Cultural Differences

Our plane left late last night. We were scheduled for a 7:40pm departure from Shanghai to Chengdu. But the typhoon strength winds and rains which beat Shanghai yesterday afternoon left no one surprised that flights were delayed late into the night.

One benefit of flying long trips with relative frequency is access to lounges. So we spent a long evening in the Shanghai Airlines business class lounge at the Pudong Airport, gorging the girls on fried rice and juice and people watching. We had plenty of time to people watch.

Culture can be a surprisingly difficult thing to get your head around. I have always felt difficult to offend - as an American, my offense radar is pretty low. But my American culture beacon still blinks brightly, expecting everyone around to meet my low standard. In China, this rarely happens. So as we waited in the business class lounge last night, we sat near a very loud group of tables. The people at each table sat no more than a few feet apart from each other, but still chose to elevate the dynamics of their conversation. This loud conversation quickly began to feel raucous and rude to us - like a drunken BBQ on an American lake. We quietly discussed our judgment - these people must be newly rich, having clearly not learned any manners. Its amazing how people here just don’t consider the people around them.

But soon the entire room turned to watch an even more noisy conversation. On the other side of the lounge, one individual held a very heated conversation with a woman working for the airline. She was soon accompanied by security and plenty of people talking on little walkie-talkies. The angry man yelled frequently, but he was quiet whenever the walkie-talkies spoke.

At first, we dismissed the angry man as another person without much sense. And we dismissed the onlooking room and occasional participation by the onlookers as typical Chinese gawkers - people here love nothing more than to watch, and take sides in a fight. We became increasingly concerned as the argument did not let up, and the people in the room did not look away.

Soon the man next to us - the one we had judged as uneducated and newly rich - used English to ask if we could understand what was happening. He then explained that Shanghai Airlines had delayed his flight over 4 hours, with no explanation or new plans. No one knew what to do, and felt quite angry after such a long wait. Our newfound sympathy for this man and his compatriots led to a lovely conversation with him. He had traveled extensively across the world as a professor of environmental protection, and had done much work in the United States.

We enjoyed his company, and immediately felt humbled by our assumptions. The people in this room did not act without manners or class. They acted as Chinese people - and nothing more or less.

Our flight eventually delayed to 11:30pm with an expected arrival in Chengdu of 2:30 in the morning. We gave up the wait and stayed in the airport hotel, hopping the first plane out this morning.

Loosening the One Child Policy

The wait for children adopted from China continues to grow, and this primarily because China has fewer children needing to be adopted. The loosening of the one child policy no doubt has a role in this. Parents who have no siblings and live in rural areas have long been allowed two children. But now, these same type of parents living in urban areas are actively encouraged to have two children. A new policy in Shanghai plans to proactively encourage young couples to have two children, by visiting their home and handing out literature. Such a shift in policy!

I only found references to this in British papers - The Times and The Telegraph, which is also quoted below.

China begins lifting strict one-child policy
China has taken the first step towards ending its controversial one-child policy by encouraging urban couples in Shanghai to have two children.
By Malcolm Moore in Shanghai
Published: 4:51PM BST 24 Jul 2009

The easing of restrictions comes in response to concern about economic problems caused by the country's ageing population. Shanghai is actively promoting the two-child policy as China tries to defuse a demographic time bomb caused by a shortage of young workers after 30 years of tough population growth restrictions.
If they are both single children themselves, husbands and wives in Shanghai are allowed to have two children.
While they have technically been allowed to do so before, the couples are now the target of a city-wide campaign to persuade them to make use of their extra allowance. They will receive home visits and leaflets to promote the benefits of a second child. The city government is worried about the rapidly rising number of elderly people and the resulting burden and drag on the Chinese economy. "We advocate eligible couples to have two kids because it can help reduce the proportion of ageing people and alleviate a workforce shortage in the future," said Xie Lingli, the head of Shanghai's family planning commission, to the China Daily newspaper.
The policy shift will prove popular. A recent survey released by the Shanghai family planning commission showed that more than half of 4,800 respondents, aged between 20 and 30, said would like a second child if the one-child policy was eased. China's one-child policy was originally designed to make sure the huge country's population remained at a manageable size, given the country's relatively low water, energy and food resources. Experts predicted earlier this week that there will be zero growth in China's population of 1.3 billion people by 2030.
The US-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies warned in April that mainland China will have more than 438 million people older than 60 by 2050, with more than 100 million aged 80 and above. The country will then have a population ratio of 1.6 working-age adults to support every person aged 60 and above, as compared with 7.7 in 1975. Shanghai's over-60 population already numbers more than three million, or more than one-fifth of residents. But that proportion is expected to rise to around one-third by 2020.
In China, the number of citizens over 65 is forecast to more than treble from 106 million today to 329 million by 2040. This will hugely increase the cost of pensions and impose a major constraint on the future growth of China's economy. Some economists have predicted that the stellar growth rates which have buoyed China's economy will become impossible with so many people set to leave the working population. The demographic crisis has been compounded by government population policy which is estimated to have resulted in the birth of 400 million fewer people.
Population forecasts have shown that if the current one-child policy continues China's children of today, at the time of marriage in 20 years, could face the task of taking care of four parents and as many as eight grandparents.
At last week's Venice Biennale, Chinese artist Xing Xin has locked himself in a iron box for 49 days to protest at the one child policy which has long been criticised on human rights grounds.

