It was just my luck that the school field trip today took me to a spot that I had happened to be at last week. Be that as it may, it was good to go again because I did have more time to explore the area near Lake Taihu. I also went with 50 good friends and I was made to feel like a celebrity as I was constantly asked by these students to pose for photos with them.
I of course took a lot of photos and videos which I will be uploading and publishing over the next week. I took many close-ups of shrubbery. I have never been a shrubbery person myself but I think my parents and some of my other rare readers might be interested in the plants you can see in the Taihu area. I also find myself in a position where I have almost exhausted all unique photo possibilities for my blogs. I also took photos of the students. Many of them are sweet people of a type I don't think you would see in North America anymore. The innocence and shyness of the girls is mind-boggling to a person whose last memories of North America included 14 year olds dressing like hookers. And nary one of the students wore a tattoo above her butt. As well, I don't publish many photos of actual people (other than Tony and my wife sometimes) in my blogs.
We took a bus out to Taihu and I have to say that I am still awed (even after living here for three years) by the amount of construction that goes on in this small Chinese city. Countless buildings that were at least twenty or thirty stories high are being built.
A big cultural difference was apparent this morning and nearly caused a big rift between the foreigners and the Chinese. We have always felt that the Chinese like to overplan parties and outings. At the last Christmas party, the school planned to have 20 performances. There was no time set aside in the plan for the party for mingling. Their idea of a party was to provide constant entertainment. Foreigners complaining that this was too much and unnecessary were told that is how the Chinese like it. This morning, on the bus ride out, the school had thought to have a sing-along but when the foreigners objected, the Chinese planners settled on asking trivia questions and awarding prizes. As soon as we got to our destination, the Chinese staff quickly organized the students into groups for a treasure hunt. The students didn't seem to mind it but all the foreigners would rather have explored the park. One trainer said that the students were being treated like elementary school children. But the students enjoyed the childish games so our complaints counted for nothing. The Chinese love to be lead around by the nose, it would seem.
I could also say that the Chinese love the corniest things. Or could it be that so many foreigners from the West are J.F.'s (Jaded Fucks)?
But the innocence of many of the Chinese must be contrasted with the arrogance of the some who have come into wealth so quickly and have no idea how to act with it. Wealth has turned some of these Chinese into the most boorish and spoiled people I have ever encountered in my life. The ones who own cars use their horns to make the pedestrian plebs get out of their way. These Chinese use their horns in a manner that would cause justifiable road rage in North America. I saw a driver who was told that he would have to wait two minutes before he could proceed, still honk his horn in the interim today.
And of course most of these asshole Chinese are Chicoms.
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