Everyday Luxuries in America and China :: Travels in China
Every world traveler on the road occasionally longs for a small comfort
from home. Every world traveler at home occasionally longs for a small
comfort from a place far away. In the last thirty years, the Chinese
have brought many elements of American and European society, both good
and bad, into their own daily lives. Times are long gone when white
people would return from China with steamer trunks full of porcelain and
stories of how other-worldly life is in The Orient. In the 21st Century,
a big city in China isn't so different from a big city anywhere else.
The stories spun by today's adventurers are about the subtleties of
culture that shine through the homogonized life of our homo genus in
modern times.
China's cities are quite modern, but that's not the same as being
quite Western. For every trend and fashion imported from America there's
an old tradition that's still strong. Some cultural differences are just
two approaches to the same problem; the one you prefer is usually the one
you grew up with. Some things are different because the societies face
different challenges. These lists aren't meant to imply the U.S. is
a better place than China, nor that China is a better place than the
United States. The lists intentionally leave out large-scale differences
like government systems and educational techniques. They're lists of
daily luxuries that people take for granted. If I'd lived in China,
I'm sure the list of daily Chinese luxuries would be longer. But a
month of travel isn't quite long enough to shift experiences from new
and amazing to routine and reliable.
Everyday Luxuries in America Which Are Not Guaranteed in China
- Throne toilets with powerful flushes
- Free public restrooms
- with free toilet paper
- and hand soap
- and sinks
- Immediately available hot water from any tap
- Tap water you can drink
- Clear street signs, visible before crossing an intersection
- A clear building numbering system
- Predictable drivers who obey traffic laws
- Police who enforce traffic laws
- Drivers who look in their rear-view mirrors before changing lanes
- Ample parking space
- Personal vehicles with storage space
- Hotels with
- alarm clocks
- several plush towels
- soft mattresses
- heaters and insulated windows
- Sidewalks clear of trash
- Public smoking bans
- People who respect "No Smoking" signs
- in buildings
- on busses
- from facial expressions
- Air quality regulations
- Central heating
- Double-paned glass
- Fireworks regulations
- Fireworks safety awareness
- Vending machines
- Paying with credit/debit cards
- Receipts and returns
- Fixed prices regardless of buyer's ethnicity
- Dental floss
- Sunscreen and lotion without skin whitening chemicals
- Free newspapers
- Fresh-washed vegetables
- Ethnic food from around the world
- Safety buffers around construction zones
- Handicapped-accessible buildings
- Bicycle and motorcycle helmets
- Wrapped/sealed meat for sale
- Commercial districts where salespeople/touts don't get in your face
Everyday Luxuries in China Which Aren't Guaranteed in America
- Toilets you don't have to sit on
- Tile lavatory floors with drains
- Clothes-hanging bars on windows
- Outside air circulation
- Freedom to spit whenever mucus arrives
- Compact cities
- City busses on frequent schedules
- Extensive regional bus systems
- Flagging down busses on the highway
- Extensive and efficient passenger rail network
- Fuel-efficient scooters
- Wide bicycle/scooter lanes
- Roadside late-nite meat, tofu, and vegetables on sticks
- Roadside fruit
- Ability to haggle for many items
- Throwing away bottles knowing someone will find and recycle them
- Green tea at restaurants
- Carrying liquids (e.g., water bottles) on airplanes
- Non-invasive security checks
- Cash accepted for any purchase
- Prepared food in bte-sized pieces
- All parts of an animal for sale
- or the whole live chicken
- Family farming
- Blind-friendly money
- Good Chinese restaurants on every corner