Point of View

(Picture shows various architecture (including the Orient Pearl TV Tower) in Shanghai, along the Huangpu River. Taken from the "Bund" and looking towards Pudong.)

Sometimes I wonder if my own thoughts, opinions and observations about living here, are just that...MINE. Do all of us expats over here tend to be immersed in the same thinking tank about life in China? Is it just me or perhaps just other Americans that think similarly? What about all of the other expats, representing countries and cultures from around the globe? Would we see eye-to-eye on some of the subjects I have discussed in my blogs? Obviously, I will never know. But, I do wonder about it sometimes.

Below, I have pasted in the points of view from another person visiting China, who is from India. He is a fascinating writer and pretty much covers, well, everything about life in China and more specifically the cities he chose to visit. There are so many things, conversations, facts, etc., that I have thought to share with all of you, but find the details escape my mind before I can sit down at the computer to write about them. Funny and frustrating things! Things that I WISH many of you could at least be here to witness yourselves. This author has a talent for expression! His own experiences and conversations reflect so many similar to my own as well as Allen's, on many subjects! I found his thoughts on his own blog page. Enjoy!

"I’d been camping in Shanghai for nearly two weeks. I thot i’d be returning in a week’s time, but cudn’t finish my work. These Chinese are giving me headaches everyday. It’s amazing how well they can mis-communicate things ….. not that they do it on purpose. One has to keep explaining & re-explaining things ….. in several different ways ……by writing, acting, drawing……. laughing ….. screaming ….. in short, everything at your disposal….. hoping that somewhere, something will hit that button of understanding. So, to convey an idea, it takes a decade …… & loads of p..a..t..i..e..n..c..e . You throw them a question & they’ll get into an animated discussion & consultation amongst themselves ….. in Mandarin (or in Cantonese ….. as the case may be …….. meanwhile, u can go out for a cup of tea or coffee ….. or just take a walk …… by the time u return, if u’re lucky, they shud be ready with the answer to your query. By the end of the day u’r exhausted … tongue aching …. head pounding…. & u realize that u’ve covered 3 points out of 30 points u shud’ve covered that day. And after all that, they try to feed you all kinds of unpalatable Chinese food. This is not to say that all Chinese food are that way ……. I had some greatly delicious authentic Chinese food as well. Then they keep ‘pestering’ u with “how ‘bout some foot massage..... body massage ? …relax ??” But I understand they’re trying their best to make you feel good.

Last Sunday, I got to see a li’l bit of the city. Shanghai (meaning ‘above the sea’ or ‘on-the-sea’) wud easily rate as one of the most fascinating cities in the world (I wudn’t not believe those who say that it’s one of the ‘best’ cities to live in ……….. not that I have lived in many other cities) …… character, tradition, modernity, history, scale, infrastructure, organization ….. it seems to have everything. Probably god had a hand in designing this city (or atleast his assistant must have). Of course, there are shanties in Shanghai too ….. like every other city in the world. But u’ve to look for them … unlike in Bombay where slums are a highly visible & integral component of the cityscape.

Nanjing Lu is a very popular pedestrian street (also known as China’s Number One Street) where people go to (window) shop & hang out. It’s also sometimes referred to as China’s ‘Fifth Avenue’. On sunday it was as though the whole city had converged on Nanjing Lu. But u’ll not see too many folks buying things or carrying shopping bags. Everyone is decked up in the most modern (western) attire …. especially young Chinese girls (they r an ultra-mod species; the boys are simpler). Everyone, young & old & the very young & the very old as well, is out there for a pleasure stroll & to just watch everyone else strolling along. The atmosphere is … carnival.

As u stroll along, a couple of very innocent-looking young Chinese girls (some of them look barely out of school) walk up to u & try to chat u up …. “u want go for coffee ??” … some of them are more direct …. “hey sir, u want lie with me?”… in their thin sing song voice. U tell them “No, thank you”, … & they melt into the crowd. Their male agents are even more brazenly direct ..”sir ! u want nice girls to f… ?!” & he isn’t exactly whispering into your ear ….. u can see people on the other side of the plaza turning to look ….. On one hand its quite funny ….. & on the other hand, u feel sad at the level of desperation.

