The Overhead Wire Daily | March 13th, 2024 | Stranger in a Strange Place
I think when people come back from a trip to a wonderful place they often compare the cities they live to the city they visited and spent a little time in. Of course visiting is never quite the same as living somewhere so the little imperfections might not be so apparent. So far I’m really enjoying my time here in China and have been watching from the windows of buses and taxis to see what might be the same or different from the US. There are things I like (multi-use pathways on most streets, lots of bus riders, and commerce everywhere) but also things I don’t (pollution and smell of diesel vehicles), but overall the experience has just been refreshing because it’s so different than home.
One thing I have noticed here is that I’m not burdened by the weight of politics, of everyday fights over infrastructure or planning, or general sadness over the state of the planet and its ecosystems. I get it in glimpses on my home social media feeds but I’m sure I’ll get back to those life dragging things in due time. I just don’t know enough about the politics here to comment or have an opinion and for the most part I’m interacting with people who are just living their lives or doing their work, whether that’s someone driving a cab or working at a restaurant or even my in-laws, who have asked me if what I’ve been experiencing is what I expected.
I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect as the media on China is often negative because its so focused on geopolitical issues. But really it feels similar to home except everything is in a different language, there’s a lot more people, and the buildings are tall everywhere. I do also notice that as a foreigner you get looks from many people you pass. None of them seem negative, but the eyes do linger more than I’m used to.
Those are minor things really when walking through neighborhoods that might as well be in any international oriented US city. The food is great, the people I see including children and young people want to say hello in English if they see me. A cab driver even tried to use a translation app as I was trying to get my internet to work. And I think this is something everyone should experience. It’s definitely not Europe which is where a lot of Americans will get their international experiences, but it’s definitely a place to take lessons from and just experience for themselves. Though I do recommend a translator and I thank my wife for that help and perhaps burden on her.
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