So True, So True

A recent issue of The Onion explained that they have sold their small paper to China. In an even more recent article, the new Chinese owner expresses his frustration at not knowing about the imminent death of the American newspaper industry. And the article below sounds like something the Chinese might say... or certainly think.

Nation Exhibits Strange Preoccupation With Manner In Which Food Is Processed

July 20, 2009 | Issue 45•30

NEW YORK—For reasons too difficult to comprehend, the unnecessarily fretful and anxious nation of United States continues its odd obsession with the various processes by which raw ingredients are transformed into food fit for human consumption.

"I simply cannot understand this bizarre fascination with how food comes to be," Yu Wan Mei Amalgamated Salvage Fisheries CEO Zuo Xiabing, foremost innovator of the fish by-product business paradigm, told reporters. "What could be interesting about the way ingestible materials that are not originally tube-shaped are made to be tube-shaped? It's food! Enjoy!"

Zuo, who is correct, said the fact that there are American agencies devoted entirely to fixating on the proper dehydration, pasteurization, and freeze-drying of imported foods such as fish by-products indicates an unhealthy culture-wide obsession.

"Food makes you strong," Zuo said. "Stop worrying. Just chew and swallow. You will be fine."

"Eat, eat, eat," Zuo continued with an assuring smile. "It is good. Eat."

One can reportedly see where Zuo is coming from, especially because his imported fish products are made in the best, cleanest manufacturing facilities and continue to rise in both profit and quality.

"Remember," Zuo added, "Fish Time is Success Time."

Why We Have a Driver

Below is excerpted from an email we received from the U.S. State Department, in a briefing on China.

TRAFFIC SAFETY AND ROAD CONDITIONS: While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States. The information below concerning China is provided for general reference only, and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance.

The rate of traffic accidents in China, including fatal accidents, is among the highest in the world. Driving etiquette in China is still developing, and the average Chinese driver has less than five years’ experience behind the wheel. As a result, traffic is often chaotic, and right-of-way and other courtesies are often ignored. Travelers should note that cars and buses traveling in the wrong lanes frequently hit pedestrians and bicyclists. Pedestrians should always be careful while walking near traffic. Most traffic accident injuries involve pedestrians or cyclists who are involved in collisions or who encounter unexpected road hazards (e.g., unmarked open manholes). Foreigners with resident permits can apply for PRC driver licenses; however, liability issues often make it preferable to employ a local driver. Child safety seats are not widely available in China. Americans who wish to ride bicycles in China are urged to wear safety helmets meeting U.S. standards.

The number of American citizens involved in serious and deadly traffic accidents in Beijing is increasing. The Embassy strongly encourages travelers to exercise special caution when crossing streets in China's cities as pedestrians do not have the right-of-way. Please note that many taxi cabs do not have functioning seatbelts for passengers. If seatbelts are available, visitors are strongly encouraged to use them to reduce the risk of injury.

All drivers should be aware of the Chinese regulations regarding traffic accidents. Although a recent law states that drivers involved in a minor traffic accident should move their cars to the side of the road as soon as possible, in practice, the police often conduct investigations on the scene of the accident with the cars in their original positions. Americans who cannot express themselves clearly in Chinese should call the police as soon as possible after an accident and wait to move the cars until the police permit it.

If called to an accident, the police may take 20 minutes or longer to arrive. Once the police arrive, they will complete a preliminary investigation and arrange a time for you to report to the police station responsible for processing the accident scene. The police will prepare a written report in Chinese, describing the circumstances of the accident. They will present the report to you either at the scene, or more likely at the police station, and ask you to sign it verifying the details of the accident. Do not sign the report unless your Chinese is good enough to completely understand the report and you find it totally accurate. If you either do not understand it or believe it is partly or wholly inaccurate, you may either:

1. Write a disclaimer on the report to the effect that you cannot read or understand the report and cannot attest to the accuracy thereof, but are signing it because of the police requirement that you do so, and then sign, or;

2. Write your own version of the accident, in English, on the police form and indicate that your signature only attests to the accuracy of the English version.

