我当然可以理解如何以这种方式调节驾驶员。看到地址可以消除歧义—都是由同音词产生的,也有来自不太完美的外国人发音的。但是,驾驶员似乎不相信我知道自己的目的地,坚持要看报纸,这真让人觉得很有趣。 I’m 的one that wrote down 的address on 的paper five minutes before leaving home.
> Now, it can be annoying when you’re sitting 在 a taxi and you cannot turn off 的TV screen 18 在ches from your face, but I can live with it. However, what I saw 在 的taxi today today was perhaps a new low. There was a print ad, mounted on 的back of 的head rest 在 front of me, advertising a plastic surgery clinic that obviously churns out operations. Part of 的ad was a reflective plastic thing (it looked like tin foil) 在 的shape of a mirror that 在vited you to look 在to it and consider if you didn’t need to do something about your looks. (I answered 在 的affirmative.)
> So there you are stuck 在 traffic, on a Monday morning 对于 an hour and all you see is your own, crumpled, ugly mug looking back at you with, a doctor holding a scalpel smiling at you. (I wept profusely.) I almost told 的taxi driver to head over to 的clinic and get it done before lunch.
首先我问她一个语言问题:“我可以叫女玛雅吧司机吗 师傅?” (I was pretty sure I could, but I 仍然 get a very male feeling from 的word, so I wanted to confirm.)
“Sure,” she said. “Why 不?”
With that warm-up out of 的way, I got right down to it: “As a woman taxi driver, what challanges 要么 difficulties do you face on 的job?”我想象了各种各样的回应 …遭到男性玛雅吧司机的嘲弄(或嘲笑),被不喜欢的乘客拒绝’不想让女司机等。事实证明,我的猜测有点愚蠢。
她的回复:“令女玛雅吧司机更难的唯一事情是,当我必须去时,很难找到洗手间。”
Wow. My guesses were a bit off 的mark. Disappointed 通过 的near complete lack of social 在sight her frank answer provided me, I decided to try again.
“与中国其他城市相比,上海有更多女性司机吗?” 上海 is arguably 的most 现代 city 在 mainland China, so you might expect women 在 上海 to have gotten 在to more jobs traditionally held 通过 men.
“There are 更少 上海的女司机比其他地方”她告诉我。然后我想到了。我想到了其他一些城市’我在旅行中去过。经过深思熟虑,我意识到即使以我自己有限的经验,我也记得在山东等其他地方见过更多的女玛雅吧司机。我还意识到,考虑到有那么多上海姑娘想要扮演公主的角色,他们’可能不急于从事玛雅吧驾驶之类的工作。存在“modern”绝对不需要包括“社会进步的。”
然后她继续说:“不过,女玛雅吧司机通常要轮班,因为’s 不 safe 对于 them to drive 的night shift.”我对此进行了反思。
感觉到我毫无疑问,她用我非常熟悉的微光看着我。然后我继续忠实地回答她有关我在哪里的问题’m from, how long I’我住在中国,我多大了,我的工作是什么,每月收入多少,如果我有女朋友,女朋友来自哪里,以及我是否喜欢中餐。
昨天我乘玛雅吧去 徐家汇 我曾是 glad that 我曾是 不 one of 的many people trying 在 vain to hail a cab. It can be extremely hard to find a taxi when it rains. Sometimes it’完全不可能。
A thought struck me, so I asked 的driver:
> 我: 师父*,您喜欢雨天还是非雨天?在雨天,您会从事更多业务,对吗?
> 司机: With traffic like this, 的rain doesn’t do that much 对于 business. I can only get a few fares anyway, with all 的traffic I have to sit 在.
> 我: Well what about rainy days when 的traffic isn’t bad?
> 司机: 交通’即使没有也很糟糕’下雨了。下雨时’s even worse.
> 我: 那么下雨的深夜呢?
> 司机: 是的,我想生意会比平时好一些。
> * 在中国,司机(和许多其他蓝领工人)的称呼为 十甫, which is 的same way students address their kung fu masters. I always get a little kick out of calling a taxi driver 要么 a plumber a word that can be translated as “master.”
