Funny Chinese Translation

So today I was shopping at my local Chinese supermarket. I needed some plastic cups so I made my way to the kitchen area. When I got to the aisle I saw some lovely purple and orange plastic cups with some leave print design. That's not all that was on the cup though, it also had a little inscription. I took a closer look and this is what it read "I want to make you happy because seeing you smiting makes me happy". Ummm...





As soon as I read it I laughed and got the biggest smile (then I bought 6 of them). Thank you China, you provide me with some great moments and cheap plastic cups.

Enjoy this day,
Matt

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Lining up in China

We hate them. But we need them. Without them it’s just a mass of people pushing to be first. Everywhere we go in America we are lined up and it’s; fair, just, and orderly. In America the line is important, it symbolizes who got there first and, who, in turn gets to be helped first.

China is nothing like this, or I should say, many times it’s not like this. When I first moved to China, I would be lying if I said that people cutting in line wasn’t one of the more difficult things about living here. For example, I would be shopping for groceries (like all tough and confident men do) and I would pull my cart around to the checkout counter. I would be there for a few minutes when from the corner of my eye a “creeper” would appear. Slowly they would walk towards my line, pretending not to see me and my cart already there and then all the sudden they would move their cart in front of mine as if I wasn’t there.

The first few times this happened I felt violated. Wasn’t I here? Am I not a person? Who gives you the right to cut me off?

It can be even worse when you’re waiting for a taxi outside in the cold or rain. Someone will walk up to where you’re waiting for a taxi, also wanting to catch one. But after a minute of being there they slowly slip away down the street closer to oncoming traffic and also in a better position to catch the first available taxi. Jockeying for taxi position or “taxi hoping” (as I like to call it) can be maddening. The best is when you out do them and just walk even further down the road then them (or as I will now call it “regaining the lead”).

But my point is this; line cutting is a violation of the human spirit. (Is that too over the top?) OK, maybe that's a bit extreme.

When I first moved to China and I would have a person cut me off in line, I would get so furious, so upset and so angry. But China has its way of breaking down even the toughest of men (even the kind that go grocery shopping). After a while I just began to realize that, you know what, there’s more important things in life then getting upset about a line jumper. Some days I forget that, but most days I can tell my attitude is changing, which is good.

If you’re planning on coming to China a word to you is this, beware of the lines!

Enjoy this day,
Matt

What are some of your pet peeves?

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Chinese New Year - The year of the Tiger

I’ve never experienced a culture celebrate a holiday quite like how the Chinese celebrate the Chinese New Year. The best comparison we have as westerners is to compare it to Christmas, in fact, many Chinese people will say this to foreigners.

But for the most part Christmas is celebrated with your own family, in your own home, celebrating with your own traditions… Not, for example, everyone in your nation of 1.6 billion people buying enough fireworks to destroy France (or at least Paris) and then setting them off throughout a two week period.

That’s another thing, in America, we don’t have any holidays that last more than a day. Right? Am I missing one? But the Chinese New Year is celebrated over a span of two weeks. With people going out and meeting with friends and family, eating tons of delicious food and spending lots of money (or so I’m told).

This is interesting, because the Chinese are conservative spenders by nature, but when it comes to the Chinese New Year no expense seems to be too great. Like I said each person buys a boat load of fireworks, but they also buy clothes, food and give money away to their relatives kids (I think someone told me this…)

Lastly, it starts of a different day from year to year… That’s right, it doesn't always start on the same date. This is because it follows the Lunar calendar and so for example; last year the holiday started in January, this year, February. Crazy! The most important holiday for a nation of 1.6 billion people doesn’t even fall in the same month from year to year. I’m aware of Easter and Thanksgiving also being like this, but again, the magnitude of this holiday just adds a different dimension to it.

Celebrating the Chinese New Year is truly an amazing thing to be part of (even if it is just you hiding in your apartment from fear of a million fireworks going off at once). Either way, thank you China! My family will grow up with this being part of our memories and for that I’m grateful.

Enjoy this day,
Matt

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Cost of living in Xian China

Recently a reader wrote me because she’s going to be moving here to Xian and asked some questions about the cost of living and what not. Well this made my day, because I had written this info before, but realized it would be good to post it here. I hope this gives a clear picture to anyone moving to Xian and to you at home wanting to know more about life in China. Enjoy!

I should note that all prices are in US dollars ($), but I also add the Chinese currency of RMB… if you’re in to that.

Monthly Expenses

Average Monthly rent - $150-$440 (1000 - 3000 RMB) Obviously depending on size and location you have some difference, but this is the general price range for apartments here.

Electricity - This is about $60 (400 RMB) a month, but obviously it’s different depending on how much you use and what not.

Gas - $15 (100 RMB) every month (or so), this is your gas for heating your water and your gas stove.