There are, of course, many other nicer things on Nanjing Lu …. the ‘toy’ trains that take tourists around the plaza ; ….. outdoor cafes & restaurants……. then there’s this musician in black suit, bow tie & black hat belting out yesteryears’ hit tunes on his golden saxophone from the first floor balcony of one of those stately old mansions lining the plaza. The crowd in the plaza gather below the balcony to watch this gentleman play …. & they cheer him on.

The toy-sellers on the pavements are a delight…. all kinds of amazing toys which i’ve never seen anywhere else. The buildings along both sides of the plaza are architectural marvels ….. exquisite beaux arts & art deco architecture of the 18th / 19th century ………. interwoven with modern steel & glass skyscrapers …. contrasting & complementing the other. The architectural blend of the old & the new is quite fascinating. This plaza is a must-see-and-experience for urban designers…. & for everyone else of course.

As afternoon progresses to evening, the changing light of the setting sun is reflected on the glass-skinned towers across the river. The teeming crowd along the plaza is clicking & flashing away…… it’s a sight to behold …… Jin Mao Tower (with its unique Chinese architectural characteristics) shimmering in the golden light ….. the pearly globes of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower softly glittering in hues of pinkish red turning to a dark, crimson red as the late evening sunlight gently fades. After a while, the electric lights come on. All these towers are adorned & lit up all so pretty….. its as if these buildings are not just life-less buildings …. they seemed to be alive …. dressed up like pretty young brides in their finest bridal wear ……visually communicating with the people…. they are like architectural citizens (or archizens) of the city. So u don’t feel like calling them as just ‘buildings’ …. makes them sound life-less. But don’t know what else to call them either. Wish there were a better word…. with more life in it.

In downtown Shanghai, streetlights aren’t really needed. All the buildings are lit up so bright …. & those ubiquitous gigantic back-lit digital billboards & the brightly lit shops lining the streets also generate so much of brightness all around that u don’t even notice the street lights at all. Coming from where I’ve come, I can’t help but think about how many Indian villages cud’ve been lit up by the amount of electricity consumed by one of the city blocks.

Its almost 10 pm as I alight from the cab. ‘Xin Tian Di’ (pronounced Shin tee-an dee), meaning ‘New Heaven, Earth’, is today one of the hottest upscale commercial precincts in downtown Shanghai. Less than a decade ago, this area was nothing more than a cluster of nondescript two to three storeyed brick houses called ‘Shikumen’, a type of tenements unique to Shanghai. A Hong Kong developer saw a ‘gold mine’ here. With the help of an American architect, Benjamin Wood, this entire area was re-developed & completely transformed into a chic shopping & entertainment precinct. …… … …. cafes, different kinds of restaurants serving Spanish, Italian, French, Mediterranean, Japanese & other cuisines from all over the world ; curios, book shops, mini-museums, theatres, bars, discotheques ……. ……… etc., etc… The blend of the traditional brick (& wood) architecture & the new architecture of glass, steel & stone is quite pleasing …….. That there are people who are sensitive to all things good & beautiful & who are capable of creating so much beauty …. makes u feel good …… But the kind of crowd that throng Nanjing Lu is different from the crowd u see here …… Here, its mostly the well-heeled, the elite, the hip ….. many white-skinners. It’s a kind of watering hole for the ‘in’ crowd. I’m told many celebrities own shops, restaurants here. The success of this redevelopment model has inspired the authorities to undertake similar projects in many other Chinese cities.
It was in one of these brick houses that Mao Zedong & a couple of his comrades had their first meeting to form the communist party of China. The building is remarkably well conserved. ‘Wow’, I say to myself ….. & click a couple of fotos of the house . ……

Shortly after midnight I’m back in my hotel room. Been a long day ….. but didn’t realize how tired I was. I flop onto the bed. When I open my eyes, it’s already morning again. I raise my head & look down at my feet …….. ‘oh !?’ … one shoe was still on. Looking out from the window of my room on the 17th floor, I see this big red sun slowly rising up behind the silhouette of the city’s skyline …... yet another day ahead……..

Today is the 25th of October, 2007. Last evening, I had boarded China Southern Flight CZ-3504 to Guangzhou. While checking in at the airport counter, I realized that after having alighted from the cab, I had walked straight into the terminal building & right up to the check-in counter without anyone stopping me to check for my ticket. No security checks at the gate. In all Chinese airports, anyone can walk into the terminal building without being asked for tickets or IDs. Your friends & all your loved ones can also march right in. Such a thing is unthinkable in a country like ours & our sister countries.

