The people: It’s hard to really compare the people. It’s
not just comparing culture, it is comparing villagers and city folk. No matter the culture, there are still huge
differences between the two. Some similarities I have found: Like Salvadorians,
the Chinese also think it’s okay to call someone fat. It is not offensive. Some
Chinese are even on a “diet” to become fatter. In both places, they just feed
and feed you. “You hardly ate anything,” they will tell you after you just
finished two plates of food. They always insist you eat more, then afterwards
they will call you fat. They don’t consider it offensive to ask how much
something cost, how much you make for a living, or how much you weigh.
In El Salvador I was the zoo exhibit, the alien, the one who
got asked all the questions. While there, I remember
spending a lot of time trying to figure out where they are coming from. Trying to understand how the looks of me could
be THAT fascinating. Or what is so interesting about some of my household items.
I felt like I spent most of my time there answering their foolish questions
like, “In your land, do you have lightning?” “What do you eat if you don’t eat
tortillas?” and “Do husbands cheat on their wives?” The roles have switched, I
am here, learning about the Chinese culture, and am more intrigued by their
thoughts and actions then I ever was with the Salvadorians. They are
superstitious about everything. For example; the number 4 (which in Mandarin,
also sounds like death) Often, there is no fourth floor in a hotel. They do not
give presents in quantities of 4. If a
baby cries for no reason, the Chinese believe that there must be ghosts close
by and the child is disturbed by ghosts. The list could go on…..
But yet, on their wedding day, the husband and wife are at
the entrance together greeting their guests together while holding a tray of
cigarettes or candy. Apparently that’s not bad luck.
Safety and Security: In San Salvador, you don’t dare
step outside your house past dark. During my time there I saw 2 dead bodies (gang
related deaths by gun shots) and I was held at gunpoint once. We’d receive at
least a biweekly email reminding us of the precautions we need to take while
traveling in the country. I feared for my life every time I got on the bus.
From a place with one of the highest homicide rate per
capita in the world to a place where I have yet to see a gun. In China, there are always groups of people on
the street, no matter where or what time of the day. The only
concern about walking home at 2:00 in the morning is giving into the temptation
to buying the mystery meat on the stick sold by the street vendors. Rat, horse,
dog, whatever it may be it all tastes oh so yummy after a night out.
Western Comforts: One thing that I didn't have much
of in El Salvador were Western comforts. There is a pretty large expat
population in Kunming, so there is always someone around who you can find
yourself relating to on a cultural level. There is usually an opportunity to
meet up with other foreigners in the city and be entertained. The extent of
entertainment in El Sal were soccer games on Saturdays, softball games on
Wednesday, and nightly chats over cups of coffee with my neighbors. All of us
having to take turns holding the antenna so that we could watch TV on occasion.
Here in China, I don’t spend much time alone. Part of me
misses those feelings of isolation. I had time to think, process, and go on a
little journey with myself. I struggled, I grew, and at the time I didn’t
understand, but looking back at it, now I understand. I don’t regret any of
those nights in darkness sitting alone (well if you don’t count the tarantulas,
scorpions, mice, frogs, bats, etc.) with a pen in one hand and a flashlight in
the other.
It’s comfortable here in China (well for the most part). My
diet consists of food other than rice and beans. People actually go to the
bathroom inside a building, and not along the side of their houses. I can be
around Western people and Western comforts as much as I want. There is usually
something going on, and even when I start to feel slightly bored, I just go
outside and people watch. The people (from local minority groups dressed in
their colorful traditional clothing to business men frantically trying to get
to work on time), there is always something to see.
However there is something about the simple life in El
Salvador that I miss. There’s something
comforting about planting your food, killing your own animals, and knowing what
you are eating. The only job to the people in my community was just that. They
worked in the fields all day so they can provide food on the table for their
family. Because food is the only thing
they need to survive, everything else that money provides is only luxury (and
in their eyes, unnecessary.) It was nice to be around people who had no money
in the pockets, yet still so content, stress-free, complaint free,and happy. Their only
worry being was if their crops were getting enough water.
Fashion: If the residents of this city moved to a
city in the US, they would be confused for homosexuals. The men, with their
stylish hair that spikes up a bit then falls to one side, with a red tint to it
(from their best attempt to dye it blonde) The men carrying their Gucci male
bag on one arm with their other arm wrapped around the neck of their male friend.
If they aren’t carrying their own “murse,” then they are proudly carrying
their girlfriends pink purse. It is very common to see woman holding hands with
each other or locking arms at the elbow. For a place that isn’t accepting of
homosexuality, it is just a bit shocking to see. Or perhaps it’s me coming from
a culture where we need at least a 10 inch space bubble. It may be a bit
shocking for an American to see, but it’s still so nice to see the affection
and friendliness.
One of the biggest fashion statements here are glasses.
Well, not just any ordinary glasses. Glasses without the lenses in them, just
the frame. The larger and more colorful the frame, the more fashionable. Matching
outfits (especially amongst couples) is very popular too. Some of the
outfits even make a sentence, for example, “This love will….” (on the girl)
“last forever” (on the guy)
Even the toddlers have their own style. Let me introduce you to the “open crotch
pants” (a replacement for diapers) (still trying to get a picture; but for the
meantime, google image it!) Pants with the back part completely cut out, with
their butts showing making it easier to pop a squat anywhere you want. At first
I thought the pants were ripped and the parents were too poor to afford new
ones until I saw these kids walking around my school (one of the most expensive
in Kunming), and noticed how the pants are made just like that.
