Reflection on China
Hello friends, family, and any passerby reading this blog. We have returned safely from Taiwan. We spent 3 nights, 4 days there. It was worth the trip!
We have been to approximately 17 States in the US, Jamaica, Mexico, Bahamas, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan and China. The Chinese will tell you that Taiwan is part of China. I count it as a different country since they stamp your passport as Taiwan. But, anyways, the point I am trying to make is we have seen a lot of places and experienced different cultures. I mean, hell, America is considered a melting pot right? In Georgia, you have a whole town dedicated to “Asia”. I want to say Korean, but I can’t recall specifically. It’s near that H Supermarket near Roswell.
China is not one of my favorite countries. Yes, we currently live here. And yes, we’ve been in China for almost 2 years. That’s a lot of hours and days to experience authentic China. And, well, it’s sad. Here are the top reasons we dislike China (Jiangsu Province):
1) Smokers - Chinese people smoke everywhere even in elevators and malls. Chain smoking. Leaving their butts everywhere.
2) Disregard for order and laws - smoking in an elevator with a no smoking sign. They don’t know how to queue. They don’t even try to say sorry when they push and shove their way passed you.
3) Hocking And farmer blows - DISGUSTING !!! They farmer blow their nose in the street as they pass you. They pick their nose constantly. Always hocking up phlegm and spitting it wherever they walk. Ok. I get it’s due to the pollution. But then stop smoking and take better care of yourself! Use Kleenex.
4) Cleanliness- Bodily cleanliness and cleanliness of homes and schools. Schools are always run down. Public bathrooms smell like shit. People piss and shit in the streets. They make children’s pants with splits in the crotch so they don’t wear diapers. I don’t think the older Chinese people shower regularly because they smell! When it’s 90 degrees and you are standing next to a smelly old person, it’s disgusting.
5) Lack of AC and quality of building- You heard the joke “made in China”, yeah it’s a thing. They can build quickly but it cracks and crumbles and looks like shit within 3 years. They don’t like to use AC and even the gyms are hot boxes. Why can other countries use AC and not China?
6) Healthcare - I’ve been told their doctors don’t go to school as long as they do in America. They give IVs for antibiotics instead of pills. People walk around bleeding and coughing all over. Yes, there isn’t a doctors office. There isn’t an urgent care center. Everything is done at the hospital. There isn’t preventive care. You go when you are sick. With all the pollution and smokers and car accidents, and lack of OSHA standards.... I’d love to see statistics for hospital admissions and treatments. However, as a foreigner and having no “health coverage” as one would think of in the States, it’s cheap to go to the hospital and see the Dr.
7) Kitchens - an oven in China is a toaster oven in the US. Also, apartments don’t come standard with dishwashers or (toaster) ovens. Sometimes, you are lucky to get the gas burners to cook. Some places have the old school hot plates. With how much Chinese people like to cook, where and how are they doing this? I suppose hot pot is popular for this reason.
8) Dryers - what? Yes, you hang your laundry to dry. Even in Winter.
9) English ability - we are in China as ESL teachers. There are a ton of language centers and international schools. But, why is it so hard to tour China? No one wants to speak English. And you get stared at as a white person. And you are constantly reminded by the little kids saying such. Tourism is big for countries. Why can China (Jiangsu Province) not have customer service representatives who can speak the English required for that job. Ex: Metro working being able to give directions. Clerk at the grocery store say bag. We teach 5 year old kids who communicate good in English. What happens to all their English training? And to the haters out there who would say but you are in their country..... true and we know survival Chinese. We try our best to communicate with the sentences and words we know coupled with charades. But, why can South Korea and Taiwan have better taxi and metro service workers? They can speak decent enough English.
10) Misc - Ebikes are everywhere. This isn’t much different than the rest of Asia, but they park anywhere and everywhere and honk constantly. Why honk constantly? You realize people stop listening because they are desensitized to it? Taiwan had specific parking spots for their gas bikes. Hard beds, squatter toilets everywhere, damn pollution and the green house effect, and of course the frustrations working for a Chinese company. Big differences in the work place with authority and hierarchy, etc. From our experience, language centers are very disorganized.
So why stay? Right? Well, we don’t pay US taxes on our money. The minimalist lifestyle has some appeals. Our friends are great here. The kids are adorable. We would definitely consider going to Taiwan or SK to teach. We like order and organization.
