Beijing - Day 3

Here we go...

China is taking on a new meaning to me. It is a terrible place to govern and it needs a strong and forceful leadership to control so many people of various ethnic backgrounds and classes of people. Structure and status seems to be so important to people and they seem to know where they are in the highly stratified system.

Our guide is about 30, single and believes strongly in the government. I really believe that China does not have aspirations to expand geographically. They are not a warrior nation. The people do not hate the US, or the west. The guide, and that is all that I can use as an example of my opinions, just wants to live her/their life and certainly not hope to have her country turn into a military nation,

Saving face, or status is a big thing. The inequity between the common people and the powerful, be they in government or just in favour at the moment is simply awful. Fancy cars and shops for the ultra rich abound. The contrast between the ordinary and government officials is disgusting. They closed off parts of the Forbidden City yesterday so some visiting big-shot could stroll it in private. Roads are often blocked so some official can just drive at 60 miles and hour. VIP stands for Very Important Pig, according to our guide. Yet she loves and adores Mao.

The people serving the people are very sub-serviant, almost shy and extremely polite. We are Foreigners and are looked upon with curiosity. The common country people, and you can tell them by their behaviour and maybe physical features, will just stand and stare at us as our Chinese guide explains in English some fact.

We are on the go all day. We have very good sleeps when we get to bed, but we are drained. So far the food has not disagreed with us. I am often tempted by some street vendors and their foods they sell but dare not. Our tummies have not built up resistance to such things.

One thing that I don't understand or like is the sharing of a communal food bowl and them taking bits out with their chop sticks and eating it. We ask for forks and I scoop food and put it on my plate. Not too cool, but I feel better. Eating here can be rather messy and not too nice to look at experience. Except in Western Environments.

On the other hand, cleanliness, in some things is taken to extremes. The streets are spotless, yet spitting is common, ugh! Toilets in public are interesting, yet I have seen worse in western countries,

So far I am delighted with the situation, the only thing is the internet but that is my issue. Most people come to China, enjoy the experience and couldn't care less about sharing the experience with folks at home. I am aware of that but choose to share and the price I pay is some frustration. I think it is worth it.

Sent from my iPad