Wo Shi Laowai – Wo Pa Shui

There’s this reporter with the South Korean daily Hankyoreh named Cha Han-phil, and he has a blog. In his blog, he writes about common travel experiences in China. In his words:

“I am not saying people should not go to China. China has already become an inalienable partner to South Korea,” said Cha. “But many South Koreans go to China without knowing much about the country. And they often fall into embarrassing situations, or unwittingly place themselves in disadvantageous situations. I am telling them to know a bit about China before they go there to prevent those unfortunate things happening.”

I’ve read a little of his blog, and he’s absolutely spot on with a lot of it, though in all honesty he lets the bastards off the hook a bit lightly. Fair enough, we all have our viewpoints. His latest post, entitled “Shameless Chinese people”, tells of a train journey from Zhengzhou, the capital of Hebei province, to Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning province. This is part of what he experienced:
– a mother encouraging her toddler to urinate on the floor
– people throwing litter out the window
– men taking their shirts off to cool down
– no one flushing the (squat) toilet after using the restroom
– young couple using the seat covers to shine their shoes before leaving the train
– people spitting food on to the floor
– people shouting into their mobile phones without consideration
– people smoking everywhere without regard for fellow passengers

Cha concluded: “While watching these people, I couldn’t help but think that Chinese people solely pursue their own convenience and interest. They utterly lack public morals.”

Well, like I said, he lets the bastards off lightly. I see all that and more on a daily basis in glittering Shanghai, never mind in the backwoods of Dumbfukistan and Fuckwitistan where he travelled.

Cha Han-phil has received a right royal torrent of abuse for his efforts, too. Apparently, he’s a racist, a narrow-minded nationalist, and a Western Imperialist to boot! That does not, however, make him in the slightest bit incorrect.

This is what I see from time to time in and around Shanghai:
– ‘people’ shitting in the restaurant washbasins in KFC.
– ‘people’ pissing against the wall in 5-star restaurants, because 15 yards is too far to have to walk to the toilet.
– ‘people’ gobbing out the window on to cyclists.
– ‘people’ gobbing on the floor in other people’s homes, hotel rooms, etc.
– ‘people’ dropping cigarette butts on the floor in other people’s homes, hotel rooms, etc.
– ‘people’ throwing up onto the floor of the bus, or out the window, instead of into the sickbag provided (and yes, they are provided. Chinese have very weak stomachs, despite all the delicious food and non-cancerous hot water).
– mothers encouraging their toddlers to urinate on other people, particularly foreign other people.
– ‘people’ wearing pyjamas instead of actual clothes when going to work, to the shops, to the stockmarket. When asked why, they reply “it is traditional’. Being too damned lazy to get dressed is obviously not a factor.

And the list goes on. I’ve seen this stuff, actually seen it with my own eyes. And it’s not an isolated minority, it’s the vast, overwhelming majority. Don’t believe me? Come to China, sit in a taxi at any traffic light, and look around you at the nearest 8 cars. Chances are that every single one will have some monkey with his/her/it’s fingers shoved up the nose to the fourth knuckle, or inserted into another randomly selected orifice.

And this is the place that claims to be more culturally advanced than anywhere else in the Universe? Give me a break! If the hypocrisy were any stronger, it would be given a listing in PHYSPROP.

Actually, I just re-read this post, and I apologise. Cha Han-phil isn’t the only one who lets them off lightly.

So, You Still Dare to Go to China?