We have been to approximately 17 States in the US, Jamaica, Mexico, Bahamas, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan and China. The Chinese will tell you that Taiwan is part of China. I count it as a different country since they stamp your passport as Taiwan. But, anyways, the point I am trying to make is we have seen a lot of places and experienced different cultures. I mean, hell, America is considered a melting pot right? In Georgia, you have a whole town dedicated to “Asia”. I want to say Korean, but I can’t recall specifically. It’s near that H Supermarket near Roswell.
China is not one of my favorite countries. Yes, we currently live here. And yes, we’ve been in China for almost 2 years. That’s a lot of hours and days to experience authentic China. And, well, it’s sad. Here are the top reasons we dislike China (Jiangsu Province):
1) Smokers - Chinese people smoke everywhere even in elevators and malls. Chain smoking. Leaving their butts everywhere.
2) Disregard for order and laws - smoking in an elevator with a no smoking sign. They don’t know how to queue. They don’t even try to say sorry when they push and shove their way passed you.
3) Hocking And farmer blows - DISGUSTING !!! They farmer blow their nose in the street as they pass you. They pick their nose constantly. Always hocking up phlegm and spitting it wherever they walk. Ok. I get it’s due to the pollution. But then stop smoking and take better care of yourself! Use Kleenex.
4) Cleanliness- Bodily cleanliness and cleanliness of homes and schools. Schools are always run down. Public bathrooms smell like shit. People piss and shit in the streets. They make children’s pants with splits in the crotch so they don’t wear diapers. I don’t think the older Chinese people shower regularly because they smell! When it’s 90 degrees and you are standing next to a smelly old person, it’s disgusting.
5) Lack of AC and quality of building- You heard the joke “made in China”, yeah it’s a thing. They can build quickly but it cracks and crumbles and looks like shit within 3 years. They don’t like to use AC and even the gyms are hot boxes. Why can other countries use AC and not China?
6) Healthcare - I’ve been told their doctors don’t go to school as long as they do in America. They give IVs for antibiotics instead of pills. People walk around bleeding and coughing all over. Yes, there isn’t a doctors office. There isn’t an urgent care center. Everything is done at the hospital. There isn’t preventive care. You go when you are sick. With all the pollution and smokers and car accidents, and lack of OSHA standards.... I’d love to see statistics for hospital admissions and treatments. However, as a foreigner and having no “health coverage” as one would think of in the States, it’s cheap to go to the hospital and see the Dr.
7) Kitchens - an oven in China is a toaster oven in the US. Also, apartments don’t come standard with dishwashers or (toaster) ovens. Sometimes, you are lucky to get the gas burners to cook. Some places have the old school hot plates. With how much Chinese people like to cook, where and how are they doing this? I suppose hot pot is popular for this reason.
8) Dryers - what? Yes, you hang your laundry to dry. Even in Winter.
9) English ability - we are in China as ESL teachers. There are a ton of language centers and international schools. But, why is it so hard to tour China? No one wants to speak English. And you get stared at as a white person. And you are constantly reminded by the little kids saying such. Tourism is big for countries. Why can China (Jiangsu Province) not have customer service representatives who can speak the English required for that job. Ex: Metro working being able to give directions. Clerk at the grocery store say bag. We teach 5 year old kids who communicate good in English. What happens to all their English training? And to the haters out there who would say but you are in their country..... true and we know survival Chinese. We try our best to communicate with the sentences and words we know coupled with charades. But, why can South Korea and Taiwan have better taxi and metro service workers? They can speak decent enough English.
10) Misc - Ebikes are everywhere. This isn’t much different than the rest of Asia, but they park anywhere and everywhere and honk constantly. Why honk constantly? You realize people stop listening because they are desensitized to it? Taiwan had specific parking spots for their gas bikes. Hard beds, squatter toilets everywhere, damn pollution and the green house effect, and of course the frustrations working for a Chinese company. Big differences in the work place with authority and hierarchy, etc. From our experience, language centers are very disorganized.
So why stay? Right? Well, we don’t pay US taxes on our money. The minimalist lifestyle has some appeals. Our friends are great here. The kids are adorable. We would definitely consider going to Taiwan or SK to teach. We like order and organization.
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