China Travel Etiquette Photos, Videos and More
Just got back from China to visit the parents. I noticed a lot of newly paved roads and shiny crosswalks. My brother Tom came along this time and brought his Nikon.
Here is a sunrise shot we took at a secret location in Yunnan.
Also, look for a very special follow-up video soon.
If you would like me to write up an entry on this painstakingly long task (of getting a green card and moving back to the US), let me know.
We finally got our exit interview in Guangzhou and will be back in the US in November.
In other China news:
Or perhaps living in a new house, where your neighbor’s house is connected to your house. Via six or so inches of brick.
After going to sleep at 6:30 am, I got to wake up (at 10 am) to what sounded like Tomahawk missiles being launched from the USS Enterprise. Or perhaps, them landing somewhere.
In reality, it is a construction worker with a huge sledge hammer, slamming it into the wall against my head.
It kinda sounds like this.
Good morning!
Update: Lucky for me, this is going to go on for three months. (Time to move back to the Kunming place.)
I can only speak for myself and my situation. After buying two houses and two commercial properties in China, I consider myself one of the lucky ones. I have not been ripped off or lied to (…yet), but I would say:
Do not by any property that is not built yet.
I did, and while the house was constructed without any major problems, I had an advantage. Specifically, we have a family friend who owns the real estate company, therefore, small problems we encountered were easily fixed. I assume most expatriates do not have this luxury.
This GoKunming.com interview sums it up quite well.
One, don’t invest in forward delivery housing - buying property before it’s finished or even begun to be built - the price may be a little cheaper, but the risk is much higher.
Why? Because you could end up with a house you cannot live in — you could lose your entire investment. Just last night, I watched a CCTV story about some Chinese families who bought into a new development and once the keys were delivered, they opened the door to their new house to see two inches of water flooding the living room, and the cement floor crumbled if you walked over it. They said no one will help them. (Where is the government agency to protect homeowners? Why do they have to resort to calling a television station to put pressure on these fraudulent companies?)
I shot this video last year when our house wasn’t completely finished. If you are wondering what Chuxiong is like, or even Yunnan, then this video can take you in a little deeper.
For clarification, when I’m talking about “check your facts, bro, Mr. SF Gate” — it is in reference to this San Francisco Chronicle article where Kathleen E. McLaughlin writes about how bad the Chinese workers have it in Shenzhen, China, building iPods with a monthly salary of a mere $80 USD per month. It turns out her article addresses the farmers in western China, and admittedly, her “facts” are correct.
I was simply pointing out that there are many other people in China who have it much worse, and don’t have the benefits provided by those factories in the bigger cities (specifically, discounted rent and canteen.)
In the video you can see someone cleaning and sweeping the sidwalks of this rich community in China, Yi Ren Gu Zhen, and she makes 300-400 RMB a month (roughtly $40 USD).
While I don’t agree with the current trend of US companies exploiting the cheap labor of Chinese citizens (which is seemingly condoned by the Chinese government), it’s a fact of life here. It’s an opportunity. It’s more money than picking carrots.
A lot of the people who work in those “sweat shop” factories come from the “nong cun”, or rural areas of China. They migrate to the eastern populated cities of Guangzhou and Shenzhen and take jobs where they can make 2-4x what they can make on the farms. Some send the money back home, some don’t.
We’re now increasing our routine to four miles a day of walking (at 4 mph walking speed.) 30 mins in the morning, and 30 mins after dinner.
YRGZ is very scenic, and I’ve noticed that a lot of people come here to do their wedding photos.
-BOB-
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