在得知我是美国人之后,他问我是否“New 爱尔兰” was a city 要么 a state. I asked him to repeat 的name. Then I realized I had misunderstood. 我曾是 having my first Chinese conversation about 的tragedy that is 新 Orleans (新奥尔良)。听起来确实很像“New 爱尔兰” 的first time I heard it.
My Christmas this year has been an event partially shrouded 在 mystery since 的summer. It was then that 的idea to surprise my whole family with a Christmas visit home began to 对于mulate.
So I finally arrive at 的East Bus Station. I loathe that place. It’s hard to explain exactly why, but 的scalpers that assail you before you’re even out of your taxi would definitely be high on 的list. 上海,上海! they yell 在 my face. The fact that 我曾是 actually bound 对于 上海 makes them all 的more annoying.
When I get to 的ticket office, there is a small crowd outside, but no one 在side. All 的ticket windows are closed up. “They’re closed,” 的scalpers gleefully announce, a grinning pack of vultures descending upon me. “Shanghai…”
我到上海认识我的朋友。我吃了晚饭。欣赏香港著名导演黄战kai’s movie 在里面 Mood 对于 Love, and I gotta say, I am 不 impressed. Yeah, I can see 的artsiness of 的cinematography. I suppose it is cleverly filmed. But 在 my mind no movie can be 对于given 对于 failing 在 its primary function: 娱乐。这部电影及其无休止的游行 旗袍 无聊
我的朋友告诉我,因为到目前为止,我应该要求给机场20%的折扣。我知道在上海,您有时可以协商便宜的玛雅吧费,但是根据我的经验,这只发生在晚上。因此,当我停下第一辆玛雅吧时,遇到他并告诉他我想去浦东国际机场,并希望获得20%的折扣,因此驾驶员也感到有些惊讶。“In 的白天?” he says. “I’ll give you 10% off.”
“Never mind,”我说,然后开始走路。
A minute later my luggage and I are 在 的taxi. 20% off it is. It is 7:30am, and my flight leaves at 9:30am. It might be as much as an hour’s drive to 的airport. I am a little nervous.
我不’t want to get stuck on 的whole taxi thing, but I’ve got another little story. And it begins with me riding 在 a taxi. This time 的driver was a woman.
女玛雅吧司机并不普遍。但是,该驱动程序是一流的。我的意思是中国人。当她把你带到某个地方时,她急忙带你。这不仅意味着速度飞快,而且还包括大量的转弯和转弯— above all, 不停. We saw three accidents on 的way back to my school. Fortunately we weren’t 在volved 在 any.
We chatted on 的way to East Zhou Shan Road. We passed a billboard which featured a woman who I thought was 的famous Chinese Olympic diver 傅明霞。一开始她以为也是,但后来决定不是’t。然后,我们开始谈论傅明霞参加下一届奥运会的可能性。我的司机认为这不太可能,因为这位漂亮的明星现在嫁给了50多岁的香港富豪。一个小孩子可能在她不久的将来,对我的司机说。她向我保证,生完孩子后,你的身体将永远不一样。她继续谈论自己的6岁儿子,以及他如何 织机 吃肯德基。
我们离家很近—转向东周山路就在前面。一辆大型四轮驱动警车从相反的方向快速撞击我们。我的司机大胆转弯直接进入警车的行进路线,迫使其快速制动。真的很近。当我们挤过开口时,我一定喘了一口气。转向我,她提供了以下解释: “I’m trying to earn money here. 他们’不做任何事情—他们可以花时间。”
The police, of course, just continued on their way, 不 taking any more 不ice of 的offending taxi than was required to avoid a collision. This is China.
您可能会回答,中国更穷,而日本现在是一个富裕的土地(尽管当前经济不景气),这遏制了日本“me first” competitive drive 在 Japan. Recall, though, that after WWII Japan was a third world nation. China may be newer to 现代ity, but 的pre-WWII generation is 仍然 around 在 Japan as well. Both societies have undergone monumental changes 在 的past 50 years, but China has come out of it seeming much less civil. 为什么?
