For all of you in the States, I would like to point out that what you're reading right now is from the future. You may think it's Thursday night, but I'm writing this from Friday afternoon. How's that for mind blowing? Sam and I are not only globe trotters [though I don't recall any trotting specifically to get here] but time travelers. I'll sign autographs on request.
We have been in China approximately two and a half weeks, two of which were spent getting over jet lag. It's no joke to wake up at 4:00am ready to start the day or be ready for bed at about 6:00pm. It's like my first trimester all over again--the 6:00pm going-to-bed part, anyway; certainly not the ready-to-start-the-day at any time whatsoever part. And, not even kidding, I think there have been fireworks of some kind at some point of the day and evening for the last two weeks. The Chinese idea of celebration has made me slightly ashamed of our own in America. Why resign yourself to only one day to celebrate important things when you can stretch it out to two or three weeks? I'm thinking Thanksgiving in particular could really benefit from that mentality.
So, China. I thought it might be entertaining to write down some of my first impressions, though I really ought to have done it two weeks ago when they were really fresh. I think I've lost some of my shell-shocked reaction as I've gotten used to things.
Driving
Driving is an art here, with no particular rules or expectations. We won't get our car until sometime in March, which I think is a good thing. I don't think we would be brave enough to try driving on our own until then, anyway.
- Taxis. As we currently have no car of our own, we are at the mercy of taxis to get around (unless a friend very graciously offers to drive us home or pick us up, naturally). I think there are about a million taxis here. That seems like a big number until you realize there are 14 million people in the city, and almost every single one of them is willing to shell out for a taxi when it's cold outside (which has been nearly every day we've been here). This adds to the excitement of going anywhere. Additional excitement can be found in telling the taxi driver where you want to go in your best Chinese and having him look at you blankly, obviously understanding nothing of what you said. All part of the adventure.
- Bicycles and scooters. You may have heard that bicycling traffic in China is high. I feel like any rumors you've heard are grossly understated. Whereas in America bikes are largely at the mercy of drivers, the opposite appears to be true here. If a few hundred bikes are determined to go across the intersection even though you have a green light, who are you to say no? I remember the first time being outside during the day and being overwhelmed at the sheer number of bikes and scooters and how the cars really had no choice but the bow to their will. It's phenomenal.
- Variation. As far as traffic in the road goes, as long as it has wheels, it's legit on the road. This includes cars, bikes, scooters, rickshaws, wheelchairs, etc. The large roads through the city have wide bike lanes, protected by metal barriers, which are equally anything goes. If you're cycling east but on the westbound side of the road, no matter--just hop in the closest bike lane and be careful not to crash into oncoming traffic. They also double as turning lanes for cars, usually taxis, even if the turn isn't for another half mile or so. And if you're tired of the segregation of the bike lane, feel free to join normal traffic. This applies to all wheeled modes of transportation, as listed previously.
- Pedestrians. Where in America, pedestrians look before crossing the street, this is something of a hazard in China. If you, as the pedestrian, make eye contact with the driver, you are giving him permission to go, rather than the other way around. Therefore crossing the street requires a bit of out-of-the-corner-of-your-eye watching to make sure you're not going to be hit but otherwise a blustering show of fearlessness as you step into traffic. Also, crosswalks are optional. If you want to cross diagonally, go for it. Cars will, for the most part, stop for you. If only one side of the street is clear, cross it and wait on the double yellow lines for the other side to be clear. Certainly no one's going to stop for you, so you take your journeying in your own hands and be forceful about it. Talk about self-empowerment.
- Rules. Driving rules are more like guidelines, or perhaps the tools of lesser mortals. Red lights are optional. If you see a gap, especially if you are a taxi, you take it. Cutting others off is a matter of course and nothing to get upset about. Merging requires only an inch of space between cars, and even the inch is not required. Distinguished lanes are also optional. You can be in the right lane, the left lane, between the two, the bike lane, or even the oncoming traffic lane, and it's all perfectly legit. The only hard-and-fast rule seems to be "Don't get hit and don't hit anyone." As long as you follow that, most things seem perfectly appropriate.
- Honking. As you might imagine, there is quite a bit of honking that goes on. However, it has a rather different feel to it. Where people in the States honk to show their displeasure, in China it's a matter of courtesy. A "hey I'm coming up behind you and am about to cut you off" or a "I'm flying past this entrance, make sure you look before merging" or "you're stopped in the middle of the street and I'm going around you" or "hey cyclist, I'm turning right and will be close enough to clip you, so be aware." Honking, I believe, takes the place of traditional driving rules in trying to ensure public safety. And it's always a little honk--a "hello, I'm here, please watch out" sort of honk--rather than the lay-it-on-you-there's-no-way-you-can-miss-that-I'm-put-out sort of honk Americans seem to prefer. As I'm not even sure where the horn is on our car, I foresee difficulties in driving should I ever feel so brave.
All right, this is getting long. I guess I'll split things up so this doesn't end up being a book all by itself. I'm pretty sure there was more I planned to write about driving, but it's gone now. Luckily we're here for two years, so there's a chance I'll have more to say about it later.
