SOME PARTING THOUGHTS AND SHOTS

Here are some concluding remarks, in no particular order, to finish off our travel blog. The first twelve are by Ken. The rest are by Siobhan. We edited each other's comments.

KEN:

1. After a month on the road in China, life at 133 East 17th Street is going to seem pretty mundane. On the other hand, a month on the road, where you have to make all your own travel arrangements, is guaranteed to wear you down. It will be nice to be home with Kay/Mum in familiar surroundings.

1. The first thing we notice in the the Arrivals Lounge at Pearson International Airport in Toronto (while waiting for Kay and Lynn to pick us up) is how many fat people there are in Canada. Literally every other person in the lounge is overweight! You just don't see that in China. There are a few fat people there, but not many. Why? Maybe because they eat a lot of fruit and vegetables all the time. Maybe also because they walk more. Macdonald's, KFC and Pizza Hut have established a beachhead in China but those Chinese operations are high end, with tableclothes on the tables, take-out and home delivery, but mainly for the nouveau riche. Chinese fast food, for most people, is still steamed buns, or dumplings, or something very spicy and weird-looking on a skewer. Hong Kong was definitely the fattest city we visited, and the one with the most international influence. Any correlation there?

1. Food in China does not at all resemble what passes for "Chinese food" in Canada. On the other hand, it will be nice to eat something without MSG (monosodium glutamate, a food additive that enhances flavour) in it.We asked our new Chinese friend, Victor Chen, about it and he assured us it is an omnipresent flavouring, and that, as he understands it, is supposed to enhance health, if used in moderation. On the other hand, our old friend, Shaindel, gets migraines from the slightest exposure to it. Siobhan was apparently not the only westerner experiencing unusual and very vivid, recurring dreams while in China. Is it the MSG?

1. So, after digesting all this MSG, smoking cigarettes (but not as much as they used to - Mao himself was a chain smoker) and/or breathing second-hand smoke, and constantly inhaling smog in the cities, how can we account for the fact that China's age of mortality has risen spectacularly from the late forties at the time of Liberation to the low seventies today? (China is no. 80 on the 2005-2010 UN list of countries by life expectancy with the average age of mortality at 73, with men at 71.3 and women at 74.8. Canada is no. 11 with the average age of mortality at 80.7, with men at 78.3 and women at 82.9.) Clearly, this is another of China's spectacular achievements due to the elimination of abject poverty under the previously feudal economic system; improvements in sanitation, health care, agriculture, and education; and generally a big rise in the standard of living. More power to them!

1. You are probably aware of the concern that, if all the people of the world left as big an environmental impact as we North Americans do, it would take five planet Earths to satisfy all of our wants. Well, the people of China are catching up fast. 1000 new cars some onto the road very single day in Beijing alone (many of them Rolls-Royces, Audis, Ferraris, BMWs... In fact, you can tell a building is not important in Beijing if it has does not boast a long line of shiny, black cars parked out front. At the very least, they have to be black Buick Regals, which are manufactured in China and saved General Motors from going bankrupt during the financial crisis of 2009.) Every apartment needs to have an air-conditioner. Everyone wants the usual material things such as TV's, fridges, cellphones, washers and dryers. Who can blame then?And now, because wages are rising, the Chinese can increasingly afford them. And, as the good doctor in Wuhan advised us, the Chinese government feels obliged to satisfy the material wants of its citizens, even though it is aware that it can't fully offset the environmental impacts of supplying these material wants. It's the classic social vs. environmental conflict. New coal-fired and nuclear power stations come on line every month and still there is a deficit of 30% in energy generation in China. There is a drought in the northwest and the southeast of the country and drinking water is in increasingly short supply. In fact, the only place in China where we were NOT advised to boil the tap water before drinking was at Huangshan Mountain. Despite the fact that bus drivers in China turn off their engines every time they stop, that the Chinese ride more bicycles and motor scooters and walk more than us, and that people in China do a better job of recycling than we do, we would still have to say that the human race is in for big trouble, very soon.

1. There is a large and growing capitalist class in China. And these nouveau riche like to parade their new wealth in public at fancy restaurants, for example. Siobhan and I also visited Ferrari and Rolls-Royce dealerships in a swanky district of downtown Beijing. In the latter, every single model in the showroom had a "SOLD" sticker on the dashboard, including the stretch model that Queen Elizabeth ll prefers. There are many Prada, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Omega Watch, and Gucci stores in major Chinese cities. These stores do not depend on the tourist trade. There are enormous condos on the market for sale for prices higher than in Toronto (in Cdn. dollars). At the same time, the unseen hand behind every major initiative in Chinese society is the Chinese Communist Party, and that arrangement is likely to continue.