Most incidents (such as an accident) will draw a crowd. Drivers should remain calm. A crowd will usually move in very close to the accident and participants. In many cases the bystanders consider themselves to be an ad hoc jury. They may call for money, usually from RMB 100 to 1,000, to be paid by the party they consider at fault. The amount is not necessarily relevant to the amount of damage. A certain amount of bargaining is normal, even at accidents involving two Chinese parties. If you feel physically threatened, call the police immediately, as well as the Embassy or nearest consulate. If a traffic police booth is nearby, you may wish to leave the vehicle and walk there to await the arrival of the police accident team. Alternatively, you may walk to a shop, restaurant, or other location nearby in the immediate vicinity and wait for police.

Your vehicle should not leave the scene of an accident. Your actions may serve to further incite the crowd if they perceive that you are fleeing to evade responsibility for your share of blame or payment of damages. The crowd may attempt to keep your vehicle at the accident scene by standing in the way or blocking the roadway with vehicles, bicycles and other objects.

I Forgot to Mention...

This May, my parents made their 2nd visit together to Shanghai. We traveled together with them to Xi'an and then to Yunnan Province. My father has pointed out that I forgot to blog about the trip. My excuse is that I wrote an article on the trip for publication in Shanghai Family Magazine - I will link to it when it is published, in October. However, in my article I focused on Lijiang and Tiger-Leaping-Gorge. My father focused on his time in Shanghai and the remainder of the trip in his Guest Blog. I only just received his text and photos, but have posted it on the date he should have sent it (in early June). Because its so full of good info and photos, I thought I'd repost it here so regular readers wouldn't miss it.

As a child, most of us carry the classic dreams of seeing the world, becoming rich and famous, and more. At least, I did. My dream of seeing the world arose from reading my grandfather's National Geographic magazines, staring at the photos of Africa and China. But there was always an element of realism in my dreaming, understanding how unlikely it was that a kid from a rural town in Nebraska (State motto: I don’t know; what do you want to do?) would really get there. Still, I made my lists of dreams and life moved on. Over the years I accomplished some of my dreams, eliminated some others (my eyesight wasn’t good enough to be a pilot) and set aside several more (I still hope to be rich and famous).

Which brings me to seeing the world. When Ann and I got married, neither of us had seen much of the world. I had made a college trip to Mexico and a fishing trip to Canada, and Ann had never left the country. In fact, neither of us had even met an African-American or Asian person until college in my case, and after college in Ann’s case. Over time, my various careers took me all over the United States for brief visits; but we had kids, a mortgage, and Ann's business, significant family travel just didn’t happen.

But the dream to see the places I had read about, particularly China, still smoldered.

So, I found our first trip to China (May 2008) overwhelming. The mere fact that we were really going was overwhelming enough; coupled with the nearly 24 hours of travel it takes to get there, the noise, the pollution, the crowds, the strange food, eating with chopsticks, our unfamiliarity with the language, and other difficulties would have kept us from going in the first place except that we had a place to stay, a guide and we really wanted to see our grandchildren.

That first trip lasted three weeks. We visited The Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City and had a great three days in rural China. Lynne wrote blogs about that trip when we made it last year and Dave’s parents made the same trip a couple of months ago and you have read their blogs about that trip as well so, I will write nothing more about the first trip except to say that standing on the Great Wall of China had been of those dreams from age 10. Standing in Tiananmen Square had only been significant for the last 19 years (at that time). Both, however, were incredible experiences.

Ann then returned to China for two weeks in August to help Lynne move to their new digs, and we have just returned from a month long trip together. This time we were much more prepared for the long trip and we expected the noise, the pollution, the crowds, and the unfamiliarity with the language. And by the way, one of the real joys of China is the strange food.

So, this trip we spent the first few days just getting our body clocks adjusted and finding our way around. Since Ann had already been to their apartment, she knew her way around the neighborhood so we pretty well hit the ground running. Our second night there, we met a couple from our church who have become good friends of ours. They were with a tour group and happened to be in Shanghai at a hotel within walking distance of us. So, we got together for dinner and had a great time. It is a small world, after all.

After a few days, Lynne and Dave left for a trip to Singapore, and Borneo in Maylasia and left the girls in our care. What a joy that was. We went to the zoo, the botanical gardens, the Magic Forest, McDonald’s, several playgrounds, watched movies, read stories, visited L--’s school and had a marvelous time. In case you don’t know it, our grandkids are extraordinary in every way and we enjoy being with them.

