Anytime is a good time to cut your fingernails!

I’ve decided to lighten the mood with NYAFC, steer away from rants and bring you closer to my everyday life in China. Today I start with the ever-popular topic among expats (yet probably unknown to yall back home) that any time is a good time to cut your finger (and toe) nails.

So there I was. On the subway on the way to work and I see this middle-aged Chinese women hanging out cutting her fingernails on the subway. Now, it looked like there was a device on the finger nail clippers to catch fallen fingernails. However, one cannot guarantee there was not a fly-away fingernail here or there. (I’m sure we’ve all had to search for that one clipped fingernail that got away). Thank goodness I was not within shooting distance of a potential nail. And thank goodness I’m not the person cleaning the metro cars at the end of the day. Ick.

But, honestly, I was not caught off guard watching (and creepily capturing) this woman going at her nails. In fact, there is not a place that isn’t appropriate for a little trimming of the nails. I heard my boss the other day snipping away at her nails in her office. I’ve seen old men on the street hanging out on a bench clipping at their thick toenails. I even saw this one gay (in Nanjing mind you) find a pair of fingernail clippers on the floor of the bus, pick them up and start using them for his nails. Wow.

Only in China is any time is a good time to cut your finger(or toe)nails!

Mucosolvan – country or cough syrup?

So I realize that I’ve been making maybe too serious of postings. So I decided to lighten the mood with a random China story.

So there I was. This morning before work I decided to see about getting some medicine to cure this on going cough that’s left me with a raspy voice for the past three days. Although the 80s themed roller skating party I went to Friday night probably didn’t help – only in China would they allow copious amounts of alcohol, roller skates and a bunch of rowdy foreigners looking to party during the weekend to all merge. Luckily, I survived. But my throat didn’t.

So anyway I’m in the drug store telling the who I assume was the pharmacist (or closest thing to it in China) my symptoms: coughing, sneezing, sore throat, the basics. She then decides that I need about four different medicines. Nope, I don’t think so. I decide on the one that seems to be the equivalent of Tylenol Cold and Sinus and this cough syrup.

As I was looking at the name of the syrup, I couldn’t help but laugh at the name of it – Mucosolvan. Maybe it was the drowsiness kicking in but as the day wore on Mucosolvan sounded like more of a Eastern European country than a cough medicine. Luckily, I could tell from the name that this stuff would cure my sickness with brute force.

Although the “brute force” of Mucosolvan and the other meds were not the best choice for 10 am. I mean, I asked the pseudo-pharmacist if they were going to make me want to go sleep (keep in mind this is in my very minimal Chinese), and she quickly knew what I meant and assured me they wouldn’t. Well, she was wrong.

About an hour into the work day it was all I could do to keep from passing out at the computer. And it didn’t help that I had to edit the most awful articles for a supplement today. Straight Chinese to English translations that not only required my attention to rewrite them but were incredibly unexciting. Of course it would happen the day I was drugged up on Chinese meds.

Why I like the Expo (Part 2)

In the last post, I ranted on why the Expo is good for China because China is so “misunderstood” (sounds kinda like a high schooler, no?). So today, I thought I would share why the Expo is good for Chinese people. Because just as people in the West may not get China, the Chinese certainly don’t get the rest of the world.

My boyfriend has a theory that if the U.S. and China ever get in a war (which believe it or not, some college-educated people are convinced there’s going to be some massive WW III kind of war between the U.S. and China soon) that the U.S. only needs two teams of people. First, send in the “blonde brigade” where heaps and heaps of blonde haired, blue eyed men and women (preferably Pamela Anderson types) parachute in, distracting and awing the Chinese. Then you send in the big, tough guys with guns. Problem Solved.

My point in that kind of silly anecdote is that, generally speaking, the Chinese probably have the most narrow-minded idea of America, and the rest of the world, of any other people in the world. I cannot recall the number of times I’ve had a conversation with a black friend, Chinese friend or any other person who isn’t caucasian where a Chinese person has almost refused to believe that they are from America. The common response is, “You can’t be American, you don’t have blonde hair.”

You can’t really blame them - all that makes it to China from American pop culture is Sex and City, Prison Break and the leftover bad pop music that doesn’t make the cut at home. But I hope the Expo is a good way for Chinese people to see countries, not just the U.S., in a new way and is a start to ending their misperceptions of the rest of the world.

I am also excited for Chinese people who get to go to the Expo because the majority of Chinese people will never be able to leave their country. One of the things I have come to appreciate and love is my blue passport with that gold eagle. It is so hard for the Chinese to get visas to Western countries, especially the U.S.. It’s also incredibly expensive. In 2006, the World Bank reported that the average annual salary in China was just more than $2,000. To put into perspective, a round trip ticket to the U.S. costs about that much (maybe $1,000 if you get a good deal). So no, your average Chinese person or family is not in the position to afford a trip aboard unless they save for a long, long time.

With the Expo, Chinese people are able to at least get a glimpse into the outside world. They can see traditional clothes from Europe and South America, they get to see Mexican art and they get to try foods from places they may have not known even existed. And for all the hype in China that’s been surrounding the event, I say let them be excited to see life and cultures from so many other countries. I remember how I felt when I finished the “Around the World” beer challenge at my favorite bar in Gainesville. I had tried beer from 30 different countries - I was proud, accomplished and cultured (and no this was not in one sitting)! So I really can’t roll my eyes when I see all these excited and curious people anxious to see as many countries as they can.

So, for the sake of the Chinese, and the sake of any American not of white skin and blonde hair, I hope that the Expo helps Chinese people understand the world and the people that live in it a little more. Hopefully after seeing the U.S. Pavilion and the many diverse faces that make up the country, they won’t be so quick to disagree with my Asian-looking friend when they say they’re American because they’re not a member of the blonde brigade.

