Something I have noticed recently, and especially in Beijing and on my flight home, is that when announcements are made in Chinese, no good information is given. For the most part, Chinese people just do what they're told and don't ask why. It's so different in the U.S.
When my flight out of Beijing was delayed, the English-speaking announcer would say, "We have to remove some cargo from the aircraft because we are too heavy. First the crew will have to come from the other terminal, so the wait could be up to an hour." Another time he said, "We are being delayed because there are about 10 aircraft in front of us. Each one is taking about 2 minutes to take-off, so please be patient and expect another 20 to 25 minute delay." But, the Chinese announcer would just say something like, "In order to meet the airport's standards for take-off, we are being delayed an hour," and, "Thank you for being patient, we will take off in half an hour." Absolutely no explanation was given in Chinese. It's possible that the Chinese announcer didn't understand the English explanation, but I see this lack of explanation other places, too.
A final example that sticks out to me is a sign I saw in a restaurant in Beijing. The English said "Employees Only" but the Chinese said "Do Not Enter." Yes, we foreigners like our explanations and reasons, thank you very much.
Showing posts with label airplanes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label airplanes. Show all posts
05 January 2010
11 August 2008
The Flight Home
I flew from Beijing at 4 p.m. on Sunday, August 10th. Because of the time difference, I arrived in Chicago at 4 p.m. on Sunday, August 10th. Pretty cool.
In fact, it was not just "pretty cool," it was very cold. For some reason, the flight attendants wanted the plane to be under 65 degrees. They give passengers those blankets, but many- myself included- were curled up in the fetal position to keep warm. It was that cold. I couldn't feel my toes.
Because of the frigid temperature, I didn't sleep at all.
I flew from Chicago to Columbus and arrived at nine in the evening. When I got home my family and I talked and looked through some of the gifts I brought home. By the time I went to bed, I had been awake for 32 hours straight.
This turned out to be a good situation because I went to bed around midnight, woke up at eight, and had a normal first-day home without any jet lag whatsoever.
In fact, it was not just "pretty cool," it was very cold. For some reason, the flight attendants wanted the plane to be under 65 degrees. They give passengers those blankets, but many- myself included- were curled up in the fetal position to keep warm. It was that cold. I couldn't feel my toes.
Because of the frigid temperature, I didn't sleep at all.
I flew from Chicago to Columbus and arrived at nine in the evening. When I got home my family and I talked and looked through some of the gifts I brought home. By the time I went to bed, I had been awake for 32 hours straight.
This turned out to be a good situation because I went to bed around midnight, woke up at eight, and had a normal first-day home without any jet lag whatsoever.
16 July 2008
A Whole New World
I couldn't get train tickets from Chengdu to Kunming like I had wanted. I contacted some of my Chinese friends and was invited to return to my friend Bei's home, so my traveling is looking a lot different than it did a few days ago.
I flew from Chengdu to Xi'an on Sunday. Flying in China, for me, is not preferable. Because China is so diverse, it is shocking to step off an airplane into what seems like another world. By train, I can watch the countryside change and I have a day or two to get used to the differences in the regions.
In fact, staying in Chengdu made me truly realize how diverse China is. Some example are the food, the spoken language, and the habits and customs of the people. When I first came to China, I liked the food, but it was so different that I didn't want to eat much. When I arrived in Sichuan, it was the same. The food is so different from the Lanzhou food I am used to that I didn't have much of an appetite for the first few days, even though the food was delicious. The spoken language in Chengdu was difficult to get used to as well. For instance, the "sh" sound is pronounced more like a simple "s" which caused much confusion for me. And, in Chengdu, the people are more relaxed and laid back. They are more wealthy than in Lanzhou, their city is more western, and they are more concerned with safety and sanitation. The differences between the provinces are enormous, and traveling is very eye-opening and educating.
As for Xi'An, I not only have been here before, but it is fairly similar to Lanzhou. It feels more like home! Going to Bei's home will be like home as well; when I first came to China, I stayed with Bei and her familiy. At that time, I was unable to verbally communicate with them. Now that I can speak Chinese, I will be able to truly express to them how grateful I am for their kindness to me.
I flew from Chengdu to Xi'an on Sunday. Flying in China, for me, is not preferable. Because China is so diverse, it is shocking to step off an airplane into what seems like another world. By train, I can watch the countryside change and I have a day or two to get used to the differences in the regions.
In fact, staying in Chengdu made me truly realize how diverse China is. Some example are the food, the spoken language, and the habits and customs of the people. When I first came to China, I liked the food, but it was so different that I didn't want to eat much. When I arrived in Sichuan, it was the same. The food is so different from the Lanzhou food I am used to that I didn't have much of an appetite for the first few days, even though the food was delicious. The spoken language in Chengdu was difficult to get used to as well. For instance, the "sh" sound is pronounced more like a simple "s" which caused much confusion for me. And, in Chengdu, the people are more relaxed and laid back. They are more wealthy than in Lanzhou, their city is more western, and they are more concerned with safety and sanitation. The differences between the provinces are enormous, and traveling is very eye-opening and educating.
As for Xi'An, I not only have been here before, but it is fairly similar to Lanzhou. It feels more like home! Going to Bei's home will be like home as well; when I first came to China, I stayed with Bei and her familiy. At that time, I was unable to verbally communicate with them. Now that I can speak Chinese, I will be able to truly express to them how grateful I am for their kindness to me.
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