Water, Garbage removal, Elevator fees and Guard fees - Are all included in one monthly fee which is about $50 (300 RMB) a month

Drinking water - $15 (100 RMB) a month is what you can expect to pay for your drinkable water. It’s set up like the Culligan water system, where you have a dispenser and when your water runs out you call the company and they deliver a new bottle of water to you.

Monthly cell phone fees - In China you don’t sign a contract with your cell phone company to use your minutes, it’s all pay as you go… This is about $15 (100 RMB) a month, but can be more depending on how much you use your phone.

Internet - This is can also be pay as you go (or a standard monthly fee), depending on how much you download and what not. But $20 a month seems to be a pretty standard amount to spend.

Taxis - For me to go to 90% of the places I normally travel to in Xian I can expect to spend on average $1-$4 (6-24 RMB) that includes the downtown area.

Buses - If you ride the bus it’s about $.12-$.25 (1-2 RMB) to go anywhere on that particular bus route. There are TONS of bus routes and you can get to a lot of places using the buses, it’s just crowded, uncomfortable and you need to make sure no one steals from you. Besides that its great!

Basic Chinese meal - noodles or rice is as basic as you get (and very good) and they come in at about $1 (6 RMB) per meal. NOT BAD!

4-5 dishes and rice - When we eat as a family and have people over we order about this much and it’s usually about $7 (50 RMB).

Nice Chinese meal for two - To go out and eat Beijing Roast Duck (SO GOOD!!!!) it’s about $15 (100 RMB)

Eating Western fastfood - To give you an idea it’s about $3 (21 RMB) for Big Mac meal (no refills on soda however… sad face)

Eating Western Pizza - This is important for anyone who loves pizza to know. So for a large pepperoni pizza you will spend somewhere between $11-$17 (Papa John’s is the most expensive)

Average total fees I counted about $500 (averaging the apartment) a month. But that doesn't include food and transportation (only because that is totally different for each situation, but I left the prices above for you to add up and include), this total also doesn't include some things that you need to consider that aren't part of your monthly expenses, which are located below.

Non monthly expenses to know about

Deposit on your apartment - It should also be noted that (at least here in Xian) you need to put a deposit on your apartment down of a month or two’s rent (I can’t remember now what it is).

Real estate agent fee - Also to be noted is that when you get an apartment through a real estate agent you need to pay a month’s rent as your fee for them helping you. Most of the time (unless you know someone wanting to rent a home) you need to go through an agent to get an apartment here.

Heating - During the summer months in most cases you need to pay for your heaters to come on. It’s all regulated by a company and you can’t turn it on and off as you wish (in most cases). It can be pretty spendy coming in at about $400 (2700 RMB), but depends on the size of your apartment.

Cell phone - You get what you pay for and you can find pretty much anything here. You need be careful of fakes so trust who or where you’re buying from, but you can expect to spend $30-$1500 (200-10,000 RMB). And yes you can buy ridiculously expensive $1500 phones here.

Visas - This also needs to be mentioned as it can be spendy (especially for a family) to get new visas every year. I won't put the price because it changes so much and you will need to find the price when you decide to come. If you're moving here as a family you should know that only your spouse needs to either work or study for them to get a visa, then you can and your kids can get temporary resident visas. This means that both spouses don't need to be enrolled in college and/or both working. Just a side note for all you families.

Enjoy this day,
Matt

P.S. Please email me or leave a comment here if you have further questions I can help you with!

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How much money do you make?

“How much money do you make in a month?”
“How much is your rent?”

These, as well as many others, are questions about living costs we get here in China quite a bit. And you may be thinking to yourself “OK with a friend, it’s not that big of a deal” and you would be right, if it were a friend asking you this. But in China that’s not the case.

A common conversation with a stranger may include the above questions. Here’s a quick scene that plays out here nearly daily. I’m talking with a cab driver and within minutes it turns into “What do you do here?” and I say “Oh I teach English” which is immediately met with “How much do you make?” And the reality is that a lot of strangers have no problems asking you this.

It’s funny because China isn’t a direct nation in their communication style and America (for the most part) is. But an American would typically not ask another American how much he made or what he pays for rent or any other living expense for that matter (especially not if the other person were a complete stranger). We’re just not open about money.

And to be honest, I don’t (at this point) have a conclusion for why this is. Why is it that we will be direct about so many things, but money isn’t within the boundaries of most social interactions? Why are the Chinese so indirect about so many things, but have absolutely no problem asking a complete stranger how much he makes? It boggles me.

Its questions like these that excite me. I live in China and am able to grow as a person as I see flaws in my own cultural systems and learn about someone else’s. Like I said I don’t have answers, only observations. And only a warning for anyone traveling or moving to China to get used to questions they normally wouldn’t be faced with.

Enjoy this day,
Matt

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