Amanda Roberts's Blog, page 9

Guest Post – What To Consider If You’ve Had An Accident In China

Disclaimer: the material presented in the article below should only be considered as a general overview regarding what to know if you get into an accident in China. Should you, or anyone you know, find yourself in this situation, it’s advisable that you should speak to an accident lawyer immediately. The lawyer can help you decide on what are the best legal actions you need to take.

Getting involved in an accident can be scary, especially if you’re in unfamiliar territory. You might be traumatized and afraid of what’s going to happen to you. You may not know how you will deal with the aftermaths of the crash, especially if the laws are new and strange to you. However, if you calm yourself and think wisely, you’ll be safer whether you’re in your home country or currently staying in a foreign country like China. So, in order to familiarize yourself with how to be safe on the road, we will provide you with different Chinese traffic laws and the things to consider if you’ve had an accident in China.

Traffic Laws in China

The fact that most drivers in China ignore the traffic rules should not make you forget that when you get caught, you’ll end up facing severe punishments. These punishments include instantly going to jail without a trial, license suspension, and paying heavy fines. This is why you should be familiar with the different traffic rules and regulations of China.

Drunk Driving There are two types of drunk-driving offenses in China. The first one is “driving while intoxicated,” which classifies people who get caught driving with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08. The second one is when you get caught with a BAC of 0.02 to 0.08, which is classified as “driving after drinking alcohol.”


Always Follow The Speed Limits
Seatbelts If you’re a front- seat passenger, you should fasten your seatbelt, or you’ll face a fine of 50 yuan ($6). And even if you’re not sitting in the front, you should still wear a seatbelt as it can help save your life.


Legal Driving Age China’s legal driving age is 18.


Using Mobile Devices It’s illegal to use your mobile devices such as phone and tablet while driving.

If you’re foreign and not familiar with the Chinese language, it’s advisable that you should avoid driving. Most road signs are bilingual, but signs on some roads are not.

What You Should Know If You’ve Had an Accident in China

If you get involved in an accident in China, make sure to do the following:

You should wait for the police Never leave the scene of the accident and wait for the police to arrive. If you leave the area, you may end up looking guilty, especially if there’s someone injured or property/properties have been damaged.


You should talk to the police You should ensure that you inform the police of your account of the accident. They should interview you when they are making the police report. You should be entirely truthful when the police are questioning you.


You should keep your calm You should never lose your calm if you get involved in an accident. You should never argue with the other person involved in the crash. You may end up making them hostile, which can cause them to be uncooperative during the trial or when dealing with the insurance company.


You should never negotiate You should never negotiate with the other person involved in the accident. Some drivers will tell you that they’re sorry for the crash, but will later deny this when the police arrive. Wait for your lawyer’s advice before taking any action.


You should obtain the other person’s information To ensure that you can contact the other person involved in the accident, you should obtain his/her complete information.

You should never forget to write down:

Information on the other person involved – Name, home address, and phone number


Insurance details of the other person involved – Insurance company, insurance policy number, and name of insurance agent


Details of the other person’s vehicle – Type, make, and license plate of the vehicle

You should also give your information to the other person involved, so he/she can contact you when needed. If you’ve been injured and unable to write these things down, you can ask someone else to do it for you.

You should write down witnesses’ information You should never forget to look for possible witnesses and write down their information.

You should ask for:

Complete information – Names, home addresses, and phone numbers.
Their view of the accident – Ask them what they think happened, and if they’d be willing to give a statement to the police.

An accident can leave anyone, even with the most experienced drivers, disoriented. Things can be quite confusing, especially if you’re in unfamiliar territory. But with the right knowledge on how to correctly deal with the accident, you may be protected from any unnecessary worry. You may be confused right now, but this is not the time to lose your wits. Just remember to stay at the scene of the accident, talk to the police, never argue, never negotiate, and obtain information.

Joanne Reed has been writing about law and business for almost a decade, and is currently writing her next big law project. She is an avid sports fan and loves watching games if she has free time.

The post Guest Post – What To Consider If You’ve Had An Accident In China appeared first on Two Americans in China.

Yes, That CCTV Gala Sketch Was Racist

Like most families in China, we always spend part of our Chinese New Year’s Eve watching the CCTV Gala, one of the most watched annual events in all of television with an annual viewership of about 4 million people. (By contrast, the Superbowl is watched by about 1 million people). This year, though, we had thankfully gone for a walk when this garbage showed up.

While the entire Gala show this year was centered around China’s influence on the various minority groups around the country and on other countries around the world as part of Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative, the Gala directors thought that the best way to celebrate China’s relationship with Africa was to dress up a Chinese woman in blackface (complete with a sexualized Hottentot Venus bottom) and have her accompanied by a monkey, either played by a Black actor or another Chinese actor painted to appear Black. While the Chinese actress has been confirmed as Luo Naiming, no one has come forward to admit to being the monkey.

