Was MIA in China; am back! Will take questions! (Read 880 times)

[sapphire475gs, aka Saphyr]

Jun 9, 2012 5:03:24 GMT thetreedude said:

Hm. I'm a bit curious at the area you stayed in, but it doesn't seem like you visited any of the more rundown places I think. So I assume you had no problems with the public restrooms there?

I would have had an better opportunity to view a completely "run down" area called Datong. It is experiencing significant construction right now in preparation for its revival as a city (seriously, from what my teammates told me about their visit there, it was essentially a "ghost city", very apocalyptic looking). I have no pictures because I didn't go there, but I'm pretty sure that area would have appeared very run down. I saw a few other slum areas while taking a train towards the Great Wall, but that was only for a few passing moments. I've been to Guatemala before, and China bore much resemblance in terms of that sort of variation in developed, natural, ancient, and rundown areas.

The area I stayed in was in the north-western quadrant of Beijing city... the Haidian district. There was a lot of traffic and lots of taller buildings in the area... kinda like a downtown city area in the U.S.

Public restrooms were still crappy, though... I thankfully only involved myself with one of them... and it had no toilet paper or hand washing stations. Thank goodness I wasn't there for #2.

overl33t said:

The Chinese actually have no culture at all. [....] [T]his is coming from a Chinese. [....] And about the immigrants part, in most cases, you would still care about what happens in your own country and still be loyal to it to a certain extent. That is not the case with the Chinese.

This is interesting to hear. Where were you and your family from? WHY is the loyalty of a Chinese immigrant so fickle, do you suppose?

While I continued to find that the products of Western capitalism were indeed encroaching more and more within the city and the overall style of the environment, their culinary traditions at the least are still preserved... even in their college cafeterias. Everything else is the product of an evolving world. At least some edifices within revered areas such as the Forbidden Palace and the Summer Palace are preserved. Do you think these are left alone because of the pressure of tourists?

[Genichiro]

I would think the drive to preserve certain places comes from a combination of the sense to preserve some history and the tourist industry. I would at least hope that there is some motivation to preserve the physical elements of their history!

[overl33t]

This is interesting to hear. Where were you and your family from? WHY is the loyalty of a Chinese immigrant so fickle, do you suppose?

While I continued to find that the products of Western capitalism were indeed encroaching more and more within the city and the overall style of the environment, their culinary traditions at the least are still preserved... even in their college cafeterias. Everything else is the product of an evolving world. At least some edifices within revered areas such as the Forbidden Palace and the Summer Palace are preserved. Do you think these are left alone because of the pressure of tourists?

I am 张. While I am not from mainland China, I do know a few immigrants who obtained PR in Malaysia via marriage. And yes, places like the Forbidden Palace and the Summer Palace are actually preserved due to pressure from foreign powers and tourists.

However, we can relate the preservation of their culinary arts to the Mao era. Because of all the intense anti-Western propaganda back then, most of the Chinese only know how to cook in the Chinese way.

As to why the loyalty of a Chinese immigrant is so fickle, the 'survival of the fittest' effect that took place in the past(famine, floods, natural disasters, war, inter-clan marriages) has taught the Chinese that those who are weak will be seceded from society and left behind. With the laws of heredity taking effect, the Chinese began to think differently and had a huge appetite for work. As such, they would pass down the teachings of not minding other people's business and man should serve himself. This includes bootlicking the upper class to move up in society too.

[LunyRed]

Jun 11, 2012 0:12:59 GMT Genichiro said:

I would think the drive to preserve certain places comes from a combination of the sense to preserve some history and the tourist industry. I would at least hope that there is some motivation to preserve the physical elements of their history!

Ditto. I believe the rich traditions & culture should be preserved and not be completely wiped off from existence because of the ever-changing modernization brought forth by foreign cultures.

I've never traveled outside the country before. How was the trip to China? And when I meant "trip", I mean the form of transportation. (Airplanes, etc.) I'm having trouble with my wording... '

Other than that, welcome back Saphyr. =) This Luny-dood has been MIA too from LR. More than 2 weeks, AFAIR. I'm not late for the welcome back greetings! Nope nope! >3>



...

Any talk about Chinese food has reminded me of the great Manchu Han Imperial Feast. A grand meal intended only for the emperors. :F First time in my life that I've heard of such very "exotic" delicacies such as monkey's brains, ape's lips, and leopard fetuses...

[sapphire475gs, aka Saphyr]

Jun 20, 2012 1:00:18 GMT LunyRed said:

I've never traveled outside the country before. How was the trip to China? And when I meant "trip", I mean the form of transportation. (Airplanes, etc.) I'm having trouble with my wording... '

Other than that, welcome back Saphyr. =) This Luny-dood has been MIA too from LR. More than 2 weeks, AFAIR. I'm not late for the welcome back greetings! Nope nope! >3>

...

Any talk about Chinese food has reminded me of the great Manchu Han Imperial Feast. A grand meal intended only for the emperors. :F First time in my life that I've heard of such very "exotic" delicacies such as monkey's brains, ape's lips, and leopard fetuses...

Thanks for the welcome, Luny-d00d! The airplane rides were pretty decent considering I was trying to buy cheap. I rode among the larger planes (787s and 767s, I think), and they were outfitted with a few feature films. I got to check out an episode of Gintama (lulz, but from what was shown: not completely enticing aside from that for me), Time of Eve (a really good short film animation, I recommend it), Castle Under Fiery Skies (a very unique and coincidentally relevant story for me about the master carpenter put in charge of building Oda Nobunaga's castle (he made it 7 stories high), and that one movie about the guy from Virginia who went to Mars and became a super hero... wow, that dog-thing is FAST! I stayed in a hotel in Toyko, Japan (Shinjuku area) on my way back, but had not the time to make a pilgrimage to the Hakurei shrine. I shall repent and vow to journey back there one day to fully appreciate the cultural experience. Hopefully I get a better grasp of Japanese while I'm at it before then.

Ha ha, good eats for an emperor... makes me... well huh, GLAD to be a commoner.