In Guangzhou, all the city hotels are running full. The bi-annual Canton Fair is on. Visitors have come from all over the world. With great difficulty, my agent friend had managed to book a room in one of the second-rung hotels in the heart of the city.
By the time I check into my room, it’s nearing midnight. I call ‘room service’ for a cup of tea. The female voice at the other end of the line answered in Cantonese.
I tell her, “No Chinese, only English”.
“Oh aaa …. ”... she transfers the call to someone else. Another female voice answers in a very broken English (pronounced, “Engrish” by many Chinese). I repeat my order.
Silence ….. for a couple of seconds ….. ….. and then she said, “aa … u want what, sir ?”.
I almost barked into the phone, “Tea ! T – E – A tea ! I want tea !”. My Indian genes at work there.
“Oh ! t(h)ea ! Ya, ya, ok …. I know, I know … .. moment please !”, she says & then asked, “What kind t(h)ea you need, sir ?”
“Milk t(h)ea”, I said, “hot milk t(h)ea! With sugar ! And spoon …. S-p-o-o-n … sp(h)oon !”
“Hotta milk ?” She sounded puzzled. “What is sp(h)oon ? …. …. ok, ok I send someone to your room now, sir”. There was no point trying to explain to her that I needed the spoon to scoop the sugar from the sugar bowl and to stir the tea in the cup.
After a while, the door bell rings. I open the door. There’s a female attendant standing at the door holding a very big serving tray. In the center of the tray is a tiny li’l cup of some very black looking liquid stuff. Next to it was a tiny jar in which was some pale Bournvita-colored liquid (milk …. .. I touch it ……. ice cold) and a bowl of sugar. No spoon.
“What is this ?”, I ask.
“ … umm… aa …. (searching for the right word) …. khauffee”, she blurts.
I call ‘room service’ again & ask, “What have you sent ?”.
“Amelican (sic) khauffee, sir. No t(h)ea now, sir”.
I give up. I draw a picture of a spoon & show it to the girl at the door. She nods her head vigorously & disappears. I wait. 5 ……. 10 … 15 ….17 ..19 minutes. Besides the already chilled brownish milk (I wonder which animal produces milk of such a color), the coffee is also getting cold. I mix everything that was on the tray & shake the cup, hoping that the milk & sugar will somehow dissolve in the coffee. I finish the luke-warm ‘Amelican’ coffee in two gulps.
The door bell rings …. “loom (sic) service ….,” a faint sing-song voice announces. I open the door. Another smiling girl stood there with a spoon. I take it. She produces a bill of Yuan 53.00 (INR 350.00 approx) for the ‘khauffee’ for me to sign. I protest. She looks quizzically at me ….. but still retaining the smile on her face. I roughly scribble my signature on the bill.
“Xie xie”, (pronounced shi-shey, meaning thank you) she says & leaves.
“Xie xie …. thank u ….. good night”, I say, & close the door.
I now need to write a mail to my colleagues back in India. I look for an electric socket to power my computer. All the sockets in the room are designed to receive flat pins. I call up ‘housekeeping’. The same thin female voice answers the phone. She can’t understand what an ‘adapter’ or an ‘extension chord’ is. “I send someone to your room now,” she says, and hangs up.
After a while the door bell rings. I open the door. A bored-looking attendant stood there & says something in Chinese. I walk back to the work desk, pointed at the computer & using verbal+sign language I tell him that I need to power it. His face lit up a little. “Aaa…”, he says, nodding his head & picks up the bedside phone & rattles something in Chinese into the phone. He puts down the phone & says, “aaa …aa .. uumm … !”, nodding his head vigorously. I say, “aaa …. aaa… ,” & nod my head in appreciation of his intelligence & ability to have understood my requirement. Now, it’s beginning to feel a little like I’m transported back in time to when we dwelled in caves. But it looks like the message has been conveyed accurately & effectively. He ambles out of the room.
After what seemed ages, another attendant comes into the room …. … an adapter in hand. I sigh in relief. I turn on the computer & try to go on the net. Doesn’t link up. I didn’t have the energy to call for assistance again & go thru that ‘Engrish-Chinese-sign language’ exercise again. Its two in the morning now. I dial the ‘operator’ for a wake-up call. Again, for the third time, it’s the same thin female voice on the other end of the line !
“I need wake-up call in the morning”, I tell her.
“Ok no problem, what time u need wake-up call, sir ?’
“I need two wake-up calls. One wake-up call six am. Another wake-up call six am and ten minutes”. Broken ‘Engrish’ is easier for most Chinese to understand. I’ve realized that grammatically correct sentences are confusing for them. Avoid the articles in between the words and they’ll understand u better. It’ll have more punch …… & hence, be more effective. But of course, the larger international hotel chains have attendants & operators well-trained in English speaking.
“Is okay … no problem …. I understand … thank you … good night”, she says & hangs up.