The highlight of the trip was a week in Central and Western China with the whole family. I should talk a bit about flying with this family. Moving 6 people through Chinese airports is a pretty interesting experience. Lynne carries everyone’s passport so we all have to go through together. Ann and I have one bag between us and a couple of carry-on bags with camera, books, puzzles, and munchies. These guys have two ENORMOUS bags (each is larger than L), two back packs stuffed full, a camera bag and two child car seats. So baggage check is a real treat.

We first flew to Xi’an in Central China, (about a 2 ½ hour flight from Shanghai) primarily to see the Terracotta Warriors. However, I really enjoyed the city. Xi’an was the capital of China several times and has been on that site for 3,100 years. The old city is surrounded by a wall built in the 14th century. The wall (12 km around) is still intact. The best way to see it is to rent a bicycle and ride around the top. We, of course, did so. Ann and I rented a tandem bike and enjoyed the ride very much.

Our first night in Xi’an, we visited Defu Chang Restaurant and had a great meal of a dozen or so different kinds of fried and steamed dumplings. Excellent.

The next morning we headed out bright and early for the Terracotta Warriors. (I should also explain that when we arrived in each city, we were greeted by a guide and a driver who were responsible for getting us everywhere we wanted to go, answering our questions, making restaurant reservations, and solving any problems. Lynne set all this up and did a fine job.) After our visit to the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace in Beijing the year before, I had declared them to be the ultimate example of the arrogance of power and wealth. After visiting the Terracotta Warriors, I have changed my mind. This guy (Qin Shihuang) was emperor in 210 and decided that he was a God and would return to earth after he died. Therefore, he would need his army. So, he buried a reproduction of his army. Archaeologists are still uncovering more of this army but they believe there are more than 8,000 terracotta soldiers buried here along with chariots, horses, etc. Absolutely amazing. The other amazing thing is the excellent condition that many of these soldiers are in.

That evening, we strolled the Muslim Quarter and ate street food.

The next morning it was off to Kunming in Yunnan Province (another 2 hour plane ride). Yunnan Province is in far southwest China and is bordered by Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar (Burma) and Tibet.

The primary reason to go to Kunming is to catch a plane to go somewhere else; but since we were there, we visited Devil’s Gate. How can I describe Dragons Gate? We rode up the mountain in a cable car and we were at least 1,000 feet above both the city and the most polluted lake I have ever seen – Lake Dian. Our guide said that all lakes in China are ranked on a pollution index, with 1 the best and 5 the worst. Lake Dian is a 5. We walked back down the mountain, through tunnels and along ledges with great views of the city and the polluted lake. At nine points along the walk down, we would come upon a Buddhist temple which had been carved or built into the side of the mountain. The work involved in doing this and building the path down the mountain was pretty impressive and it was a nice walk down.

We then went to our resort for the evening. Nice place. It had a big pool for the girls to enjoy, and several hot springs. We played in the pool, soaked in the various hot springs, and generally relaxed. We decided, at some point in time, to have supper outside on the lanai but could find no one who spoke English to take our order. Dave and Lynne eventually found a menu and by pointing at various things got us a great poolside supper.

Off again. This time a one hour flight to Dali. The Dali airport is on a mesa above town and so the drive to town is at least half an hour, much of it skirting Lake Ertai which we were scheduled to ride on later in the trip. Dali is approx. 2300 meters and is beautiful. It is the center of the Bai culture and a very interesting place. We first went to Old Town where we had a great lunch. In fact, the lunch was so good that we went back to the same restaurant for supper. As was our custom, each of the four of us ordered something from the menu and then we all shared everything. After a pleasant lunch, we jumped back in the car and visited a few small villages in the area. The first village had native dancers performing their native dances and three servings of tea. In the second village we watched indigo dye being prepared for batik and purchased some finished products. We then returned to Dali and spent the rest of the day exploring Old Town.

The next morning, we took a nice ride on Lake Ertai. Rode out to an island which housed a fishing village and explored there for a while. Grabbed some snacks which served as our lunch and headed for the cable car. We were not returning to the same hotel that night, but we left all of our stuff there because we were going to stay at a mountaintop “resort” that night and could only take what we could carry.

We rode another cable car up high on the mountain and then disembarked for the walk to the resort. I had understood that the walk was an easy 8 kilometer walk, and while that is a pretty good distance, I was prepared to make it. However, the walk began by climbing vertical stairs for at least 500 feet carrying children, packs and ourselves. I was already tired when we got to the road to the resort. However, the road was level, very well maintained and not a difficult walk at all. Rita (our guide) informed us that it was a 12 kilometer walk and we started off. It was a beautiful walk – high on the side of the mountain with great views of the city below and we were able to move along at a fairly good pace. After several short breaks and a couple of long ones, we reached the cabin only to find that it was another 500 foot climb.

