The Alisaurus Blog

One of my favourite things about China is Chinglish (incorrect English, particularly of the Chinese variety). The other day I came across this blog with a hilarious Chinglish menu on it. I laughed outloud for way longer than is healthy. What was almost as interesting as the menu, were the comments. Some of them insisting the menu must be a fake, and many accusing the people who laughed at it of racism. Firstly, I have to say that even if that one was a fake, there are plenty more like it that are real. I’ve seen some pretty terrible ones already.

I was talking about the racism aspect with a friend the other day, and we agreed that if you define racism as treating someone a certain way based on their race, then pretty much everyone is racist to some extent. It’s virtually impossible to avoid having some preconceptions about races, based on things you’ve heard. If someone says “all Chinese people are liars“, it might make you wary of Chinese people, or it might make you sympathetic towards them, or it might just make you roll your eyes at the person who said it, but it’s not going to leave you totally unchanged. Of course I don’t condone racism (far from it), and while it’s difficult to shed these accumulated attitudes, it’s something we can overcome. Firstly by combatting the ignorance that leads to the bigger and more general predjudices, against not just race, but religion, gender, social class etc. eg. “all Arabs are suicide bombers“. Then when people stop thinking and expressing these views, it will stop influencing others. Education, folks!

Onto the next question: What constitutes a racist act? In my opinion, some people go too far in their accusations of racism. Some people will manage to find racism in any situation that involves (or doesn’t involve) a person of any race. Is laughing at a sign written in poor English racism? I think it depends on exactly what you’re laughing at and why. I laugh because the words are funny, and unexpected. Seeing “cowboy leg” on a menu is funny to me regardless of why it’s there, who wrote it etc. It’s just not something you expect to find on a menu. It’s got nothing to do with the race of the person who wrote it. It would be funny what ever language it came from. Or to, if you could understand the language. It’s even funny when an English speaker makes a mistake in English. And it has nothing to do with thinking the person who did it is stupid either. I laugh at myself when I make mistakes in Chinese or English. A while ago, I was in the canteen and they didn’t give me any chopsticks, so I went back and was about to say “我没有裤子“, when I realised that was “I don’t have any trousers“, not “I don’t have any chopsticks“! (quite similar pronunciation) I think the less like the intended meaning, or more like another meaning, the funnier it is. Telling the canteen staff I didn’t have a plate wouldn’t have been half as funny has having no trousers. Anyone else have views on the issue?

So… onto the Chinglish. Click the thumbnails for bigger pictures.

At Zhuhai airport. If it’s any clue as to the meaning, they redirected passangers from an incoming plane up an escilator (not an elevator) with this sign.

Sadly, even in this cute lunchbox, my dinner didn’t nicety look delicious.

Kind of ironically, I believe all the things you need to know were only written in Chinese.

I do believe this is Spanish for “fire extinguisher cupboard”.

I assume the “limitless magnificence” can only be guaranteed if you use the sultanas correctly.

I found these flumps in the dried fruit section of my local supermarket, near the sultanas. They didn’t actually taste all that great.

I’ve had a few… let’s say “hickups” in the process of coming to China to study, and I don’t want them to go to waste, so here is some advice from my experience, for others who might be doing similar.

• Currency: If you’re going to take foreign currency to change, go for US dollars, Euros, maybe English bank notes. I can guarantee you, you will not be able to change Scottish notes. Legally, you should, or rather Scottish notes are legal tender, they’re worth the same as English notes etc. but even some people elswhere in Britain don’t know that.

• Assistance: When I got to Beijing Airport, some kind and official-looking people offered to help me with my luggage and find my terminal, then they demanded money from me. I was later informed by a waitress in an airport cafe that they were thieves. It’s difficult to know if something is just a custom you’re unaware of, but in this case, it’s just trying to rip-off tourists. Don’t give them money, don’t hand over your tickets, and don’t accept their help if you don’t want it.

• Visas: I was advised to get a student (X) visa to enter China, but I would advise others to simply get a tourist visa. It works out a lot cheaper to get a tourist visa, then pay to get it changed by your university once in China, than to get an X visa, which includes an expensive medical which you will have to retake in China, for less money, to attend university. In my experience, they won’t accept medicals you bring from other countries, and make you redo them here anyway. And whichever type of visa you enter on, you need to apply for a residents permit anyway.

• Residents permit: I was under the impression that a student visa was multiple entry, but it’s actually single entry, until you get your residents permit, which you must do within 30 days of entering the country. I entered China, a few days later went to Macau, thinking that I’d get my residents permit when I got back to China a week later, and found out that was my visa now used up, and had to get another, tourist visa, to get back in.