You can watch the skit in its entirety on Youtube, but the basic summary is that a young Black woman (played by an actual Black woman but I haven’t been able to find her name) asks the Gala’s host, Zheng Kai, to pretend to be her boyfriend to keep her mother from setting her up on a blind date, and he happily plays along. Which, honestly, was a pretty forward-thinking setup. When it comes to interracial relationships in China, Chinese people who date Black foreigners face a lot more pressure and discrimination themselves than if they choose to date white foreigners, who are often welcomed with open arms. But any goodwill or progressive thinking the directors hoped to engender with the skit completely bombed by casting a Chinese actress to play the mother and trotting out her monkey counterpart.

The skit ends after the host’s Chinese wife makes an appearance, ending the farce. But the “Black” mother is not angry for being deceived. She instead proclaims, “I love Chinese people! I love China,” because “China has done so much for Africa.” (I’ll come back to that particular point later.)

To get right to the main point, the skit was racist. Period. I say this because many people will try to defend the skit because blackface is an American phenomenon. While it is true that America has a specifically nasty history with blackface, that doesn’t make blackface acceptable in other countries. It’s wrong, and it’s offensive.

Some people also might say that China and Chinese people aren’t racist at all. After all, racism is a system of oppression, not simply a prejudice or dislike for people of another race, and China doesn’t have many Black people or a history of immigrants. In fact, if you ask any Chinese person if they are racist, they will vehemently tell you no. And China does have a particular fondness for many aspects of Black culture. Black sports stars and hip-hop music enjoy a popularity here you would be hard-pressed to find in any other country outside of America. But if you then ask them specifically their thoughts about Black people, most will respond with the typical derogatory words and statements that have been used to harm and insult Black people for centuries. An op-ed published last year gave voice to many of China’s irrational fears of Black people, Black men especially. And Black people do suffer from systemic oppression here. Many Black people – whether they are from Africa or a Western country – have difficulty getting jobs, work visas, or even crossing the border into China. They are often denied housing. And, as mentioned earlier, it is difficult for them to form relationships with locals.

I also want to add that China’s racism is not limited to Black persons. Many of the same derogatory words are often used to describe China’s minority ethnic groups. And the Chinese government is systematically attempting to wipe out the Tibetan and Uyghur peoples through oppressive policies.

Within hours, the skit and reactions to it were all over Wechat and Twitter. Most people recognized the skit for the racist failure it was. So within hours, the Chinese government was trying to cover its tracks and explain why it wasn’t racist. An op-ed in the Global Times spends several paragraphs explaining how the skit wasn’t racist because “Chinese people love monkey.” The article also went on to talk about how reverential the other animals were as well. This is a bit of a sidetrack, but I just want to point out how stupid this guy’s attempt at an argument is. In the Broadway version of The Lion King – which I’ve seen, and is fantastic – almost all of the characters, including the baboon Rafiki, are played by Black actors. Rafiki has also always been voiced by a Black actor. It is the context that matters. And in the context of a monkey accompanying a Chinese woman in blackface, the monkey character was also racist.

Over the last few days, China has grown even more desperate in its attempt to buck blame for the embarrassing skit. China’s foreign minister said that the cries of racism were an attempt by Western media to undermine China’s relationship with Africa. I really don’t think my blog is that influential, but maybe I have more readers than I realized

Guest Post: Steps to Plan a Backpacking Trip To China

Traveling is one of the best gifts you can give to yourself and your loved ones. If you are planning to travel alone or with family or friends, China can be a great place. However, you must keep in mind that China is a big country and that you can make the most of your trip only if you plan it well.

Here is the step by step guide to planning an amazing backpacking trip to China:

STEP 1: DECIDE ON THE NUMBER OF DAYS

As a first step, it is important that you decide on the number of days that you want to spend in China. It will help you plan a comprehensive itinerary. There is a lot to see in China. From exploring the big city life in Beijing and Shanghai to the nature’s beauty in Jiuzhaigou. There are some historic sites in Chengdu, the Huashan mountains and much more. There is so much to explore in China but it would depend on the number of days you can spend there. You must plan your itinerary in a way that you get at least 2-3 days in each place so that you can experience the place in a better way.

STEP 2: GET ALL THE BACKPACKING ESSENTIALS FOR CHINA

When traveling to China as a backpacker, you need to carry a bunch of essentials apart from your passport and a valid visa. A travel guide can come handy for China so you get the entire insider’s knowledge. It is commonly known that China is amongst the most tech savvy countries so a good smartphone to download some useful Chinese Apps can be a life saver. Moreover, you should have a water bottle, a Tupperware to carry food and a kindle because you are likely to have some long bus rides. These will keep you energized and help you kill time during the rides. You must also have a rain jacket because it can rain almost any time in China.

STEP 3: NARROW DOWN ON ALL THE PLACES TO VISIT

If you are planning a 7-15 day backpacking trip to China, you need to make the most of it and see some of the unique attractions in China. You can start with Beijing and explore the street food and local market. You can also go to the Great Wall of China and visit some other major attractions there. From there, Xidan is just an overnight train away where you can do to the Terracotta Warriors and also explore the amazing street food. Huashan Mountain and Chengdu can be your next stop followed by Jiuzhaigou where you can visit the National Park and the Tibetan plateau. You can end this trip by spending your last 2-3 days in Shanghai to explore the city. Make sure you have enough time to relax during the trip. You can skip a few places if you feel it is becoming to hectic. Flexibility is important while you travel.