The next morning I wake up & see the room awash in bright sunlight. I’m a li’l disoriented. I look at the watch. 9 am ! I grab the phone to scream at the ‘operator’. No dial tone. The phone’s dead. It’s exceptionally quiet. I realize the AC is also not running. There’s no electricity in the room. I walk to the nearest attendant’s room, wearing only a bath towel (I’m sure the hotel’s CCTV camera now has a detailed visual record of me walking down the corridor in that attire). The attendant summons a ‘technician’ who came, saw, fiddled with the switches in the room DB (Distribution Board), said something in Chinese, and left. After a while, another ‘technician’ comes, looks at the DB, fiddles with the switches ….. nothing happens ….. He looks at me & I look at him…….. he nods his head and he, too, leaves. This is getting mysterious. I’m getting impatient. Like all ‘busy’ travelers with little time to waste, I fret & fume….. quietly. Almost half an hour later, a third technician comes. He, too, looks at the DB, fiddles with the switches …… and …. BINGO ! … everything comes on ! There’s a look of pleasant surprise on the technician’s face.

Immediately after this ordeal, I call up ‘reception’ & tell them I’m checking out (cutting short my stay from 5 days). Surprised, they offer to change my room to the 13th floor. I decline.

The Chinese do not drink ‘English’ tea like we Indians do. They prefer ‘Clear Mind Tea’, ‘Cleansing Tea’, ‘Good Skin Tea’, ‘Good Balance Tea’, ‘Oolong Tea’, ‘Pu Er Tea’, ‘Kung-Fu Tea’, ‘Ginseng Tea’ & other such teas. They also do not, normally, deliver newspaper to your room (u have to ask for it …. not once but atleast 2 to 3 times). Only if u’re lucky, will u get one. I decide not to go thru that exercise today. I switch on the TV. All Chinese language channels …. except ‘CCTV International’ (the only English language Chinese channel). China is celebrating the successful launch of the country’s first lunar orbiter, called Chang’e 1, named after a mythical Chinese fairy who is said to have flown to the moon .. .. …………. … … ……….. .. ……………. ……. … .. .. .. . . . .

China Export Commodities Fair (CECF), more popularly known as ‘Canton Fair’, is held twice a year – one in Spring & the other in Autumn. The mind-boggling scale at which the fair is organized must be seen to be believed. The 102nd Canton Fair (Autumn 2007) is being held in two locations – the Pazhou Complex & the Liuhua Complex, covering a total exhibition floor area of around four million square feet. Manufacturers & exporters of thousands of Chinese product types are here to exhibit their products to the rest of the world. Thousands of visitors / buyers from all corners of the globe flock to Guangzhou during this time of the year. The spirit is festive …… I spend the second half of my first day here.

This is where it begins …….. the journey for most Chinese products to the rest of the world starts here. From candles to tea cups, spoons, furniture, stone, tiles, glassware, metalware, building materials ………… u name it …….. & it’s there. There are, of course, other fairs, besides the Canton Fair, in different cities at different times for different product ranges. For instance, China Medical Equipment Fair is also being held simultaneously in Chengdu city in south-central China.

As I mingle with the crowd & explore the exhibition, I feel like I’m in wonderland ………… soaking in the images & sounds around me …………. the number of products & the variety of designs is overwhelming. In fact, visiting China is a mind-opener. I now know many people who used to be staunch China skeptics but have become staunch China fans post their China visits …… telling others that everyone must see China. The general opinion that China is a closed society is not wholly true. They have probably seen & absorbed the outside world more than we & most other countries have. It is we who need to step out & look at ourselves from the outside. Then u begin to think what have we been doing for the last 60 independent years, whereas, in probably less than a decade, these guys have taken the world by storm. During those years, who ever knew what these Chinese were up to behind that Wall of theirs ?