• Residents registration: You must register your residence in China, I think within 24 hours of moving in somewhere. If you stay at a hotel (or in the uni dorm here), they register you when you check-in, so you don’t need to do anything. If you move into a flat or anything, you need to register at your local Public Security Beaurau (no idea how to spell that). There’s a fine if you don’t. EEK!

• Macau and Hong Kong: I think if you’re coming from most places, you don’t need a visa to enter Macau and Hong Kong. In terms of visas, they’re not part of China so going from either to the Mainland is an “entry” and going from the mainland to either is an “exit”. Some people don’t know that. Keep an eye on the number of entries on your China visa.

• Entries: When you enter a country, they give you a little piece of paper, and may or may not tell you to hold on to it. When you leave, they want it back. When I entered Macau, no one told me this, so I used my piece of paper as a bookmark, and forgot about it. When I tried to leave, there was a little confusion as I had no recollection of ever having been given this thing. Apparently it can cause you bigger problems. I since found my slip in one of my books, and shall take it with me when I return to Macau in a few months, and see if they still want it. :)

I couldn’t be bothered to go out for dinner this evening, so I bought a Pot Noodle style noodle pot. One of the characters on the packaging was 馬 (mă, “horse”, 马 in simplified Chinese), all calligraphied up to look like a horse, complete with a little man riding it!

I really love Arabic calligraphy that is done to look like something, but I’ve never seen it in Chinese until now. I wonder if it’s common? The nature of the Arabic script (it being joined-up, for one) lends itself a lot more to this style than Chinese, but a number of Chinese characters, such as ?, are based on the appearance of an object, though over time they’ve become more and more abstract, so it shouldn’t be a huge stretch to write them stylised to look more like the object, as on the noodles. Maybe it’s the Islamic influence on the noodles? (they’re Halal, and the guy on the horse doesn’t look Han to me) I actually really hope it is, then I can work it in to my essay on Islamic influence in China. Anyhow, I can’t imagine this is the first time it’s been done, and I’d love to see some more.

I believe in karma. I don’t believe in previous lives, but I do believe that what goes around comes around. I believe that good deeds with a pure motive are rewarded, though most likely not in the way you expect them to be. I believe “bad” is just an absense of “good”, so bad deeds are punished with an absense of reward, and sinking into the Hell we create within ourselves. Whatever your religious, political, social leanings are, I think this is such an important concept to believe in. If you believe in it, you’ll act on it, and there will be order in the world.

“That which traineth the world is Justice, for it is upheld by two pillars, reward and punishment.” - Bahá’u'lláh

I pondered this concept for quite some time, thinking that surely people could be good, and do good deeds, without hoping for reward or fearing punnishment. For example, a person might save a child from a burning building, knowing that they will die in the process, and get no reward or acclaim. Surely that’s totally selfless and not motivated by reward? Well, no. The reward is that the child doesn’t die. No sane person would do all that if the element of the child (or similar) wasn’t there. All that would remain is punnishment (death). If you see your death as a good thing, and want to go into the building, then that’s reward for you. By the very nature of a deed being “good”, something positive must come out of it, and that is the reward. I don’t think it’s selfish or weak to admit you’re motivated by reward and punnishment, unless you’re only motivated by rewards such as money, it’s just human nature, and we cannot escape it. Could we try to go against it, and do things that will only result in punnishment or no reward? I don’t think we could. I think you’d still be being motivated by trying to prove that it was possible.

What prompted all this? At lunch today, I was overcharged. I didn’t realise until I was walking of the cafe, but it was only the price of a cup of coffee or a cake, and money isn’t that important, so I let it go, and forgot about it. I went to a different cafe for dinner, and they mixed up my order and I didn’t get my food. An hour after I ordered, I figured they’d forgotten and went and asked politely about it. The waitress was extremely appologetic, got my food, and gave me a free cake. Plus, in that time I would have been stuffing my face with pizza, I wrote 500 words of my essay.

“My calamity is My providence, outwardly it is fire and vengeance, but inwardly it is light and mercy…” - Bahá’u'lláh

…and sometimes even cake :)

Before I came to China, I worried quite a bit that I would unwittingly do things that cause offence in Chinese culture. However, I never considered things the other way round. One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced here is dealing with things that are considered offensive or bad-mannered in Britain (and thus I see that way), but are perfectly acceptable here. Of course Britain isn’t perfect and there are plenty of people who don’t stick to these socially approved forms of behaviour, but they’re generally frowned upon.

I consider myself pretty open to other cultures, and not easily offended, so this has been an interesting experience, and I’m not sure how to deal with it.

