While waiting for my US colleague and a client at the mecca of expat life in Shenzhen two foreigners approached me and asked ‘Do you speak English?’ Being the sarcastic guy, and sometimes jerk that I have been known to be, I wanted to reply in Chinese. But my nice side won out and replied yes and inquired on what they needed help with.
They were looking for the bus to the airport. Bus number they had but no clue where to get on. I pointed them in the right direction, even walking a hundred feet or so with them. Mind you my foot is killing my from a murderous weekend mountain trek. After walking back to my perch to wait for my dinner mates I saw th bus approaching and looked back to see if they had made it to the bus station. They hadn’t. They were also crossing the road to the wrong bus stop. Didn’t recall saying anything about crossing the road to the other bus stop. Anyway, ran down to them with my bum foot dragging behind and ensured they got on the bus.
Just hope they had money….
About ten years ago, the Chinese government instituted three one week holidays in an effort to encourage Chinese to travel domestically and return to their hometowns to visit their families. These weeks were the Lunar New Year, May 1 or Labor Day and October 1 which is National Day. These weeks became known as “Golden Weeks”. Golden because of the money that the traveling Chinese spent and the boon to the economy these periods had not only in mainland China but increasingly throughout Asia as Chinese became able to travel easier. This year the government decided to break up the May 1 golden week into many one day holidays that would begin to reestablish traditions that had been frown upon and even outlawed during Mao’s reign.
The first weekend in Aprils was our first long holiday weekend in celebration of Qing Ming, which means clear and bright in Chinese. It is a festival to hold memorial ceremony for the dead and express one’s grief for his lost relatives. People often go to sweep and weed graves with whole family which are often in the countryside. Hence the English name, Tomb Sweeping Festival. Since Pei Lin and I weren’t able to make it back to his hometown for Chinese New Year this year we decided to return for Qing Ming and spend the weekend with his family.
It had been over a year since our last visit but the neighbors were as excited to see me as the first time I visited Pingtan. Or at least that is what I thought, actually they were excited because Pei Lin drove up and parked in front of his parent’s home. We had rented a car in Chongqing and drove home rather then take the bus and taxi route. Let me tell you, much much more comfortable!
The next day we drove further into the countryside and hiked a couple of hours to Pei Lin’s great-grandfather and grandfather’s tombs and while we didn’t do any sweeping we did give some offerings. We carried in fruit, wine, firecrackers and paper money that were ceremoniously left at each of the tombs. The paper money is burned so that the dead have money in the after life, to buy the things they need I suppose. The firecrackers are to scare away evil spirits. The fruit so they aren’t hungry and the wine to quench their thirst and have a good time. Several of the tombs were very similar to crypts found in traditional American cemeteries and several weren’t marked at all.
There have been a few articles here and there in the Asian press about the gas shortages in Mainland China but by and large it has not been widely reported. I read the few articles I found with passing interest, since I am after all one of those crazies who drives in Shenzhen. Never really paid much attention to the issue, until yesterday when I experienced the gas shortage issue first hand.
Driving home after our Thanksgiving dinner last night, the light indicating low fuel came on, we headed to our usual filling station only to find it roped off and the workers all sitting outside. I immediately recalled the few words I had read about the gas shortages and thought out loud maybe the station down the road will be open. Well, apparently it has been awhile since we have driven or ridden our bikes around the mountain, we were surprised to find that gas station not only closed but also sitting behind concrete walls that had been erected and painted indicating the location of the new underground subway station. After finding another closed station and two other stations, one of which was only servicing buses and the other trucks, that had lines down the street we wound up back near where we started. The gas station we passed as we left the hotel was not only open, but had fuel and virtually no lines.
Why the gas shortage? From what I remember reading, the Chinese government sets the selling price of fuel and the refineries lose money producing and selling fuel at the state mandated prices. Therefore, the non state owned refineries have stopped refining fuel and the state owned refineries have slowed production. Two weeks ago, the government raised the price but that few percent increase was the first price increase in almost a year and half. At the current price of CNY5.6 a liter that equates to a little less then $3USD a gallon. Prices most Americans would be happy paying to fill up their cars.
While the retail selling price of fuel is capped, the Chinese government gives subsidies to many. Taxi drivers who see their take home pay decreased due to the rising fuel costs; dividends and other lost revenue payments are made to state owned refineries who must sell at the state mandated price; bus companies since ticket prices are set by the local government and not based on reality; employees of the gas stations that are closed continue to show up to work and get paid just as if they were actually doing something.
Supposedly the theory is that retail fuel prices can’t be increased otherwise the average working man will feel the effects in the prices of the consumables that he buys. I would argue that if gas stations can be segregated by who they provide service to then they should also be able to be segregated by pricing. Maintain mass transit prices by charging buses one fuel price and base that price on the highest allowable bus ticket price that maintains social harmony without any subsidies back to the bus companies. Do the same for taxis and trucks that move domestic goods. For private drivers, charge market prices that allow for market fluctuations and a reasonable profit for the refineries.
Then again, what do I know? Only thing I can be certain of is not to count on having a foreigners only station.
One of the best, and maybe craziest, decisions I have made since living in Shenzhen was buying a car. It is a definetly a luxury, but one that I believe has been well worth it.
Last weekend we took Qiu Bi to the park that runs along Shenzhen Bay and had fun walking and playing on a nice cool Sunday morning. He likes to go for rides but goes crazy when the windshield wipers move. Luckily, rainy season is past!
We haven’t made it to the beach yet, but am sure it is just a matter of time now that I am more comfortable driving beyond the areas I know well and Pei Lin is now all trained and licensed to drive!
Over the last few weeks I have quickly adapted to driving in the mayhem of Shenzhen’s traffic scene. I think the two best things so far are being able to listen to the music I like and controlling the a/c! Almost got knicked by a bus the other night but Pei Lin’s shout averted twisted metal. Am certain there will be many more close calls, but hoping my excellent driving skills and quick reaction times will continue to keep them just that, close calls.
When I started driving I was a little scared about parking. The same feelings/anxiety I experienced way back when I moved to Shenzhen when taking a taxi and not knowing where I was going started to surface. Most of my driving has been around areas that I know and feel comfortable with and so far haven’t had any bigger issues then parking farther away then necessary because I didn’t look harder for a parking garage. I did get ticked at our apartment complex because they wouldn’t allow me a monthly pass because we are moving so I had to pay every time entering and leaving. That really irritated me and one day when I parked on the street to run up and get something Pei Lin had a talk with them and I haven’t had to pay by they day since. Not sure what he said but they are saluting stronger and have the gate on its way up when I am approaching. Too bad that won’t last but a few more days. Anyway, the parking anxiety I had feared seemed unjustified and quickly disappeared.
Today, I drove downtown to 10,000 elephants city to have lunch with a friend and former coworker. After eating at a nice Thai restaurant, Jude wanted to see my car and I of course didn’t mind showing it to him! I was going to drop him off at his office and then head back to work. When we got down to the parking gate, I put my card in the machine and had my 5RMB ready to pay but the machine spit it back out. The guard walked over and when he saw me he dipped lower to see if I was alone. When he saw Jude he started talking really fast and indicated it was necessary to pay somewhere else. The guard plopped down a cone behind the car and Jude hopped out and ran somewhere to pay and came back with the validated card. At least there was a second lane and we were inside so there weren’t a lot of gawkers. Jude came back with a validated receipt and headed to work while I went back to my office. If I had been alone I wonder if the guard would have just let me go?? Thanks for the help Jude!
I may be able to get somewhere, I just won’t be able to get out!