STEP 4: GOOD TIME TO TRAVEL TO CHINA

Fall is the best time to travel to China if you don’t want to experience the extreme weather. September to October is usually the time when fall occurs so you can plan your trip around that time.

STEP 5: RELAX AND ENJOY!

The most important point to remember when you travel is that you are traveling to enjoy and release your stress. Therefore, you must not make your itinerary too stressful and be open towards making changes in the plans. If you miss out on seeing a few places in this trip, you can always come back again. But if you try to see cover every place and run around from place to place, you will end up being tired and won’t enjoy your backpacking trip as much.

Just follow these steps and have a great backpacking trip to China!

Yogi and Suchna believe in taking the road less traveled and stumbling upon some hidden gems along the way! For over a decade, they’ve mapped their way across various continents, sniffed out unusual routes, discovered new flavors and stayed at quirky hostels. TheBackpackerCo is their expression of soul travel. You can catch up with them at TheBackpackerCo – The Backpacking Europe Trip Experts.

The post Guest Post: Steps to Plan a Backpacking Trip To China appeared first on Two Americans in China.

Guest Post – Top 3 Holiday Destinations to Visit in China with Kids

Families have so many choices when it comes to destinations for their vacations.  They can choose to travel to the Caribbean, Paris, or take one of the amazing Halong Bay Tours.  However, some families will decide that they want to visit China, a country so massive and diverse, yet filled with a plethora of activities that will keep them engaged and yearning for more.

Here are 3 holiday destinations to visit in China with kids:

Beijing

Beijing is the most popular tourist destination in China, which shouldn’t be a surprise since there are multiple historical attractions located there.  Families can begin their day at the Forbidden City, which is a palace complex that was the former seat of the Imperial Chinese Dragon Throne.  The Palace Museum is now inside the building and currently there are more than a million rare and valuable works of art within the permanent collection.  A tour of the Forbidden City is a must while in Beijing as it shares the true history of the country.  Everyone will enter through The Gate of Heavenly Peace, or Tian’anmen, and then walk across the square towards the main entrance of the palace.  The outer court is comprised of three buildings and side gardens, while the inner court has three main structures, six eastern palaces, six western palaces, the Imperial Garden, and The Mental Cultivation Hall.

The Summer Palace is an Imperial Garden that entire families will enjoy seeing while they are visiting Beijing.  This beautiful and stunning masterpiece was first built in 1750, however, it was destroyed by the war in 1860.  The original foundation was used to completely restore everything back to its original glory in 1886 and people can still walk around the grounds today enjoying the spectacular views while contemplating any of their spiritual thoughts.  The hills, lakes, and the islands are all natural items within the gardens, but the pavilions, palaces, temples, halls, and bridges have all been built to add to the ambiance of the area.

Children need to be able to move freely throughout the day, and that is why stops at places like The Great Wall of China are so important.  The Great Wall of China was built from east to west along the northern borders of the country, so that nomadic groups could not invade or attack.  Various walls were built over the years and the one that is still in existence today is from the Ming Dynasty.  Beijing is the best place to see this wall, as that portion has been well maintained.  Families will enjoy walking along the wall and may even want to take a snack along with them for the hike.

Chengdu

The one fabulous thing that can be found in Chengdu that every family member will love is giant pandas.  The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding allows people to visit and interact with the giant pandas.  Children of all ages will love touching and feeding the pandas, and no one will be able to resist having their photo taken with these cute adorable furry creatures!

One of the tricky parts of traveling to destinations unknown is the food.  Sometimes picky eaters will be a little leery of trying new things, but in Chengdu, everyone will be ready to eat the Chinese baozi.  Chinese baozi, which are also known as sweet dumplings in Chengdu, are buns that are filled with meat or vegetables and then steamed, or pan fried.  In Chengdu, they fill the buns with pork mixed with ginger sauce and chicken stock, which accounts for their sweetness.

There are many other activities that children will love in Chengdu including Jin Li Street with the peddler markets, teahouses, temples, and bridges that cross over the river.  At the market, families will find Tibetan clothing, cultural artifacts, and even live frogs for sale.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is filled with numerous outdoor destinations including parks, nature reserves, and of course, the infamous Victoria Peak.  This mountain is more affectionally known as The Peak and it is 1,811 feet high.  That makes it the highest mountain in Hong Kong, but unfortunately, no one from the public can climb up to the summit.  However, everyone is welcome to venture through the surrounding public parks that have the same name.  Those areas can be reached via the Peak Tram that opened in 1888, and families will be amazed at the breathtaking panoramic views that they see during their ride.  They will be able to spend time at The Peak Tower and The Peak Galleria, where they can stand on the observation deck or go shopping at the retail outlets.  The Peak Circle Walk offers even more views as well as a way for children to work off some of their energy.

