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Posts: 5156

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Q: Are you getting to know the real China? Take the bus

I thought of this while on a crowded bus watching no one give their seat to a pregnant woman, an elderly woman and a mother with a small child. Nothing new but it was a long bus ride with them standing. People sitting just put their head down. 

I often hear people say Chinese are different but no, putting your head down is a sign of shame in any culture. Chinese mainlanders are like like others but they are just rude and crude in their behavior. 

But many people come to China and stay in 'safezones' . They spend most of their time in their homes, take taxis, hangout in expat spots, shop only at Metroand only have expat friends or cultured Chinese friends. They don't get a complete picture (good and bad). Some do this because they've had their fill of Chinese 'culture' , however little it may have been. I'm speaking to those who stay sheltered in order to maintain their pristine view of China.

Take the bus everyday for a number of years, in 2nd and 3rd tier cities, at different times. See the rudeness (ie: bus drivers refusing to stop to let little girls off or anyone they see as weak), see the stupidity (how people behave in traffic), see the reckless disregard for the life of others (increasing the speed of the bus when approach pedestrians or cyclers), smell the filth of people who don't shower.

I'll give you an example from America, I grew up in a high crime neighborhood. When the city council proposed using surveillance cameras in this high crime area people were up in arms, people who didn't live in the neighborhood was crying about it being a violation of our privacy rights. They also lobbied for fewer police because as they put it, the crime was a result of over policing. It's easy to knock someone for complaining when you are insulated and the other guy is in the shit.

7 years 10 weeks ago in  Transport & Travel - China

 
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Shifu

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Waited for a bus with an elderly Chinese woman and we exchanged pleasant chitchat, the usual questions for a foreigner. We boarded the bus and there were no seats. A teenager of about 17 was playing on his phone and he had his schoolbag sitting next to him taking up a seat. I asked him in Chinese if his bag had a ticket. He said no. I said if his bag didn't have a ticket then it couldn't have a seat. I picked up his bag and dropped it on the floor and offered the seat to the elderly woman. Other passengers seemed impressed. The 17 year old not so much. He glowered at me and I smiled back at him.

7 years 9 weeks ago
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7 years 9 weeks ago
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7 years 9 weeks ago
 
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Posts: 19790

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I always use local bus in China. However, I never have 1 Rmb, because I daily unload all change on my desk.

So once, I had to break 10 Rmb and I walked into the Bank and yelled 'neu bi, neu bi....' while holding 10-er in my hand.

She (cold): 'meiyou neu bi ...'

After I walked out of the Bank, I realized I should say 'imbi'  ....

Back to the Bank and me again:  'meiyou neu bi, IM-BI'  

 

Chinese is so difficult for us Non- natives angel.

 

Once, I even traveled by bus from Shenzhen to Fuzhou with fresh Z in my pocket. I jumped on the front seat-bed, R side of the bus with undisturbed view ....

Driver was telling me for some 5', I must move on the other seat, booked with my ticket, buTT ... I played stupid laowai.  

Some 1000 km of real China from the front seat ... .

diverdude1:

haha,,, dumb laowei will get us thru so much,  I swear it saved my life in thailand one time,,, or maybe they were just good soldiers...  hehe,,, but I thought I was gonna die more than once in Asia when being dumb, innocent , decent laowei helped me along.

 

you guys too?  

 

haha,, someday we will have an old folks club here on ,,,, well,,, wherever I'm posting this now ,,  echina or whatever

7 years 10 weeks ago
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icnif77:

I usually start my 'dumb' role with 'no ming bai' and then I slowly  change to proper 'bu ming bai' and 'zhi bu dao'. 

Front seats are usually reserved for both drivers and close friends, but that time in Shenzhen front one was mine. No discussion.

The funniest in China is 'cause everybody gets involved in angel such 'international' disputes. Even the incoming  passengers. 

I end the 'dispute' with pulling out my i-Pod ....

 

7 years 10 weeks ago
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nzteacher80:

I have a selective understanding of the Chinese language.

7 years 9 weeks ago
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icnif77:

I can 'understand', what people are saying, despite I am not familiar with the spoken draft. Just by watching moves and (face) reactions of the speakers. Better description of that gift would be 'put 2&2 together'.

