Life and Travel in China

A Chinese woman I know is expecting her second child. She decided that after giving birth she would go to a special center for mother and child care. For an approximately 40-day stay there, you will pay around PLN 60,000. The center provides assistance with child care, special food, room, exercises, massages and other entertainment, relaxation, etc. Well... we can only envy it. In Poland, the average mother pays PLN 1,000 for a baby, stays in her own home or with her parents and probably does not have enough money to provide herself with such comfort after giving birth. Another issue is that in this center there will be only the mother and the child, which means that the role of the father and the child's contact with the father are completely omitted. Of course, visits are allowed, but it's probably not 100% paternity. In China, the most important thing is that the father earns money. Who in Poland would come up with the idea of opening such a center and for such money? Where would they find customers? However, China is a rich country, and people get a bit crazy, because how can you spend PLN 60,000 for a 40-day stay in such a center? Wouldn't it be better to pay this money into a fund for this child? Buy him toys, books, save for his future education? Or just go on a trip or holiday with the whole family when the child is a little older?

As I observe, importers in Poland are looking for increasingly cheaper products, and some even give up importing from China, taking into account the current dollar exchange rate. The prices of many products in Poland are already really low, and Allegro offers are sometimes more attractive than those of Chinese producers, how is this possible? In Poland everything is possible. The problem is that ordinary people in Poland simply cannot afford expensive, luxury products. In China it is the opposite - more and more sophisticated products are imported, price does not matter - as long as they are available. More and more electronics are imported from the USA, Japan, gadgets, toys and even fancy food products. In addition to imports, Chinese traveling around the world bring more and more precious gifts, such as French perfumes, top-shelf whiskeys and cognacs, luxury trinkets, jewelry, watches, branded handbags... Very often I see Chinese people at airports and in duty-free shops looking for some unusual products, for many of them price does not really matter. They just can afford...

I guess I'm not that old yet, but I remember when about 10 years ago, brands such as Adidas, Nike and Puma were just entering the Chinese market. At that time, they were not yet so recognizable and ubiquitous, and the average Chinese was not fascinated by them. Back then, branded trousers cost around PLN 40-50, shoes PLN 80-100. Now everything has changed, because such stores are in every large and smaller city in China. Practically in every shopping center, next to hypermarkets. Prices are similar to ours, slightly different designs and smaller sizes. Shoes now cost PLN 150-400, trousers and T-shirts usually cost PLN 80-200. The advantage is that the Chinese customer can count on more promotions, discounts, returns, coupons and freebies. It is more developed in the Middle Kingdom, and the Chinese are used to the fact that the previous price was 800 RMB, and now there is a 60% discount. The concept of price reductions really appeals to them, although it is sad to say that they can afford more than the average Pole.

I've been amazed by China's purchasing power lately. Basically, in every city and town you can already find every global brand - this mainly applies to clothing and handbags, but also electronics, watches, cars, etc. In China, there are simply more and more people who can afford luxury products as well as special services. In Poland, everything is a matter of price, and there, more and more often, price does not play any role. I envy their purchasing power, and I don't mean that they can go to McDonald's with their whole family, but rather that they buy various products and services every day. They do not have to plan their household budget in any special way, because the economic realities of the country they live in allow them to be somewhat extravagant.

Recently I have been dealing with a Chinese company that deals with interior decoration and finishing of offices/apartments. I admit that I was impressed by their designs. I won't discuss tastes and styles, but when it comes to wealth and splendor - it certainly delights. To think that 20-30 years ago most people lived in simple country houses or ordinary apartments with white walls. Now they have a 'late rococo' finish, as the hero of our comedy would say. Louis XVI style furniture, chandeliers like from European hotels, wooden doors with bas-reliefs, some bricks, lowered ceilings, wallpapers, paintings, etc. Just a fairy tale. Now I wonder (maybe a little maliciously) how these people feel there - especially the generation from 1940-1970. These are people who kept everything in one closet, slept on a hard bed, and the only furniture in the hall (because there was no concept of living rooms) were wooden stools and a table - raw, unpainted wood. I wonder if they feel comfortable in these 21st century luxuries, or if they feel uncomfortable but have to live for show?