China pt.1
Culture shock. I heard these two words almost every day for the week leading up to my departure, almost like it was some kind of buzzword. “Your first time in Asia?! The culture shock is going to be crazy!” everyone told me time and time again, but what I didn’t anticipate was how literally shocking the culture change would be. I felt it the moment I got off the plane and it was completely unexpected, like I’d been hit by a wave while my back was turned. Even two weeks later, I still have trouble pinpointing exactly what rattled me so much. Maybe it was the fact that, for the first time in my life, I was a visible minority, or perhaps it was the loud and aggressive nature of absolutely everyone with whom I interacted. Most likely, it was because everyone was speaking to me in Mandarin, as if I could understand them, while I stood there hopelessly confused. Either way, it was not something for which I was prepared.
After landing, getting on a shuttle to Shenzhen was my first priority, so I followed the airport signs to a desk that had “Shuttle to Mainland” on a sign above it. I showed them an address written in Chinese characters on my phone, and “200” was the only thing that came out of the ticket lady’s mouth. I passed over 200RMB (equivalent to $40CAD), assuming that was what she wanted, and she took it and scribbled some symbols on three stickers which she stuck to my chest. All this, while she spoke Mandarin to her co-worker, seemingly laughing about me as she diverted my eye contact. “Four” she said next, and pointed to a door with the number 4 above it. Confused, I walked out the door and stood there awkwardly until a man grabbed my bag and shoved it into the back of an already packed van. After a little hesitation, I hopped inside the van (with six other Chinese men already squeezed inside) completely unsure of whether or not this was going to take me to my desired destination.
The car took us to the Chinese border where we got out, and unsure of where to go next, I just started following the first person I saw. To my pleasant surprise, I ended up in the right place! After a short wait, I got past the border agent, where my picture was taken and fingerprints scanned, and was finally in Shenzhen. My first impression of China was simple: a massive f*cking free-for-all. Everyone had their own agenda and I was just another obstacle in the way of them getting to where they needed to be. Whether it’s attempting to get my bag through the X-ray machine at the border, trying to get up the escalator at the subway, or even walking down the sidewalk, things here are always hectic. After being here for two weeks, I still have this impression of China, however its been diluted by all of the other wacky, amazing, disgusting, genius, annoying, convenient, inconvenient things I’ve learned about living here. Here are just a few of the notable ones:
Spitting:
Its socially acceptable to loudly spit disgusting loogies onto the street here. Even when you’re right next to someone, they won’t make the slightest hesitation before brewing up a winner.
WeChat:
Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat are banned here (cue basic white girl being shocked). Instead, they have something 10x better… WeChat. It’s like all of the best parts of social media in one seamless messaging app, PLUS you can use its “pay” function to pay for literally anything, literally anywhere. Even the beggars on the top of a mountain (that took us 45 minutes to hike up) had WeChat QR codes that you could scan to send them a couple bucks. It is the most convenient app that exists, hands down.
What the F*ck am I Eating?:
I find myself saying this almost every day. Most of the time I’ve barely got a clue what I’m putting into my mouth, but it tastes alright so I just go with it. Sometimes I do get to learn what I’m ingesting, but immediately regret asking. I’ve eaten cow lungs, cow veins, duck blood, duck intestines, and who knows what else. “When in China”, I tell myself.
Transportation:
Saying the transportation system is amazing here would be an understatement. The subway costs <$1CAD to go half way across the city and there are 8 different lines, so almost everywhere is accessible. On top of that, they’re clean, safe (it feels like airport security every time I enter), and all you have to do is scan your QR code.
When I’m not taking the subway, I’m able to use a bike-sharing app to rent a bike for as long as I want for only $0.20CAD. When I’m done with it, I just hop off and leave it wherever…that easy.
Screw It:
or more commonly “f*ck it” are words that I have learned to use significantly more since being here. All of the washing machine buttons are Chinese? F*ck it, I’m just gonna hit start. Water coming out of the tap is brown? F*ck it, hopefully won’t kill me.
People Love Foreigners:
So much so that they stare. And when you catch them staring, they don’t stop. It can make long subway rides very uncomfortable.
More often than not, it has its benefits, like getting free drinks at the bar or when new friends pay for dinner. The first time I went shopping alone, I put some soap in my basket and started to walk away from the shelf. A Chinese lady rapidly walked towards me, speaking angrily in Mandarin, and grabbed the the soap right out of my basket. She put it back on the shelf, still mumbling in Mandarin, and picked up a different brand of soap which she put into my basket. She nodded her head, turned around, and was on her way. Needless to say, I’m very happy with my soap and appreciate her “recommendation”.
Is this Sanitary?:
Most likely not. When a mouse runs across your feet at a restaurant, or when you look up from your food to see a massive bug on the wall next to you, all you can do is pretend like you saw nothing. This is probably why everyone cleans their dishes and chopsticks with the hot tea that they serve you before eating.
Nap Time:
Every day at around 13:00, everyone puts their head down on their desk or leans back in their chair for a nap. Right in the middle of the work day. It’s amazing. Canada needs to make this a thing.
Toilets (if you can even call them that):
There have been few moments in my life that were more rattling than the first time I took a sh*t at work. Speed walking around the building to find a washroom as fast as I could, walking in and right past the urinals to the stalls, and opening the stall door, only to find a hole in the ground. No toilet paper, no toilet seat, no handles to hold on to… just a porcelain hole. I’d been warned about this, but it never crossed my mind that I’d encounter it at the place I have to go to every day to work. Unsure of what to do, I frantically searched Google for instructions on how to relieve myself without making a mess or falling in. Thankfully, I was successful — but I’ve started to plan ahead more, to avoid further interactions with “the hole”.
Phone Addiction:
Even at the peak of rush hour on the subway, it’s almost impossible to find anyone that isn’t staring into their phone. There are even constant announcements over the speakers to “please not look down at your phone while walking”.
China is an incredible place and I’m learning more and more about the vastly different culture here every day. It’s incredible what is achievable when the population is so big that scaling becomes less of a concern. I’ve met so many genuine people and have learned so much in just two short weeks. I strongly recommend visiting to anyone that has the opportunity, and I can’t wait to live here for another 3 months. All I warn is, if you’re an uncultured white boy like me… beware the culture shock.