Why I like the Expo (part 1)

I realize that the last post may have been a bit negative toward the Expo. And I do have other qualms with the “greenest world’s fair in history.” Taking into account the construction, noise pollution and transit to, from and through the city, it’s not all that green. But rather than continue to dig at China’s shining moment, which is finding itself short on visitors, I thought I would highlight some of the reasons why I think this Expo is good for China and for Chinese people.

As I continue living over here, reading foreign articles (and comments that people post on those articles), China is undoubtedly one of the most misunderstood places on Earth. Unless someone is living here or has abundant resources to know the way and life of China and its people, it’s hard to really understand what the landscape is like over here - politically, socially, economically, anyway really. Which is why I think its a good thing that China is hosting this Expo. I think giving a reason to foreigners to come see this Expo and essentially their country is a great opportunity for China.

While I don’t know just how many people will make the trek to China just to see an Expo, I can only hope that those who come to China, see the Expo and the Chinese Pavilion (with all the other pavilions of Chinese cities) and leave with a newer perspective of China. China’s an old place with a lot of history, and I think it is important for visitors of the expo to see that. And they do at the China Pavilion, albeit in the way the government wants it to be seen. But, at least they’re here, living in the culture and learning about the country from a first-hand experience.

Personally, I think where America will have the toughest time in the next 50 years with Sino-American relations is the lack of misunderstanding of China. Americans don’t understand, I would say the majority of the government gets it wrong and the media just misses the mark. And I’ll be the first one to say that foreign media beats Chinese media on all levels, but there are still sometimes when I think news in China is painted in an unnecessarily negative light, and it’s quick to report any negative news in China yet fails to recognize the stories of opportunity and progress. I won’t deny that China has its faults - but what country or group of people doesn't?

I guess it kind of hit me tonight when I was at an event pertaining to the Expo. It was an event where a Swedish troupe of dancers and musicians were performing side-by-side with Chinese dancers. Initially, I was impressed and thought the event was a nice way to celebrate Swedish and Chinese relations, but I realized that my reactions didn’t scrape the surface for what this meant to other people. As I listened to another say how he was almost moved to tears seeing the merging of Swedish and Chinese culture, I realized that this is the kinds of positive collaborations and culture exchanges that make Expo a worthwhile venture. Sharing culture and experiences, like dance and music, is how to learn and appreciate another country - like China. Granted, it takes a lot more than song and dance to qualm political, economical and social issues, but at least its a first start to opening up and learning more about the other.

I doubt any NYAFC readers have been reading any Expo news, editorials or blogs, but for my own satisfaction, I wanted to share with you all one reason why I think the Expo is good for China and for foreigners who want to know China in a deeper way and hope that through Expo China becomes a little less misunderstood.

"Better city, better life" by the numbers.

Between leaving one job, starting a new one, leaving one city and moving back to another, the past month has been a bit of a whirlwind. And I realize it’s been a few weeks since I’ve posted, so I’m going to try to start May off right with a few more postings. So far, the new job has been going well. I’m staying busy for the most part editing (they prefer the term “polishing”) and rewriting Chinesey English stories for the Expo.

What is this Expo you ask? Well, it’s the newer, hipper way of calling it a World’s Fair... And yes, there are still World’s Fairs. Of course, this Expo has been the talk of China ever since the Beijing Olympics. The Chinese in Shanghai love it, while the rest don’t really know what it is. And the foreigners here take it for what it is: multibillion dollar PR scheme.

I can’t really bash the Expo, seeings how my move back to Shanghai and new job were centered around Shanghai’s shinning six-month shindig. But this venture is costing China from $4 billion to 45 billion dollars. Reports vary depending on the inclusion of infrastructure costs in and around Shanghai. CS Monitor did a helpful break down here. Yet, China still faces a lot of other problems. They’re not spending billions of dollars on the drought, food safety and control, education initiatives or implementing proper building codes.

What has been even more shocking to me reading all these news reports about this expo is that of the 70 million expected to come to the Expo, less than 10 percent are from outside of China. So the vast majority of these visitors will be from China. I have a hard time understanding why all this money has been pumped into Shanghai when its just going to be all these people from cities here in China going to the event. Most cities, even second tier cities, are not even close to being as developed as Shanghai. Case and point, Nanjing’s second subway line just recently opened while Shanghai has 13 and counting. When these people from these other Chinese cities come to Shanghai to see just how developed it is, wouldn’t you think that they would be a little upset that this money was spent on frivolities (like brand new taxis with leather seats for one)?

Sure, not all the money spent on the Expo covered extravagances. With 18+ million people, infrastructure needed to be improved. And I will concede that I don’t know where the money to pay for this Expo has come from. Maybe its been from the municipal government, in which case they have no obligation to spend that money on anyone but themselves. But I’m not sure the city of Shanghai is making $40 billion in profits to afford this new kind of luxury.

I guess I just find this whole idea of spending billions on the Expo as really backward. It seems as if China has spent all this money just to show off to its own people its arrival into the “developed world.” Wouldn’t improving water quality so that people can actually drink tap water be a better sign of a “better life?” Wouldn’t improved and enforced building codes in cities be a sign of real economic development? And wouldn’t being able to go to a restaurant without the fear of tainted chopsticks, recycled cooking oil or cardboard meat be a real draw for tourists to China?

Don't get me wrong - I think there are some positive things with this Expo (which I will address in the next post). And maybe the Chinese who make their way to the Expo will leave hoping that their city may one day be as developed as Shanghai. I would certainly like to know, and I hope I get a chance to find out. But while Shanghai may now be a “better city,” for the rest of China, it’s not really a “better life.”