Comments on: Surviving Xi’an: Top 5 Things to Know

By: Graham

Graham — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 23:33:20 +0000

that’s …. gross.

By: Bryan Johnson

Bryan Johnson — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 12:05:59 +0000

That spitting part makes me hungry for something gooey. The driving here in Colombia is probably the most dangerous part for a gringo. Us Americans just like to play itself compared tp everyone else, I guess.

By: Graham

Graham — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 12:14:25 +0000

@Josh: I have yet to see adults engage in that behavior. I can only imagine it’s far more bizarre than seeing little children do it (kids do the oddest things sometimes). Ah, Frogger, I totally forgot about that. The majority of my friends here say that crossing the street is like playing Frogger. And don’t worry, I’ll get to queuing in the next installment.

@Stevo: 2) good point, the public bathrooms are pretty much universally atrocious. 4) people stare at me enough as it is. I don’t think wearing a duster is going to improve that. 5) It seems like everyone in China will tell you about the long and rich history, but half the people don’t actually know what the history is. Hilarious!

By: Stevo

Stevo — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 19:52:43 +0000

1) Seeing a beautiful Chinese lady hawk a loogie is a real turn-off.

2) I wish adults were afforded the same privilege. The street is generally cleaner than the local public WC.

3) The largest vehicle always has right of way. Sometimes it’s best to look at life in China as, “I’m already dead, it’s just a matter of time.” It’s quite liberating.

4) Perhaps a duster, a la Spaghetti Western, would be proper apparel?

5) I asked colleagues about Chinese folk tales. I was disturbed when I knew more about the myths than they did.

By: Josh

Josh — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 01:30:18 +0000

Ha! Great list, Graham. I brought my parents to Xi’an when they came and visited China last year and they learned some of this stuff the hard way. First of all, while walking down the main street south of the Bell Tower we actually saw a man – a full grown man, not a baby – undo his pants and urinate in a corner in broad daylight. Then crossing the 4 lane street was a nightmare. My mom never liked the game “Frogger” and had no desire to be playing a live-action version of it.

If I were to add anything to your list, it would be this:
“The only way you’re gonna eat anything at McDonalds or KFC is if you learn you’re just gonna have to shove your way up to the front”

By: Graham

Graham — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:52:36 +0000

@purplestate: 1) noted and … fixed. Thanks. 2) Actually, that campaign would surely fail. Plastic bags are not easily found. A lot of grocery stores here do not carry plastic bags, and the ones that do you have to pay for. 4) You’re probably right, but doesn’t that just further illustrate the divide between the US and China?

@Carrie: I’m glad you enjoyed. Hopefully you didn’t have any unpleasant flashbacks. Taiwan is on the very long list of countries that I have yet to visit. Is it very different from China? I’ll make it there someday, I swear! The queuing will definitely be in my 6 through 10. Your accolades are greatly appreciated and I am flattered you would say so (I have been following MySeveralWorlds for about a week or two now and what I have seen thus far has been truly awesome; I pale in comparison). I have started reading a ton of new blogs in the past month and most of them are thanks to Stevo. I shall have to return the favor at some point too…. Anyway, nice to meet you and thanks for reading!

By: Carrie

Carrie — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:20:07 +0000

Great post, Graham! I can tell that not much has changed since I lived in China. It still sounds the same.

Taiwan is quite different. No one spits, although the occasional granny will still try to elbow you out of the way. People are a little better at queuing, but not by a wide margin. I very rarely see anyone using the Great Outdoors as their own private bathroom. Crossing the street can be dangerous, but thankfully you don’t have to plunge out into traffic with your eyes closed and a death wish here. Dust isn’t too much of a problem, but the rain and smog can definitely ruin your day. Finally, most people are just as eager to share Taiwan’s history as they are in Xi-an, but I think that’s true of any country you visit in Asia.

Anyways, I wanted to stop by and introduce myself. Your site is great. I’m going to enjoy reading some of your posts. I can see that I have Stevo to thank for this connection yet again. I’m going to have to pay him back in some way for finding me all these great blogs to get addicted to.

By: purplestate

purplestate — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 12:35:14 +0000

1) pastime. Past time is time that happened in the past. /pedant
2) maybe you could start a campaign getting people there to carry plastic shopping bags for picking up their kid’s poo . . .
3) Spitting used to be hella more common in the States/Europe — if you look at ettiquite manuals from the 19th century (and really, why wouldn’t you?), you see a lot of stuff like “don’t spit at the dinner table” and “neither gentlemen nor ladies should expectorate when in polite company.”
4) I guess if the US had a long and rich history, we might be more excited about it . . .