Subway, Busses, and Motorcycles = A Perilous life

It's actually my final day in Shanghai, so perhaps you've already noticed, that I'm trying to get out all final observations before I go. There's always been one topic that's been on my mind and that's transportation in China. I'd like to run through the different experiences I've had on all the different types of transportation in China. Let's start big to small, shall we?

Plane: Just like any other plane in any other country. Except for the warm-up exercises at the end. So imagine, there you are peacefully or usually not so peacefully sleeping when you hear at lot of repetitive sounds "yi, er, san, si, wu, liu, qi, ba, jiu, shi" followed by people clapping. You wake up to see your neighbor beating his fist up and down his arm. Your anxiety is only calmed once you see the flight attendant doing the same thing and issuing the next set of instructions: now beat your legs with your fist. Joking aside, I know the Chinese are probably doing something to help with circulation and that these warm up exercises are designed to help passengers wake up from the flight in order to get ready for landing. But the first time I experienced I thought I was still in some sort of weird dream.

Train: I never experienced the crowding of migrant workers onto trains during Golden Week. Instead, I rode in the most efficient train that I would even say was as efficient as German standards. On time to the minute and very comfortable.

Subway: There's a lot of people in Shanghai. And at rush hour, it can be life or death riding the subway...at least that's how it feels the way people act when trying to shove into a subway car. Sometimes, I've entered the subway car and in a matter of minutes, I'm clear at the other end! I usually just scratch my head and marvel at the magic that transported me to the clear other side of the car...then I realize, it was just the herd of Chinese people, which moved me there.

Bus: Yes, even busses get crowded during rush hour. But it's way worse than the subway. First of all, it's rush hour, which means their is an incredible amount of cars, motorcycles and pedestrians. Secondly, bus drivers don't think they are driving a big bus full of people but rather a race car! So they speed, cut off other drivers, slam on their breaks, and basically hold the string of your life in their hands. The only benefit of rush hour is you can't get pushed around due to the tens of human shields/buffers around you. The disadvantage; however, is the invasion of personal space. I've had to stand with my face 6 inches (15cm) from one small woman, as well as 5 inches (13) from an older man. You're so uncomfortable because you feel intimately close to these people and the whole time you are just wondering, "where the hell do I look??" After a few shifty eye movements, I think I finally settled to close my eyes.

Taxi: I think taxi might be my favorite except for the occasional adrenaline rush I get by a near death collision, or when I know the meter is ripping me off by going a mile a minute. However, when conditions are perfect, it's been my best opportunity to practice my Chinese. I've had many discussions over the past four months ranging from asking the taxi driver about his health to his feelings on how expensive apples and oranges are in Shanghai. "Shanghai ping guo tai gui le, Shanghai juzi bu tai gui."

Motorcycles: This is really for the people who like to live life on the edge. There are no rules for the motorcycle driver. Red and green...those are just suggestions. Also, when it comes to driving on the right side of the road...also just a suggestion. You'd be shocked to see how some Chinese families treat their mopeds like an American sedan. Child in front, then Dad, then Mom, all together on one tiny moped!

Bicycles: Same thing as Motorcycles/Mopeds but slower. The real silent killer though are the electric bikes which zoom up behind you without even making a peep.

Pedestrians: Fear for your lives. Green never means Go, it means "maybe it's a bit safer to go now" Also watch out for the spit.

I haven't really taken any great pictures of this myself, which I am very ashamed about (the shame!) but here's some pictures from the internet, which describe it best (no shame).

Exercises on Spring Airlines

Train to Hangzhou

Trying to get on the Line 2

Just hang on where you can in this Bus

Despite the cage that surrounds the driver, most I have talked to have been very friendly!

Attack of the Mopeds

The Chaos in general

Marriage Market

For one of my classes, I wrote a paper on China's one child policy and I learned that due to China's traditional preferences for a boy and the resulting abortions or infanticide which happen thereof; there is a resulting 32 million surplus of men.* That has made the situation complicated for young males trying to find a bride...especially since women can raise the stakes...and they have. In order for a young man to get a bride in the city, he'll need to have an apartment and a good job. Apartments are quite expensive, so it becomes a serious investment from the side of the parents. Their remedy: take matters into their own hands and play match maker for their children on weekends in People's Square. While doing the research for my paper, I read about such charade but it wasn't until yesterday that I actually got to see it first hand. They are thousands of flyers advertising age, height, weight, salary, and some even have the occasional picture. Then, imagine hundreds of parents aged, 40-60, discussing and negotiating deals. Yup, that's the Shanghai marriage market! Unfortunately, I was unable to find a Chinese husband, so guess that means I'm back to Germany (Germans beware). ;)

* Dvorsky, George. "The Unintended Consequences Of China's One-child Policy." Io9.com. N.p., 03 Oct. 2012. Web. 22 Dec. 2012.