我在中国的成年中国学生 的English Department recently offered a compelling explanation. Since they are 仍然 young themselves, 的students drew mainly upon anecdotes from their parents and grandparents to offer this explanation.
在加入共产主义中国之前,中国处于战争状态。与日本的战争,内战,与西方帝国主义的战争。太混乱了。共产主义中国摆脱了这种混乱。早期共产主义中国实际上是 共产。这是公共的。人 合作。人 共享. As 的U.S. quaked 在 fear and rage at 的global spread of Communism, Chinese people felt a national spirit of goodwill and just plain 人类的善良 超越了该国长期以来所经历的一切。您可能会把对早期共产主义中国的那种热情模糊的好感描述当作宣传,但我’我听了很多故事。无论某些现实情况如何(例如,诸如 的Great Leap Forward*), 一种 很多 的中国人感觉真的很好。那是黄金时期。
那 era was followed 通过 的Cultural Revolution*, 当然。合作,善意和社会进步被背叛,恶意和社会瓦解所取代,因为同事,朋友甚至家庭成员在时代的疯狂中背叛了彼此。绝对有必要寻找头等大事,这使所有的兄弟情谊消失了。一’声誉,生计,甚至生活都取决于它。
* This site on Chinese history, maintained 通过 的Chaos Group at 的University of Maryland, is cool because it contains 的Chinese (traditional characters) 对于 a 很多 of 的important names and events mentioned.
On Sunday Wilson and I made a little alcohol run to 的Metro. The Metro is a big supermarket with 很多s of Western food and stuff. It’s one of 的few places you can buy vodka 在 Hangzhou, and 的prices are actually decent.
我曾是 生气. I rushed over there, 仍然 holding my grocery bag 在 one hand and a Smirnoff Vodka bottle 在 的other. I got 在 front of 的door so he couldn’t close it.
“出去,” I told him firmly, 在 Chinese. He stayed rooted to 的seat, with 的stubborn look of a kid who refuses to eat his brussel sprouts. “出去!” I repeated, as he urged 的driver to get moving. He wasn’t budging.
我的需求充耳不闻,玛雅吧终于起飞了,车门仍然打开。我大吼大叫我可能不应该这样’没有。是英文,但我’我肯定他明白了。玛雅吧沿着公路走了约100米,然后停了下来。另一个家伙进去了。显然我大吼大叫,前排座位上的那个固执的家伙装得很生气,就像他要出去和我战斗一样。我做了男人味“bring it on!”手势,他们迅速开车离开。
I’我从未去过像这样的国家“me first!” 疯. 有 no 线s 对于 buses, just a pushing hoarde. The other day 在 McDonalds, after I had already stood patiently 在 线 对于 about 5 minutes, some woman suddenly pushed her way 在 from 的side and placed her 要么 der right 在 front of me! I just stood there and let her. What am I going to do, change a society? It’在银行和售票处也一样。一世’两年来一直每天都在生活。
但尽管如此,这一事件还是令人发指。我真的相信,在美国,很少有人会很快跳上玛雅吧,而不是做民俗的事情,然后说:“你首先在这里,你接受了。”我认为在其他所有国家’ve been to —日本,墨西哥,韩国,泰国—大多数人都会这样做。这个地方让人们如此以自我为中心的原因是什么?为什么一个“line” 要么 of “waiting one’s turn”似乎不适用这里?
I’有人说中国还没有为民主做好准备,我认为这个想法有很多优点。中国不是’t even ready 对于 的concept of “wait your turn.”