Families will find plenty to do in Causeway Bay, and while they can walk the streets, they may want to consider hopping onto the Ding Dong for a little ride.  A seat on the upper deck will allow everyone to enjoy the views and see where everything is, despite the fact that it won’t get anyone where they need to be any faster than walking would.

The Tin Hau Temple can be found easily as it stands out amongst all the skyscrapers in the area.  It was built more than one hundred and fifty years ago and it is still a full functioning temple today.  It has a nice garden that families can enter for some quiet in the middle of the day.

If the children are getting a little restless, then it is time to take them to Victoria Park for a little time to unwind.  They can take a lap on the jogging trail, eat a snack, or even take a little nap next to the fountain.

Older children always love to go shopping, and Causeway Bay has massive shopping malls, local stores, high-end fashion designers, and affordable clothing brands.  There are even stores selling electronics and household items, so there is going to be an item on everyone’s list.

These three destinations in China are perfect for family holidays as there is quite a bit to do and see in the areas.  The children will have fun while exploring and working off their energy, and the parents will enjoy learning about the history and culture of this fascinating country.  There are not too many places where both parents and kids will enjoy their holidays, but China and these cities seem to make this a possibility.

The post Guest Post – Top 3 Holiday Destinations to Visit in China with Kids appeared first on Two Americans in China.

Guest Post – Why Every Traveler Needs To Invest In A Passport

If you are on a fairly tight budget, paying for a passport might seem like an unnecessary expense. Statistics show that less than half of the US population holds a passport, for example. If you love to travel, don’t let the expense of getting your passport for the first time, or renewing it, hold you back. Here are seven reasons why you should invest in a passport today.

It Costs Pennies A Day

Buying a passport for the first time will cost you 110 dollars for the booklet itself, and 25 dollars for an execution fee. Does $135 seem like a lot to you? Think about it this way. If you buy your passport when you are 16 years old or older, your passport will be good for ten years. When we do the math, we see that this comes out to just under four pennies a day (3.6 pennies, to be exact!) Doesn’t that seem more affordable?

See New Places

If you want to travel abroad, you must have a passport to gain entry to foreign countries. Without a passport, you have very limited travel options. Though you may think that you enjoy traveling around the country that you live in more than you would like to travel abroad, consider the fact that without trying it, you’ll never know. A recent study found that one in five Americans traveled abroad over the course of a year, while many Americans traveled domestically. In fact, America dominated the domestic travel charts, and the average American took seven to eight trips per year.

When you have a passport, you can get out of your comfort zone. Expand your horizons and try something new. You might find that you love traveling abroad. You might learn about a new culture, language, and way of being. If you never leave the country that you were born in, you won’t have those experiences.

Say Yes To Chance Opportunities

You might be putting off purchasing a passport because you think that you don’t have any international travel planned for the foreseeable future. Even if you don’t have a trip planned, you never know what might happen. The future is unpredictable. Money might be a factor that is holding you back from planning a trip to a foreign country, but that doesn’t mean that the trip won’t happen. For example, you might get a new job that includes the opportunity for paid travel. You may also win a vacation or get invited on a paid trip by a friend. When you have your passport ready, you will be able to say an enthusiastic ‘yes!’

Don’t Pay Extra Fees

If you wait until the opportunity presents itself, and then need your passport right away, you will have to pay extra fees to have the process expedited. If you get your passport now, you won’t have to worry about paying extra money and biting your nails while you wait for the passport to be delivered in time for your departure date.

Feel Limitless

In our modern age, it is easier than ever to hop on a plane and get off in an exotic location. The internet connects people from different parts of the globe and gives people the opportunity to invite one another for a visit. Innovative startup companies have figured out that people want to experience new places, but don’t necessarily want to pay big fees for accommodations. These startups have found ways to allow individuals to rent out private residences and house swap. These new opportunities are making international travel accessible to more people. It is no longer a luxury, but a reality that many middle-class people can achieve. With a passport, you have the understanding that if you want to travel, you can. In that way, you feel limitless. You are free to investigate the new and exciting modes of travel that appear in your life. Explore house swapping, Airbnb (https://www.airbnb.com/), and home-stay options with the knowledge that if you find the right situation, you can capitalize on it.

Have A Back-Up Form Of Identification

A very practical reason to invest in a passport is the fact that it can serve you as a backup form of identification, should you lose your driver license. Losing your drivers license can be a difficult and time-consuming situation to move through, but if you have a passport on hand you can speed up the process.

Prove Your Identity

Sometimes, organizations that you are working with require two forms of identification. It is helpful to have a passport because it can easily become a second form of photo ID, in addition to your driver’s license. Whether you are applying for a new job, a post office box, a new apartment, or a loan from the bank, the passport will likely come in handy.

Before reading this, did you think that you were doing just fine without a passport? How do you feel now that you know how a passport will affect your life? You can invest in a passport for under four cents a day. It will give you the freedom to say ‘yes’ to exciting opportunities, see new and interesting places, and explore unique travel situations. It will also give you some logistical benefits, like replacing a lost or stolen license, and proving your identity to an employer or bank.

