CHINA
Country Overview:
"A land of contrasts, where ancient traditions meet rapid modernization, and delectable cuisine coexists with complex political realities."
My seven-year journey in China, from May 2013 to August 2020, was a whirlwind of experiences. I taught English, pursued my Master's in Politics & Foreign Policy at the prestigious Tsinghua University, and immersed myself in the media landscape at China Today and Xinhua News Agency. Beijing was my home base, but my travels painted a vibrant tapestry of China's diverse landscapes and cultures: the bustling metropolis of Shanghai, the historic city of Xi'an, the tropical paradise of Sanya, the unique blend of East and West in Macau and Hong Kong, and countless other destinations in between. From savoring the exquisite flavors of regional cuisines to navigating the intricacies of daily life under a distinct political system, China left an indelible mark on me.
Good design
I understand the cost associated with something like this, but it makes traffic so much easier with pedestrians not blatantly disregarding street lights. I wish there were more of these in Beijing.
Don't mind the bad panorama. Cars were moving, things got weird
Elevators
One of the elevators in my building has been broken for months now and with 27 floors to cover, 1 working elevator is proving to be an inconvenience. So I've taken it upon myself to provide encouragement. I decided to have 100 business cards printed that said "fix the fucking elevator" (把你他妈的破电梯修好）and used masking tape to put them on the elevators doors on every floor. This proved time consuming and the cleaning lady was ripping them down too easily. Version 2 took a softer approach and said "please fix our broken elevator" (请把我们的破电梯修好) and masking tape was replaced by ultra sticky double-sided tape. This too proved unsuccessful, so I asked the graphic designer at my intern to design a cartoonish looking elevator and this is what she came up with. The sign he is holding says "I'm sick" and thus, 100 more business cards were printed, double-sided tape applied, and the process of plastering my building with them soon began. The reaction has been better. I see people taking pictures of them, writing on them, as well as the cleaning lady tearing them off the walls. I know this because not only is the card gone, but a white strip remains in place due to the adhesive refusing to peel off nicely. Version 4 of the cards is planned to use a traditional Chinese propaganda poster being replaced with "Comrades, 2 working elevators is the key to our success" or something along those lines. A lot of Chinese have told me "This isn't your problem, why challenge it?" At which point my mind begins racing, thinking of which argument to jump on them about. What if everyone thought that way? So being proactive is better than saying nothing? If the masses don't mobilize, nothing will get done. Or perhaps I'm just fed up with the inconvenience of 1 elevator. I can only hope the cleaning lady gets so frustrated tearing business cards off walls every day that maybe she'll convince someone to fix the broken elevator. Besides classes, Chinese, intern, work, and gym, this is what I do with my spare time.