After reading COUNTRY DRIVING, Part 2, share FIVE specific insights Hessler makes about driving and Chinese culture that you find important, and ONE specific question you have after finishing the reading.
Please use 2-3 sentences for each observation, and cite page numbers, so we can all follow your thinking.
Post your reading response below, as part of this blog thread.
Xie Xie,
Dr. W
1. (pg 61) Not many Chinese drivers took long road trips because in the country there was a high toll expense and they were also very inexperienced. Since there were not that many people on the road the highways were empty therefore you could see many beautiful sights.
ReplyDelete2. (pg 76) Since so many drivers were inexperienced the winter was a bad season for accidents. As he was driving they encountered a traffic jam resulting from trucks gas lines freezing and then causing other cars to go off the road trying to get by or simply getting stuck. This shows that even in such remote places there are a ton of people driving now but there was no police or traffic control.
3. (pg 81) The Mongols stole livestock,household goods,and even Chinese people. The Mongols would bring them back their villages and force them to make families. They were also forced to be spies and gather military intelligence. Their families were essentially held in Mongolia as hostages (this is nuts)
4. (pg 91) As he drove further he noticed less and less people and when he did see them they were either very old and disabled or they were children. Migrants abandoned their children for their grandparents to take care.
5. Chinese crowds can be very unpredictable. A small altercation can lead to a huge fight if the crowd gets big enough. A lot of people in the town are drunk so this can happen a lot. It can be something very small but because the crowd gets large the altercation can escalade just because of the attention. Hope this doesnt happen when we are there!
Question: Do they not have any laws about drunk driving? Or even drunk biking?!
1. Page 65: “It’s easier to ask forgiveness than permission.” Reminds me of a part in the video (blanking on title) we were watching in class on Wednesday. Mao Zedong’s sent one of his generals/advisors (blanking on name again) to the countryside to oversee the farmers. Upon arriving the general/advisor saw the harsh conditions facing the farmers, yet he farmers didn’t ask permission to have better conditions instead they just bowed their heads and nodded.
ReplyDelete2. Page 73: The Chinese term “strange stones” is used when referring to a rock that resembles some other object. Hessler’s story behind this term re-ignites my nerves when thinking about bartering in China. So nervous!
3. Page 78: The fact that the Party’s campaign to develop the west by balancing inner and coastal economies is not taking root is somewhat hilarious to me. I can’t help but think Genghis Khan was able to concur central Asia from Eastern Europe to Japan, and that was back in the 12th century.
4. Page 85: The mausoleum for Genghis Khan exemplifies the fact that even though Genghis was a Mongol he is viewed as Chinese because he and his son Kublai Khan not only tolerated Chinese culture, but at times promoted it and Chinese customs.
5. Question: Where is Genghis Khan’s body?! More seriously, what does Hessler mean when he says, “[i]n the town of Yanchi, I got my hair washed…”(94). Is it a normal thing to just get your hair washed or does he mean a haircut?
Page 60) But China had yet to develop a functioning highway patrol, and the few cops I saw were simply on their way to some other destination. They always flashed their rack lights, probably because they'd seen it in American movies, but they weren't patrolling and they weren't in a hurry." That's crazy, at least from an American view point. Cops in the states love patrolling highways and I have always seems cops abuse their rack lights.
ReplyDelete2 Page 65) Cheery car company reminds me of Ta-Ta steel in India. It was a domestic company that was able to capitalize on the car market that was just emerging.
3 Page 75) "As Of this month, this stretch of road has had 65 accidents and 31 fatalities" That's crazy, I wish Hessler had included what day of the month. Almost half of the accidents have had fatalities. No wonder its difficult to get a drivers license in China.
4 Page 83)"For Mongols, though, political legitimacy ultimately depend on genetics. Leadership was supposed to be confined to the direct heirs of Genghis Khan, and anybody outsides this like had few ways of improving his standing." Very much like medieval Europe you had to be born into a leading family to have a shot to be king.
5 Page 87 "Do you think Hitler was evil? It doesn't matter, that's not important for me to decide. What matters is that he left his name for history. You can call him a fascist or anything else you want to , but he succeeded in leaving his name, just like Genghis Khan." This is a strange passage because its a Mongolian women talking to an American about how Yeah people do horrible things, but they will be remembered.
Page 88) Why did she think that an American tourist was a spy?
