Under the hood

The day off part 2



After leaving the Amusement Park we went over to another big marketplace selling copies of name brand merchandise. The west has given several things to China over the last few years. One thing is consumerism. I have been to one other Communist country, Albania. Totally different. Albania is still in recovery from having everything controlled and distributed. China on the other hand is Communist in the way its covered by western media, but its not Communist in the way you think about Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. In China, the government still controls the land, and regulates life pretty heavily, but they’ve opened up the economy to capitalist ways. So here you have a market that is filled with “name brand” merchandise. Watches, phones, clothes, shoes, video games, pens, golf clubs, etc. However, these people can’t afford the price point of the real thing. So in their desire to have the namebrand merchandise due to the overwhelming advertising, they copy it and sell it at a fraction of the cost. And along the way you create the opportunity for black market labor practices.



The reason I bring this up is after the initial amazement of these bargain markets for stuff, I’m done with them. It sickens me. Stuff for miles. I walked into this market which is a pretty heavy tourist locale for obvious reasons of people wanting to buy these products really cheap, hoping they will work. Jared and I walked in and then back out after a few minutes.



Now if you watch the financial news here in China by CNN, CNBC, BBC World, and so on, you’ll here over and over again about how China is this gold mine of a market waiting to be tapped. 1.8 billion potential consumers. That is incredibly misleading and troubling. Here’s why.



Jared and I were walking the area around the Forbidden City and Tiananman Square to close out the day. We walked past some beautiful gardens admiring the beautiful landscaping abilities of the Chinese. A student who looked to be 18 or 19, approached us. He said his English name was Johnny. A wiry thin kid, with an excited but nervous look on his face. He asked us if we would come see his art which was on display down the street. We decided to take on the adventure not really sure if he was leading us into a gang beating or truly an art exhibit. One way to find out, and I figured it was always another story to write. So we followed the student for about a block on a quiet street just outside the perimeter of the Forbidden City compound. Sure enough there was a small art shop. Johnny spoke very good English, and seemed very genuine. He was gaining my trust as we conversed about where we were from, and what kind of art he likes to create. We stepped into the shop and on the walls were beautiful traditional Chinese art. There were calligraphy scrolls, and paintings of animals and native plants, and the Great Wall and other landmarks. Some were more abstract, telling the story of Confucious principles thorough idea images. He showed us some of his work. He pointed to his seal on the bottom of the painting. He explained what his works meant. Two fellow students came in that also had work on display. They asked us questions about where we were from, what was it like in America, what did we like about Beijing, etc. I asked Johnny if he sells his work. He hesitated and said, “I am not asking you to buy anything.” I responded that I was interested in buying some his art because I liked it. He told me the modest price, and I picked out a painting of some pandas in summer. We then had a picture taken with the two of us holding the artwork. Jared also bought a piece. The students seemed very pleased with the chance to talk and share about ourselves. I think they really appreciated our closeness in age. As we were leaving Johnny asked if we would be willing to go look at the local neighborhood. He stated that this was part of old Beijing. Why not a few extra minutes to see a part off the beaten track. We walked down a few alleys, and walked past some newly painted and built walls. They lined these tiny alleys for blocks. Every 50 feet or so there would be a small metal red door. Many times the door was open and you could see inside. What the open doors revealed was astonishing. The government had come in and built facade walls through all the alleys, to cover up the third world Hutong shacks that were behind. These shacks were about 5 or 6 feet by 8 feet maybe, falling apart, connected to each other, one after another, all the way down the little alleys in between. Talk about sweeping an issue under the carpet. In anticipation of the world looking on, the government had created a fake appearance of better conditions.



I know I have bringing up issues like this throughout my blogging and I apologize if anyone feels like I’m beating a dead horse, but I can’t help it. Being on this morning evening shift now, I’ve gotten out and about every morning before work. As I’ve traveled to different sites and walked around, I’m seeing these conditions beyond the main roads of everywhere I go. Literally, if you go out of the tourist hubs, one or two streets, it feels like a third world country. You know why this economy seems to be the next great thing? Because, the workforce is cheaper then anywhere, proof in that little stamp on everything you own in your house, the government doesn’t deal with problems facing its people until somebody on the outside points it out because the people aren’t allowed to complain, and people here don’t have the ability to get themselves into credit crisis like Americans.



The best part of this trip has been marveling at the old creations of China and getting to interact with the people. They try really hard to be hospitable, and they are so curious about what its like on the outside. But I can also appreciate their pride in their country. They make the best of the hand dealt them. In an effort to impress, the government has wiped out a lot of its authentic history in favor of modern new buildings and amenities. Luckily, there are still people like Johnny around to help you get a feel for the real spirit of China. When I hang the painting in my house, I’m also going to hang the picture of the two of us, as a reminder to pray for my new friend his gift of art.