Saleh Stevens has expertise in the fields of technology and travel. His skills are notable and include cryptocurrency, strategizing, blockchain, coding and investing. He makes improvements with blockchain technology in cases where the same programming has become stagnant from overuse. Saleh Stevens also considers travel as one of his favorite hobbies.

The post Guest Post – Why Every Traveler Needs To Invest In A Passport appeared first on Two Americans in China.

Guest Post – Legal Considerations If You’ve Had A Hit and Run While Traveling In China

Legal Considerations If You’ve Had A Hit and Run While Traveling In China

Disclaimer: The contents of this article should not be taken as legal advice and should only be used as a resource to provide information about legal considerations if you’ve had a hit and run while traveling in China. You should always seek for the services of a lawyer specializing in hit and run cases to give you a more in-depth view of this matter.

You’ve been wanting to travel to China for the longest time now, and when your friend invited you to come with her on her China escapade, you happily obliged. There’s so much about China that’s you’re interested in learning about – the culture, the cuisine and of course, the people. And when you finally got to China, you took the time to get out in the streets because this is the best way you can experience China. You loved how different street foods are paraded all over the streets and how the people are very welcoming to tourists like you. However, when you were busy looking into locally-made items on the street, a mad driver hit you and ran off. The driver didn’t even bother to check how were you doing and immediately fled the scene. Because of the injuries you’ve incurred during the hit and run, you’ve decided to take legal action.

Since China is a place you’re not accustomed to, you should be careful on what legal actions you’ll take if you’ve been involved in a hit and run accident. You want to ensure that what you’re doing will benefit you, and not harm you in any way. If you still don’t have any idea on what you should do after what happened, here are some legal considerations if you’ve had a hit and run while traveling in China:

Remain at the scene of the crash

Although it can be tempting to walk out from the scene to save yourself from the crowd of people, don’t. It’s important that you’ll stay at the scene for important reasons. For one, you need to wait for the police to arrive and inform them of what had transpired during the hit and run accident.

Call for medical help right away

You should call for medical help right away, no matter how severe or little your injuries are. Never self-diagnose what you’re feeling because chances are, your injuries can worsen by the minute. Once you regain your consciousness from the accident, call 911 immediately.

Gather as much information

Your hit and run will be easier once you have information about the driver involved. This can be details about the car’s make and model or the plate number. Whatever information you can recall from the accident – if you had the chance to glance what the driver looked like – inform the police about it right away. Don’t let a day pass without doing anything about the accident as your memory might not be as clear. Try to recall all of the information you can from the accident and let the police know about all of this.

Call the police

Inform the police of what happened and relay to the information you have regarding the driver of the vehicle who hit you. In this way, you’ll be able to help the police to identify the person responsible for the accident. File a police report and make sure you have copies of the documents.

Talk to any witnesses

The accident happened on a busy street so most likely, some bystanders were able to witness the hit and run. If you can determine who was present when the accident happened, talk to them and have them cooperate with you. But do so in a calm manner. Never be aggressive towards your witnesses because you might lose the chance of having them work with your case. You want these people to provide evidence proving you’re the victim of the accident and not reverse the story. If they agree to work with you, get their contact numbers and full names as witnesses are crucial in lawsuits like these.

Call your insurance company

Report what happened to your insurance company and relay to them the steps you’ve taken after the accident. Let them know of all the information you have and assure them that you were able to file a police report already. The more information you have about the accident, the better. You want to be covered by your insurance, and that’ll only happen if you were able to present enough evidence.

Work with an experienced attorney

When you’re involved in an accident, you should be careful about what you say or do. For instance, being apologetic when you report the accident to the police might mean that you’re taking responsibility for what happened. Instead of having the driver pay for the damages he/she caused, you might end up with nothing and will actually have pay for everything yourself – and if you’re the victim, you don’t want that to happen. Look for experienced attorneys who were able to handle hit and run cases in the past. Inform them about your situation and what legal actions you’ve taken. Working with professionals, in this case, will give you better leverage while ensuring that you’re practicing your rights.

Your main reason for traveling in China is to enjoy the trip, and not get harmed in any way. And no matter how careful you are in what you do, accidents which are beyond your control will happen. China and the country you’re permanently residing in, have different state laws, and you should take the time to get to know the differences between the two. You want to ensure that you’re getting the most compensation from a hit and run accident because you’re the victim, right? And you can do that by considering what legal options you might have in China.

Vicki Haskett is a law writing enthusiast who’s had over 25 years of experience in her field. She enjoys sharing her experiences with those who want to learn more about the legal world. In her spare time, she spends quality time with her family and friends.

The post Guest Post – Legal Considerations If You’ve Had A Hit and Run While Traveling In China appeared first on Two Americans in China.

Guest Post: 9 Things Foreign Travelers Can Learn from China

Like it or not, as foreign travelers to 3rd-world countries, we have a tendency to look down upon the customs and cultures we’re visiting. “We’re a more advanced society” we unknowingly think to ourselves, a mindset that often keeps us from seeing everything we can learn while traveling abroad.

