121–128 of 128 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
They're talking about street names specifically, not traffic signs. What's the point in having a street name that none of the locals know because they know it by a completely different name? Btw, based on Wikipedia, China uses symbols for traffic signs like Russia and Europe. US and Canada are the exceptions who use text and only a small few symbols.
Btw, the STOP sign is both a shape and text.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
China did become rich though.
China is not rich but a middle income country. China's GDP per capita is lower than Bulgaria and Romania. Source: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD?location...
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's not pervasive. Incredible claims require evidence, which you have none. If anecdotal evidence is enough, dozens of people I know go to China with zero issues regularly. Many people we know live there with zero issues. There's 1.4 billion people, logistically what got are saying is not feasible for a country that size. It's nonsense.
Western travelers would fit more within the 10% or so of China with total wealth in the $100-$1,000k range. These are the people with the means to challenge the power structure, and they are watched more closely. If someone in this wealth range holds up a blank piece of paper, they may end up in jail.
With any foreign country you should understand their cultural norms and laws. Your own ignorance is a valid consideration for travel, not being arrested as a political prisoner. You won't get in any trouble as a tourist or business person 99% of the time.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Western travelers would fit more within the 10% or so of China with total wealth in the $100-$1,000k range. These are the people with the means to challenge the power structure, and they are watched more closely. If someone in this wealth range holds up a blank piece of paper, they may end up in jail.
Holding up a blank piece of paper is a completely different scenario and topic! We are talking about normal, everyday travel for business and recreation. If you go there and do something taboo, something that's clearly intended to cause trouble, then what do you expect? With any foreign country you should understand their cultural norms and laws. Your own ignorance is a valid consideration for travel, not being arres…
So there is 1% chance; and why would I take even 1% chance of getting into troubled country?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Western travelers would fit more within the 10% or so of China with total wealth in the $100-$1,000k range. These are the people with the means to challenge the power structure, and they are watched more closely. If someone in this wealth range holds up a blank piece of paper, they may end up in jail.
Holding up a blank piece of paper is a completely different scenario and topic! We are talking about normal, everyday travel for business and recreation. If you go there and do something taboo, something that's clearly intended to cause trouble, then what do you expect? With any foreign country you should understand their cultural norms and laws. Your own ignorance is a valid consideration for travel, not being arres…
Growing up in China, everyone I knew keeps telling me our culture is fake, reconstructed from a pile of burning books and detached from both history and modern life, at least ever since Cultural Revolution.
But frankly every country is having a cultural crisis today. I just want to preserve some things more. And yes I know that is biased.
There is 0 reason to learn mandarin if you're doing it for travel/business reasons In Taiwan street signs do mostly have English translations. A lot of citizens speak English, especially night market vendors. You'll also have a lot of native English speakers in Taipei due to expatriation from US and Canada. In Singapore signs officially are in English. And it's one of the four official languages, which means most peo…
How are you going to do any kind of business with Chinese companies without speaking Chinese? Even if you use an interpreter, clearly someone in the loop is speaking Chinese.
However, after the first couple of times trying to teach in China and South Korea, I turned down further gigs, because I felt the students were not understanding me.