May 2007

You know China is very different pretty much as soon as you cross the border. The geography and climate between southeastern Russian and northeastern China is obviously very similar, but the use of land and the buildings are very different. The old buildings follow a recognizably Chinese style, and the new buildings contrast sharply with the general disrepair of Russian buildings. The first full day on the train through China you could see the waterfields, with people still carefully planting sprouts at 6 in the evening. If Russia was a contrast of the colorful with the drab, China is a sharp contrast of traditional with modern.
Beijing itself is a perfect example. There's so much construction and so many new buildings that almost gleam through the dust clouds on Wangfujing street. At the same time, you can't go very far without encountering a historical site or older buildings with the traditional stone walls and tile roofs. Another seemingly ubiquitous part of the scenery are the many police. I'm still not sure if that makes me feel more or less safe, and how it affects the local citizens.
One of the nicest things to see is how everyday people enjoy their historical monuments and parks. It's not at all uncommon to go to the Summer Palace on the weekend with your family to take a nice leisurely walk and enjoy an ice cream, or to go the Temple of Heaven and relax in the walkway by singing or playing games with your friends. It's not a history lesson or an obligation, it's their culture and their home environment, and they are very comfortable in it. We have parks in the U.S., but I can't really imagine anyone grabbing a book and sitting on the steps of the Lincoln memorial for an afternoon to relax.
The city retains its color at night as well, which gives it a very lively atmosphere. However, going in search of true Chinese night-life is an interesting enterprise. Without a decent command of the language or a better knowledge of the city, it's easy to get sucked into a rather expensive tourist-heavy bar. It is disappointingly easy to find meccas of western culture, english songs, english captions, and english clothes. The modern style obviously must be Chinese since it occurs here in China, but I can't help feeling sometimes that much of it is a version of Western style not very subtly stretched into a pop culture frame for Asian youth.
The people themselves overall are much more down to earth than the Russians, with easy smiles and sometimes much more casual clothing (especially young childeren lol). You just have to be careful that a few bad experiences in a shopping market or with a dishonest driver don't ruin your perception.
China also has a rich and interesting history that's easier in some ways to access then Russia, but also more difficult. There are many signs in English, but a sign only tells you so much and not often many subtleties about cultural references or more interesting historical stories about individuals.
Overall China is much more colorful, open, and accessible than Russia. But they are both such different countries and cultures that most comparisons are completely unfair and pointless. China in its own right is definitely a sight to see, but to really experience "China" is something not all Westerns are able or even encouraged to do.

Beijing is definitely happening. The streets are crowded, there are endless buildings with very impressive architecture, and the only other city that seems comparable is NYC. Public transportation and bike access are great and I think some US cities could definitely learn a few things from the way things are run here. Preparations for the olympics are intense and I can't imagine how crazy its going to be here come this time next year, a fiasco at best.

Understanding the political/government system here in China has proved to be very intriguing and sometimes even disturbing. I've definitely learned a lot about this peculiar system.

All in all its been a really enjoyable and educational trip so far, though I can't wait to get to our final destination already!

Moscow seems to be a city of both incredible beauty and incredible decay. Even in their own right the huge apartment complexes are rather dingy, but after the fierce colors of St. Basil's or the Kremlin's many gold-topped cathedrals it's even more startling. The billboards also have incredible swathes of color, but the average buildings and people themselves aren't so brightly arrayed. It's an interesting contrast.
Moscow is also more European than I had anticipated, menus in English, the expensive mall, some of the pop culture. The food shows other influences though: sushi, Chinese-like dumplings, and of course the wonderful Georgian cuisine. The metro is lovely but very mechanical. Most stations are marble, and some also have chandeliers or stained glass, but people never look up. I suppose that's universal though, you take beauty for granted. The metro however is really fun to ride, just odd because people are very blank. No smiles.
Outside of the metro though, we've met a lot of very friendly people at Moscow State University. Their english is very good; it makes me feel bad that I know extremely little Russian in return. I know they don't really expect it, but in some ways I wish they did. I feel sometimes that people make too many allowances for Americans or are just too accept our ignorance. Really, I just wish the American education system held us to a higher standard that the rest of the world seems to follow.
Overall, Moscow is an interesting but intimidating palce. So many unfamiliar names and events, particular customs, and the language. However, many parts of it are still so very beautiful to the eye and ear. And in this case at least (and for the amount of time we've spent), that's enough for the mind.

When walking the streets of Beijing, it is exactly how I pictured China to look and feel- if not even better. The culture is amazing. The architecture and the temples we have seen so far are absolutely beautiful. I'm curious if the fact that us coming the summer before the 2008 Olympics helped because of all the restoration projects to improve the look of the city. Aside from the older buliding in the traditional style, it's interesting to see the modern buildings with unique but distinctively Chinese designs. I really enjoy how the city is set up, especially with the lakes and the surrounding buildings. These smaller areas of shops and restaurants, as well as parks, help to make the city seem less overwhelming in size.

When we first arrived in Moscow, we were moved surprisingly quickly through the customs officials and began our trek to the hotel. The check-in to the hotel was a good preview to how our communication with the vast majority of the Russian population would go. We didn't know much Russian, they didn't know much English- enough said. After getting ourselves situated, we decided to wander around and try and find dinner. In walking around the areas by the hotel, I found that the city was a lot different than I had expected it to be. It was a lot cleaner- and definitely a lot larger than I was expecting. When you tell people you're going to Moscow, you get a mix of opinions about the country. What I was expecting to find was largely based on these opinions of other people.

The city though, is dramatically different than the country side (Lake Baikal). The city is fast-paced and expensive with large buildings and catherdals as far as the eye can see. The country side has a more simple atmosphere, and the people are more willing to talk with you. I preferred the lake much more than Moscow. The architecture and the culture was amazing to see- especially when you are able to compare it to the exact opposite way of life in Siberia.