any of ya all been to china?
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Fallingwater
Flashlight Enthusiast
Not yet, but I plan on going to Hong Kong as soon as I can afford it. Should be an interesting trip...
jzmtl
Flashlight Enthusiast
Not in hong kong but if you go to inland china, you should go with someone who look like and speak chinese, because you'll stand out like a sore thumb. 
Illum
Flashaholic
I've been to Lai-Yun [sp?] China.
dirt road, well water, no indoor plumbing, outhouse in the court yard, and public bath houses that are basically one living room sized stall with a tub of water in the middle.
the dinner is prepared over a coal fired stove and the sleeping quarters are beds built upon by concrete blocks, there were little mattresses.
For a farming village fecal matter is used as fertilizer and being surrounded by rice fields makes eating a little uneasy.
I have about 30 distant cousins living there, it was quite an experience visiting my father's father's brother's family spanning 4 generations.
the most amazing thing i saw in terms of technology is the vacuum tube solar collectors and a 12 LED POLICE Shower head :shakehead:candle:
Surprisingly everyone there is cheerful and optimistic despite the deprivation of modern technology, If I didn't know any better I would probably be the same as well
dirt road, well water, no indoor plumbing, outhouse in the court yard, and public bath houses that are basically one living room sized stall with a tub of water in the middle.
the dinner is prepared over a coal fired stove and the sleeping quarters are beds built upon by concrete blocks, there were little mattresses.
For a farming village fecal matter is used as fertilizer and being surrounded by rice fields makes eating a little uneasy.
I have about 30 distant cousins living there, it was quite an experience visiting my father's father's brother's family spanning 4 generations.
the most amazing thing i saw in terms of technology is the vacuum tube solar collectors and a 12 LED POLICE Shower head :shakehead:candle:
Surprisingly everyone there is cheerful and optimistic despite the deprivation of modern technology, If I didn't know any better I would probably be the same as well
Kilovolt
Flashlight Enthusiast
I have been several times to Hong Kong, mainland China and Taiwan. These are countries well worth a visit, they are interesting IMO for their culture that dates back thousands of years and is totally different from the western one.
There's tons of things to see both ancient and modern but the Great Wall is still a totally fascinating sight.
There's tons of things to see both ancient and modern but the Great Wall is still a totally fascinating sight.
adamlau
Flashlight Enthusiast
Been to Shanghai, Wuxi, across Taiwan and HK. The big cities are very modern, parties can be found all over the place, and the population is rather international in flavor. People everywhere, pretty girls abound. Los Angeles is a cool place to be, but Shanghai/Taipei/Shenzhen party harder. Seoul probably parties the hardest these days. I hear Tel Aviv is the place to be for Goa outside of Goa. Gotta roll there someday...
I've been to Lai-Yun [sp?] China.
dirt road, well water, no indoor plumbing, outhouse in the court yard, and public bath houses that are basically one living room sized stall with a tub of water in the middle.
the dinner is prepared over a coal fired stove and the sleeping quarters are beds built upon by concrete blocks, there were little mattresses.
For a farming village fecal matter is used as fertilizer and being surrounded by rice fields makes eating a little uneasy.
I have about 30 distant cousins living there, it was quite an experience visiting my father's father's brother's family spanning 4 generations.
the most amazing thing i saw in terms of technology is the vacuum tube solar collectors and a 12 LED POLICE Shower head :shakehead:candle:
Surprisingly everyone there is cheerful and optimistic despite the deprivation of modern technology, If I didn't know any better I would probably be the same as well
It does sound interesting, and I bet they are much happier and "at peace" (I mean that in a harmony/holistic way) with their world.
kelmo
Flashlight Enthusiast
I've been to Hong Kong. It was amazing. The people are so friendly. The light show at 8pm highlighting the skyline is a must see before you die event. The food is fantastic. I would go back and I definitely am going to see main land China soon.
Hong Kong is a good introduction to China. Most of the signs and maps have English script. A carry over from the time the British ruled it.
kelmo
Hong Kong is a good introduction to China. Most of the signs and maps have English script. A carry over from the time the British ruled it.
kelmo
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I go there a couple times a year, and you're right it is a very cool place to visit. China is definitely a land of extremes. You can be in a high tech multi-million dollar company, while next door is a shack with chickens running around. I've gone from staying in farms sharing a bed with 3 strangers, no indoor plumbing and using a pit toilets, to the next night being in a 5 star hotel with room service and cable TV.
If you can only see one thing in China, the Great Wall is it. It's one thing to look at pictures, but it's not the same as actually climbing your way up, then getting to the top and seeing it stretch forever. Then you realize that the section you've spent the last couple hours climbing is an almost insignificant portion the entire wall.
If you can only see one thing in China, the Great Wall is it. It's one thing to look at pictures, but it's not the same as actually climbing your way up, then getting to the top and seeing it stretch forever. Then you realize that the section you've spent the last couple hours climbing is an almost insignificant portion the entire wall.
Been to Hong Kong once about 8 years ago. Pretty girls, beautiful skyline, lots of street merchants, and yummy food.
