Like most kids born in the late 80s and early 90s, I was fascinated by the United States. I dreamed of going to New York and wandering around Central Park like Kevin. If someone had told me then that I would be fascinated by Asia and decide to get a visa and go on a solo trip around Shanghai, Beijing and the surrounding areas, I definitely wouldn’t have believed them.
I don’t know how it happened, but one day, deep down, I felt a desire to discover things completely different from what I was used to or found interesting. So I bought flights to Shanghai and started getting a visa.
Obtaining a visa to China, contrary to appearances, was not an easy task. As a Polish woman living in Spain, I had to face a process of solid bureaucracy. Filling out a dozen or so pages of application was just the beginning. I also had to include plane tickets, hotels where I would be staying and confirm two citizenships – even if the Spanish one was only for tax purposes. After submitting the application, I waited about a month for final confirmation of obtaining a tourist visa, which allowed me to spend a maximum of one month in China.
When I finally stepped onto Chinese soil after 15 hours of flying, I felt like I was on another planet. Shanghai and Beijing were as clean as an operating theatre. I thought to myself that on the outskirts I would definitely see dirt and cheap labour. Nothing of the sort. Absolutely every place looked like it came from a futuristic world, which by the way really cares about order. Modern skyscrapers in Shanghai seemed to be a symbol of the future, while ancient temples in Beijing reminded us of the rich history of this country.
But what really surprised me was the amount of luxury cars on the streets – Teslas, Lamborghinis, these were everyday sights. What’s more, the Chinese government is subsidizing electric cars to take better care of the environment. However, considering the amount of plastic and production (yes, that’s a euphemism) of unnecessary things, I doubt that China will actually contribute to saving the world from a global catastrophe.
I learned the hard way that China is not a cheap country to travel to. Shanghai, a city that I imagined would be accessible to everyone, turned out to be one of the most expensive places I have ever visited. I thought to myself, “Okay, it’s a big city, I’m sure it will be cheaper elsewhere”.
Unfortunately. Given my limited budget, I looked for cheap hostels. However, to stay in such a place, a non-Chinese license was required, which resulted in being thrown out of the hostel several times, even in the middle of the night. The prices of hotels, restaurants and attractions often exceeded my expectations, which was a big financial challenge for me.
So in the end I spent much more than I planned. I thought at the time “this is not how I imagined it, I was supposed to come back with a suitcase full of cheap and nice clothes, not spend 400 PLN to go up the elevator to the observation deck”. Imagine that in one of the cafes (which seemed average) a scoop of ice cream cost 55 zlotys. This clearly illustrates the scale of how wrong I was when it comes to the reality of prices.
In China, culture “saving face” plays a huge role in everyday life. People are willing to make many concessions to avoid a situation where they could “lose face” in the eyes of others. This means that most Chinese people are more willing to do something against themselves than to make an unfavorable impression in society. This is a concept based on respect for one’s social prestige, which is extremely important in their culture. Therefore, saving face, or in fact maintaining a good opinion of oneself in the eyes of others, is often a priority that influences the daily decisions and social interactions of Chinese people. This also applies to behavior towards others.
Personally, I often felt awkward. Every situation, from serving meals to small gestures of politeness, was permeated with respect and care for a good impression. However, bowing at the waist because I let someone through the door was already considered a bit of an exaggeration. There were moments when I simply felt that it was artificial and unnecessary. However, it must be admitted that the Chinese do not lack personal culture.
Interestingly, this also translates into safety. As a tourist, I felt completely safe. Interactions with local Chinese only confirmed my observation – they also emphasized that the culture of politeness and respect influences the atmosphere of safety in the country. Of course, this is just my impression after a month in China.
I love it – or so I thought before I tasted it… in China. It has nothing to do with what we know as Chinese cuisine in Europe. The taste, smell and the dishes served were too much for my European stomach. No wonder I had food poisoning on the third day. I managed to survive, but later I was a bit more cautious about their more culinary attractions. Believe me, experiencing Chinese cuisine was truly bizarre.
Okay, but what are we talking about? In China, the concept “Zero waste” takes on a literal meaning. At the urging of “local” I went to a restaurant that specializes in preparing duck dishes. It turned out that they served me not only duck meat, but also: goulash with duck paws, “jelly” of duck blood and creme de la creme – the bird’s head from which I was to eat the brain.
Sticking with the brain. In some regions of China, animal brains, and not just beef or pork, are considered a delicacy. They can be served fried, boiled or stewed, often accompanied by various spices and additives. And the additions to dishes are complete madness.
Do you think the Chinese eat a lot of rice? Nonsense. At least in a few restaurants I heard that they don’t serve rice at all. So what replaces it? For example, tofu, which is marinated “for at least six months” and it smells like a footballer’s sneakers after a match. I have no idea what spices the Chinese have, but the smells of some of them literally made me nauseous. As for “street food”you can find a whole lot of variety on the stalls: insects (from silkworm larvae to cockroaches), pickled chicken feet and something that impressed me the most “impression”namely chicks impaled on toothpicks. It looked more or less like someone had gone too far with voodoo dolls.
I’ll admit to you honestly – I physically couldn’t try everything. The dishes I ate (or rather, tasted) only confirmed my belief that I only like them in the form profaned by Europeans.
A visit to China is undoubtedly one of the adventures of my life. But as with adventures, it is not always rosy. However, I took something wonderful from this trip, namely a handful of fantastic memories. And finally, I also know what duck blood jelly tastes like.