Dongguan

Asian Update

Hi,

So China is loud, dirty and the air is so polluted that my throat is scratchy after only two days and my eyes are burning. The drivers in China are worse than the drivers anywhere else I have been (and that is saying something). They do not obey traffic signals, they do not stop at stop signs, they will back up on a street if they want to turn around at the street they just passed because they're stuck in a traffic jam... they will hit pedestrians if the pedestrian is in their way, and they are CONSTANTLY honking their horns.

This is the most alien place that I've been by far. I feel like an alien I mean... people actually stare openly at me. Not all of them, but some of them. Even the waitresses in the hotel restaurant surreptitiously stare at me. This is a sort of good thing, because when I want more tea, I don't have to wait long 'cuz someone is almost always looking at me. I imagine the novelty will wear off soon enough and I will have to wait longer for a refill on my tea, but currently it's a positive spin on being like the only tall (I am TALL here) white woman for miles around. There are a couple of white men at the hotel (I've seen them at breakfast) but I haven't seen any white women.

The hotel is nice, it's quite westernized. I think that you have two choices in Asia, western and 4 or 5 star, or not western (maybe this category contains a myriad of choices, but I have no experience with it). Some of the staff even speak a bit of English which is good because I speak absolutely no Mandarin (which is apparently the most common language in Dongguan).

Dongguan is in the province of Guangdong. Room service is capable of making a nice toasted tomato sandwich and their fries are pretty good too. Every time I get on the elevator though, everyone stares at me, and if they're all women, I am at least a full head taller than them. This morning I'm relatively certain someone said something about me because they all giggled and looked at me, but what the heck? What I don't know can't hurt me.

Anyway, just thought I would let you all know that I have no intention to move to China. Ever.

Ciao for now,
Lesle

ps - Malaysia was okay. Hot, humid (rainy season), developing, a little like Thailand without the depravity. There was a note (in red ink) on the customs & immigration form that said 'Be Forewarned - Death to Drug Traffickers in Malaysia'.