Today, we’re living in a world made in China. Take a closer look at everything that’s around us …… computers, furniture, lights, torchlights, lamp shades. crockery, cell phones, air-conditioners, pens, footwear, clothes, accessories, toys, jewelleries, cameras, ipods, greeting cards, books, etc., etc., ……. U’ll find ‘Made in China’ labels on all of them. I guess, like the Stone Age, Bronze Age, the Ice Age, etc., it’ll take the world quite a while to pass this age … the China Age. But coming to think of it, why wud we ever want this China Age to end at all ? If the world were one big city, wherein China is the industrial/manufacturing hub while other sectors of this global city focus on other functions, it would free the rest of the world’s human resources to pursue other more exciting & intellectually satisfying endeavours. As long as products manufactured in China conform to uniform international quality standards, and are procurable at controlled/competitive prices, this shudn’t be an issue.

In China, there are different cities for different product types …….. for instance, Shunde is for all kinds of furniture……… besides the monumental showroom complexes, u’ll see miles & miles of furniture showrooms lining both sides of the roads from & to Lecong town (Shunde Dist). If u’re looking for luminaires, you go to Zhongshan city. There you’ll see nothing else but lights all over the city.

An American colleague of mine, who travelled with me during my previous China visit, said, “I can’t even begin to comprehend the scale …….. the breadth … of the Chinese vision …… & their way of doing things …. It’s simply too large to take in……” I agree with her one hundred percent. Look at the Great Wall ……. more than 6000 running kilometres of solid stone wall …. across barren deserts & wild mountainous terrains …… the blood, sweat & probably tears of thousands of men & women gone into building it …….. & over many generations ……. sheer madness. There is definitely a peculiar streak of madness in the Chinese method. The well-known terra-cotta soldiers for instance…………. It’s something in the blood … in the genes …..

A couple of months back, I had read about a small village in central China where the hillside forming the backdrop for this picturesque li’l village had been shorn of all vegetation by unscrupulous contractors who had quarried into the hillside for construction stone. The hill behind the village looked like there was a giant patch of raw wound on its side. The local authorities decide to do something about it. ….. they paint this gigantic patch of ‘raw wound’ (a li’l less than a quarter kilometre in length & about 1/8th of a kilometre high) on the hillside with forest green paint ! That’s Chinese ……. I do because I can…….. or something like that.

Back in the hotel, the next morning, I take an early morning stroll in the hotel gardens. I come across a beautiful blue water swimming pool in the midst of this lush green garden. As I approach the pool, I notice the water is dead still & crystal clear. No one’s around. No poolside chairs either. Then I notice a small signboard nearby ……. It read,`Please do not swim between October to May. Sorry for the inconvenience’. This leaves only June, July, August & September ……. most of the rains fall during this period ….. & it’s the off-season for visitors / tourists. I take a closer look as I walk around the pool …….. no overflow channel ……. no drain outlets on the pool floor ….. in short, no re-circulation & water filteration system ….. Hope they incorporate one in the near future ……. & reverse the notice on the signboard ……..

At the breakfast table, seeing that I was alone, a smart, young waitress walks up to my table & just starts chatting…“Hullo, my name is Sunny. I like to smile. U like the breakfast ?”, she smiles brightly.
I say, “Very much”.
“Where u come from?”, she asks.
“India”, I reply.
“Oh !? How can it be ?! U look Chinese ! Your ancestors Chinese ? Or half-Chinese !?”.
“No, ….. I don’t think so. Don’t know …. Maybe. Where did u learn to speak English ?”, I ask her.
“Oh, I’m still a student in university. I learn English there. I’m working here as trainee in this restaurant till the Canton Fair is over. Then I go back to university. I will finish my course in international trade next year”. Then she continues, “I like to talk to people & make friends with new people all the time. I think there are many things I can learn from others, especially how to speak English. Whenever I hear English-speaking guests, I try to listen to them speak & I try to talk to them. I want to see other cities in other countries. I want to learn about other cultures”.
Very quickly realizing that I was not the talking type, she continues the mostly one-way conversation, almost in the manner of delivering a well-rehearsed speech in front of an audience, trying to fill in the silent gaps between our questions & answers ….. telling me almost everything about herself, her family (father & mother) back in her little mountain village, her aspirations ……….. I listen ….. sipping on the fresh, hot green tea. I’m surprised by the intellectual maturity of such a young girl.
“Tell me sunny, what is it u desire the most now ?”, I ask her.
“I dream of stepping inside the Canton Fair exhibition one day. But first I have to finish my university course. Right now, I’m not allowed to enter the fair. Also, the entry fee is RMB 300. But one day I want to start my own business”.
“Sunny, what’s your Chinese name ?”, I ask.
She says something in Chinese. I tell her to write it down on the paper napkin. She writes,
“Zhang _ Yuanxing”.
“What does it mean ?”, I ask her
“Zhang is my family name. Yuanxing means ‘distant star’.
As I get up to leave, I tell her that she’s gonna be a ‘star’ some day …………..