In Britain, if there are a number of people waiting for, say, a bus, or to be served in a shop, you’re expected to stand in an orderly queue. Pushing in to the queue isn’t acceptable. In China, especially at bus stops, there’s often no queue, and people will push you out of the way to try to get on a bus. I was discussing this with someone and they offered the explanation that there’s not enough to go round here, and so if you don’t fight for what you want, you won’t get it. That makes sense to me.

Similarly, if people are walking in opposite directions along a narrow pavement and there isn’t enough room for both to pass by, someone will stand to the side to let the other past, sometimes both people will stand aside, and it’s nice to offer a “thank you” if someone does that for you. So far, it’s been me standing to the side every time. Sometimes I’ll stop to let people past and 10 people will walk past, no one acknowledging me, and no one letting me past. I actually find it quite amusing when it happens as it’s just so different to what I’m used to. It’s also interesting to watch people determinedly plough on ahead when you can see there isn’t really enough room for them to get past. Today I saw 2 bike things (a great number of vehicles here are bicycle based, with various cart and roof contraptions added on). I didn’t see them approach each other, but when I turned round, they were facing each other, stuck, and neither of them was making an effort to reverse.

The exception to this seems to be with holding doors and gates open. People frequently do it for me, and I always do it for them, and a “thank you” is always exchanged. I wonder if it’s because it’s a slightly more personal interaction? Maybe it has something to do with it happening more in the entrances to residential complexes than on the street?

The thing is that they’re not rude or stubborn people, this is just the way things are done here. People don’t do it to be rude, and others don’t take offense. I’m developing a thicker skin and trying to lose my British ways, and not take offense if someone pushes past me, but the problem I’m having is with how I should act. Should I just do the same? “When in Rome…”, a man told me the other day. No one will take offense if I do, and I’ll stand a better chance of getting a seat on the bus (not that I’m really too bothered). It just doesn’t feel right to me though, so should I just keep on letting people past like I’m used to?

There’s another issue. On the one hand, it’s just a difference in culture. One of my lecturers last year told us that “common sense” is not absolute, and it applies to customs and manners too. Just because in my country it’s seen one way, that doesn’t mean that other countries are wrong. On the other hand, I don’t think things like this are in line with Bahá’í teachings, and as a Bahá’í, I have to stick to them. Furthermore, though Bahá’í law is not binding on anyone who does not identify themself as a Bahá’í, so I can’t, and won’t, criticize anyone for not following them, they are intended to be applicable to everyone, so it’s my duty to try to inspire others to follow them, for their own good.

So I think, with a spirit of limitless patience, I shall continue to let people in front of me in queues, stand aside on narrow pavements, no matter how long I have to wait, and all the other things I consider good manners, and pray that my odd 老外 behaviour inspires others.

“Blessed is he who preferreth his brother before himself.” Bahá’u'lláh.

So, after 2 entries (both of which I wrote at least a first draft of before starting this blog), I thought I’d better do some kind of an introductory post and explain the name. You can find the domain name explanation here, so I’m going to explain Alice’s Adventures in China. It may sound like a play on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, but it’s sooooo much more pretentious than that. It comes from Chinese author Shen Congwen’s “阿丽思中国游记” (Alisi Zhongguo Youji or Ailisi Zhongguo Youji, depending on where you look). The title is more literally “Alice’s China travels“, but when you translate it back into English, you kind of lose that he was referring to Alice in Wonderland, so I used a bit of artistic license (yes, I now consider myself an artist). I haven’t actually read the story, but I’ve studied other works of Shen Congwen. I’m not sure if there’s actually an English translation, so I might have to get my hands on a Chinese one and attempt to read it. I just heard the title and knew I wanted to use it when I went to China :)

Lately I’ve been looking at a lot of religious websites, and it’s stirred up mixed feelings. I can only really comment on websites about the Bahá’í Faith, as it’s the only religion I know a lot about, but I’m certain this happens to a great number of other religions too.

There are a number of websites with negative content about the Bahá’í Faith. On the one hand, I don’t have a problem with this. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and everyone is entitled to express it. I think it’s pretty admirable when people care so much about their fellow humans that they go out of their way to protect them from something they perceive to be harmful. Although I think the Bahá’í Faith is a great thing, if you have reason to believe it’s harmful, then get that thought out there. We can’t independantly investigate a religion if all the information is coming from one source. That’s a pretty biased investigation. Well, the best way to find out about a religion is to actually read the writings on which it’s based, but if you’re going for human interpretation, it’s good to get a variety of opinions.

That said, I think there should be a level playing field. No lies, no quoting out of context, no manipulating the facts, no sneaky tactics to mislead people.

