Leaving on a jet plane

Well it seems I've found time to do another post before leaving Xi'an tomorrow but clearly not enough time to come up with a more imaginative title :-(. There isn't a lot to report because I haven't done anything particularly exciting today - just getting a few last minute things sorted out and having a wander around the town. I don't know how we'll go for weight. I haven't bought much and I only came over with about 14kg but Laura seems intent on taking half the gross national product of China back with her so I hope we don't end up to far over weight. We're trying to juggle our stuff aound to make it work out as well as possible which will mean a trip over to her place to resort everything when we get back to Christchurch. Family members in Auckland who were owed birthday presents might have to wait as they won't be in our hand luggage so even if we do decide we've got time in Auckland to leave the airport, we won't have our main bags because we'll check them right through to Christchurch.

I've really enjoyed the time I've spent here and it's been interesting matching my observations against things I've heard or read about China by other people who've visited or who study the place. There are a couple of things that I sense from being here for over five weeks. Firstly, I'm not convinced that China is about to overtake the USA in the near future. There is simply too much here that is still third world. I realise that we tend to get a distorted view of the USA as well, but a huge amount of everyday work here seems to get done in tiny streetside workshops about the size of a single garage. Things like welding or gastorch cutting of steel takes place out on the footpath. I wasn't quick enough to get a photo but I saw a woman preparing a fish for sale (gutting etc) on a board on the footpath too. That doesn't strike me as an image of the world economic leader in waiting. Yes, there is a lot of dynamism, but China has so much catching up to do, and ordinary people are still pretty poor. Which brings me to my second observation (which I made in an earlier post), that there doesn't seem to be much socialism here. The gap between the rich and poor is huge and the wealthy have a confidence that suggests to me that whatever the Party calls itself, those wealthy people know they have the whip hand. The economy runs for them. They have all the trappings that the wealthy have in the West, except when it comes to housing. Housing, even for reasonably well off people, can still be quite basic by New Zealand standards, and not very spacious. Of course these are only the impressions of one person and they do tend to confirm what I already thought so may be suspect!

The only things I'd grizzle about iin terms of my observations of Chinese culture, and they aren't major, are these. Firstly I've really come to appreciate workplaces and public buildings being smokefree. I went to the bath house the other day and felt really clean after the shower etc, then went upstairs to the dining area. Despite a token, and unenforced, no smoking sign, people were lighting up so in no time the place smelt of tobacco smoke. It seemed to defeat the purpose. The other is the continual spitting in the street and out of vehicle windows etc. I don't get that. But still, they are minor niggles and when weighed against the generosity and helpfulness, pale by comparison. I've wandered around all kinds of places at all hours and never felt unsafe. I've never felt that my things were at risk of being stolen, although there are police notices warning people to be careful. This despite there being beggars in the streets and a bustle of street vendors etc everywhere. Apparently (according to guide books for China) women are safe here walking alone etc, and my observations support that. I've seen loads of women walking around by themselves, including after dark, and none appear to have any concerns for their safety.

So I leave tomorrow. I think the flight to Hong Kong leaves at about 7.30 so we'll probably be heading to the airport mid-afternoon. Then we have a really long (about 13 hours) wait in Hong Kong before the 11 hour flight to Auckland, and finally get home on Wednesday afternoon. While putting our watches forward 5 hours should mean I'll be wide awake, I suspect that nearly two days without much chance for proper sleep means I'll be pretty knackered. We'll see.

If there's internet access available at Hong Kong airport I might log in again but I don't know if that'll happen or not. Laura thinks China Mobile cell phone coverage excludes Hong Kong too, so I don't expect to have a phone again until I get to Auckland.