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China: My new temporary home
(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-07-20 10:57 Mike King, a volunteer from New Zealand serving in Shaanxi Museum in Xi'an talks about his temporary home country and its people. Arriving from New Zealand my first impressions of the airport were very few people, who all appeared very serious, in a huge spotlessly clean hanger-like building. To retrieve my luggage I was ushered to a train, which seemed to travel at least six kilometers. I became nervous that I would never see my bags again in such a huge airport. But found myself in an even bigger and absolutely magnificent hanger, which was obviously brand new from last year's Olympics.
Having had no problems retrieving my bags, I made my way through customs to be greeted by more very serious people. It appears Chinese people are not very demonstrative even with their families. When I found my new "relatives" we made our way to the underground car park what was more like a huge car showroom complete with highly polished floors and every car clean and shining (I was later to learn Chinese are very proud of their cars). There were many very serious looking security guards everywhere. As we drove from the car park all I saw were grey concrete roads, bridges and nondescript home blocks. It was midwinter and I could see no green grass or trees anywhere. Although the roads into town (about twenty-five minutes away from the airport) were brilliant, the scenery didn't change. There was nothing I had imagined could have prepared me for what happened as we entered the suburbs of Beijing. There were vehicles, bikes with and without trailers, dangerously loaded with all manner of products and people walking everywhere. I decided there simply were no rules of the road or pavement in this place: I saw two bikes riding in tandem carrying a five-meter ladder between them. It seemed the only rule is: first come - first served. Zebra crossings - some of the longest I have seen - had people stranded at intervals all the way across with vehicles and bikes intertwined going in both directions between them. At the junctions it was frightening to see all these serious people trying to survive a road crossing. I later took a taxi to discover some new "rules". If a car could get its bumper just in front of another the driver would be very happy, even if it meant driving on the pavement or cycle way to gain a few car lengths. I also noticed bicycles and silent motor scooters could drive in either direction and at night without lights. Although it is hard to believe, apparently it is legal in China. I was thinking: "What is this place?". Mortality must be very high. I have been in China now for five months and no longer fear stepping off the pavement, although I have spent most of my time in Xi'an. I have also learnt it takes three meetings with a Chinese person before you extract a word or smile. After that they are friendly, gracious and generous. I have made some wonderful friends and feel if I could get my head around the language, what a wonderful country this is to be living in. I also feel if people's eyes were all cameras I would be the most photographed person in Xian. Sometimes I feel like a little disconcerting being looked up and down constantly, followed by my wife getting the same treatment. Very funny seeing people, particularly the younger ones, coming towards me trying to decide if they should practice their English, and just as they pass I often would hear "Hello" followed by a wide smile. Most of my replies have to be over my shoulder. But they go off giggling to their friends about how brave they were. I will take some wonderful memories back to New Zealand, determined to put western people's perception of China to rights. China and its people are far nicer than we are lead to believe from western media. I feel I'll be back.
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