 

I have thingy at ya-yi and sometimes, I know exactly what he is telling me. Not longer sentences in Chinese, but meaning of the thing he's explaining. Sometimes Clinic's manager is present and he can translate thing or two to English. He's often going: 'How do you know that?' (He doesn't use Past tense as of yetsurprise). 

 

They're both learning English with my help. Manager is 'beginner' and dentist know just word or two. I am teaching him correct pronunciation:

ya-yi: 'wish wit water'  

me: 'meiyou 'wish'...  'wAAsh'.

Earlier into our 'lessons', he mixed up commands 'close' and 'open' .... but it's easy to 'detect' he is wrong in command, because 'you can't close your chew while he's in with tools'.

 

I received pun from ya-yi today: 'I ming bai!', 'cause of mine 'No ming bai'. They copy me mastards.

 

7 years 9 weeks ago
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AlyssaZhang:

sorry , may i know 'neu bi, IM-BI', ya i dont know what it mean.

6 years 44 weeks ago
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icnif77:

'neu-bi' = 'awesome'

'im-bi' = 'coin'

'sha-bi' = 'loser'.

 

The last one I always hear when I am using my 150 RMB Nokia brick in front of the students. 

 

Otherwise, it is very easy to misplace all three words since I know only sounds (phonetically) and not as a written words.

I have to admit, I am nearly fluent in these three words, so misplacement rarely happened ....LOL

'add-it': I know more .... 'lau-sh-r' = 'teacher'; 'jau-sh-r' = 'key'; 'kau-sh-r' = 'exam'. .... I told you already about 'fluent' ..... LOL

'sha-kk' & 'shan-kk' one is 'end' and other one is 'beginning' (of the class). I know, I always scream the wrong one at the wrong time ...he he

6 years 44 weeks ago
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7 years 10 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1095

Shifu

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I would advise against taking the Chinese bus, 2 of them just exploded today in Foshan.

retiredinchina:

yes, the first thing i check is the fuel source, electric or diesel is a go, propane tanks and a huge fire extinguisher, thanks but no thanks, the last time i rode a bus in china with propane, they made us exit at the street while it went in the station for propane and then pick us up after fueling.

I'm not sure they understood that if I can't sit while you load the bomb, why is safe to ride the bomb after fueling. never again. Buses seem to have problems with LNG more so than the taxi's, not sure what this means, perhaps the vw german made propane fuel system is better for safety than the bus design fuel systems from china, but most people don't notice things that i observe.

7 years 10 weeks ago
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icnif77:

I read about it on 6th-tone: 

 

http://www.sixthtone.com/news/explosions-two-buses-injure-foshan-passengers

 

""Liang is suspected of having placed two explosive devices in the buses’ trash cans. An investigation is ongoing. No statement has been made regarding Liang’s motive."

 

I was ridding bus in Nepal last year. You should try that!

Suddenly, there's no more road, but bus is in the middle of the river. I wonder, if all bus passengers lift their feet  like me.

Or seeing the roof of the house 100 m below the road bus is on. Nepal from bus is something else.

7 years 10 weeks ago
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diverdude1:

@77,,, about like trying a beat-up ol' taxi thru the mountains of Southern Cebu.  I totally thought we were dead.  driver just don't seem to care if Live or Die.  I was out of breath, and literally shaking.  Cebu roads are not meant to be driven on,,,,  haha

7 years 10 weeks ago
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7 years 10 weeks ago
 
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Emperor

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I've done the count a number of times... how many young people do they have to walk past before one of them offers up a seat?? The stats aren't good.

 

I'd like to film it sometime, and post it on Chinese social media sites, to contradict all the 'Chinese are very respectful of their elders' and all that BS!!!

 

And this is in an educated part of a higher tier city!

 

(but, to be fair.... (not sure why..!), there are still many who do give up their seats.... but it still doesn't look good seeing 19 year old girls chatting away, or the 22 year old boy with his face in his phone, determined to ignore others more in need of that seat than they are! Only seems to be once someone starts falling down that the idea hits their head to move...)

RandomGuy:

I like to give my seat then proceed to immediately and intensely stare down at other 'young' passengers around who didn't give theirs with a 'holier than thou' attitude. This will often make them feel extremely uncomfortable, partly because it goes against all their belief that Chinese are morally superior to other races (love their family more, are more caring of others, etc... that kind of bullshit that we all know is false). Makes me feel good about myself too, not just for giving up my seat but looking down on them lower beings.