As an expat who has spent over a decade living and traveling around China, my eyes have slowly been opened to the ways in which certain Chinese customs or ways of doing things are, in fact, better than my American way.

It’s easy to bash China and find all the things that annoy us. For a moment, I want to step back to think through the lessons I’ve learned from China and hopefully give you an opportunity to reflect on your own experiences.

#1 Dessert isn’t Part of Every Meal

When I first arrived in China, I was surprised to learn that most restaurants don’t even carry a dessert menu! The only dessert-like menu item was a plate a fruit to end your meal.

This is a huge departure from my American upbringing, where desert was and still is a common tactic used by parents to encourage finishing my meal (“Eat all your broccoli and you’ll get dessert!”).

It’s easier for me to stay healthy while living in China, in part because I do more walking but also for reasons such as this: desserts are no longer an everyday part of my meal plan.

Thank you, China.

#2 Neither are Refillable Drinks

During my travels around China, I have not come across a single restaurant that offers refillable soft drinks or coffee. In fact, most restaurants I visit offer no other beverage options besides hot tea!

I have a friend who is a waiter back in the U.S. and he tells me of people who come in and drink 5 full glasses of Coke during a meal. Do you know how much sugar that is!?

Meanwhile, my biggest problem here in China is that I’m being served hot tea in the middle of the sweltering summer (because, you know, it’s “healthier”). Is it frustrating at times? Of course. But hey, I’m healthier and I don’t spend as much money on a meal.

#3 Personal Debt is not a Universal Concept

Did you know that according to my own guide to taking a train in China!). In most cases, if it’s a choice between a train or an airplane – even if the travel time is longer – I’m often inclined to take the train.

#7 Squatty Potties are AMAZING

I find it quite humorous just how difficult it is for foreign travelers to use a squatty toilet. Many of us have a hard time squatting or are turned off by the generally bad smell of China toilets.

The frustration of it all makes it easy to overlook one of the biggest benefits of using a squatty toilet: your butt never shares a seat with anybody else’s butt.

Think about that for a moment. The way we do toilets in the west is nasty. I’m appalled that anybody in their right mind uses a public toilet at Wal-Mart!

Squatting may not be comfortable for us westerners, but in many ways its a cleaner way to take care of business.

#8 Being Old Doesn’t Mean Being Frail

When I get old, I want to be a Chinese old person. They are WAY cooler than the average old person in the U.S.

Don’t get me wrong: every country has elderly people who walk with a cane or who battle with chronic illnesses. We all have healthy elderly and unhealthy elderly.

But China just seems…different.

I remember the first time I went to a public park in China and saw a group of Chinese elderly using the exercise equipment. My jaw dropped to the ground.

I’ve seen elderly here in China who are more flexible and more daring than I am. My favorite was a gentleman who was swinging full 360 like an Olympic gymnast on a high bar. He was 65.

Like I said, I want to be a Chinese old person.

#9 Being a Truly Defensive Driver

I used to think that Chinese drivers were crazy.

Well…actually, I still think they’re a bit crazy. But I have to give them credit: they are some of the best defensive drivers in the world.

I remember when I got my first traffic ticket in the U.S. The best way to get the record expunged was to take a defensive driving class. The class was a joke. If you really want a lesson in defensive driving, go to China.

Insane as they are, Chinese drivers are constantly aware of what drivers all around them are doing. There is no expectation of “personal space” so they all drive around expecting other cars to cut them off or veer into their lane.

I am convinced that I am a much better driver thanks to my experience driving around in China.

Conclusion – Learning from China

As I said earlier, it’s incredibly easy to be a bitter expat who complains about every aspect of life in China. I’m quick to admit that there are plenty of things that annoy me about China, but one of the best ways I’ve found to combat this mindset is to reflect on the things that China has taught me.

I’m healthier, I have a better financial situation and I’m a better driver all thanks to my time living in China.

Do you have any other big lessons you’ve learned as you reflect on your time in China? I’d love to hear them in the comments below!

Author Bio: Josh is a travel writer and expat entrepreneur who has been living in China since 2006. In addition to writing about his China experience on his Two Americans in China.

Chatting With A Fortune Teller In Hong Kong

I recently went to Hong Kong by myself for a few days (for the Hong Kong Literary Festival) and had some extra time on my hands, so I got to play the tourist a bit, something I haven’t done in years even though I lived only half an hour from the city for three years and went there every two or three months. I decided to head down to one of the city’s famous night markets: Temple Street in Jordan.

I was planning on buying a few things while there, but I was sadly disappointed, not seeing anything I actually liked. The weather was perfect and the street was almost devoid of tourists, so I was able to walk the whole thing in about half an hour. When I got to the end of the street, I noticed there were vendors across the road, so I kept walking. And I kept walking. I passed by several pop-up tents selling adult items and finally came to a small alley with red tents featuring divination symbols.

