Our last day in China was actually very short and consisted mostly of getting on our flight home. However, I will use my “one post per day” policy to share some insights and tips.
The subways are surprisingly organized. I was warned about the congestion, the lack of personal space and the disregard for lines, but it turns out that a few markings on the floor, showing passengers exactly where to stand before boarding the train can make a difference.
The stares that you get as a white person travelling in China can make you feel uncomfortable. It helps to travel with someone who speaks the language and can tell you what they’re saying about you behind your back. We were on the subway one day when a group of construction workers boarded. They just stood there and looked at me. And at Julia (“because I’m with a Chinese woman traveling with a white man, they probably think I’m a whore”). I was already prepared, so I yelled “ni kan sheng ma?” (Chinese: what are you looking at?!), but that only made them laugh. They said that my pronounciation wasn’t terrible and asked me where I was from, a question which I can actually answer (“Wo shi yiselie ren”, Chinese for “I am Israeli”).
The food is amazing. You should eat everything, all the time. Next time we’re in China, we plan to do a “food on a stick” day. It’s gonna be awesome! My only regret is that I wasn’t brave enough to try the fried duck head, or the duck neck, that they sell in every corner of every street. Gross.
As a tourist in China, you should have your passport easily accessible at all times. You’ll need it for buying train tickets, checking in at hotels, and pretty much everything else.
If you don’t speak Chinese or you’re not traveling with a Chinese speaker, then, well, good luck. Generally speaking, Chinese people don’t speak English. If you decide to go ahead with it anyway, the most useful phrase in Chinese to learn is “bu yao” (pronounce: “boo ya-oo”), which translates to “I don’t want it”, and is to be used on the swarms of people jumping on you in every touristy site with brochures, food, souvenirs or whatever.
There’s always buyer’s remorse in China. Avoid buying in the first place you find something. Make yourself visible as you scan stores and stands. The second time you come around, prices will be lower. As a non-Chinese person, the prices stated to you are probably higher. When haggling, remember that just walking away does not work. Stay at the stand and insist on a lower price for a while. Then raise it a little bit. That’s when the negotiation starts. (This is what I have learned. It is far from being a perfected method. First, I figured it out pretty late, and second, I’m pretty bad at haggling in the first place).
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the ride. I would like to give special thanks to Julia for proofreading, contributing pictures, translating, taking me to China and being my girlfriend. And I hope y'all join me for the next installment of
Person
On
The
Road
(tun, tun, tuuuuuunnnnnnnnn!)
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