ZhongGuo Huan Ying Ni (Welcome to China)

by Tara Overzat

Going back to China for vacation was a weird combination of going back to somewhere familiar while having a new eye-opening experience. I cavalierly did very little planning, being familiar with the language and culture and having been to most of the places on our itinerary before. In retrospect, a little bit planning could have gone along way…

Things I missed after leaving China two years ago:

1) JingBings – okay, this isn’t quite the right name for it, but for my fellow expats, those are those yummy egg & batter burritos the street vendors make. They cost 3 kuai (about 43 US cents) and are as addictive as crack.

2) ErGuoTou – a very potent Chinese “white wine” (bai jiu) sold for about 2 kuai (US 30 cents) that is only palatable when mixed with Coke.

3) Hearing Chinese all around me.

4) Hilariously struggling with my Mandarin at stores, restaurants, cabs, etc.

Things I did not miss… and conveniently downplayed in my mind before returning to ZhongGuo :

1) People spitting in the street… especially right in front of you. This includes stooped over, very old ladies, who will make the extra effort to make a frighteningly deep hocking noise before spitting a loogie.

2) Cars without safety features, shocks, suspension, cushioning for my fat ass, etc.

3) Ditto on buses and airplanes.

4) Trash in the street— cigarette butts, plastic bags, food packaging, food (including a hilariously placed banana peel on the street in KunMing)

5) Smoggy air.

6) Wincing every time I see a family on a simple bicycle get too close to a truck, bus, or car. Bike vs. Auto— my money’s not on the bike.

The good news is that China, which has been experiencing near-miraculous growth for the past several years, impressed me with its continued expansion. Living in Beijing, I got to experience the growth through a day-by-day perspective. However, with a two year gap, the advancements were even more extreme and apparent. Perhaps the biggest differences were seen in the resort city of SanYa (on Hainan Island). The last time I vacationed there, things were comparatively quaint and relaxed. My travel companions and I were even able to camp out on a beach just north of the city, having a nearly untouched beach to ourselves, where a local man spear-fished in the morning catching fresh squid and fish. Today, SanYa is fast-becoming a hot tourist destination covered by the New Yorkt Times, and is rife with high-rises, well-known international hotels, and glitzy lights. Not a bad improvement but a far cry, from the pristine beaches of just three years ago.

Above is a video of the Sanya Pearl River Hotel at night, with its changing lights.

“There are a lot more Starbucks than I remember!” I remarked to my boyfriend after a day or so in Hong Kong. Though the city was still the bustling mass of Chinese, Indian street merchants, and international businessmen and travelers, it was a little jarring to now see a Starbucks on every corner. Below is a video of early morning Tai Chi taking place oddly next to a McDonald’s, another odd example of east meets west.

My beloved city of Dali, in Yunnan Province, was more touristy now than before. Expats and travelers have long decried that Dali was going from a backpackers’ haven off the beaten path to tourist trap. But to see for myself that in a mere two years time hoardes of Chinese tour groups were crowded outside its storied walls, was quite a disappointment. Fortunately, a lot of the restaurants and bars on “Foreigners’ Street” are still around, including a relatively recent addition simply called “Vodka.” A friendly woman from Yunnan Province, Kiki, tends bar and is knowledgeable in an assortment of bar games.(Oh, and she is more than happy to loan you yellow nail polish to fix your nails as you sip on some vodka. While you’re there, there’s a green-tinited vodka you’ll want to try.)

View from the walls of Old Dali at sunset

There will be more ruminations on China to come, including some articles on how to get a job in China and what it is like to live there.