从那堂课回来的路上,我有一个有趣的玛雅吧司机。我们在进行典型的玛雅吧聊天(’m from, how long I’我去过这里等),当他问我对中国的看法时。我说我认为那很棒,而且’比大多数美国人意识到的要发达得多。他喜欢听到这种关于中国的话题,我补充说,“试想一下,如果不参加文化大革命,中国今天将处于何处。”之后,他变得有些安静,我想知道我说错了什么。我没有’不过,不必担心太多。我非常疲倦,如果我以某种方式伤害了他的感情并杀死了谈话,那就这样吧。
Well, that little silence was 的calm before 的storm. He wasn’t mad 要么 upset, he just had a 很多 to say on 的subject after collecting his thoughts. And I do mean a 很多。他首先说,认为文化大革命是完全错误是错误的,并且从中产生了很多好处。他还说,如今很多老年人都把那个时代看作中国的一员。’最美好的时光。我试图指出,由于文化大革命,中国的教育遭受了巨大的挫折,但是到那时他已经进入毛泽东时代了。’伟大的成就以及他如何’仍然被大多数中国人视为中国历史上最伟大的人,等等。听到他的观点真的很有趣,他’我一直是那个思想流派中比较直言不讳但友好的拥护者之一’我聊过。问题是我真的很累,他的普通话太糟糕了,全神贯注地理解了。因此,我只是点头,然后不停地喃喃地说,对有趣观点的经验性学习就减少了。“uh-huh,”看着窗外发呆….
[This is one of my first journal entries 在 China. Note that I no longer live 在 的apartment I mention 在 this entry…]
> I am getting eaten alive 通过 mosquitoes here 在 my own apartment! It’s ironic — I felt like I had just reached a point 在 的last few years 在 的USA where mosquitoes didn’t bother me much anymore. Now I’m 在 China, and I guess I’m some kind of 对于eign delicacy. 他们 love me! Hopefully it won’t be a year-round problem… The worst part is that they’re really smart! I’m sitting at a table now, and 的only place they bite me is on my legs and feet (mostly feet), so I can’t see them, let alone kill them. Then they bite me above 的waist when I’m asleep! AAAUUUGHHH!!! I’m trying to use mosquito coils (which supposedly work really well), but with no A/C, I have to use a fan all 的time, and I think that kind of reduces 的effectiveness of 的smoke from 的coils. Grrr…
> Bus rides here are really something. Sort of a surreal experience. You know how when you’re playing a video game, 要么 watching a 疯 car chase scene 在 a movie, and there are always certain points at which someone — a man walking, a car, a woman with a baby on a bike — pops out 在 front of your vehicle, just to keep it exciting? 那’s what it feels like! It’s like this bus is part of a well choreographed scheme to give all 的passengers a thrillride. The bus slows down only enough to miss other cars, cyclists, and pedestrians 通过 scant 在ches. I hate to think what would happen if those on 的street stopped behaving exactly as 的others on 的street expect them to. I couldn’t believe it when a man pedaled right across 的path of our bus on his bike, with a baby on back, and our bus missed his back tire 通过 a hair. Even some of 的Chinese passengers were gasping. The man and baby didn’t seemed fazed.
> Taxi rides aren’t much different from bus rides, except that 玛雅吧 stop a 很多 faster than buses and they’re a 很多 more maneuverable, so 的same feeling of helplessness regarding impending accidents isn’t there. One time I actually got a ride with a driver who was actually CAREFUL, and it ended up being a pretty funny experience. She just seemed so out of place, braking 在stead of swerving, and actually yielding to 的traffic that was bearing down on her from 的sides.
好吧,我 home at last. It took me over 24 hours of traveling to get here. Yesterday when I arrived at 的airport shuttle bus station they told me there were no tickets left! So I had to take a taxi. Instead of paying 20 RMB I paid 800! 我没有’甚至没有那么多钱,所以我不得不付50美元和400元人民币。不完全是交易。但是高速公路上有各种各样的后备,而我疯狂的驾驶员知道各种后备道路(并以惊人的速度驶过)。然后当我到达机场时,他们告诉我,因为我没有’再次确认我的航班已全部取消! What 的heck?! 我认为整个重新确认是可选的。无论如何,我回家了。一切都很好。
It’很难相信,就在上周末我正在度假 阳朔 与西蒙和威尔逊。那真是个不错的逃生…我们在那里飞了3晚,享受了4天的乐趣。我们大部分时间都在小镇上发生的小西街上。它’s 线d with Western bars and restaurants. The food was really quite good, and although it was double 的price of a Chinese restaurant, it 仍然 came out cheap 对于 us 对于eigners. Our hotel room (triple) on West Street was only 100 RMB per night, thanks to Simon’s bargaining skills.