Beijing was our first stop and looking back, taught us the most about China. This was mainly because of our guide. She ran a narrative the entire time we were with her. For instance, at Tienneman Square she informed us the Chinese people are forbidden to talk about what happened there and she does not know herself. She wasn't asking us for information, just stating she didn't know and couldn't find out. The image of that tank rolling over an unarmed person standing in silent protest was one of my earliest images of China and remains a vivid picture of our deep need for freedom and the ability to find Truth. She also spoke of Hong Kong and Taiwan along Community Party lines and I realized (I don't know why I was suprised) this was all she'd ever heard. She had no idea this was a point of contention with the Western world or that those rooms held for them in the builing behind us would remain empty if the said inhabitants had their way. None from our group told her anything different; there was no opening, no desire to know.
This is one of the stadiums being built for the 2008 Olympics. She told us there were three things the Olympic Committee wanted Beijing to address: 1) the pollution, 2) the traffic, and 3) supplying enough English translators. We found the way these were being addressed very interesting. Several companies who produce the most pollution were relocated to different parts of China, with the government footing the bill. I cannot imagine the cost of this, and wonder what the same money applied to green technology would have done. But they just moved the problem. Greenery was then brought in. Everywhere were new trees and shrubs, freshly planted. Our guide told us the Beijing people were most excited about this as their city was much more beautiful now. Lastly, the government began counting the "blue skies." Everyday that some patch of blue sky was visable, it was a blue sky day. Indeed, we saw some! Our guide hadn't seen any before these changes were made, it was always grey. Still, it was notibly polluted to us and several of us experienced sore throats while we were there from the pollution. #2 Traffic. A new mass transit system is being installed at great cost. But our guide is 100% confident the Beijing people will not use it after the Olympics. She said they would not want to be crowded together when they could drive. Also, she said the government will just tell the people to drive on X days if they had an even tag and on Y days if an odd tag. She thought the Chinese were very clever and could come up with out of the Western box solutions. And even though she'd told us in numerous ways that the Chinese people consider laws to be suggestions and are really in it for themselves, she told us here that they would put country above themselves. #3 English translators: she thought this bizarre since every student is taught English and they have billions of people. The taxi drivers are having mandatory English lessons to keep their licenses, but she says they are quite resentful of this.And three other tidbits: 1) She believes the USA will not permit Chinese people entry as tourists! She thinks this a grave economic mistake on the part of America, since they have money to spend. No one told her that it is China who limits this, not the US! 2) She counts it odd the Americans believe in God (the majority of the Americans she interacts with are adopting and are Christian). She said her parents' generation worshipped Buddha, but only when she had a test they wanted her to pass. Now, our group thought that sounded like a lot of nominal Christians in the US, so we have that in common! But she said her generation (she is 25) does not rely on a god, they rely on themselves. For me, this explained a lot of the little cultural differences I'd been experiencing: the Chinese do not form lines, it's cut and shove and every man for himself; the distain for the disabled; the incredulous looks and questions at why we'd want more than one child (they cost $ to raise) or why we'd take one who had a disability. But she also said that after being around us "crazy Americans" for two years she'd decided to have a child. Before she didn't want to because she likes her $ too much. Now she thinks she will since her mother-in-law would help care for him/her. But she and her husband are dragon and tiger. This year's pig wouldn't be a good match, maybe next year.
