Asian Hospitality

So many of you have asked questions along the lines of my high school friend Mark Nizzi:

"4 years? Wow, you doing missionary stuff for the Mormon church?
Would i ever want to go to China? Well, i lived with a Chinese man one time, and he said he'd never go back there, as he went to a restaurant there in hong kong, and despite him knowing the Chinese language real well, he said they could tell he was American, and he almost got beat up. So how do they treat you over there anyways? I'd like to hear all about it, as i am studying different cultures, and can speak some Spanish and Russian."

Take care,
Mark

So, for Mark and all of you still curious about how it is out here...

1. We are not doing "Mormon missionary work" out here. Though 7+ years ago, I served a mandarin speaking mission in Taiwan, and Tim served a mandarin speaking mission in Australia. Australia has the largest China town in the world outside of China its self. Hence, walking down the streets, that particular part of Aussie land looks just like China, with vertical street signs, and a dense Chinese population.
2. Asian Hospitality... it's the BEST!!! I cannot guarantee the Hong Kong area, as it is under a different type of government. But Mainland China is very docile. The people are not allowed to carry/use guns, not even the police. Even the armor protected vehicles (to fill ATMs and such) are only guarded with flare guns in case of emergency. Of course, sarcastic me has to make a scene every time I see one. I act like it's a real gun and exaggerate being totally scared, just to get a rise out of the police men, and have them try to calm me down and explain that in China they only use flare guns... they tend to think Rambo was filmed live in the US. They are so scared of all the violence there.

Still China remains one of the countries with the lowest crime rate in the world. Of all the crimes reported, theft accounted for about 80%. One time I was out with about 10 of my gals, and one of them slipped her cell into her coat pocket after using it. Big no no, sometime within 4 minutes it was gone and turned off. Love this friend, but I must say I felt like a complete idiot translating for her and asking passer-bys if they'd "seen her cell phone". They looked at me as if I'd asked "have you seen the $100 bill I dropped?" What really creeped her out was that we'd been shopping for over 1 hour, and she could only guess how many hands had been in her pocket, until someone succeeded in that 4 minute window of time.

Other than that, you pretty much walk down the street and are treated like a celebrity. I am very uncomfortable with this, and feel like telling a white-trash joke to break the ice sometimes. The Chinese people you work closely with would protect your name with their life. The culture is quick to build relationships, and even more quick to maintain them. Because of the "losing face" factor they will never confront you with problems in a direct way. They give you the benefit of the doubt. However, it is perfectly okay to be told you are over-weight, you have acne, or that you're not wearing enough clothes in winter. It is also okay to ask how much money you make, or how much you pay your helpers.

They are among the most humble people I've ever had interaction with. They will always respond with "nali" (translates to "where") when you point out their talents. When you say thank you, they get embarrassed and uncomfortable, and politely say "yingai de" (supposed to), or "bu yong xie" (no need to say thank you). They are also slow to ask for favors. When Georgie found out our Ayi was a professional chef and former restaurant owner, it took him a week to ask for a taste. And even then, he said out of the corner of his mouth "do you have a piece of bread?" Upon the which I caught his Q, and invited him in. He rejected the offering 2 more times and then consumed so fast I thought I'd better count plates before everyone finished.

Here are some other things to know about Shanghai China:
1. Though China is a very larger country, the whole country shares the same time zone. When it's 9am, it is that time all over china.
2. No Copy right laws. Crazy to watch a movie on DVD that is still in the theaters in the US. And the DVD only costs $1.50 US.
3. No pollution laws. Sometimes the smog is so thick you can barely see up the street.
4. Fear of dogs. Most Chinese fear medium to large dogs. Georgie jumped out of his skin when a little lap dog licked his ankle.
5. No internet porn, the government blocks it.
6. Different labor laws... if any. You can have a 18 hour laborer (maid, driver, worker etc) for less than $10 US daily. But Americans are known for paying well above that.
7. Humility. I know I already mentioned that, but in general, that word should just fill the rest of the list. Because of the cultural revolution in the 60's, where the people were pulled from schools and sent to poverty and told what to think and how to think it.
8. Traffic laws are rarely reinforced.
9. Prada, True Religion, Versace, Gucci, Dolche & Gabana, Guess, Polo, Tommy etc. are all sold out the back door, and for prices half the cost of walmart. Some are replicas, some factory flaws, some over produced by the factories. Let's just say my friend Sandy is coming out here for 2 weeks on the 10th of this month for the sole purpose of clothing her entire family.
10. Rent here is 6 times that of a mortgage on the American compounds.
11. Okay, couldn't leave this one out... produce is cheap, and while you can't drink the water, you will LOVE all the different exotic fruits and veggies here. Yellow watermelon, hot pink dragon fruit, star fruit, over-sized papayas, bamboo shoots, sugar cane, 100 different green vegetables you have never seen before. The food here ROCKS!!! You will leave here hungry to come back.
12. In the US, we have a standard 3 foot radius around each of us that we call our "comfort zone". Nobody steps into it unless they are coming on to you, or want to pick a fight. Here, strangers will openly pull at your arm to get your attention. Oh, and if you are not paying attention in line, someone will see your "courtesy space" for the person in front of you as an opening in the line, and soon you'll see 3 people filling the spot.
13. The fireworks are killer here. We were in a high rise when they all started going. Talk about illegal, you'd see HUGE fireworks set right outside of your window here. During the New Year, you'll see so many, it will be like a 6 hour finale. You almost become more selective with your "ooohs and aaaaahs".

If you talk to any American here, they will tell you they love it. If you wanted to, the country is sophisticated enough to allow you to maintain an American lifestyle here. However if you branch out, even just a little you will get your fair dose of Asian hospitality.