1. The young citizens of China we spoke to, however, did not seem very interested in politics. They weren't interested in changing the world, in socialism, or in revolution, it seemed. They were interested in the same things that most young Canadians are: getting a good education, finding a good job, getting a good apartment or house, finding a mate, raising a family, getting ahead. It was a little disappointing to me, given the massive popular struggles over the past 100 years of Chinese history. I don't think it bodes well for the future of socialism in China, because, when push comes to shove, how much of China's youth will rally to protect the gains that socialism brought them: medicare, cheap public education, decent housing, pensions, jobs... ?

1. For the most part, people everywhere in China were friendly and helpful. Canadians are especially welcome in China due to Chairman Mao's popularization of the contribution of Dr. Norman Bethune to the Chinese revolution. Ordinary Chinese helped us find our way, helped us choose what to eat, and what to see and do. But we both feel the Chinese lead a very hectic life with a lot of hustle and bustle and noise and seemingly long working hours, at least in the service and retail sectors. Some of the lower working class, those working the knock-off, name-brand booths at the markets, work everyday of the week, 10am-10pm. Not much of a life.

1. No, nobody followed us anywhere. Nobody monitored our conversations or seemed to care about our e-mails or blog entries. However, without spyware, or a certain monthly fee, some internet sites are blocked, like Facebook. However, the Chinese love QQ, which is like MSN, and they have their own FB-like webpages, such as Ren Ren (in English: "Person to Person").Nobody limited our movements in any way. We were free to come and go as much as in Canada and to talk to anybody who could speak English with us. Conversely, we felt safe everywhere (except on the streets of Shanghai, Nanjing, Xi'an, where cars, motorcycles, mopeds, bicycles, and other vehicles travel the sidewalks and generally ignore traffic signals). We were limited mainly in our travels by the fact that it's hard to find addresses in China because few places are neatly laid out on a grid with street numbers, as in Canada, and because we couldn't speak more than a few words of the language (except in Hong Kong, whose two official languages are Chinese and English.) For future reference while travelling in China, always carry the street address in your hand, with no relation to major landmarks, in big Chinese characters. Some taxi drivers either cannot read very well or cannot read small print without glasses, which few of them have. Consequently, they often lost our big fares and we ended up standing for long periods on the street.

1. Cops on the street are, by and large, unarmed, unlike western cops, who carry an array of offensive weapons like guns, batons, pepper spray, taser guns, handcuffs, and so on. And they don't pick cops in China for their intimidating size. They just aren't very intimidating in appearance and aren't meant to be. The soldiers we saw on parade in public places like Tienanmen also don't carry weapons (though we missed the official changing of the guard at dusk and dawn). The soldiers look like young skinny kids with oversize hats.

1. Security in China is as much theatre as in the West. In the West, elaborately choreographed incidents are staged by the powers-that-be to justify this or that newly-required level of security, such as the new requirements regarding gels and liquids in your baggage or the new invasive x-ray machines that peer right through your clothes down to your naked body. After all, security is now big business in the West, worth billions annually. In China, which, to my knowledge, doesn't have a single soldier outside its boundaries oppressing a foreign country, security is also big business. You see lots and lots of uniforms on the street. They're not cops. They're private security guards. You also have to submit to security checks at airports, railways stations, subway stations, museums, Tienanmen Square, the Chairman Mao mausoleum, the Yangzi Dam, etc. What that means is putting your knapsack on the conveyor belt to the X-ray machine and walking through a metal detector. In my case, the knapsack was full of metal paraphernalia. In addition, I wore a small penknife on a clip in my breast pocket. In every single case (including the Mao mausoleum), the X-ray machine would beep and flash and so would the metal detector. But the security personnel would wave me through and continue their lively conversations with each other. Theatre! We must have traveled though these metal detectors and put our bags through the x-ray machine at least 8 times a day, honestly.

1. I (Ken) am very sorry to disappoint Dr. Oswianik of the Travel Clinic of Hamilton who predicted that my biggest health concern in China would be "the big one" (heart attack or stroke). I may even have another big trip (with another couple of mountains to climb) left in me for when Vonnie or Brendan graduates from whatever they do next.

SIOBHAN:

It was hard to get an insider's view of the average Chinese person's life. Even though we had an American to ask, who was pretty accustomed to China, he wasn't able to answer many of the questions brought about by our daily travels. There are fruits and vegetables no one could name for us in English, some of which were very delicious and wholly monstrous in appearance. During our tour, it was still part of the school year, even for universities, and we wondered what so many young adults were doing in the Summer Palace and such places when we thought they would need to be working or studying.

