Monthiversary Meanderings

A quick post to mark my first month back in the Middle Kingdom. What have I learnt so far? In no particular order here are ten things I didn't know a month ago.

1) In terms of development, it feels like Harbin is to Shanghai as Shanghai is to London.

Aspirational Chinese in Shanghai look to working overseas or for multinational companies. Aspirational Chinese in Harbin look to work in Shanghai or Beijing. (Ironically, aspirational Londoners look to get a slice of the Chinese 派 and make their fortunes here.)

A Londoner is well-off (and adventurous) if he's holidayed by climbing an active volcano, or spent half a year building a school in Mali. A Shanghainese if he's gone to Hong Kong or even overseas. It seems that it's a rare Harbinese that's even left Heilongjiang province.

Londoners might spit if they're a footballer, or if they're a bit rough, or carefully, and into a bin. Shanghainese men might spit if they're of the older generation, or if they're 'less well-educated', or into the gutter. Harbinese women happily (and noisily) hock up half a lung and spit it onto your shoes, even when you're indoors.

2) Beer for breakfast? Or a glass or two of 100-proof 白酒 for lunch? Before you get back to driving your taxi? All well and good. When you sit down to eat, people don't ask you if you want tea, or what beverage you want, they assume you're drinking and ask what booze you want. Even middle-school kids will happily suck down a beer or two.

3) Harbin is an immensely practical city. Not many concessions to tourists at all. University took us on a whistle-stop tour of the city's attractions yesterday in two big coaches. The TV tower, St. Sofia Church, Central Street. And that was it. How about the white tigers you ask? Miles outside of the city centre.

4) Speaking of TV, Heilongjiang Station (HLJTV) is abysmal. Corny family drama/cop show serials on continous loop.

5) Harbinese are fiercely proud of Harbin. When pushed as to why, mainly it boils down to the standard-ness of the Chinese spoken. Odd, because that's really more a historical accident (because Putonghua is based on the Beijing/Northern dialect) than anything else. To be sure, everyone from University professors to taxi drivers speaks in a much more understandable manner than I've heard anywhere else.

6) -20C isn't too bad, as long as you wrap up warm. However many layers you have on, though, you still have to breathe. It's the super-frozen air burning your lungs on the way down that really gets you. Also, a hat is essential. I was seriously worried that I'd suffer frost-bite when I was outside for just ten minutes yesterday - it felt like my ears were being twisted off!

7) A 640ml bottle of beer is half the price of a 450ml bottle of orange juice. Also, twice as delicious, and more likely to make you start singing/hug your friends/engage in elaborate toasts. It's not a difficult decision to make.

8) (Many) Russians aren't very good at learning (accurate) Chinese.

9) Harbin is an early to rise, early to bed kind of place. I can hear my neighbours pottering about by 6:30am every morning. I'm guessing it's because it gets dark early and the lighting is generally pretty rubbish.

10) Korean influence is as pronounced, perhaps even more so, than Russian influence in today's Harbin. There are plenty of Korean eateries around, and even Korean shops and hairdressers. Despite, or perhaps because of, the ubiquity of Koreans, locals don't assume I'm Korean (or Japanese) as much as in Shanghai.

I'm happy I was eased into the cultural differences via a modern, rich metropolis like Shanghai. It can be pretty odd up here, and had I had my first experience of China via Harbin, my feelings about this country might have been very different. As it is, I find myself appreciating Harbin in context, and I'm loving every second of its quirky charms.