For the next four days of my stay in the hotel, Sunny would walk up to my breakfast table & chat me up. During this time, her other colleagues also starts talking with me. One of them is Shelly (or Sherry ….. I’m not sure). When I ask her her name, she said, “My name is Shelly”, & then she wrote ‘S-h-e-r-r-y’ on a fresh page in her little pocket note book.
“Oh Sherry !”, I say
“Ya … ya ….. Shelly !”, she nods her head !
I let it rest there ……
Then she too goes on to tell me about herself, her dreams, and so on. She & Sunny are classmates in the same university. She too will return to class after the Canton Fair.
At one point when Sunny was attending to other guests in the restaurant, Shelly tells me, “I never knew that my friend’s name is Sunny !”…….
This reminds me of another girl we met in Beijing during my visit to that city about a year ago .…………….

In China, for some reason, women are at the forefront of everything ……. especially, in the spheres of marketing, hospitality & public relations. But even in the factories & warehouses, u see women doing ‘manly’ tasks ….. heavy physical work ….. hauling tiles, stones ……… operating fork-lifts …… its normal stuff for them. When it comes to work, there is no gender differentiation. Most highway toll booths are manned by smartly-dressed, uniformed girls …….. even in the middle of the night. It is in China that for the first time I saw professional women door-keepers in hotels ….. city bus drivers ….. cab drivers. U see women going to work early in the morning & also routinely working late into the night. The men seem to be only hovering in the background. The women are also more vocal than their male counterparts. Personal safety does not seem to be a concern at all. Unlike in most other countries, u do not hear of women being mistreated / molested or raped. There seems to be a high degree of equality between men & women.

The girl we met in Beijing last year said her name was Wendy…… the company gave her this name. “But if I change my job and join another company, I will change my name. Maybe ‘Linda’ …… or ‘Linny’ ….. or maybe ‘Lily’ …. I don’t know”.
I try to imagine what it would be like to change one’s identity with one’s job………….

It’s 9 pm …….. long past Chinese dinner time ……. by 6pm, most Chinese are thru with dinner. Most of the team members decide to have an Indian dinner in an Indian food restaurant (there are quite a few of them in Guangzhou). This is one thing I’ve observed over & over again with many of my Indian co-travellers. They just can’t do without Indian food ……. & most aren’t interested in experiencing other food types of other countries & cultures ….. even during the few days outside the country. Fortunately, there are many good authentic Indian restaurants in most cities. In India, I do not know of any authentic Chinese restaurant …… serving all kinds of creatures ….. serious-looking gigantic crabs & lobsters; long, thick eels; different varieties of juicy-looking, fat worms; those long, green snakes; octopus; snails ……. Since the Chinese eat everything under the sun & moon, the list is long. Somehow, chicken & beef are not very popular with the Chinese. But they really love pork meat.
If u happen to be in China, u must’nt miss going to one of those ‘BBQ’ (barbeque) restaurants …. It’s an experience. At the center of every table, there’s a round hole (about a foot & a half in diameter) with a burner. The waiter will help u boil water in an open pan-type pot. Then u choose whatever u wanna eat from the raw items displayed on the buffet-style counter in the middle of the restaurant. U then boil the selected items in the pot on your table. As u eat, u put more of whatever u wanna eat into the boiling pot …. as much as u can or wanna eat. U drink the boiling soup as well. It’s an experience worth experiencing ……