The food was amazing, everything had such an aesthetic appeal to enhance the experience. However, there is a lot to be wary of, especially if you don't like bones. I (Siobhan) love chicken, but unfortunately, it is rare to find a chicken-based dish where every piece doesn't have a bone in it. The beef is usually good, but oddly gelatinous looking and makes me feel as though it was largely fat. Pork, on the other hand, tended to be the safest and most universally used meat. Usually shredded over string/green beans, it is a go-to meal for many. Other staples are eggs, tomatoes, leeks, seared fish, garlic, green onions, noodles of every kind, and of course rice ("mi fan").

Travel is cheap! The subway is sometimes the same cost as a bus, 2 RMB, but can be more, depending on the city and distance traveled plus the number of subway train lines used. The subway is clean and air-conditioned, and arrives every 2 minutes, if not sooner. The buses tend to be clean and air-conditioned, but aren't always. In Wuhan, the rickety, old public bus once broke down and I got out to push it (with all the locals on board doing the same) to get it going again....while dad was fiddling with the camera.

We tended to miss the rush of workers to and from work. We wouldn't start our day until 8:30 a.m., after the 6-7 a.m. rush for breakfast and the train the locals make daily. And sometimes, we wouldn't get back to our hostel/hotel until after the 5-9 p.m. rush of workers home for dinner had died down.

The Chinese also like to travel within their own country and take part in the traditional journeys their ancestors have been making for centuries. Most of the people we saw at any of the mountains we climbed, tourist hotspots, mausoleums, museums and national parks were Chinese families on day/weekend trips. It was great to see the locals taking advantage of the free admission that most of these places offer, and even if the venues weren't free, people enjoying these well-manicured, cultural, and educational sites provided for them by the government. Washrooms are mostly clean. But you might want to keep a supply of toilet paper in a ziploc bag inside your knapsack...

I will forever miss the street meats of China. Here, I am using the term "street meats" as a loose term to describe all the delicious rolls, dumplings, pastries, fruits, meats and other concoctions sold for practically nothing by vendors in tiny storefronts or concessions along the street. I was far more satisfied to walk up to a stand with dad, for any meal of the day, point to one of everything and have fun trying to guess what was in our meal that day. Even after picking out one of each item, it would always add up to less than a single dish at even the most cheap of the mom and pop restaurants. I can't do the same thing here in Canada, where even the smallest of cookies is now $2.

The stereotypes about the Chinese making the peace symbol, with their hands, for photos; the masses of beloved "Hello Kitty" head-bobbles; the omnipresent, bright colours and lights; cartoon character mascots dressed up in costume and walking down the street; fans used to cool in hot weather; masses of girls shading themselves with lace umbrellas are all true. They love it all. Families and couples will wear articles of matching clothing (Dad and I now have matching card-suit print suspenders.). Yet, this seems to lend to a very intimate, touchy/feely culture. Always touching their friends or lovers in some manner, holding hands or linking arms they are close with their friends and families and place a lot of value in their relationship. I hope that I have gleaned some things from them in by my brief stint there.

Some other interesting things:

• They are always drinking something. Everyone has a bottle of tea, a "red jube-jube juice", a sugary green tea drink or water.

• They actually do like Dance Dance Revolution a lot. It was the only game being played when Dad and I went into an arcade once.

• They love fountains and other fancy water fixtures. From lights, to music and the statues that pour it, they are always a fantastic site.

• If you want to buy anything and you don't speak the language, they will try and get 10x the amount they would normally ask, and sometimes get it. Learn to become a sharp bargainer. Even if a restaurant has an English menu, check it against the Chinese menu to see if the prices match. There will usually be a markup on the English menu. Always ask the price of something before you agree to get it: it can save you money everywhere. This seems intuitive, but there are many instances where one can be too trusting.

• The girls look like princesses in their frilly dresses and the guys dress to look their best in response, I appreciated it. No one wears track pants, except maybe some of very elderly, who would normally wear slacks or skirts.

Unfortunately, I have to say I was expecting a country a lot further behind in development and cleanliness than us. I am ashamed to say I had the completely wrong idea. Other than the air pollution, the streets are kept far cleaner of dirt and debris than here and they are just as modern as us, if not quickly surpassing us technologically. China was a blast and I would recommend the visit to anyone, so long as they are willing to be constantly active and moving.

BOTH OF US:

Would we go back to China? Sure would! But not to the the same places and probably not to so many, big, smoggy cities. I might want to do Tibet (requires a special visa), Guangdong (very popular with backpackers), and also Macao. Siobhan would like to ride horses with the Mongols in the North, slosh around in a rice paddy in the south with the locals and a water buffalo and actually plant some rice, experience the nightlife in some of the cities, and also arrive in February for the cherry blossom festival. Warning: Do not visit China in the summer! It's way too hot!

We hope you have enjoyed reading about our adventures in China at our travel blog. We enjoyed writing them. Please be patient with the photos. They hopefully will all be posted in the next few days.

Alors, à la prochaine...

Siobhan and Ken Stone