Life and Travel in China

A lot is changing in China. Modern technology improves the lives of the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom, but of course it also serves to surveil the entire society and each individual. One thing has definitely improved - taxis, taxi drivers and ride-hailing services. I remember almost 20 years ago, in the smaller town of YangJiang, when I was traveling in a taxi with a visible floor. In Shaoxing, the taxi driver had a completely damaged suspension and when we crossed bridges (and there were a lot of them there), his rear axle literally floated, as if on gelatin. Now most taxis are Chinese electric cars. You can use mini-bus services, order taxis for 6 passengers, with more space for luggage, etc. Interestingly, the prices of these services have not changed much over 15-20 years, and the quality has improved by 200%.

In the Middle Kingdom, digital television seems to be overproduced. As usual, hundreds of films and series about the civil war and the war with Japan. In addition, there are many films about modern, heroic soldiers. There is also a new fashion for sci-fi series, time travel and, of course, zombies. Original title in translation: "Walking dead zombie", of course the Chinese version. There are also some American and European films. Films carefully selected for political and historical correctness. There are also several newer productions available for free, such as "Blade Runner 2049". China offers digital TV and VOD on an incredible scale. Prime Video, HBO and Netflix are blocked here. Even if someone has access purchased outside China, these services are often unavailable even via VPN.

I like that traditional Chinese qipao dresses are slowly coming back into fashion. There are many such photos and outfits in my gallery. I have always been fascinated by shapely Chinese women in colorful, embroidered dresses. Motifs of dragons, phoenixes, floral motifs, well-selected color palettes, silky and airy fabrics or slightly heavier, more elegant dresses. A chain of stores from Shanghai selling such clothes has expanded its operations and they are available in many large cities in the Middle Kingdom. Moreover, in places that are tourist attractions you can rent such outfits, arrange makeup and a photographer. Many girls already have albums with such photos. I also have some new photography topics and I will be presenting them soon. Unfortunately, there is not enough time for everything, because the website should be changed and adapted to mobile devices. I keep this in mind and as soon as I have a few dozen free hours, I will work on new code.

I'm starting to really feel sorry for the Chinese students. The holidays are only now starting in the Middle Kingdom, but is it a break from studying for them? It just isn't. My friend's son has extra math lessons throughout the summer, every day. Her niece will have additional online lessons for about 3 hours a day. Moreover, they have 4 books to read during the holidays! They should also practice Chinese spelling every day. Would you like such a holiday? Is this a break for young people?

I met a tiktoker in China not too long ago. Although maybe we should say "wechaterka"? In the Middle Kingdom, TikTok is very popular, but many people also share companies on Wechat. Of course, millions of young people record films, it is not easy to stand out and stand out. The young Chinese student spoke excellent English. As it turned out, she liked this language since childhood, she watched English films, later she read English-language magazines, books, etc. She recorded in Chinese, but when she saw me with her friend, she invited us to her live recording. Of course, she had a tripod, a lamp (she was recording in the evening), and she chose a nice place with a beautiful illuminated fountain in the background near the Guangzhou East railway station. Next to her with similar equipment is her friend, dressed in the style of Japanese anime heroines, appropriate costume, makeup, styled hair, probably even some lenses on her eyes - something like cat eyes. A girl who spoke excellent English interviewed us live about Poland, our language, Polish girls. It was funny and interesting, an unplanned clash of two cultures. Unfortunately, despite the promise, the young artist did not send us this recording, so I have nothing to boast about :-(, but our interview is probably circulating somewhere on the Chinese Internet. After this meeting, however, I realized that more and more young people speak English well. In the past, in the years 2003-2010, speaking English on the street in a Chinese city or town was rare. It was impossible to communicate in offices, banks, shops, in a taxi, on a train. Now even cashiers they know some basic English. Foreigners in larger cities will find someone who will communicate with them, explain to them how to get somewhere, where to buy tickets, etc. A lot has changed in this matter.