The Top 10 Most 麻烦 Things About Beijing (Part II)

This is the third part of a four-part series I will be running over the next several days highlighting the top 10 things I have loved and hated the most about living in Beijing. Consider this my farewell to the Mainland.  This is the latter five most 麻烦 (=mafan, or frustrating, annoying, bothersome, troublesome) things about living in Beijing. For part 1, see here. For part 1 of the good things, see here.

 

Say whaaaat?

6. The Language

Moving to any country where you don’t speak or read the language is difficult, but this is especially true in countries – like China – where non-Roman alphabets are used. Actually, Chinese doesn’t even have an alphabet at all, so there’s no trying to guess what any of the signs say without first learning at least several hundred characters! Though learning Chinese characters can be kind of fun (some of them are pretty, make sense), it’s also been quite difficult for me. A slight variation in a character can completely render its meaning (is the top line longer, or is it the bottom one?). And spoken Chinese hasn’t been much easier. Chinese pronunciation is so precise that even when I say the right words, if I pronounce them improperly – which I most often do; I have terrible pronunciation – no one will understand me. For instance, if I say the word ma with a rising tone, as in the tone we use when we ask questions in English (I went?), its meaning is completely different than if I say ma with a falling tone, as in the tone we use when making emphatic statements in English (I went!).

 

The red dragon that is the Chinese government pulling us all behind it with the massive red tape required to do anything here.

7. The red tape labyrinth

It seems no matter what you want to do in Beijing, it can’t be easy. The simplest of things are often vastly complicated by the amount of red tape one has to wade through to accomplish any task. Want to pick up a package? You’ll have to call a number, be told you called the wrong number, call another number, be told it’s also wrong, call another number, go to the post office, find out they told you the wrong one, go to another one, fill out a form… I’ve never seen a place that requires so many forms and so much paperwork. Even things like registering at the police – something every person in China is required to do – could be made much simpler to relieve the hassle of having to spend two days going to seven police stations before finding success.

Chinese renminbi’s largest denomination is the ¥100 note, worth about $14.

8. The Cash

Though it’s making strides in accepting credit/debit cards at more places, China is still largely a cash-based society. That fact in and of itself doesn’t bother me, though; what does is the fact that a number of retailers – most notably cab drivers – refuse to take 100-yuan bills (similar in value to a $20 bill) for anything less than 50¥ even though it is all legal currency! This means lots of scrambling on the streets to find a store where you buy something of sizable value to get change (best option: 20¥ or 30¥ phone recharge cards). In addition, the 100-yuan note is the highest-denominated bill available, despite its low value (less than $15). So purchasing any high-priced item, or paying for things like tuition, health insurance, etc., requires carrying around a wad of cash large enough to put any drug dealers to shame.

Will the Chinese food make me sick today? There’s only one way to find out.

9. The never-ending sickness

Though China is not unique in this aspect – Americans are known to get sick even from traveling around Europe – it’s certainly something you have to be aware of and be ready to deal with at all times. It’s always a good idea to bring lots of anti-diarrhea medicine here. Chinese food can make you sick. Very sick. Many people advise avoiding the small mom-and-pop-type places because they worry about the sanitation there, but in my experience, it’s all really a roll of the dice. You can get sick from eating jiaozi from the man on the street stall, or you can get sick eating tofu at a five-star hotel’s restaurant. Of course, you must use discretion when eating and avoid the truly dirtiest of places, but Chinese food isn’t really Chinese food if you’re not eating from some local markets and shops. I managed to make it about six months without getting sick at all, but it seemed like once the threshold was broken and I got sick the first time, I was suffering every few days. It’s not a type of sick that renders you bedridden and useless, though, so it’s just something you have to learn to deal with while in Beijing.

"Connection timed out": Code for "The Chinese government has decided to block this website

10. The Internet

Yes, China is a communist, authoritarian country. And using the Internet here is probably one of the most annoying things of all for people used to a free Web. Facebook, Twitter, most blogging platforms, YouTube, IMDB: All blocked. Add to that list any number of random sites the government has deemed “unsafe” for its citizens to view, which can at any given moment include the New York Times, Wikipedia, etc., etc., etc. This is especially annoying for those of us – like journalists – who find it critical to access such sites for information in performing our job. Luckily, this is actually one of the easiest annoyances to deal with, though, because a simple subscription to a proxy service or a VPN will free you from China’s censors. I paid about $8 a month for a proxy that I simply kept running all the time, which ensured me access to any site I wanted. I recommend Astrill.