I had heard that you could find fortune tellers in Hong Kong, but I had never seen them or really looked into it before. The last time I was in the States, Zoe and I went to see a fortune teller and enjoyed the experience, so I thought I would give Chinese mysticism a try, see if they would tell me anything different here.

I was a little nervous walking through. How would I choose a fortune teller? What was a good price? Would I even find one that spoke English? I was pleasantly surprised to see that many of the fortune tellers had signs declaring that they spoke English. Still, I wasn’t sure how to choose one. Several of the tents had lines of people, so I figured they must have a good reputation, but I didn’t want to wait too long or I would lose my nerve and run away. I decided that if any of the fortune tellers called out to me, I would talk to them. Must be fate, right?

Almost immediately after I decided that, a lady in a purple tent called to me. Purple is one of my favorite colors, so she must be who I was supposed to speak to.

I sat down and she said she could tell my fortune for only 300 Hong Kong dollars (about 31 USD). Seemed like a fair deal since I hadn’t touched my spending budget for the night.

She told me to give her my left hand first because that was the past. She was surprisingly accurate about several things, including my health and love life. Sorry, I’m not going to give you the details of what she said

Guest Post – The Biggest Fears You Must Overcome to Enjoy China

China is, without a doubt, a beautiful and fascinating country. Old habits and customs seem to be intertwined with modern skyscrapers that seem to pop up every minute. While traveling to China was one of my lifelong dreams, there’s nothing in this world, including all the facts available online, that could’ve prepared me for the experience. Some of their traditions I’ve read about online, but some of them have definitely caught me off-guard at times and there were moments and situations where my jaw simply fell to the floor from the sheer amount of shock I experienced.

1.    Counting to ten using one hand

Chinese is one of the most difficult languages to master. There are thousands of different characters, most of which look almost identical to me. The language itself is tonal and unless you’re careful, your intonation can completely change the word you’re trying to say. I know very little Chinese and to make matters worse, very few Chinese people actually speak English. You might think to yourself “but it’s ok, I can probably use my hands to explain what I’m trying to say.”

You, my friend, have no idea how wrong you are. The difference in languages also extends to body language and gestures and the Chinese rely on a single hand to count to ten. Like that isn’t enough, you can also gesticulate larger numbers, like a hundred or a thousand.

2.    Squatters and Kaidangku

From my personal experience, I’ve noticed that the majority of bathrooms in China only offer squatting toilets or a cut in the tiles resembling a squatter. Most stall partitions are knee-high and I’ve seen stall-doors exactly two times. While we’re on the subject of bathrooms, most Chinese babies don’t wear diapers. In fact, what they wear is called “kaidangku”, which literally translates to open-crotch pants. I cannot describe how many times I’ve seen parents unzip their children’s crotch-zipper and let them urinate and defecate near a sidewalk.

3.    Carrying cash everywhere

I have read numerous stories online on how it’s a bad idea to rely on credit cards while traveling through China. In all honesty, I’ve only witnessed maybe a couple of stores that accept credit cards. Fortunately, this is not my first time traveling to countries that don’t readily accept credit cards and I’ve prepared financially by taking out a few personal loans. They’ve helped me pay off some of the more expensive travels which you would normally put on your credit card. But the thing is, online loans don’t butcher people with abnormally high interest rates and they can easily be paid off in monthly rates.

4.    “Poor” manners

What we westerners consider to be poor manners seem to be completely fine in China. Chewing with your mouth open, speaking with your mouth full, slurping loudly and last but not least, spitting everywhere. And I don’t mean the “sorry I have a cold, I honestly have to spit this gunk in a tissue” kind of spitting. People would be standing right next to you spit a slimeball mere inches from your feet.

Don’t get me wrong, traveling to China was one of the best and most memorable experiences of my life and I wouldn’t change it for the world. But the difference in culture is more than evident and unless you learn to adapt and overcome your fears and prejudices, you’ll hardly get the chance to truly experience all the wonders China has to offer. Most of it is truly wonderful, the people are friendly and welcoming and the food is absolutely amazing, once you get over the fact that they also eat insects. On a stick. Covered in chocolate.

Lauren Wiseman is marketing specialist, writer and entrepreneur, currently based in Melbourne. She helps clients grow their personal and professional brands in fast-changing and demanding market environment. Covering finance and investment topics, Lauren strongly believes in a holistic approach to business.

The post Guest Post – The Biggest Fears You Must Overcome to Enjoy China appeared first on Two Americans in China.

Guest Post – Guide to Fenghuang On A Budget

How much does a trip to Fenghuang cost? How to travel to Phoenix Ancient Town in the most economical way? Those may be the popular questions if you are planning for the journey to Fenghuang Town. In the following article, I will share with you some experiences to help you make this dream come true only with a limited budget. In my opinion, this trip is the most suitable for those who are between the ages of 18 to 26.

General information about Fenghuang

Fenghuang, or Phoenix, is the name of an ancient town in China (more than 1300 years old). It is located in Fenghuang district which is a county of Hunan Province under the administration of Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture. It is nearly 300km from Phoenix Ancient Town to Zhangjiajie city which is also a famous tourist destination in China. To come to Fenghuang Ancient Town, you have to go through Zhangjiajie first, therefore you can combine traveling to Zhangjiajie with the trip to Fenghuang.