70) People driving older than 50 may be subject to legal restrictions. that's probably a good thing but maybe it should be more like 65. I mean my grandpa drives good for his age, just too slow.
ReplyDelete85) The difference between signs at the museum is interesting. In English the sign states that world knew Genghis. The Chinese sign suggested only the Chinese knew Genghis.
94) The town of Salt Pool sits six miles within the Wall. I think it's funny how the majority of town names in China are so literal or have to do with killing people (maybe not funny).
99) For 48 of the states, people have to pump their own gas. In two states, usually some guy pumps it for you. In China, it's rare to see a self service station as well as a man pumping your gas. That's a woman's job.
107) Without trucks or semi-descent roads, goods were transported by camel back. Some convoys were ten camels deep loaded to the brim.
Do Chinese officials think every foreigner is a spy?
Pg 128-129. The small village of Sancha seems to be moving backwards in time. They have no cars, cell phones, restaurants, or a place where someone could spend money. Sounds like a cheap vacation spot.
ReplyDelete142, Hessler recalls that while staying near the great wall there was little noise from his neighbors “I rarely hear the noise of children playing”. Every once in a wile he would hear his neighbors gathering to buy food but that was about it. I think this is due to the responsibilities given to children at young ages.
148. The children looked out of place and stiff in their new school clothes. Hessler mostly saw the children running around in dirty tank tops, and underwear.
155. I like this quote, “ I hadn’t fully understood the situation while it was unfolding. I often felt like that in China; the place had a way of making me feel slow-witted. Sometimes I benefited from this stupidity.” Life is complicated in China, and I think this type of situation will happen to me frequently in Beijing.
172. The Chinese love talking about food and children. The mothers would talk about their children and their eating habits. “ fruit, eggs, milk- he wont eat anything that good for him”.
1. (p.132-133) It's amusing how even in a tiny village in China there are still people who report every tiny thing to the police. It's interesting that even the police choose to ignore 'Shitkicker' once he cries wolf one too many times.
ReplyDelete2. (p.144) The women are married in from outside of the town. In my China vs. Japan class, it was briefly glossed over that there are 120 men for every 100 women, leaving many women to be kidnapped and married off in the country. I wonder how many of those women willingly chose to marry in Sancha.
3. (p.146) Considering how culturally driven the Chinese people are, it's amazing how little interest the people of Sancha have in their own history. They tore down part of the Great Wall, and only regretted that it would have made a great tourist attraction.
4. (p.157) Classism appears to be a little more extreme in China. If a peasant enters the city dressed in peasant clothing, they'll be completely ignored-even by doctors and nurses.
5. (p.200) How Wei Ziqi talks to his son is fascinating. He nearly insults him, hits him, but ultimately it's because he worries. This is probably because, as parents, they only have one shot to get it right with their child.
Q: Why do the Chinese think it is so impressive that he has driven for nearly twenty years? Haven't they had cars for at least that long?
Loving these China Driving posts, Mojo'ers!
ReplyDeleteMissing:
Katrina
Ryan
Rob
Get on board, and get Hen Hao!
Xie Xie,
Dr. W
Page 62- The founder of the Republic of China personally wrote to Henry Ford Complimenting him and encouraging him to visit and that there was a market for him there. Eventually Ford had two dozen dealerships open in China and talks of an assembly line.
ReplyDeletePage 62- Originally the Chinese drove on the left side, but American cars were built for the right and American soldiers weren't used to it. General Wedemeyer proposed that all of China just switch. After Japanese surrender in 1945, they did.
Page 65- The central Chinese government wasn't allowing new automobile manufacturers in China. Yin Tongyao doesn't get bother with the detail of the law and traveled the world snatching up various country and company technologies and claimed his company to be a " Automotive Components" company. Until they produced an automobile in 1999 that was basically a knock off Jetta. needless to say the Goverment wasn't happy but gave him permission to sell country wide in 2001. Volkswagen recieve a financial settlement and there was no legal action.
Page 66-70- OBVIOUSLY while TEST DRIVING a car is smart (sarcasm)." the Chinese engineer, whose job involved quality control and test driving, had received his license only one month earlier." this shows how inexperienced to the field the nation was.
page 70- BEST LAWS EVER! "by law an applicant for a track or bus drivers license must be younger than fifty. NO ONE OVER THE AGE OF SEVENTY CAN OPERATE A PASSENGER VEHICLE."
Do the Policemen statues in Bautou have any efficiency? I want to see some stats before and after installation.