What’s ‘fare’ in China?
Volkswagen Santana taxi in Shanghai. Photo: ToastyKen / Flickr Creative Commons.
“Privacy” is a novel concept in Asia, where questions about salary, marital status, and race aren’t taboo. Novelist Vanessa Hua faced this sort of casual interrogation on a taxi ride in China: The fare to Yangshuo. Although she’s ethnically Chinese, she still felt out of place in China.
This piece resonated for me on several levels. It’s surprising how visiting the “motherland” can be a big culture shock for second-generation immigrants. I feel the most uncomfortable and out-of-place when my parents take me back to their country on trips. It only makes me confront how American I really am. I think it’s because there’s more pressure and expectation that you should already be familiar with the language, the people, etc. If I go to France or Japan, no one expects me to know how things work, so I’m more relaxed. The author’s tension in this story is unmistakable.
Another concept is what one British friend in Shanghai described as, “They like to pander their poverty.” Have you ever had locals give you big guilt trips about how you’re so rich, they’re so poor, which somehow means that you have to give money to them? Innocent pleas for help, or ruses to win sympathy? Another Canadian friend told me his rules. He only gives to disabled people, reasoning that they cannot work. He doesn’t give to children, because he thinks it’ll only encourage their parents to have the children beg, rather than send them to school.
On the bright side, one of the best conversations in Mandarin I’ve ever had was with a taxi driver in Beijing. He talked up why Beijingers are the best, and criticized the Chinese in other cities. Shanghainese were greedy, Hong Kongers were snobby, and Cantonese eat anything that moves, etc. Nonstop comedy.
Do you have any memorable taxi stories? Please share them in the comments.
May 7th, 2010 at 10:43 am
Last year, I took a taxi from London Tower to the national Gallery in London. The driver was in his 60’s and spoke with a very strong Cockney accent.We started chatting about art and artists and though I had a hard time understanding his accent, it was a very enjoyable conversations. We both agreed that French Impressionism was the best and that most modern art was junk.
I don’t know much about art, but left the taxi with some new names to look for and some other museums to visit!
Once again, a stereotype was debunked.
May 12th, 2010 at 10:10 am
Your Canadian friend is wrong. In a poor country even if you are not disabled maybe you can´t find a job and not giving to a child will not send him to school. Other people do not give to drunks because they think they will buy more alcohol. Not having money will not cure him.
May 12th, 2010 at 4:29 pm
giving to people begging on the street always makes me wary. i know that emotionally, we feel like it’s helping, but sometimes I wonder if it’s only making us feel better about ourselves, and comforted by their situation.
my roommate in Cairo would buy food for the children, and sit with them while they ate it to make sure no one took it away from them. i hope they weren’t punished later for that.
sometimes, i have no idea how often, disabled people who beg were disabled for the purpose of begging, especially in countries with a strong culture of street beggars
i wonder if the money wouldn’t be better spent by a trusted aid organization, but honestly, this sort of situation just leaves me confused, sad and wanting to help without knowing how.