Archives for January 2010
Initial Differences Between China and the US
It’s always strange to return from a foreign country, because, on one hand, it feels like you never left. Everything you did on the other side of the world never happened, and the only reminder you have that you went anywhere is that shelf full of useless souvenirs. But I have been away for a long time, and there are many things about life here that are definitely different from life in China.
Immediately out of the airport, I noticed how much cleaner and quieter the US (or at least Utah) is. That could be because Utah isn’t “big city” like China, but then cars also honk less frequently, and people don’t yell at each other to have a normal conversation. You could have the same number of people in Changzhou’s Walmart or Provo, Utah’s Walmart, and the Changzhou Walmart will always be louder.
What I’m most relieved to get away from, however, is the smoking. I cannot stress enough how physically ill second-hand smoke makes me. Granted, this is a constant battle in the US, too, but at least there are laws to help protect non-smokers. I haven’t had to smell that crap once since I got back. Still, I’m not used to being in a smoke-free restaurant. I keep expecting the guys sitting next to me to start smoking at any second. I hear a “click” and automatically cringe, because it reminds me of the constant clicking of lighters I heard all the time in China.
The weather also feels a lot warmer here, which, at a glance, probably doesn’t make sense. Americans are much better about keeping their buildings heated, though, because we use this crazy technology called insulation, and we don’t open the damn windows during the winter! In China, I had to wear two pairs of pants, a beanie, a jacket, and a coat at all times to stay warm, and that’s suggesting that I actually stayed warm. I didn’t. I was always cold, even in my own apartment. Home again, although there’s snow outside, I’ve been able to shed a layer, because it’s easier to escape the cold.
TV Roundup: Volume 10
Community (Season 1)
Having been to a community college, I was looking forward to a new show that poked fun of those unfortunate bastards who couldn’t (or refused to) get accepted by a better university. Mid-season, though, it became apparent the “community college” theme was only an excuse to allow what are your basic high school characters to drink past curfew. True, community college is kind of like an extension of high school, but many of the characters are old. Hey, Chevy Chase is in it, and he’s aged well past the point when he was ever funny. Then there’s the obligatory but tedious “they hate each other / they like each other” relationship, and the need to give so many actors screen time every episode results in disjointed story lines that rarely wrap up in satisfying ways. Community isn’t a complete waste, though. There are some very, very funny moments, particularly anything involving the students’ Asian Spanish teacher whose apathy towards teaching is hilariously relatable. All the padding in between, however, is absolutely boring.
Modern Family (Season 1)
I’m glad the traditional sitcom, with its irritating laugh track, is seeing a decline, but I’m not too thrilled with the new wave of documentary-style shows. Modern Family, however, finally uses this style well. The camera operator doesn’t get carried away with too many zooms, the actors only subtly acknowledge the camera’s presence, and interviews don’t feel like they’re pulling actors out of the immediate action. It works. I’m actually surprised by Modern Family… in a good way. It’s an ABC comedy, but it’s so unlike anything else I’ve seen from the network. Music is rarely used. It doesn’t ham up the jokes. The characters are realistic portrayals of—get this—modern families! I don’t think “comedy” is the best classification for it, though. The show doesn’t feel like it’s trying to be funny, nor does it feel like it’s trying to be dramatic. It really feels like an honest view of three related families who just happen to do amusing things sometimes and life-learning things at other times.
Prison Break (Season 1)
I have the same problem with Prison Break that I did with Dexter. A good three-hour movie has been spread across 22 episodes, and the end result takes way to long to get to the rewarding stuff. True, 24 is the same way, but every episode of 24 was exciting. Prison Break hits a lot of lulls, and I frequently found myself screaming, “Escape from prison already!” The hitches the gang’s escape plan runs into are more irritating than thrilling, although there were a few times when I was genuinely concerned about what would happen in the next episode. My biggest problem with the show, though, is that I just don’t like the characters I’m supposed to like. Ringleader Michael Scofield is ambiguous and level-headed to an annoying degree, and the rest of the “heroes” just aren’t very convincing. The best actors are those who ended up playing the sleazy scumbags, but because they’re sleazy scumbags, it’s hard to like them. Sleazy scumbags.
Scrubs (Seasons 1-3)
This is a show that feels like it’s patting itself on the back for not using a laugh track, but all they’ve done is replace audience laughter with cheesy sound effects and obnoxious music cues. I bitch about the music in everything I watch, but Scrubs really overdoes it and either uses ill-fitting music for its montages… or drags those musical montages on for too long. It’s the worst use of music I’ve seen in a TV show. Barring that, Scrubs still manages to be a harmless and easily digested comedy/drama. But there’s the catch. One minute, it’s rambunctious and over-the-top, then suddenly it switches gears, and now we’re supposed to be sad about a dying patient. One of these extremes needed to be more subtle, because trying to juggle both just makes me feel guilty for laughing moments earlier and/or bored when the slapstick stops. You could call it a dark comedy if you really wanted to justify it, but then there’s that music again, telling me how to feel. Let me do it myself!
Another Chinese Wii Knock-Off
Once again, the Walmart in Changzhou decided to stock another Wii knock-off in their toy aisle. While it’s not as funny as the one called WiNi, it is considerably cheaper at $12. But I’m still not tempted to buy one. Keep trying, China.
