My impressions of China (so far)

The country is vast. It houses some of the best known and oldest sights, which draws masses of tourists to them (and the season has only just started). The landscape (at least in the north) is amazing and includes a good mix of mountains, valleys and rivers. However, there seems to be no evidence of an existing hiking industry. Cities on the other hand are overcrowded and hectic. The traffic is heavy and traffic rules are often disregarded (though i have seen worse). Pollution and dust is a problem, not only for my lungs.

The whole country (especially evident in Beijing)seems to be on the move into a new century. Modernisation can be wittnessed everywhere, i.e. New buildings, trains and people driving big and luxury cars.

People are generally friendly and helpful (if asked for help). Chinese as it seems are practial-thinking people who approach problems that way and solve them with the least of an effort. It seems like people are careless, i.e. Bank clerks wear a shirt and tie with sport/jogging pants. Rubbish is dropped anywhere and you can see people spitting everybody, even on the train (!!!). Chinese appear to be impatient as lines and queues are jumped whenever possible. The authorities are trying to educate the people with all sorts of measures. You can see signs everywhere, i.e. 'no littering', 'no smoking' and best of all, 'no spitting'.

You meet Chinese usually in groups, which suggests that they are very social people. They travel together, eat together and hang out in public places playing games. One of their favoured public activities seem to be dancing in public. Some guy brings along some loudspeakers and everybody gets on their feet. Especially elderly people seem to be fond of it. Yesterday i saw something that can be best described as 'Mass synchroniced dancing', taking place in front of a supermarket.

People here like to eat. You can get food everywhere. Street vendors are all over the place selling anything imaginable. Popcorn and pineapple seem to be the most favoured snacks. Restaurants can also be easily found, every one specialising in something different. If you avoid all the fast food places around, you can get by with 1-2 euros for a complete meal at a local restaurant.

Instant noodles seemes to be the most popular travel snack, as everybody on the train eats them. Hot water supply can be found almost anywhere (for the instant noodles), which brings me to tell you about another phenomen. While Japanese like to have their drinks served ice cold, Chinese like everything hot or at least luke warm, i.e. beer (!!!)

A chinese people seems to be caught between two chairs - the communist society they lived in for the last 5 decades and the newly found economic freedom, that made many rich. The girl i got to know seems to confirm this idea. She left behind her friends to start a new life in Beijing. Her goal is to 'become rich' one day. However this goal seems to distract her from so much, she doesnt know how to go about starting off. She keeps talking about how important her friends are, while at the same time she says she feels lonely in this big city. I can only guess how many people are equally distracted by the boom of the recent years.