My only complaint would have to be the air pollution. At least as of 8 years ago, the air there is very, very dirty. Nearly all of the taxis (and believe me, there are a lot of them) run on diesel fuel. From the moment I arrived, until the moment I got on the plane headed back to the USA, it was like living in a parking garage with all the exhaust fumes :sick2:. The only relief was when I took the tram up the hill for site seeing. I forget what it was called, but the view and air up there were spectacular. The fact the air was so bad struck me as rather odd. Compared to large cities in the USA like Detroit, New York, and San Francisco, Hong Kong is a very clean city except for the air. In Hong Kong, there was no trash anywhere, no pee pee smell in the subway, no gum stuck to the streets, and yet, the air quality in all of the US cities I mentioned above is much better compared to Hong Kong's.
Overall though, I had a great time and I wouldn't hesitate to visit again. Best to go with someone who speak's a little Cantonese though. A lot of folks there know English, but it's easier to get around if you know the language.
My only complaint would have to be the air pollution. At least as of 8 years ago, the air there is very, very dirty. Nearly all of the taxis (and believe me, there are a lot of them) run on diesel fuel. From the moment I arrived, until the moment I got on the plane headed back to the USA, it was like living in a parking garage with all the exhaust fumes :sick2:. The only relief was when I took the tram up the hill for site seeing. I forget what it was called, but the view and air up there were spectacular. The fact the air was so bad struck me as rather odd. Compared to large cities in the USA like Detroit, New York, and San Francisco, Hong Kong is a very clean city except for the air. In Hong Kong, there was no trash anywhere, no pee pee smell in the subway, no gum stuck to the streets, and yet, the air quality in all of the US cities I mentioned above is much better compared to Hong Kong's.
Overall though, I had a great time and I wouldn't hesitate to visit again. Best to go with someone who speak's a little Cantonese though. A lot of folks there know English, but it's easier to get around if you know the language.
Citivolus
Enlightened
I've spent a few months working in Beijing. It was an interesting experience, and while I was not initially drawn to like it, by the time of my third or fourth trip it had grown on me. I've got another trip in a few months and am looking forward to it. It will be interesting to see how the Olympics have changed the city. I was there on the 1000th and 500th days before the Olympic start, and the city was a different place on every visit.
My experience with the Chinese people has been very positive. All of my co-workers were very friendly and very anxious to show me their city and help enlighten me to the fact that China is not the country that most westerners think it is. There is much more dimension to it than that.
Regards,
Eric
My experience with the Chinese people has been very positive. All of my co-workers were very friendly and very anxious to show me their city and help enlighten me to the fact that China is not the country that most westerners think it is. There is much more dimension to it than that.
Regards,
Eric
Have been to China many times, to Hongkong, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzen, Dali, Chongking, Yunnan, ...
Great scenery, tasty food, appealing culture !
Well, that has changed dramatically over the years. 5 or 10 years ago you could get a zillion gadgets and electronic components extremely cheap. Nowadays, only digital camaras, mp3-player, laptops and such with pricetags very similar to europe or US are offered.
Further, nowadays they have the exact same brands as Europe / US (Boss, Armani, YSL, ...) Today's shopping malls look just all the same, regardless of if you are in Shanghai, Paris or New York.
I think this is rather sad. :sigh:
Great scenery, tasty food, appealing culture !
Well, that has changed dramatically over the years. 5 or 10 years ago you could get a zillion gadgets and electronic components extremely cheap. Nowadays, only digital camaras, mp3-player, laptops and such with pricetags very similar to europe or US are offered.
Further, nowadays they have the exact same brands as Europe / US (Boss, Armani, YSL, ...) Today's shopping malls look just all the same, regardless of if you are in Shanghai, Paris or New York.
I think this is rather sad. :sigh:
Sub_Umbra
Flashlight Enthusiast
I've been to Taiwan. I've done a good job of staying away from Mainland China and I hope to keep it that way.
jzmtl
Flashlight Enthusiast
With a mentality like that, perhaps it's best if you keep stay away. :shrug:
Sub_Umbra
Flashlight Enthusiast
Yup, that's pretty much what I said -- although I said it in a much clearer fashon.
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jzmtl
Flashlight Enthusiast
And I said it's a good thing you do that, in case you cannot comprehend English.
B@rt
Flashaholic
Fallingwater
Flashlight Enthusiast
What's the problem in standing out like a sore thumb? I don't plan on moving away from HK anyway.
The gadgets are all well and good, but really once you've seen DealExtreme you've pretty much seen everything significant as far as cheap gadgetry is concerned. I'll take some time looking at what's available, but that's not the main reason I want to go there.
Yep, that's a nice thought
I love what passes for Chinese food around here, and I'm curious to know how real Chinese food is...This is one of the things I don't really care about. The obvious reason is that I'm already taken, but even if that weren't the case I don't particularly like asian women aesthetically.
Mainly I want to go to experience living in a completely different place with a completely different culture. I have no plans on doing the usual things tourists do in large cities - visiting museums, going to historic places and such, snapping a gazillion pictures of cute touristy places and such.
I just want to come out of the hotel, start walking in a random direction and lose myself in the place, walking around until my legs will allow me. Or get on a bus, wait a predetermined amount of time, get off and start walking from there. It'd be good if I had company, but few people share my ideas on visiting foreign places.
I did this when I was in Rome, by the way, and I sure as hell saw more of the place than those who were with me who all chose to go on guided tours.
