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Things Virtual Reality China Will Not Prep You For (And What You Can Do Instead)
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Things Virtual Reality China Will Not Prep You For (And What You Can Do Instead) |
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11/01/08
Uh, the New York Subway System transports 8 million people a day, which is over eight times the population of San Francisco...
10/31/08
10/31/08
10/31/08
However, the "Second China Project" has my interest piqued. First I've ever heard of it.
10/31/08
It's a shame that political views and hard economic reality create conditions that lead countries away from their history and inhibit their potential.
(That applies to any country anywhere)
10/31/08
As for saying you've live in China and have firsthand experience. The article you posted the other day about the water cube in Chongqing; you incorrectly stated that it was the capital of Sichuan province, which is Chengdu. Such fundamental errors in Chinese knowledge erode your credibility as a writer about all things Chinese.
10/31/08
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10/31/08
I have some sympathy for both sides. The Chinese are not so much "China is better" as they are "China has been hurt!" (which is kinda true, when you think about how every western nation has invaded China in the last two centuries and today pretend to have forgotten it all. The Japanese war crimes are completely ignored in the West, and so it's wrong to act like the Chinese have no legitimate complaint). The Americans are nationalist because, well, they do have a great country in a lot of ways, so they are entitled to swagger a bit (even if they are rather too ready to believe everything their government and media tell them).
I don't agree with your anti-China tone though, Elaine. Even the Chinese nationalists are pretty nice if you don't act like your country is better than theirs in every way. I've never found the Chinese to be all that different from the Americans in fundamental decency -- and they are often much more willing to help strangers. No country is perfect, but China and America are flawed in very similar ways.
You also don't mention how today's China is a hundred times more open and prosperous and free than it was 35 years ago, when my dad was almost killed there during the Cultural Revolution for having HK relatives. In another 20 years it will be even better, and I wouldn't look at everything with so much snark and contempt.
10/31/08
-Bargaining: This is not something you do at department stores or the supermarket... this is something you do at markets or with roadside traders and is part of the fun for both foreigners and Chinese. In western countries, we do our bargaining at garage-sales or the weekend trash-and-treasure markets. You can get a good deal or you can get screwed. Don't forget; the legal term "Caveat Emptor"(buyer beware) came from western countries, not China
-Censorship: Try Singapore or Australia as other examples (or is it okay for them to do it?)
-Air quality: Sure it's a problem, but it's not the case everywhere in China and it's not a problem unique to China. It's a problem for any city with a large population; Los Angeles, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Mexico City...
-Sea of People: Yep, there's a lot of people in China, but look at ([www.citymayors.com]) and you'll see that Shanghai and Beijing rank 10th and 12th respectively as cities with the highest population densities. Mumbai has 2.5 times more people/sq.km than Beijing!
-Sad cellular options: Please tell me, who DOES have a perfectly-operating 3G network? My friends in London keep telling me their 3G signal drops out every 10min, and South Africa seems to be even worse. As far as cell-phones are concerned, there are plenty of very good local and international brands to choose from. Perhaps you should try shopping at a proper cell-phone retailer instead of at the road-side traders where you do your bargaining!
-dealing with rabid nationalists etc: please explain to me why having national pride is a BAD thing in China, while NOT having national pride in the US, Australia, the UK etc is a bad thing?
I'm not sure if you really don't like China, or are just jumping on the China-bashing bandwagon. If you don't like it, then go somewhere else; If you're just on the bandwagon, then please get off... it's lame.
10/31/08
Everything you eat or drink run the risk of it being poisonous and carcinogenic.
10/31/08
10/31/08
Things that are rude here (in China) are not taboo.
Pissing in the street
a$$l3ess pants on kids so they can crap in the street
spitting
basically expelling any bodily fluid
cutting in line
starring
should I continue?
10/31/08