Gaining Experience

I apologize for the large gap in time between this post and the last, but I have been busier than ever –I’m now teaching three- and four-year olds kung fu on the weekends, but more on that later.

Fun Fact: I have spotted no squirrels in China. This bothers me a little because, without them, I am unable to determine the intensity of the coming winter from the bushiness of their tails, and I only brought two pairs of long pants.

Concerning shopping for clothes, I have been to two huge markets, each containing likely hundreds of 15x15ft [no, I haven’t figured out meters yet] outlets, forming a labyrinth of often disorganized clothing dispensaries.

Certain markets require one to haggle, lest one pays $121 dollars for a shirt.  Fortunately, with a little complementing, sneering in disgust, and benefitting from an accidently misspelled cashmere tag, the price was dropped to $11, though at one point a small group of people stopped their shopping to enjoy the spectacle.  Not bad for a thermal cashmier shirt.  Granted, I was called friend, a bully, a foolish person, and handsome, respectively, by the same merchant.

Whilst exploring the Nan Luo Gu Xiang Hutong, the remnants of ancient Beijing one-story buildings (coincidently also forming a labyrinth) via rickshaw ride, a merchant came up next to our group on his bike and proceeded to try to sell us souvenirs. I was so impressed that I had to try to bargain for a gourd flute. In the process of trying to negotiate in a language that I have the smallest grasp on, the rickshaw driver began laughing after overhearing my negotiating phrases such as, “I am a poor student,” and “really?!? That’s the price?”

Most merchants speak at least some English, though on some occasions one has to drag it out of them because they don’t always like revealing that they can understand one’s conversation with one’s friend about how nice a certain shirt is.

Beggars often reside outside malls and almost all tourist spots.

I have heard rumors of beggar’s guilds, in which cripples are “employed.” I’ve heard that the individuals are forced out on the streets to collect money and are abused to give any profits to the organization (naturally going to the extorters at the top).  Although I feel terrible about seeing so many people on the streets, I have seen beggars use their crippled children (particularly those with unfortunate physical deformities), and small, whimpering puppies as props to bait walkers by.

Although I keep these things in mind, I almost started crying after having to step over a beggar along a narrow passage in order to stick with my group on an excursion.  I do not give money, but I will give food to children if I can.

On a more positive note [please forgive the poor transition], on the Friday before last, our program was offered kung fu classes on Fridays, and naturally I had to go.  After meeting the instructor and telling him that I have been pursuing martial arts for many years, he mentioned the possibility of me teaching kung fu to young kids.  With the support of my peers (shout out to the girls in my program who think I’m good with kids, and who convinced the instructor I’d be a good choice), he offered me a job.

A week later, I received a call to assist him in a promotional campaign so that I would have enough children for my own classes.

The promotional campaign took place on a playground (my domain), during which I met the instructor’s wife, his brother, and a friend of theirs, all of which I would be working with (though only the primary instructor and his wife understand English).  Finally, I have actual Chinese connections!

At the playground, we asked kids if they wanted to try punching a bag, taught them how to punch and kick properly, and when enough of them gathered, proceeded to teach them the beginning of the Crane form in order to impress their parents.  We had enough people sign up for me to have my own class.

I will discuss more on the subject later, but I have a test to study for tomorrow. And almost immediately after, we (the students in the same program as I) are traveling to Qing Hai until the 30^th.

Oh, and the instructor is a former SHAOLIN MONK.  I know a Shaolin Monk!!!! Things are turning out to be a lot more interesting than I could have hoped. 

Finally Noticing a Difference

Despite not having experienced significant culture shock, I seem to be becoming more confused by Chinese culture as I go (presumably, because it is revealing its more nuanced aspects in smaller doses).  