The camp was a typical hikers camp – cabins with a dining room, showers, and a great view. Another great supper and off to bed.

The next morning we rode another cable car down to Dali. Picked up our bags and headed over the mountains to Lijiang by car (a 4 hour drive). This was an incredible drive. We began in high mountain valleys growing rice, tobacco, potatoes, and other crops we did not recognize. As we began to climb higher and higher, we still passed farm fields stuck to the side of a slope and some of the most intricate terraces I have ever seen. The views were amazing as we climbed to 10,000 feet or more. The traffic was pretty amazing as well. Heavy duty trucks carrying heavy loads slowed things down since there were few passing opportunities, but more than a few times we found ourselves behind a homemade truck which had been converted from a Cushman or some similar motorbike. These “trucks" would be hauling loads well beyond their capacity to haul, belching smoke and, in short, looking like they would not make it another mile.

We arrived in Lijiang in the rain and it rained off and on during most of our two nights there. It is a beautiful city at 3,100 meters (about 10,000 feet) altitude and would be even more so in the sunshine. The old city is built along a series of canals that come down from the mountains and was quite confusing for me to find my way around. No vehicles are allowed on the narrow streets and it was a wonderful place to walk around.

The next morning, back in the car to drive up the Yangtze River valley to Tiger-Leaping-Gorge. The floor of the gorge at its lowest point is 1800 meters and the mountains on either side reach 5500 meters, making it one of the deepest gorges in the world. The gorge at its narrowest point is 33 meters wide. We took an incredible walk alongside it for a mile or more. It made me want to take the whole two day hiking trip, but that will be another time.

We returned to Lijiang in the late afternoon. Arose early the next morning to visit Black Dragon Pool with Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the background. It was rainy and we could not see the mountain but it was a beautiful walk in the mist anyway. That afternoon, a flight back to Shanghai.

At Least No One Went Blind

The thunder lessened through the evening, and by the time I awoke this morning the ground was dry. The sky held its regular Shanghai grey, but I was hopeful that the clouds could break into a lovely blue sky for the 9:00 hour. Quite the contrary, rain began falling as I left home for my Eclipse Viewing Brunch. It fell heavier as we neared our time of totality - 9:36. I entered the restaurant at 9:20 to find a very small crowd. With the grey skies and the falling rain, the eclipse did not bring out the gawkers that many had expected. My friend Anna and I moved outside, standing under a small roof to stare at the small sliver of sky our restaurant afforded us. No sprawling view of the river or bright view of the Pudong skyline. The hotel hosting our event offered such a view, but put us in the lobby restaurant facing the street. With a rainy sky and a street view, we all felt a bit silly as we stared at the grey sky.

And then it got dark. Really quickly. And then it stayed dark - as dark as midnight. And it stayed dark for 5 minutes and 39 seconds. And then it got light again, really quickly. The photos below were taken over a 2 minute span, at exactly the same settings:




We called the Eclipse Viewing Party a non-event, and moved inside to enjoy our free brunch. As I'm usually feeling like its morning when I eat breakfast, I tend to stay away from Chinese food. But this morning, as I'd experienced morning and nightime and then morning again, anything seemed possible. I dived into the Chinese breakfast spread, and loved everything. As it turns out, dim sum, fried rice and chicken congee make a really super breakfast!

And So It Begins

The storms which threaten to blot out one of the most impressive sites of nature have begun in earnest.

Shanghai expects a full solar eclipse tomorrow morning, to begin in totality at 9:36 and last until 9:41. A total solar eclipse is a rare site to begin with, but this one will have the sun fully blocked from the earth for 5 minutes making it the longest eclipse in the entire 21st century. Shanghai saw its last solar eclipse in 1575, so the city has been waiting a long time for this portent of change.

But the portent will probably be obscured by serious thunderstorms. The storms have already started, hollering thunder and flashing lightning through the sky. The wind is blowing my chairs across the balcony and waving my laundry line. The hour-to-hour forecast shows 100% chance of rain from 4:00am until 7:30am, with the odds only dropping to 90% from 8-11am, the full time of the eclipse.

I've got tickets (free, thank goodness) to a brunch at the Hyatt on the Bund. The windows from the hotel will provide an unobstructed view of the Pudong skyline with the sun rising over it. It'll be perfect conditions for watching the moon move in front of the morning sun. Or it'll be a great place to watch a storm. Will post pictures either way, so you can share whatever I see of this historic and beautiful phenomenon.