Bathrooms: While on that note, I have to say I prefer
the bathrooms in El Salvador, even if they were outside, full of cockroaches
and essentially peeing in a hole in the ground. Here the bathrooms are a squat
“toilet” on the floor. Some foreigners prefer it to the toilet, and find it
more sanitary since you really shouldn't be sitting on a toilet seat in a
public place anyway. However, most of these Chinese toilets don’t have splash
guards, always leaving the ankles a little wet. Yuk. I can deal with the
cockroaches and flies in the outhouse if that means my ankles will stay
pee-free
Food: Here in
China, typically in family style restaurants, everyone is served a bowl of
white rice, and the other dishes are placed on the spinning round table which
is then shared by everyone. Rice is their staple food (where in El Salvador it
is the tortilla), so if you don’t have rice with your meal you haven’t eaten.
Peanut butter and jelly is just a snack, and to just about everyone else in the
world, excluding Americans, it is the most unheard of thing to mix the two.
Proper Chinese etiquette number 1: don’t stick your
chopsticks straight up in a bowl. To them, it signifies burning essence, which
is done in this manner at a funeral.
At a restaurant in China, they usually hand you one menu
even if you are a party of 4. At times, they even wait at the table until you
are ready to order. Whereas, the comedors
in El Salvador usually only offer about 5 items (beans, tortilla, eggs, plantains,
and coffee) all of which I end up ordering since it only costs $1.75.
Transportation:
I miss riding in the back of a pickup in El Salvador with 40 of my
fellow villagers. Slowly creeping up the dirt path to my village admiring the volcanoes, lakes, and El Salvador’s beautiful lush green country side.
However, China has
introduced me to electric scooters.
Walking out my door, and paying a lady a few dollars to take me where I
want to go. It’s often a game here. It’s a war zone out there. Traffic jams no
longer consist of a group of cows and chickens crossing the road. Weaving in
and out of traffic, cars beeping and moving every which way. I even saw a car
driving nonchalantly on the sidewalk the other day. People making their best
attempt to get where they need to be in a timely fashion. Riding on the back of
a scooter or driving my bicycle, whatever my mode of transportation may be,
once reaching my destination I always get such an adrenaline rush. Success! I
won the game. After completing Peace
Corps, I thought, now if I can do that, I can do anything. Since moving to China
that has changed. If I can survive biking around a Chinese city, then I can do
anything!
Another plus side to China is I can get wherever I want to
be whenever I want to go. Unlike El Salvador, if I missed the 7:00 am pickup I
had to wait until early afternoon to get out of the village. Some days
transportation didn’t even come; which signified someone was shot in a gang
related death, and my pick-up drivers were too afraid to drive that day.
More interesting facts of Chinese:
* They go to the hospital for everything. Someone
asked me if I will go to the hospital after complaining about a few zits that
appeared overnight.
* They can be pretty pushy. It’s no wonder why.
There are so many of them, so whether you are walking, driving, or taking the
bus, you need to push your way in there. If you don’t you will never get where
you are going. Drivers in Chinese cities are probably some of the best drivers
in the world. With their lightning fast
reflexes, they can stop on a coin if a pedestrian gets in their way
* The elderly are quite interesting. You will see
them early in the morning at the nearby park doing their morning exercises,
which consists of walking backwards, clapping their hands, hitting or massaging
body parts. According to CTM (Chinese Traditional Medicine), massaging the
correct pressure points with increase blood flow throughout the body with in
turn brings vital nutrients and helps your body get rid of extra toxins. It’s
all part of maintaining that “qi” what the Chinese believe to be the active
principle forming part of any living thing (aka, “life energy” or “energy
flow”)
- * The Chinese are actually taught in school that
they evolved from a different species than the rest of the world
* Chinese love flying kites, playing badminton and
ping pong (hands down the most popular sport here)
* As you know, Chinese are only allowed to have
one child. So that means only one thing; that one child is spoiled to pieces,
and is also filled with pressure to be the best in everything! Monday-violin
lessons, Tuesday-English class, Wednesday-Kung Fu, and so on and so on. They
are involved in everything and high expectations are set for them. I feel bad
when they come to class, and tell me… “teacher, no homework please, no sleep
last night.” Meanwhile their parents are giving me a hard time for not
assigning more homework. So that means, they will often spoil their
dogs too. Occasionally, you’ll see dogs dressed in sweaters, head bow ties, and
booties. It is quite silly to see. Yet, no leashes. This means crossing a busy
intersection with their owner and no leash.
- * They are all about “face” here. Looking good,
and holding strong to their dignity. Losing face, saving face, and giving face is
very important and while hanging out with my Chinese friends in a group I am
always a bit conscientious about this. (Trying to not to say something to them
or doing something that will humiliate them in front of other people) What I
may think of as a sarcastic joke to a Western friend may not be taking as
lightly from a Chinese. Anything from ordering 8 plates of food for 2 people
(to show off their wealth, or rather their parents wealth), or cooking 8 plates
of food for 2 people, they just want to “look good.” Losing your temper,
putting someone on the spot, or failing to accord proper respect can cause a
loss of face. One’s status in dictates how one treats others and is treated by
others. Saying “no” can cause loss of face and disrupt. So like in El Salvador,
I must accept every offer.
Traffic jams that consist of more than a group of cows.
Walking these busy Chinese streets full of unfamiliar faces. I look up the tall
buildings around of Chinese flashing characters; none of which I understand. I
look in the restaurants of people slurping their noodles. A sea of dark haired,
slanted eyed people. I look around for a familiar face; instead I am getting
stared at by these unfamiliar faces. In my village in El Sal everyone knew my
name and I knew theirs. In this jammed pack city in China, I doubt I’ll ever cross
paths with the same person again (excluding on “foreign street”, and other
Western bars.) Both places have their good points and bad points, but it all
works out. Although completely different, both are amazing experiences that I
will take with me for the rest of my life.
