Life and Travel in China

Such enclaves of white people have formed in Chinese cities. These areas are either expanding or several similar areas are being created in different parts of the metropolis. What is it about? On various forums and among friends who come to China, there is an opinion that a given region is popular among foreigners. What are the conditions for the creation of such an enclave? Firstly, there must be several different Western-style bars (American bars, Irish pubs), there must be a good shopping center and a hypermarket offering, among others, yellow cheese and imported products. It is equally important that this enclave has good, large apartments in new housing estates, sometimes with a view of the sea. Often in such areas there are also various massage parlors, many restaurants with English menus, some gyms/SPAs, and international schools for children of foreigners living in China. On the one hand, all this makes their stay in the Middle Kingdom easier, but on the other hand, it seems to separate them from "Chinese everyday life".

The real estate market in China continues to amaze me. Crisis is a rather foreign concept in this industry. Sure, during the worst period, many Hong Kong businessmen stopped investing in apartments in Shenzhen, but they did not get cheaper at all. They just stood empty and waited for better times. There are no winters in this region of China, there are no negative temperatures, so there is no need to heat the apartments, nothing bad will happen to them. The only defects and cracks are simply the negligence of construction companies. Prices are still shocking! In Poland, for PLN 350-450 thousand you can buy a house of 115-190 m2 in the suburbs with a plot (garden). In China, at this price you can buy any apartment (also in the suburbs) with an area of ​​​​approximately 60-70 m2. If someone wanted to live in the center of Shenzhen, Guangzhou or Shanghai, they could buy an apartment (usually built in a very simple way, white walls, the cheapest doors, cheap aluminum windows with broken hinges) for about 20-30 thousand RMB per 1 m2 (PLN 10-15 thousand). The problem is that this market cannot be saturated. There is no "family on its own" program here, the poor family just copes with poverty. The rich, however, buy one, two or three apartments. One for lovers, two for children, the third as an investment, for later resale or rental. It also happens in Poland, but certainly not on such a scale as in the Middle Kingdom. People like this keep driving this market and prices keep going up.

DID YOU KNOW THAT... in modern 21st century China, some family traditions still survive. Of course, it all depends on the province and customs, but there are some similarities. Some traditions have survived even in large cities. The point is that when there is a son and a daughter in the family, the apartment/house should in the future belong to the son and his wife. The daughter should leave and move to her future husband. That is why in China there is an expression "to take a wife" - literally, because the future husband must provide her with a "nest". When the girl's parents give their daughter away, they treat it as if they were 'throwing away the water'. The daughter will not come back and is not responsible for her aging parents. This is why a son or sons should take care of their parents. Such solutions resulted not only from customs, but also from the lack of a pension system (it is now being introduced).

My wife has a friend who has been trying for quite a long time to gain the favor of her beloved, or rather the acceptance of his family. In China, such 'blessing' of parents and grandparents is very important for both partners. There is practically no question of living together or getting married if one of the parties has any objections. These are often very traditional, even iron rules: will he provide her with a prosperous life, will she give birth to a son, is she pretty and shapely, does he have an apartment, etc. It sounds trivial, but Chinese families look at realities, not feelings. And it so happened that the boy's grandmother begged his girlfriend on her knees (literally) and with tears in her eyes to break up with her grandson and leave him alone, there was no question of weddings. His entire family could not accept the fact that the girl was very short - about 145 cm and was not a typical Chinese beauty. They were still together, they lived together in a different city than their families. Eventually they reached an agreement, but it probably took over a year. They got married, but she doesn't seem to appreciate this marriage very much. She cared so much, but some time ago she was bragging about how guys were hitting on her at the pool, how cute she was. She also once had dinner at a hotel with a foreigner she knew. A bit strange behavior for a girl who fought so hard for one Chinese man and literally fought with his family. Why did she sacrifice herself so much? Why did she make their lives difficult if now she is admired by others and likes to flirt?

I have the impression that Chinese cinema is getting worse every year. Maybe viewers in Poland perceive it differently, because there are few productions from the Middle Kingdom and if someone is interested in Asia at all, any film may arouse interest. It seems that lately, more and more commercial and crappy movies are being produced in China for the masses. There are unintelligent comedies, some parodies in the style of American movies. There are more and more quasi-romantic comedies in which a beautiful Chinese woman (from Hong Kong, for example) has to choose between a rich man and... a rich man. Of course, during the screening, the producer will promote a brand of car, perfume, handbag, etc. Films from 1990-2005 had more content, were about something, tackled difficult topics (limited by Chinese censorship, of course). I still like some historical war productions, but I'm terrified by the amount of computer effects. An army of thousands is created by a group of a dozen or so extras copied by computer to cover the entire panorama. Movies often use scenery that the average Chinese has never seen in their country - again, the use of computers, as well as the choice of completely isolated locations that do not remind me of the Middle Kingdom at all. Among the new films, I liked "The man behind courtney house" (守望者：罪恶迷途). It tells an interesting story in an unusual way. I also appreciate good dialogues, reflections on life, revenge and love. I liked the atmosphere, the surroundings and the set design, framing and camera work. A nice change from all those saccharine, commercial productions that promote the cult of money, expensive cars, large apartments, fake breasts, promiscuity and betrayal. Directors try to reach millions of viewers from large metropolises for whom material goods are most important. The film does not have to have a deeper message - it should show how to find a rich husband, how to cheat on your wife, what perfume to use and how to be 'cool' in the Chinese sense. Just America in China!