A Shanghai Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas,

in the city of Shanghai...

and per European tradition, Christmas was celebrated on the eve and not the day. (Sorry to ruin your anticipation of a brilliant rhyme). That's what happens when you get outnumbered. No matter, it was a wonderful Christmas eve and day. We were 13 people, mostly German, who got together in a small apartment for a cozy evening filled with good food, lots of wine, and silly games. Since we are in China, we decided it was only appropriate to have Peking Duck instead of turkey. However, we couldn't resist to also have some traditional staples from back home such as Rotkohl (for the Germans) and Mashed Potatoes (on behalf of myself!). It was quite a funny experience to eat Christmas eve dinner with Chopsticks; however, after 4 months of training, we all managed just fine. After dinner, we exchanged our Secret Santa gifts. I must have been very good this year because I got a great present including: a pretty pink watch, a hello kitty iPhone cover and my own little Terracotta warrior soldier that I may kiss whenever I want to! (reference to current facebook profile picture). After presents, we spent the evening playing very silly games with the night going until 3am with Charades. On actual Christmas, we all slept in, and gathered later in the day to watch Christmas movies and order pizza. This was my first Christmas away from home and although I missed my family incredibly much, I am very grateful to have been surrounded by wonderful people which have become my little Shanghai family. 

I <3 HK

As I write this, I'm sitting in the Hong Kong awaiting my return flight to Shanghai....."I don't want to go!!! Mom! Please don't make me go!" The airport sits right on the water and I can see the green-blue ocean and an island in the distant through the ceiling to floor windows. I have fallen in love with Hong Kong. I can't decide if it's the tropical climate; the ocean air; the New York City-vibe, or if it's the impressive English skills of the Hong Kongnese. HK seems to offer a little bit of everything, from downtown skyscrapers to golden beaches, from dapper dressed business men to fashionistas, all with fine international cuisine and cosmopolitan flair. I don't know if a return trip to China is in the stars for me, but I could definitely imagine to live and work a short while in Hong Kong! Guess that means it's time to throw out the Mandarin and learn the Cantonese!

I arrived in HK on Sunday with my Mexican friend Pamela along with two of her friends: Yeime and Hector. We arrived late and when we finally made it to our hostel we had a bit of a shock. First of all, our hostel was one of many in an area called ChungKing Mansions. It's not mansion like at all like the name suggests, but rather a labyrinth of shops, different hostels and God knows what else! When you enter the building you are greeted with Indians and other foreigners trying to sell you fake watches or bags. However, a simple shake of the head and they leave you alone. When we checked into our hostel we discovered our triple room was about 9 square meters! We had to laugh at how comically small it was. But it was newly renovated and clean. That's what counts. Since we are hard-core sightseeing enthusiasts, we ended only sleeping in our hostel and spending the rest of the time out and about.

On Monday, we first had to check about our return visa for China. I only received a one-entry visa to China. So by leaving to Hong Kong, I invalidated my visa. It's a pretty easy process to apply for a travel visa for China for 30 days so that's what I did. However, it's quite expensive. The rate varies from country to country. The Mexicans paid 400HK$ while I had to pay 770HK$ for being Polish. Tough luck I guess! After we sorted out the visa, we took a ferry taxi back to Kowloon and checked out the clock tower and avenue of stars. The avenue of stars is like the Hollywood stars except with HK stars. I didn't really recognize any name except for my man Jackie Chan! (Naturally I posed for a pic) That evening we headed up to the peak to admire the view from above. Unfortunately it had gotten cooler and we took for granted the good weather so we didn't have any jackets. Needless to say, our photo session was kept short.

On Tuesday, we went to see the giant Buddha. It's located on Lantau island and the best way to get there is cable car. It's amazing how high it goes! Turns out the giant Buddha is really giant. You could already see it from the cable car. It sits 268 steps high and took 12 years to built (completed in 1993). On the island, we could also take a bus to a small fishing village. Once we got there we were able to take a small boat tour. We were really hoping to see some Chinese white dolphins but we must have gone while they were sleeping because they were no where to be seen! :(

In the evening we returned to Hong Kong island to check out the famous Lan Kai Fong and SoHo area. Both areas sit tucked away on hilly curvy streets and offer numerous bars and restaurants. In SoHO they actually have built a covered escalator which takes patrons all the way to the top. We fell upon a Mexican restaurant to which the Mexicans were delighted (I of course was too!). I'd like to point out here that we ate outside in attempts to make my friends in cold Europe jealous. Did it work? Did I mention I just had a light jacket on and wasn't the least bit cold? Oh and I had a margarita on the rocks.

On Wednesday, we checked out some of Hong Kong's beaches located on the other side of the island. The sand was golden and the water was glittering with sunlight. However, there was a bunch of Chinese tourists walking around like winter clothed zombies taking pictures so the whole "I'm on a secluded tropical beach" theme was kinda destroyed. However I imagine that it was pretty empty compared to summer time. At Repulse Bay, there is is also a Chinese pagoda with Chinese statutes and Buddhas...it was really colorful and I think the favorite I've seen so far. We also visited Stanley Beach and went through the market. There's no bargaining like in Shanghai so we didn't buy anything. However on our last night we went to the Temple Street Market. Again, the deals aren't as good as in Shanghai but we managed to work our best and left with some good souvenirs. We also enjoyed a late night snack and some beer at the outdoor restaurants. I really enjoy sitting on those little plastic tables and eating yummy Chinese food while drinking beer...that's something which may not seem so glamorous (because it isn't) but something that I'll miss back in Europe.

Well it's almost boarding time and I've written a short novel again it seems. Hey you! Wake up! It's the end of this post.

12 more days to Christmas!