Anyways, a couple of us decide to drive down to Foshan (about a hundred kilometers ……. an hour’s drive away) for dinner. In Foshan we go to one of the many open air food plazas serving mostly local Chinese food. Most joints have, besides all kinds of water creatures, green snakes in wire cages as part of the menu. We choose a joint without snakes. We look around ….. not too many people at this hour.
For non-vegetarians, it’s manageable. But the lack of veg choice in the menu is torture for pure vegetarians. All of us in the group are, fortunately, all non-vegetarians.
By the time we’re finished with dinner, it’s nearly 12 midnight. All of a sudden, the plaza comes alive with hundreds of diners………. They’re all out there for the last supper of the day ! The Chinese (especially in southern China) normally have four meals a day ……. one early in the morning, the second at around 12 noon, the third at 6pm & finally the fourth & the last meal is taken at 12 midnight. U see them eating, drinking, joking & laughing boisterously till two ….. & even three in the morning. But by 7 or 8 the next morning, they’re all back to work.

The Chinese are a very hard working people. But if u think about it, most of them really have not much else to look forward to…. except for their National Day celebrations (about one week long) & the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival), there are no other holidays. No labour unions …… no strikes ……. no bandhs. No religion so to say …… no religious festivals …… no communal friction ……. No caste system …… no discrimination …… all are equal. Since there are no political elections like we have here in India, no one really talks about politics. Anyway, there appears little need to discuss such matters when the government is already doing a fairly good job of governance.

Although there’s a miniscule population of Chinese who believe in the concept of God, almost all Chinese do not really believe in the heaven & hell concept after life on earth. Were he to be living in China, John Lennon would have been a very happy man indeed. Of the 1.3 billion Chinese today, only about150 million are Buddhists. That’s less than 12% of the total population. The estimated figure for Christians in China vary widely from 35 million to 80 million. I was surprised to learn that the largest number of Bibles printed in the world are printed by a single publisher in China. More than 3.5 million copies are printed annually (mostly for local consumption). Muslims number around 11 million. And there are about 5.5 million followers of Daoism. So, on the whole, just about 15% of Chinese practice some form of religion.

In China, morality does not stem from religion. It stems from an innate sense of responsibility towards oneself & others around us. It is this sense of responsibility, coupled with the fear of the law, which has ensured a very low crime rate. Any action that hurts others or has detrimental effects on society at large is considered criminal ….. hence immoral. And that is pretty much what all religions of the world teach. Deviant conduct is dealt with according to the laws of the land. So it is the fear of the law of the land rather than the fear of a god which guides the moral conduct of the Chinese. Judgement is delivered, reward is bestowed ….. & punishment is meted out right here on this earth … in this life. They do not wait for heaven or hell. While most religions of the world seek to control the spiritual & worldly lives of their followers by means of fear ……… fear of the unknown, the Chinese adopt a very practical, down-to-earth approach to life & living …… do no harm …. create, nurture & enjoy beauty …… in man and nature ….

The country’s one-child policy is strictly enforced with an iron hand. This means a typical Chinese couple will have one child & two sets of parents (husband’s parents & wife’s parents). If due to any reason, the wife is not working …… & the parents are retired, the husband has to support 7 people – himself, his wife, their child, his parents & her parents …. till the child is old enough to start earning. But again, that child also will eventually end up supporting 7 people. It’s a tough life. And one can only imagine the loneliness of the child …. no brother …. no sister ….. only him or herself & the other adults. Any couple having more than one child is promptly penalized, I’m told ……… a fine of Yuan 100,000/- & loss of job. But I have come across quite a few Chinese who have more than one sibling.
I know of a Chinese couple friend who has a daughter. Sometime back the wife became pregnant with their second child. She wrote me a mail ….. “ I was careless. I should’ve been more careful. I do not know what to do. If we have the child, I’ll lose my job. And we have no money to pay the fine….”. I didn’t know what & how to reply. Her next mail read, “We decided not to have the second child. I had an abortion last week. Now I’m fine. I try to not think about it. But sometimes I feel bad & guilty………………………. “.

I wonder what kind of effect such harsh state policies will have on the emotional & social health of its people in the long run. Could such severe regulations adversely affect the country’s economic health as well in the years to come ? Or will it lead to a happier society ? I guess we’ll all have to wait & see ……….. ……………..."