Might Not Know What You’re Missing

Without getting into a huge political discourse of  haves and have nots, as an observer not a politician, I’m enormously grateful for the the things I have but, sometimes still (desperately) want to leave the country.  When I came back from China a number of people asked me if it was good to be home,  and if the trip made me realize how fortunate we are etc. Yes and yes but, that isn’t what this is about.

In China I observed freedoms that I just hadn’t seen at home or at least not in my very secluded corner of the Northwest.  Not sure if I want some of these freedoms but I did notice them.

1. The ability to do what you want on your moped.  By saying do what you want, I mean endanger your own life.  At home we have extreme sports in China there are mopeds and no helmet laws.  Not only do you not have to wear a helmet you can ride with your wife behind you and 2 children.  One child standing in front of you, usually the older one and one in between you (usually the younger one). If your moped has a basket your small brown dog might ride in it as well. (Oh and to complete the picture everyone in the family are probably wearing face masks).

In the same theme, when hiking on treacherous rocks and hills (with 1 billion other people) there are signs for you to proceed with caution lest you may fall.  However, there are no chain link fences and nobody to stop you if you are feeling adventurous and get too close to the edge.  The interpreters warned us that every year people fall off Yellow Mountain.

2. Freedom from diapers.  It is custom in some places for people to dress their children in buttless pants. They are kind of like chaps for infants.  With these pants the child can relieve themselves as needed be it on the street or in the subway.  Not sure if there is a scoop law for parents of small children.  I never asked.  Sometimes on the subway, a stream of mysterious liquid would run down the center aisle. People would just move their bags and groceries out of the way and let the stream take its natural course.  Not sure if this same freedom applies to adults, again I didn’t ask.

3. Freedom from leashes.  Dogs don’t need them.  They seem well fed, well mannered, non-aggressive and self governing. Thus, they don’t require leashes. I did on one occasion notice a dog sitting on a table in a bar.  Thinking back on my restaurant days I would have had a fit.  So would the health department.  Not the case here no leash no problem.  Or maybe the other way around no problem no leash.

4. Freedom to talk on your cell phone anywhere at any volume. Including but not limited to subways, elevators, grocery stores and doctor’s offices.   My Chinese ranges anywhere from non-existent to abominable at best. I must have missed out on some great eavesdropping.

5. The ability to buy eggs in bulk at the grocery store and not just the whitest of white eggs and brown all different hues of eggs.  I’m not really sure if this is a right or a freedom but, I thought it was kind of cool.  One isn’t limited to the standard 6, 12 and 18 count egg containers.

6. The freedom to burn stuff on the sidewalk.  In Beijing it was common to see people draw a circle (maybe 1.5 feet across), on the sidewalk, and burn small amounts of paper in the center of the circle.  This happened too often, every other block, to be coincidental and we weren’t quite sure of the significance this ritual holds.  One thing I’m fairly about is, if I tried this at home, I would get a ticket or worse.

Maybe I am just missing out living in a secluded corner of the Northwest.

What are some freedoms or privileges you have observed while traveling abroad? You don’t have to want or like them but, I do want to hear about them.

Travel Envy

I was eating breakfast with some friends recently listening to a recount of a trip to Mexico, rice, beans and learning Spanish.  Not paying close enough attention to directions given in a foreign language.  Nodding yes in understanding when you really don’t.  Chatting with well traveled strangers while waiting for the customs line to move even an inch. Then it hits… travel envy.  Something about the stamps, stickers and language barriers of foreign travel gets me every time.

You know you have it bad when listening to a friend’s airport woes and you’re kinda envious.  No I don’t want to be trapped in a security line, only to hear my name over the loud speaker for final boarding call, and have to run to the last gate to barely catch my plane where the air conditioning is promptly shut off and everyone starts coughing.  That sounds terrible, but in some part of my mind still desirable, as far as travel sicknesses go travel envy can range from pretty benign to debilitating.  As far as mine goes it somewhere between a lingering ache and a painful jab.

This fire was fueled even further by a singular moment this week in the office where a client was perusing my travel photo album and asked to purchase one of the photos.  The photo album is more of a conversation piece, but who am I to refuse such a request.  Especially the request of someone who wants to travel vicariously via a photo I took.

At which point I go home to flip through the photo albums on the Lonely Planet or  National Geographic and sigh…