When one walk down the street, it is not uncommon to see women carrying umbrellas and others wearing face-whitening makeup.  I assumed this style of fashion, supposed to convey that one is not a laborer, was outdated.  Although some locals have told me it is going out of style, I can’t travel more than four-hundred meters beyond the campus gates without seeing an umbrella or a paled face (which tend to be inconsistently whiter compared to the skin tone of the arms or neck).

Another interesting trend I’ve noticed is the occurrence of select males (in particularly, overweight males) wearing their shirts rolled up to reveal their stomachs.

So many double takes…

Again, I assumed something like this to be an outdated display of affluence, but have concluded that I simply do not understand this alternate standard of beauty.  Of course, there are styles similar to western attire, but anything truly western is rare (…I think…I’m the farthest one can get from a fashion expert, living within my comfort zone of earth tones).  

Moreover, I’m not saying the women here seek out beer bellies and that albinism is valued as genetic perfection, but I figure there must be a reason why certain styles have not yet gone extinct.

There are a few other key differences between Beijing culture and what I’ve become accustomed to in the US.  Two subjects, the absence of tipping in restaurants and the apparent lack of concern from lawsuits, are nuances in Chinese society that I think make China very much different from the US.

First, in a Chinese restaurant, the food is usually paid for before it arrives, and one is not required to tip for the service.  As a result, food arrives whenever it is ready, varying from person to person. This, however, is considered rather unacceptable in the US, where it is considered polite for the individuals who receive their food first to wait for the staff to deliver the remaining meals to the first’s compatriots.

When rearing children [and yes, as a college student, I am more than qualified to speak with pretentious authority on any subject], one is suggested to discipline the child immediately after an unacceptable event occurs. Similarly, I want the waiters to know that I’ve been more than slightly irked for having to wait over twenty minutes for my food after everyone else received theirs, instead of simply opting to go somewhere else in the future.

Moreover, because the diner has paid for the service of the meal before the meal’s conclusion, the staff is not obligated to wait for the diners to stop chatting before ushering in the next set of consumer. Although this has only occurred in one not-so-fancy restaurant, I was still taken aback.

Second, concerning the insufficient influence of lawyers on Chinese society, businesses, construction crews, and drivers seem not to care about the repercussions of potential accident.  I get the impression there is absolutely no fear of lawsuits, which differs so greatly from the US, where lawsuits act as a larger impetus than government mandates when it comes to handicap accessibility.

I have yet to find one business that does not have at least one step or something in the way that would hinder a wheelchair.

(I have touched on handicap inaccessibility and traffic before but) another example of the lack of precautions seen in the US is in the traffic situation.  The simplest way to explain said situation is to call it a cluster f!@# of pedestrians, bikes, carts, cars, and buses.  

Safety hinges solely on the dexterity of the individual.  Personally I go by the rule that, if the locals are walking (even when cars are edging to plow them over), it’s smarter to stick with the pack instead of playing Frogger alone when you have the right of way.

Although they do not really regard a red light as a necessary stop, a driver won’t hit multiple people because that might actually smudge the paint or mark up the windshield.

I am gradually discovering cultural nuances, such as those pertaining to tipping and the commonality of lawsuits, which actually have a significant impact on society.  I am reminded of the lyrics from Say Hey by Michael Franti & Spearhead: “…Hey, I’ll be gone today, but I’ll be back or around the way.  Seems like everywhere I go, the more I see, the less I know…”

I find it fun to try to figure this stuff out, and have seen (not read) several books dedicated to unraveling the Chinese enigma from a western perspective. I know that it would take no less than a lifetime to fully comprehend and feel at home in both cultures.

Before I forget, I should write something about my academics because –though hard for me to conceptualize on the weekends– this is not a vacation.  

My main academic focus has been on my weekly fourteen hours of Chinese 100, where my one classmate and I have been exposed to about 450 new words in Chinese script. Although we are not required to memorize all of them, we are going to be given our first test tomorrow, and I hope that I do alright considering I have retained enough to recognize about half of them.

I guess I ought to stop procrastinating by blogging…