7 years 10 weeks ago
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Shifu

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Waited for a bus with an elderly Chinese woman and we exchanged pleasant chitchat, the usual questions for a foreigner. We boarded the bus and there were no seats. A teenager of about 17 was playing on his phone and he had his schoolbag sitting next to him taking up a seat. I asked him in Chinese if his bag had a ticket. He said no. I said if his bag didn't have a ticket then it couldn't have a seat. I picked up his bag and dropped it on the floor and offered the seat to the elderly woman. Other passengers seemed impressed. The 17 year old not so much. He glowered at me and I smiled back at him.

7 years 9 weeks ago
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7 years 9 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1072

Shifu

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i had an 'argument' with an old guy, must have been about 120 years old, when i offered him my seat on a crowded bus.

I 'won' when he accepted my seat, and was somewhat embarrassed by his profuse thanks for a couple of blocks.

 

most of the other locals just looked away.

Englteachted:

Usually when I offer my seat , another would jump up to save 'China's face', and they would try their best not to take a seat from a foreign. Racist racist racist

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Last night, a few got up to offer their seats to one older gentleman but there weren't  a lot of standing people even though all the seats were full and I was sitting.  So it gave me a thought, are they more likely to give their seat when they can be seen doing it? Are they more likely to get up to not allow the foreigner hurt China's 'face'? I will start paying attention to this and see what the results are?

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Shifu

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Want to know the real China?  Easiest way, also plain common sense ---- talk / make friends with real Chinese!  

 

Who are the real Chinese? Certainly not those who claim to be Chinese but don't even know how to write authentic Chinese which has been (and still, all over Asia, Europe, USA, Australia ...etc.) in use by Chinese (for more than two thousand years), and live a life without any traditional Chinese festival, nor participate in authentic Chinese religion (Taoism, being wiped out), for more than half a century.  

 

A place with thousands of years of  traditional festivals, religions, written language ALL wiped clean, replaced by a warmongering, ethicless ideology from Laowai-Land, and you still call that group of people real, authentic XYZ?  Heck, this is one of the fastest way to tell everyone your IQ level if you're an adult! 

 

 

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General

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Yes, maybe u r right in some sections. Some rude behavior r not for foreigners also Chinese mainlands.  Many Chinese guys maybe not so kind and polite, but it will get better in future. for me i am polite I thought . another some bad behaviors also happened in America.ie. I want to cross the pavement after the light turn to white, some Americans just across the pavement while red.

Englteachted:

Really, jaywalking?! That's the best you can come up with for bad behaviors with regards to Americans. You're a lazy wumao

6 years 44 weeks ago
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icnif77:

I tell them I am color blind.   In China.

 

Bijie, Guizhou is different. Almost every crossing in DT has lights and two cops-volunteers with flags and whistles.

Was walking with Clinic's manager today and one of the volunteers 'complained' to him about me .....

He told me woman said I always cross on red .... I had to sit-down on the bench 'cause of the laugh ..... 

6 years 44 weeks ago
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ironman510:

Alyssa go home and hire a tutor to teach you English

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Posts: 165

Governor

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I ride the bus and metro every day. My Chinese is terrible. However, whenever I see an elderly or pregnant person or one with a small child needing a seat I simply get the attention of someone, with their head down or earphone in. Then I gesture palm up toward the person deserving of a seat. The person sitting generally looks around and then offers their seat. The irony here is I'm 70, but, I'm in good shape for the shape I'm in, I don't like it if someone offers me a seat because then I feel old looking. Life goes on.

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Answer of the DayMORE >>
A:  "... through ..."?  Only "through" comes to mind is "S
A: "... through ..."?  Only "through" comes to mind is "Shenzhen agent can connect you with an employer, who's authorized to hire waigouren ... and can sponsor Z visa." It's not like every 10th person you meet in Shenzhen's hood can sponsor work visa ...  The only way to change from student to labourer visa is just a regular way by: 1. Finding an employer, who'll apply for an Invitation letter; 2. Exit China and apply for Z visa in your home country's Chinese embassy; 3. Enter China in 30-days after Z visa was stamped into your travelling instrument ...As I am aware, you won't be able to switch to Working permit by remaining in China....,so make ready for a return to your home .... -- icnif77