I’ll give an example from Bahai-Faith.com:

“What do Bahá’ís really believe about the founder of their religion, Baha’u'llah? Do they believe he is simply the latest bearer of divine teachings for humanity, equal to the founders of earlier religions such as Moses, Muhammad, Buddha, and Jesus Christ, each of them the “Manifestation of God” for a particular time and place? This is what Bahá’ís usually say, and probably this is what many of them believe. But is this is real doctrine of the Bahá’í faith? What do the Bahá’í scriptures say about Baha’u'llah’s station compared to other great prophets and spiritual leaders of the past?…”

I’m not going to get into the particulars of the Bahá’í view on this topic right now (ask me if you want a terrible ineloquent explanation, or go look it up), but basically no, I wouldn’t say that Bahá’ís believe that “he is simply the latest bearer of divine teachings for humanity”. I think one of the fundamental points of the faith is that He is the promissed one of all ages, and holds a unique station among the Manifestations. I’m sure most Bahá’ís would be happy to tell you that, and it’s pretty easy to glean from the writings, like the ones quoted on that site. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with stating the Bahá’í view of the station of Bahá’u'lláh, but I don’t approve of the suggestion that Bahá’ís try to hide this, which, in my experience, is just not true.

In a way, I’m kind of thankful for this sort of thing being out there, though the best case scenario would be different. I think I first came across this site just after I declared, and it shook my newly-discovered faith. It presented things I didn’t know about, and hadn’t thought about, and made me really seriously study the faith with a critical eye. I kept an open mind, and considered all opinions and came to my own conclusion that a lot of what’s presented on these sites is biased and manipulated. When I studied all the facts, not just what was presented on these sites, a lot of things made sense. For example, censorship of material published by Bahá’ís. What if I, as a Bahá’í, was to go and publish a book entitled “The Bahá’í Faith And Why Women Will Never Be Equal To Men In The Sight Of God”? That opinion is a direct contradiction to the principles of the Bahá’í Faith, and publishing that as the Bahá’í view couldn’t possibly be a good thing. (“Women and men have been and will always be equal in the sight of God.” - Bahá’u'lláh) Likewise, if I went around telling people that I’m a Bahá’í and I believe that men and women will never be equal, or acting on it, it would be a matter for concern. The point is not putting a Bahá’í label on un-Bahá’í things. I don’t think a group of any sort would like their label applied to things contrary to their principles: homophobia in the Gay and Lesbian Alliance, pork pies in the Vegan Society etc.

So yes, I’d like to thank these people for providing an alternative perspective on the Bahá’í Faith, and for making me investigate it critically, but I’m seriously worried that people will think that studying sites like these constitute a full investigation of all perspectives, because it really only presents an anti-Bahá’í perspective. Do lots of reading, don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions, and search within yourself. I think it’s really important to consider if your faith holds up without the love and support of Bahá’ís you may have come to know. See if there’s really a personal connection between you, God and Bahá’u'lláh. You may just find yourself lost and alone in the middle of Guangzhou, with no one but God on your side. (Trust me. It can happen.) I’m certainly not trying to put anyone off the faith, but as wonderful and important as community are, don’t allow yourself to simply fall in love with them for their own sake, but “Love the creatures for the sake of God…” (’Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 92).

The fact that so many things presented on these sites as things that came as a surprise to them well after they became Bahá’ís, leads me to suspect that they never fully investigated the Faith, maybe were too in love to consider anything that might discourage them.

When I got back to the dorm this evening, I went to pay my rent and the lady at the desk gave me a newspaper. She told me in Chinese that she’d recognised me on the cover and kept it to give to me. Sure enough, there’s a colour picture of me eating an ice cream and pointing to a Chairman Mao schoolbag. She said the photo was very pretty. You can also see the back of my friend Jamie’s head. I think that wins the “weirdest thing that’s happened to me today” prize. The text says:

“外国游客青睐“军用”书包

10月1日至4日，昆明街头到处人头攒动,各大商场开展各种各样的促销优惠活动，生意十分火爆。不少店主表示，黃金周的生意一年比一年好，消费者买到了卖惠的商品，商家赚得喜笑颜开。这不，黃金周成了市民的购物周,连外国游客也喜欢上中国产品。

Or in poorly translated English:

“Foreign Tourists Admires “Military” Schoolbag

From the 1st to 4th of October, the streets of Kunming were bustling. The major shops had a range of promotions and sales and business was very popular. Many shopkeepers said that this is the “golden week” of good business year after year. The sales benefit customers buying goods, and the businesses make money. Something something the golden week became the public’s shopping week(?), and even foreign tourists also like Chinese products.”

Getting on the cover of a newspaper wasn’t on my ‘Things to do in China’ list, but it SO should have been! My first thought when I saw the picture was that it looked like the article might be about shoplifting or making fun of Chairman Mao. Neither things that I’d particularly like to be accused of in a newpaper. It’s incredibly weird to think that when you’re out shopping, someone might be watching you or taking photos.