Mike and Leigh's UnBlog

Travel Notes

As promised, though I know few of you are interested, here are some travel notes as we prepare for the end of our time in China:

Beijing:
A big city with a great deal of smog, traffic and noise. Though its history can ce traced back more than 2000 years, they generally talk about Beijing after the Reformation in the 1950s. So, to them, it's actually a new city. We saw very little of it, but there is a lot of construction going on in preparation for the Summer Games in '08.

The People:
I have been very impressed with the people here. They are very interested in Americans and practicing their English. They are pushy and don't hold the same rules about personal space that I would like. They do everything as if boarding a flight on Southwest, only there are NO seat assignments and under one seat there is the promise of a winning lottery ticket. They cut in line at stores. Leigh was even pushed out of her place waiting to use a stall in the bathroom at the airport. But that is no big deal, really. They have been warm and welcoming.

The Heat:
Speaking of warm, any building that has heat (and not all do), is kept at a scorching temperature. They think we must be "very warm people" because we find it stifling. In fact, they will come up and say something if the baby is not wrapped up in several layers of clothes with no skin showing. We have been fixated on trying to keep Mary's pant legs from riding up while we carry her to avoid confrontations.

Perceptions of Americans:
Though we have only been in urban centers where people are generally more worldly, we are still an oddity to be stared at. Many people have derived their perception of Americans from TV and movies. In both of our hotels, we have 'enjoyed' just three English-speaking channels: CNN, ESPN Euro (which shows nothing but soccer), and a movie channel that features at least one Bond movie a day and in Biejing, we were treated to a Steven Seagal retrospective. It's easy to see why they look at us as they do.
In fact, a nice group of businessmen approached me in the lobby one day and asked, "American?" I nodded and one looked particulalry thoughtful and then asked, "Boxer?" I said, "No." He thought a little longer and the second thing that came to his mind was, "Cowboy?" Thankfully, his room was ready, so he didn't have time to ask "Good cop or bad cop?"

Fashion:
Believe it or not, the way the people here dress is one of the things I noticed first. Again, bear in mind, we're in an urban setting. These are the impressions of someone who has not been into the countryside.
The men, young and old, dress neatly and conservatively. A lot of black and gray dress pants teamed with nicely fitting dress shirts or sweaters.
Anyone in uniform, from Customs agents and flight attendents to bellboys and waitresses, sports very formal gear. It's really awesome.
I have been most impressed with the young women and girls. Their dress is trendy and attractive, but also modest and neat. No Ughs or flip-flops with mini skirts and belly shirts. The look of the moment is tight fitting jeans or pants tucked into high-heeled leather boots with sweaters or neat blouses. It's just different and everyone traveling seems to have noticed it.

Food:
If the Over/Under in the How Much Weight Will Mike Lose pool was 10 pounds, take the under - way under. The food has been awesome. Too much of it, generally. Hunan, where we've been the longest, is known for its spicy dishes. Our guide, Ashley, has ordered us something traditional at every meal. We've really enjoyed the food. We haven't been particularly adventurous in our selections, but what we've had has been great.

The Traffic:
Makes NYC look like Mayberry RFD. It's truly unbelievable. Cars, vans, buses, mopeds, bicycles, pedestrials and motorcycles all share the same real estate and disregard for traffic laws. Want to park on the sidewalk? Go ahead. Want to make a left turn from the far-right lane? Go ahead. Road markings and crosswalks seem painted only as decoration. We have seen blind women crossing intersections alone by whacking the cars rushing by with their canes. Unless you have seen it, it can't be described. I saw a guy on a single-cylinder mopod delivering what had to be 500 pounds of 12-foot angle iron. Totally bizarre. I like a challenge, but I wouldn't ever attempt to drive here.

Chengsha:
Though I'm ready to move on, I have loved Chengsha. It's the largest city in Hunan, an agricultural province, and doesn't see a lot of foreign travelers. We have seen much of the city and become more comfortable each time we venture out.

posted by Michael Fresina @ 2:31 PM