中國的興起 -第二天 (China Rising -- Day 2)

Anshan, China, August 4, 2010,

It's playing in the background at the Club Coco in Anshan China, Shakira's Anthem for the 2010 World Cup - Waka Waka (It's time for Africa). The young woman I am sitting with, asks me, "Is this a hit in America ,too?" I say "Yes. I think it's a hit everywhere." Not only that, but it's pretty inspiring. It's not surprising to hear that Shakira has been on the Ellen Degeneres show ... because, well ... this is dance music. I want to jump up in the air with a triple arm pump like Hannah Kearney right after winning gold in Vancouver. This is glorious. A victory really.

I look on the streets of China and I see hot fashions. Sexy, contemporary fashion. Malls, shops. American styles. An even more on the street, Chinese style. Stuff I never have seen in America. I hear in the clubs and KTV (karaoke television) clubs, great Chinese pop. Hot, sexy video pop. Suddenly I want Chinese KTV on my cable at home. I have 400 effin' hundred channels ... how come there's no KTV?

I watched -- in my hotel in China, every day when I was supposed to take a nap, a show in English called "Living with Chinese." A great course in learning Mandarin. Do you think I can find that on my local cable? Not so much. Can I find it on YouTube? Not so much. I can't find it. The great firewall works both ways.

People in China are aspiring to own cars, they are owning cars. Mao's country of bicycles has turned a country of smog and industry. Powerful industry. Signs of affluence abound and personal wealth is obvious. China is a rising economic power. Symptoms of capitalism are everywhere. China seems an unstoppable giant.

I guess what I don't see so much is the effect of contemporary Chinese culture present in America's mainstream. I wonder just how long it will be before we hear some Chinese pop gone viral in the West.

中國日兩 (China, Day 2)

Fruit Juice with Fireworks

Chinese Barbeque

I was told this was dog on the menu, we didn't partake, however.

Getting Ready to Eat



Frozen Ice Balls

Ice and Yvonne

Michelle and I in a Paddle Boat

Parasols

Gold Shoes

A Flatiron Building

Is that a Pizza Hut Logo?

Looking down from the Hotel

View from the hotel.

在街上行走的中国第一天(China, Day 2, Crossing the Street)

August 4, 2010, Anshan, China.

I sleep in.

So, on this day I went outside in the daylight, out onto the street. I gradually gained my Asia street feet (remembered from a few weeks in Korea), but not fast enough to satisfy my friend Michelle. It was really clear that she was extremely concerned about my survival. She was grabbing my hand and shouting commands like "Stop" "go," and "Ok." It took a while to start to understand what it takes to do that simple thing; cross the street. with several lanes of traffic in two obvious directions and several lanes of what I call back scatter traffic -- people going the wrong way, or on the sidewalk - or in a way that contradicts expectation. With every possible wheeled object and moving in every possible direction it is clearly dangerous to be a pedestrian.

I looked in the Lonely Planet Guide for advice. "The streets of China kill mercilessly. You will need 360 degree vision to cross the street in China." Clearly true, but not much in the way of advice.

The Chinese people, from my observation, seem a highly cooperative group. I know ... I am making really gross generalizations. I can't help it, because I am suffering from the same thing that ails travellers throughout time. I don't have enough information to make more specific generalizations.

But seriously, the traffic seems choreographed. People work together to get where they are going, avoid accidents, and this is extremely interesting. Honking horns is very popular, in fact, it should be done continuously, or at least every time the vehicle changes directions, or anyone changes directions, or if anyone remotely looks like they are going to get in front of your vehicle. Driving directly into oncoming traffic is kinda popular too, but it is extremely important to honk your horn first, so the oncoming vehicles may drive on the sidewalk in order for you to be able to do it.

It's a melee.



We managed to walk to the park and cross several large busy intersections without seeing anyone get killed. We rode back in a cab. It looked like I might be able to get by, but I was definitely frightened by the thought of having to cross the street.

At one point I remember asking if the cab could pull in to the front of the hotel, because I was afraid to cross the street.