The landscape of this wonderland is seemly taken from the historical dramas. There is a diversity of population structure because it is the residence of ethnic minorities, most of which are Miao, Han, and Tzu Gia groups. Fenghuang is also the economic, social and political center of the region. Next to the Da Giang River, the ancient town still retains many ancient citadels, streets, houses, manors, temples, and pagodas. Its age has made Phoenix Ancient Town become one of the living museums of ethnic cultures: 1300 years.

At night, the town seems to be more sparkling, more beautiful than the day. The lights from ancient bungalows down to the surface of the river create a fanciful and ancient scene for the town.

In general, the weather in here is quite comfortable and the best time to visit Phoenix Ancient Town is the spring. Based on my experience, you should avoid coming here in any Chinese national holiday, especially in the Independence Day of China, because on these occasions, Fenghuang will be more crowded.

To ensure the plan of working and studying, you can visit here in summer or any long holiday of the year because Fenghuang is beautiful all year round, not necessarily to go in the spring. In addition, you should go in a group to reduce travel expenses.

How to come to Fenghuang Ancient Town the most economical way

There are 3 ways going to Fenghuang as follow:

By plane

You will move from your location to Guangzhou and then from

Guangzhou to Zhangjiajie. After that, you catch the bus from Zhangjiajie to Phoenix Ancient Town (it is obliged because no other choice is available).

The airfares for these routes are quite expensive so you can refer 2 other ways to save the cost: by train and by bus.

By train

In Pingxiang, you do immigration procedures. When filling in the declaration form, in the part of Intended Address in China, you write “Nanning” to complete. After that, you buy the train ticket from Nanning to Jishou train station in Zhangjiajie. It takes nearly 15 hours. The train departs at 17:50 in Nanning and arrives at Zhangjiajie at 8:20 of the next day. You can book the train ticket in advance on travelchinaguide.com.

Finally, you move more than 50km more by bus to come to Phoenix Ancient Town.

By bus

At Youyi Guan international border gate, you have to pay about 0.5$ for the electric car and it will take you to the place of entry procedures.

As same as going by plane, they will give you a declaration of entry. The declaration is available at the table near the counter. You just take the pen and open the passport to copy information only. After that, you can walk or go by electric car (0,9$) to the bus station.

The bus from the border gate to Nanning train station departs at 12:30 and arrives at 16:00.

You can choose between the 2 following types depended on your budget and the number of people in your group:

12-seat car: 17$/person or 68$ (renting the whole car).
Bus from Zhangjiajie (Jishou train station) -5 buses per day: It takes 3.5 hours and the ticket price is about 12$/person.

From the bus station of Phoenix Ancient Town to the center, you can move by taxi at the price of 3$.

Suggested summary schedule in 5 days

The 5-day trip is reasonable for you to visit Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang Ancient Town, including 2 days of moving, as follow:

Day 1: Nanning – Zhangjiajie
Day 2: Visit Tianmen Shan (200m from Zhangjiajie). In here, there is a famous glass road.
Day 3: Take the train from Zhangjiajie to Phoenix Ancient Town.
Day 4: Discover Fenghuang where there are a lot of beautiful landscapes to visit.
Day 5: Phoenix Ancient Town – Jishou – Nanning.  

 

Notes when traveling to Fenghuang

For the Chinese visa, you should apply 15 days before your trip.
Money: you should prepare about 2500-3000 yuan during the journey ($350-$450). In Fenghuang Town, ATM (automated teller machine) is not popular and the credit card is not accepted when you buy food or drink.
If going by train, you should prepare some snacks and water.
English is useless in here, so you should study some common Chinese sentences or buy a SIM card in the gas station or the airport to use Google translation tool. A SIM card costs about $7.5. Another way which may be helpful for you is setting up Pleco application (an online Chinese dictionary) on your phone.
Bring your coat or a thin blanket because at any time of the year, the weather in Fenghuang is bitter cold.
Spend at least 2-3 days to explore this ancient town. In the evening, along 2 river banks, there are many bars, coffee shops, and restaurants at the affordable prices.
Download Astrill to access Facebook and Viber because China blocks the international network.
Do not be ashamed when bargaining and you will definitely get a discount.
The food here is very delicious and cheap but also quite spicy. If you cannot eat the spicy dishes, tell the cook before he or she prepares the food for you.
The landscape here is incredibly wonderful, so you will take a lot of photos as well as shoot many videos. Therefore, remember to bring a rechargeable battery to not miss any beautiful moments.
In Phoenix Ancient Town, there are many hotels available. You can book in advance or find yourself a good place to stay after arriving. The room price is about 15$/day/twin room (not included meals).

I hope that the above information will be helpful for you. Have a nice trip!

My name is Jim, writer at Asia Marvels . I love traveling around Asia and share my stories & travel guidelines to my readers. I want people from all over the world to see the beauty of the landscape, people and culture of Asia.

 

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