|
|
|
In November, 2001, we went off on a 14-day trip to China on a customized guided tour that included just the seven of us (Elaine, Boihon, Andy, Linda, Carl, Lisa, and Dave (not pictured)):
Check out pictures from the various places we went to in China: Dave's Perspective. A rant about $$: I am constantly frustrated by the U.S. media stating things like: "The average Chinese working in China earns a mere US$125/month!". This is an absolutely meaningless "fact" unless you know how much fundamental items such as shelter, clothing, and food costs in China. Obviously, in the U.S., you would be DEAD in a month if you only earned $125, so things must cost less in China...a simple point that the U.S. media is consistently too stupid to point out. So here are some interesting facts to put things in perspective (my sources: the native, local guides and various observations): China's currency is the Yuan. 1 Yuan = 12.5 cents $1 = 8 Yuan In a big city such as Beijing or Canton (all amounts converted to US dollars):
In rural areas & smaller towns:
It is apparent that people making an average salary are able to live comfortably (they could afford shelter, food, and clothing) but very simply. Extra luxuries such as cars, computers, cameras, walkmans, swimsuits, etc. are really really expensive to them. As an engineer working in the city, can you imagine paying 5 years' salary for a basic car (let's ignore income tax of 10-20%)? Or working 56 hours (7 days) for a basic point-and-shoot camera? You'd have to really want those gadgets! This really makes you appreciate how filthy stinking rich we are as educated Americans. I'm willing to bet that you have several telephones, an answering machine, a computer & internet connection, a sound system, a walkman or two or three, a camera or two, a decent car, a bicycle, probably a cell phone, and if you are like us, maybe a full set of equipment for backpacking and/or skiing and/or tennis and/or some extracurricular hobby or sport. You certainly have shelter, maybe an apartment, maybe a house, definitely electricity, heat, hot water, sewage. And you must have appliances: refrigerator, rice cooker, regular oven, microwave oven, toaster oven, stove, garbage disposal, blender, food processor, dishwasher, vacuum cleaner, clothes washer, and a clothes dryer? Probably a newspaper? Magazine subscriptions? A pet companion or two? Playstation game system? Definitely a television or two and a VCR. Maybe you have cable or 150 channels of Dish network. Maybe a DVD player and home theater system? Digital camcorder? I'm guessing you do some traveling by plane at least once every year or two, and you eat out at least once a week and see a movie at least once every 2 months. Every once in awhile, pause and put things in perspective. I know I have to do this once in awhile. Look at all of your possessions and your savings and realize how privileged your life is. Yep, income taxes stink, work is frustrating sometimes, the roof leaks in one corner, the car needs a $400 brake job, and the DVD player just conked out. Just realize that our standard of living is somewhere in the top 9% of the entire world. Thanks for listening to Dave rant =) |
