Life and Travel in China

I often deal with toys made in China, made for Polish importers, and those available in Chinese stores for the Chinese market. I must admit with sadness that what goes to supermarkets, wholesalers and toy stores in Poland is simply of lower quality! Of course, a lot depends on the price and the specific toy, but more and more products on the Polish market are simply cheap and weak. Theoretically, they have CE marking and meet certain standards, although in practice it varies. There are not many standards in China, there is no CE, and yet the toys are visually and functionally better. The only complaint - the electronic ones are simply too loud. However, they are made lavishly - diodes, sound, movement, speech, etc. In Poland, similar toys are usually two or three times more expensive because we pay for the certificate, packaging, transport, customs duties, taxes, higher margins and, above all, the license of a given brand. There are many original, licensed toys in China, but there are still many fakes produced without the consent of the owner of a given trademark. Recently I compared a set of regular plastic soldiers. The ones in Poland looked very bad, blurred faces, plastic remains from the injection mold, the set was limited to a dozen or so elements. In China, clear characters, additional vehicles and weapons, no sticking plastic - just better quality. It is already accepted that 'Chinese food' is of poor quality, but this is Chinese food for the Polish market, because Chinese food for their home market is getting better and better. Sad, sad, but unfortunately true. Moreover, China is experiencing a toy boom - online auctions, stores with professional toys and electronic gadgets, special promotions and toy presentations. Just 10-20 years ago there were practically no toy stores, only some stands and stalls. Currently, grandparents and parents are buying more and more branded, creative and more expensive toys. Yes, we also have decent toys, but the prices are definitely higher than in China (it's not just about the difference in import and transport costs).

For several months, there has been talk about immigrants, mainly from Syria, and the related threat to Poland and Europe. In fact, if the Chinese really cared, they could already dominate some European countries. Many people think that China is like North Korea and no one has a passport or the right to leave the country. This is the case with uniformed officers, but millions of Chinese have passports, visas and travel all over the world. My friend regularly visits the United States, Germany, Poland, South Africa and Canada. Another Chinese woman I know uses a visa to Australia and New Zealand, interestingly enough she has no husband, no real estate and is not attached to the Middle Kingdom - it is usually more difficult for such people to obtain visas, but she still travels. She was also in the USA. It seems to me that many Chinese are simply attached to their homeland, their culture, food and lifestyle. They can emigrate, but they feel best in their own community, i.e. in large metropolises, where there is a typical China Town. Otherwise they just feel like strangers. It is also worth noting that many people (especially older people) have their own eating habits. It may be hard to imagine, but some people cannot survive a day without a dish with hot red peppers. Others eat fresh seafood almost every day, which is simply unavailable in many countries. The Chinese may eat a hamburger and steak from time to time, but they certainly won't live on cutlets and dumplings for years. If they decide to live in another country, they organize a 'Chinese' lifestyle in a larger group, while importing Chinese products and semi-finished products.

If someone wants to give birth to a child in China and has excess cash, they can take advantage of the special clinic's offer. For a symbolic PLN 25,000 you can spend 40 days after giving birth in a special center for mothers and newborns. This is where smiling nurses will show the baby how to burp, feed the baby, change the diapers and bathe the baby. In addition, there is a special program for mother and child... I just wonder how a one-month-old baby can participate in any classes/exercises? For example, is there swimming?! What does the mother do during this time? She mainly rests and takes care of the baby, but she has midwives to help her 24/7. He lives in a special room adapted for a child. I just wonder how my husband and other children feel if their mother is gone for more than a month after giving birth and they can only visit her in this center? A bit of a strange solution, because families usually want to be together as soon as possible after a hospital stay. Every country has its customs...

I haven't spoken for a long time again, I'm just too busy. I don't think I've mentioned changing the one-child policy yet. Now Chinese regulations have become more liberal and many families have the right to a second child. The problem, however, is that living in Chinese cities is very expensive and many couples cannot afford a second child. In China, items such as diapers, powdered milk, creams, and oils are a huge expense - why? You can read about it in previous entries. Many married couples are too mature to decide to have a second child. There is also an educational problem - the first children are used to being in the spotlight, that they are entitled to everything and do not have to share anything, and there is also the issue of inheritance of property. When a second child appears, a charming toddler - then older children feel threatened. There have even been suicides because of this. Lifestyle, constant pressure, overtime, stress, pursuit of money, living in crowded and polluted metropolises are also not very conducive to expanding a family. According to some experts, the Chinese authorities are late in changing their policy, because there will soon be a shortage of labor and the Chinese society is aging very quickly. Additionally, in many regions of the Middle Kingdom there are still large gender disparities, with a predominance of men. Unfortunately, this is how interference with the basic social unit ends. First, under Mao, during the civil war, enlarging families was encouraged, then having a second child was banned, and now it is allowed. I will also mention that the regulations are not very liberal for single mothers.

February 8 marked the beginning of the Year of the Monkey in China. I admit that this is not my favorite year. Exactly 12 years ago (the previous Year of the Monkey) I had a lot of problems and I met a very dangerous person. Maybe someone still remembers my previous website: Exile Diaries? A lot happened then. I hope this year will be calmer. First of all, I am surrounded by completely different people now, I am more experienced and 12 years wiser. Most of our Chinese friends went to various parts of China, and even to Australia or the Maldives. More and more often, during the Chinese New Year, Chinese people try to spend a few days with their families and the next few/dozen days traveling to various regions of the Middle Kingdom and other countries. It's a pity that several million people are traveling at the same time, because in some places it gets too crowded and too noisy.