China II

Chinese Couples (Day 6)

Before we flew over to China, we were told that Chinese couples would be different from American ones. Now that I’m here and have had the opportunity to observe them for a couple of days I have noticed differences, but I don’t feel their behavior is as different as it was made out to be (although perhaps I just haven’t been here long enough to witness or learn yet).  Despite having a more reserved culture, Chinese couples don’t seem to have issues with publically displaying their affection for their partner. On campus you will often see couples walking around and holding holds or girls riding around on the back of their boyfriend’s bikes. These displays seem innocent enough though and don’t really count as PDA (public displays of affection). Further, I feel these behaviors are similar to those of couples in the U.S. Thus far, I feel like the main difference I have observed is that the males seem to be more doting than the females (a phenomenon that seems almost reversed to American norms). I have seen a number of males “hanging” on their girls. For instance, in the food court yesterday I watched a guy play with his girlfriend’s braid. When talking to Jane, one of the Chinese students she said that she and her boyfriend will often go dutch on meals and split the cost. She also explained the concept of ‘face’ (reputation/image) when it comes to dating. The guys will often take their girls out to special places (such as McDonald’s when it 1^st opened or Haagen-Dazs nowadays). Since these special plans tend to cost more, it brings the girls good face. Overall, Chinese couples seem to really enjoy each other’s company (at least in public) and affectionately display this without going overboard with the PDA (I have only seen 2 couples kissing thus far).   

Getting Around (Day 7)

Like I mentioned in a previous post, the traffic in China (especially in Beijing, and now very evident in Tianjin as well) is nuts. There’s a lot more to travel in China aside from just the crazy drivers though. In addition to the cars, buses, and bikes on the roads (no pick-up tricks were seen anywhere inside the city), people also get around by using subways and trains. Surprisingly the Beijing subway was very clean and well up-kept. I will say that we only rode for a few minutes and viewed 2 stations, but if those were that nice, then more of the line must be the same way (although, given the rest of the city and the clash of clean/dirty, I pretty much guarantee that not all of the subway system is that well maintained). The bullet train was a very efficient way to travel from Beijing to Tianjin. Travelling at a speed of 186 mph we made the journey in 30 minutes. The ride was very smooth, had snack carts, and even play Alice in Wonderland on onboard TVs. Another means of travel are rickshaws (that is a “phonetic” spelling of the word). Rickshaws are 2 person bike carts. When we traveled as a group, there was a lead biker who directed all the other carts by choosing which streets to navigate down. Taking taxis is another interesting experience here. Compared to Duluth, it is so much easier to get a cab here. Having never been to a big city such as New York though, I’m unable to make a comparison there. There are literally hundreds of ‘legal’ (B license plate cars in Beijing and E in Tianjin) and ‘less legit’ cabs driving by all the time. One simply needs to stand on the edge of the street and stick out their arm to hail one. The difficultly arrives in finding a cab to accept you. In Beijing we experienced rejection many times by cab drivers because they were unwilling to go the shorter distance to take us back to our hotel; that process became slightly frustrating when you’d have to sit and hail 10 cabs before finding one. That being said, cabs are a really inexpensive form of travel. Our cab ride to TGIFridays the other evening was only $2 after gas tax…that’s less than the drop fair for an American cab.

“On Our Own” (Day 8)

Since our group left Beijing for Tianjin we have had more free time and opportunities to go out and explore on our own. These occasions have allowed me to better step out of my comfort zone and go “exploring” around town just a little bit (of course, generally with at least a small group of us). I feel like I’m able to see more of the true culture of the Chinese through observation while walking around, as opposed to visiting companies or anything. Out on the street, the Chinese are more themselves and are more natural and I feel like there’s less “face” maintenance going on (all the business tours have felt false and showy to me and have seemed less educational/informative than I would like). You can definitely tell which Chinese have dealt with foreigners before and which have not. I feel like those who have are more patient and more willing to try and communicate…and by communicate I mean lots of head shaking and hand signals mostly. It’s definitely quite debilitating not being able to speak the local language. Sure we’ve picked up some phrases and proper hand gestures, but I definitely took for granted being able to walk up to a restaurant window and directly say “I would like 6 pork dumplings please plus a bottle of water.” Instead of that now, you hope there are pictures or displays to give you some sense of what you’re buying or to assist in ordering. Yesterday in the market I walked up to a noodle stand, pointed to a row of pictures, spoke the Chinese word for “2” (signaling I wanted the 2^nd picture), than signaled the number 1 with my hand (to translate that I wanted one order). After receiving my order, I asked in Chinese “How much?” When I could understand I shook my head and got the lady to hold up fingers -5 yuan (so less than $1). Overall it’s a very humbling experience and it has definitely opened my eyes to being an outsider and/or empathizing with someone who has a disability.
 

Female Image (Day 9)

The perception of female beauty here in China is nearly opposite of that in America. Back home in the states, girls attempt to darken their skin by tanning and using products such as bronzer. Here in China, the reverse is true. Chinese girls try to remain and become as white as possible because it is a color of purity. Chinese girls will carry umbrellas around more so in the sun than in the rain to block themselves from the tanning rays. The girls will also wear more clothing to protect themselves, despite the hot temperatures. Further, Chinese women use skin whitening products (which are actually banned in the U.S.) to help lighten the color of their skin.

Similar to American girls, the Chinese also want to be skinny. Contraire to the U.S. though, Chinese girls do not want to be tone or have muscles. In addition, most Chinese girls wear heels and wedges all the time. The way I understand this, after talking with a few of the local students, is that they’re not necessarily all trying to be taller per say, they’re more like trying to match heights (one of the taller Chinese girls says she never wears heels because she already is taller). Another difference about females here that I like is the fact that many of them seem to be always dressed up. They wear outfits I would consider wearing to work or to a party, rather than as my everyday wear. Another interesting thing is that the girls seem to love our blonde hair (and hate their dark hair –which is quite beautiful in my opinion), but I don’t think I’ve seen a single Chinese girl with died hair. All the “bleached” girls happen to be Japanese (which could be the reason why the Chinese girls don’t).

 

Saving Face (Day 10)

A few days ago we learned about the significance of ‘face’ in Chinese culture. I’ve waited until now to write about it in an attempt to better observe this aspect of their culture. Face is essentially a concept about image and reputation. A person (company, etc.) wants to ensure they have a good face in order to impress and look good in other’s eyes. For such a reserved culture, this notion is interesting because the Chinese are so concerned about how they appear to others. While Americans are also concerned about their outward appearance and how they come across to others, it appears that the Chinese are much more concerned about this matter. One great example of face is the Nankai University business building. The building is huge and gorgeous. Our orientation room was like a business executive boardroom, and even our classroom is quite nice. That being said, the building (and especially the rooms we use) are more or less just for show. They don’t seem to be used often, and in fact the business school always seems just about deserted. Many of the Chinese businesses we have visited have also employed similar tactics. Our tours of the facilities often seem quite limited (especially at Airbus). I feel like the companies are just showing us the “best” parts of their business and not giving us a true picture or feel for their companies –it all feels a little fake and less educational to me. In Chinese culture making mistakes and failing is not good; it causes you to lose face. Contrary to U.S. culture of course, we’re encouraged to make mistakes because they’re a great way to learn. Further, unlike U.S. culture, you never call someone out or criticize them in public because it’ll cause them to lose face. Instead, you always have those sorts of discussions 1-on-1.