when someone cut in front of us. The driver actually went for the horn before he slammed on the brakes. Hey buddy, the horn is not going to stop you from slamming your head against the dashboard when you hit that car in front!
Have you come across a Donna Chang? (Gemma Rule)
For non Seinfeld fans, this question might seem a little strange. But for the rest of us, it will make you giggle. Gemma, no Donna Chang - but plenty of Changs. I should ask the next Chang I meet if they have a sister called Donna. And whether she is actually Chinese.
What is the most inspiring thing you have come across during your travels in China? (Keith Fowler - I took over from Keith!)
I should ask you the same thing as you were here for 4 years before me. I think the most inspiring thing is the huge amount of construction that is taking place across the country. In a city like Tanggu, which is just south east of Beijing. you are literally seeing a city being built in front of your eyes. It has been designated a special economic zone, and the amount of construction is mind boggling. There is an actual city being built. Not just one or two buildings. A whole city. That is pretty inspiring to watch.
What is the saddest thing you have seen during your travels? (Keith Fowler)
I could say it's the beggars and poor people that you see trying to make ends meet everyday. And I don't mean to get all Bob Geldoff, but I think the saddest thing that I see time and time again is just the huge amount of food that goes to waste. It's part of Chinese culture that when you eat out, you order alot more than you can actually eat. Especially if you are invited out by a local. If you finish your plate, or finish everything, they get insulted and lose face because they did not order enough food for their guests. So, it is not uncommon to have dishes of food left after a meal. Depending on where you are, you can ask for a doggy bag and take it home. Most of the time, it gets thrown out. Very sad to see it go to waste.
Is Chinese pop music as bad as English pop music? (Bridget Emrose)
Yes, it's bad. But very, very popular. You look at a show like Pop Asia on SBS in Australia, and multiply it by one billion! Not only is the music bad, but the film clips are worse. Although, it's like a car crash. You just can't look away. I blame reality TV. The Voice is China's biggest TV show at the moment, and it is just one of many that are creating over night pop sensations. But of course, if I put my radio hat on, I would have to say I love it! Our listeners can't get enough of it!
How have you managed the language barrier? (Kieron Atkinson)
Kieron, the first month was tough. Very tough. In some Asian countries I have travelled to, you always feel confident that some of the locals will know some English. In China, not many people know English. In my day to day job, I have the luxury of having a very good translator and colleague who does an amazing job at getting my points across, and vice versa. Outside work, I am now at a stage where I can communicate the basic stuff. The other day, I paid my mobile phone bill at a bank, and spoke entirely in Mandarin (ok, it was only 5 or 6 words, but it worked!). So I am slowly cutting through the language barrier one phrase at a time (Oh, did I mention my mandarin teacher told me I was her best student?)
How confident are you that when you buy something electrical, you are actually getting the genuine article? (David Corkill)
Not very confident at all. I bought a DVD/Mini Stereo online about 3 weeks ago, through a reputable website in China and what I got was the real deal. But, I wouldn't have attempted to buy it in a store. You might look at the real thing on the shelf, but what you get from "out the back" maybe something different. Counterfeit everything is big in China. I'm in the market to buy a new watch, and I look at watches in department stores, and a little part of me wonders whether it's real, or fake. So, I'm not going to buy a watch in China. And I definitely won't be buying an iphone in China. (The iphone 5 is not officially available in China until next month. But it went on sale unofficially 5 hours after it was released in Hong Kong).
Thanks everyone for the great questions. When I first accepted this position, I was very overwhelmed by what lay ahead. Now I know, I am enjoying every minute of it and looking forward to each and every day. China can be a big, scary place. But all you need to do is scratch the surface a little, and you soon realise that it has many different layers - all as equally interesting as each other.
I will leave you with my latest Chinese photo. This sign was at a research study we conducted in Xi'an about a month ago. Like most things, you had to register when you arrived. I think this sign was meant to say "Sign Here", or "Sign in Here". I love when it gets lost in translation
No comments:
Post a Comment