Life and Travel in China

In China, I was sometimes amazed by the behavior of bus drivers. In Poland, drivers usually try to help each other: they let each other pass at intersections, wait calmly for one to drive away so that the other can drive to the lay-by, etc. In China, it is completely different - drivers there simply fight with each other! They can push each other at an intersection, fight for space in traffic jams, or cross three other lanes from the far left lane to stop at an angle at a bus stop. They can also cut into each other's way at bus stops, some buses stop next to others instead of waiting behind them. They fight forcefully for every meter of the road or bay, but unfortunately mirrors and lights often suffer in this fight. I have seen many collisions and crashes involving only buses. It's better now anyway, because there are no mini-buses in cities. They still operate on the outskirts or in smaller towns, but outside the center of large metropolises. They didn't care about any regulations at all - they just wanted to move forward and take as many passengers as possible.

In some Chinese villages, local authorities (read "local warlords") are putting pressure on residents to build bigger, newer houses. The main point is that a given commune wants to present itself better to attract investors - new factories, hotels, restaurants, warehouses, etc. The worst thing is that the land does not belong to the villagers. Thus, they build houses for show, the most important thing is that they are big. In this way, large houses with even 2-3 floors are built, in which, for example, an elderly couple lives, while the younger ones live and work in cities, sometimes in completely different provinces. It comes to the point that these older people borrow money from friends, closer and extended family to build a larger and new house. Others are in a more comfortable situation - because their children or even grandchildren have better jobs and can "sponsor" such a house. The problem, however, is that these properties will never officially belong to them. If, for example, the authorities from Beijing plan a highway or a power plant there, they will simply evict these people by force, and the "new" houses will be demolished. And this is what the violation, or rather the lack of, of human rights in the Middle Kingdom looks like. We usually associate it with the death penalty, but it has a more local, everyday dimension.

In China, there is a strange tradition of giving money at various celebrations. Of course, in our country we also give gifts or envelopes at weddings, but in China it is based on the principle of "outdoing" - whoever gives more. Moreover, this tradition does not only apply to happy celebrations. It also refers to funerals. The death of one person means that their relatives must organize a wake and funeral. At this point, they try to spend large sums of money to show respect to the deceased person. Unfortunately, sometimes they even have to borrow money. The money is also transferred to the family that took care of the previously deceased person. The same should be done when visiting family. When a cousin visits her aunt, you should give her at least 100 RMB. When a grandson from the city returns to the countryside to visit his grandfather, he should also be given money. I have witnessed many such situations myself. However, the funniest are the fights and attempts at phrases: "no, don't give me anything - I'm doing well", "please take it, I've been away for a long time", "I don't really need it", "take it, you can buy some cigarettes". In Poland, people complain that they don't have anything, that it's hard. In China it's the other way around - it's hard there, but you don't talk about it, you can't show it, and you have to present yourself well even with other people's money. In the Middle Kingdom, money is simply a matter of honor.

My good Chinese friend is expecting his second child. Since neither he nor his wife are only children and they live in a big city, they cannot simply obtain consent for a second child. They have to pay a penalty of approximately PLN 50,000. zlotys. It's hard to imagine, but this is the reality in China. It all depends on the province, on whether the first child is a son or a daughter, whether they live in a city or in the countryside, etc. Generally, the authorities completely control the number of births. The solutions are financial penalties, hiding the child or abortions. It is also possible to give birth in Hong Kong for a fee, so that the child will immediately have a different citizenship and more freedoms. This service is a similar amount to this fine. The problem, however, is that the border guard does not easily let pregnant women cross the border. As I assume, you need a letter confirming the hospital's consent and the possibility of giving birth in Hong Kong. It's hard to hide an advanced pregnancy, no one wears coats in hot weather, and there are body temperature scanners - they also probably show the mother's belly. Some may say that it is good that China controls the population, but this is only an appearance. More and more wealthy families decide to have more children and simply pay the fines without a word of objection. People in power don't even have to worry about it, local businessmen and local government officials don't even have to worry about such regulations. So this birth control mainly affects ordinary, simple Chinese people who have no rights, not even the right to a second child! Is this fair?

We are observing that China is becoming more and more "branded". Small, small shops, stalls and markets are disappearing faster and faster (at least in large cities), and in their place are more exclusive, branded boutiques, shops and showrooms. This applies to every industry: clothing, jewelry, automotive, cosmetics, electronics. It is true that the government always supports local products, but an increasingly wealthy society prefers global, recognizable brands. It is known that someone who has an iPhone looks better than someone using a TCL phone. The same applies to jackets, skirts, watches... People start comparing and judging each other. It even comes to the point that some poorer girls from KTV clubs or some waitresses try to have a decent phone. That's why shopping in Hong Kong has become so popular, where there are branded items on every corner. In Chinese metropolises such as Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Beijing, we can also find many famous brands. The irony is that sometimes these famous products are produced in the same factories where typical Chinese products are made for the local market. This applies, for example, to clothing, shoes and handbags. However, the Chinese increasingly trust appropriate stickers, markings and logos, which are not always distinguished by quality, but rather by price. I guess that's what it's all about - to spend as much as possible and impress everyone around you.