The Stressful Return From Overseas
It’s a little overwhelming how chores start to stack up when you’ve been abroad for almost two years. Now that I’m back home, I have a lot on my plate. I have to get my car re-insured and my driver’s license renewed. I have to take care of several doctors’ appointments before my coverage expires next month. I have to figure out what to do with all the crap I brought over from China and what to do with all the crap that was still here. I don’t even have a US cell phone yet and am hesitant to start shopping for one, because everyone I know complains about the plan they’re currently on.
Oh, and, at some point, I have to look for a new job.
In China, it was nice how my only responsibility was to show up to class four times a day and pretend to know what I was doing. The school took care of everything else. I think that’s one of the biggest draws to teaching in China: no responsibility! No bills to pay. No taxes to file. No cars to maintain (assuming you are sane enough not to drive in China). You don’t even need to take your job seriously. If you can sing and dance, most schools are happy to accommodate you. But being in the US again, I have to start making the calls myself and actually exercise some independence. Damn.
Flying From Shanghai to Tokyo to LA to Utah
As much as I love traveling and sightseeing, I hate flying. It’s not a fear of flying that keeps me from enjoying it, either, but rather an irritation with the whole process that starts mild then quickly escalates until I’m screaming inside, “I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE! I’M GONNA SOCK THE NEXT PERSON THAT LOOKS AT ME!”
The 9-hour flight from Tokyo to LA is always a doozy.
Trying to sleep in an upright position or trying to eat on a little table while the guy in front of you is fully reclined or trying not to wake the person next to you as you climb over them to go use the bathroom are all valid annoyances. When you’ve taken a 28-hour train in China twice, though, these seem like little things. Nevertheless, I can’t help but glare disapprovingly at the smug bastards in First Class every time I board a new plane.
The aspect of flying I hate the most is the rigmarole you have to go through at every airport. Showing up two hours early isn’t even enough anymore. After checking in at the Pudong airport in Shanghai, we were told we needed to board the plane 55 minutes before it left. We arrived at our terminal 30 minutes early, which, in a normal universe, is plenty of time, but they were already announcing our names over the intercom to hurry and get on so we could sit and wait 40 minutes before taking off.
The number of security checks they send you through has gotten way out of hand, as well. In Shanghai, there was the usual check, but then they went through my carry-on again before getting on the plane. And then I had to do another security check as soon as I got off the plane in Tokyo. I went from airport to airplane to airport. Where did I find time to pick up something dangerous?! It really discourages me from wanting to do anymore traveling. But… then I forget just how bad the 24-hour airport marathon is, and I end up doing it again. I’m a sucker that way.
Goodbye, China
After 18 months, it’s time to go back home. But don’t worry, I’ll still be updating the blog with additional posts about China and what life is like readjusting to US culture. And, who knows, I may make a visit to China again sometime. Keep in touch.
Want to Exchange Money in China?
Don’t! Or at least pack a lunch and be prepared to spend all day at the bank. I went there today to close my account and withdraw all my money in US dollars, but, would you believe it, doing so is a huge hassle. First, as a foreigner, I’m only allowed to exchange $500 per day. Nevermind that it’s my account and my money, I need a Chinese citizen’s signature and ID number to exchange anything larger. So my girlfriend had to fill out all the forms, even though the money was for me.
Since this is a Chinese bank, accomplishing anything requires a ton of paperwork and being shuffled from one counter to the next. At the beginning of the process, we had to fill out a form that basically said “we want to buy $7,000.” When it came time to actually give us the money, though, they realized I didn’t have enough yuan in my account to meet $7,000. Rather than fixing it then and there, they made us start the process over with a new order for the correct amount.
The real kicker, though (yeah, it’s not over yet) is how, once I had my stack of US dollars, they still left 50 yuan in my account. The whole point was to close the account completely! Oh, but if we wanted to do that, then we would have to get a new ticket number and stand in line again. By the time we got out of there, we had spent almost two hours in the bank. I can’t wait to go to the bank in my hometown and get in and out in only five minutes.
On the other hand, a bank in the US will completely rip you off when it comes to trading currencies. The rate they give you usually isn’t the real rate (I have no idea where they get their numbers), and then they’ll tack on extra service fees. You save so much more money by exchanging in China, even if it’s at the airport. The Pudong airport in Shanghai also waives any fees if you exchange at least $1,000. Sign me up, ’cause I’m headed there tomorrow!
Update: After going to the airport and trying to exchange money on my way out of the country, I have a different stance. They are much less generous when converting back into US dollars. The rate is, of course, not as favorable, there is a fee regardless of how much you put down, and there’s a $1,000 limit. Really, the only way to avoid getting dinged upwards of $300 (like I did) is to exchange everything at a local Chinese bank before coming home. I’m serious about packing a lunch, though.
Chinese Restaurant: Little Sheep
Hot Pot is such a staple in Chinese dining, it’d be a real shame if you came here and didn’t jump in the bowl. In a nutshell, they boil a pot of broth on your table, and you order raw meat and vegetables to cook yourself. Of all the Hot Pot restaurants, though (and there are many), Little Sheep is my favorite. The food is better quality, and the portions are bigger.
On the downside, Hot Pot isn’t exactly a “foreign friendly” place, and you’ll probably want to convince a Chinese friend to escort you the first few times you go. Yep, another case of “the menu is all in Chinese.” Fortunately, Little Sheep does have a special picture book of all their foods, and they love bringing this to my table whenever I go there without a Chinese associate.
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