In speaking with some of my Japanese friends since I’ve returned, I’ve found there are still some cultural tensions between Japan and the rest of Asia. Japan’s young folk see Japan as the best nation in Asia - clean and not dirty like China, prosporous and not ‘have nothing’ Korea.

People do spit a lot in China, even in the train stations; and their table manners are different - food scraps were left on the table itself in some restaurants and I saw chicken bones on the floor of the trains. Haven’t been to Korea yet, but I want to go, maybe in Golden Week.

But, looking at the whole picture, I think Japan has reached its apex already. The country is at maximum production (hence the incessant recession - there’s no more room to grow…) and lacks raw materials to do much more. No land, few mines, basically Japan must now focus on non-commodity services. Design, research, these intangible things are still viable avenues.

China, on the other hand, is in a completely different place. It’s been taking advantage of its rich natural resources to the tune of huge economic and infrastructural growth. And it educates some of the best and brightest in new and advanced techonology. However, if they continue to follow American ecological hedonism, they’ll have sizable growing pains in the next few years. Asia has only one rising dragon at the moment.

中国!

One word summary: perfect
Two word summary: deliciously spectacular

Rather than bore you with descriptions (or even lists) of things I did and places I saw, I’ll leave that for the photos’ captions. Instead, I’d like to share impressions and opinions…. and I fear much of this will be contrasted with my feelings about Japan (my most recent point of reference).

China is very much a country full of life. People talk excitedly to each other, and every corner and pocket of space has something happening. Everyone is expressive and that is refreshing. No one gets lost in pleasantries and protocols. Coversations are open, honest, and they keep you on your toes. After living in a place where men are obviously in control and the women are voluntarily mute and subservient, it was invigorating to visit a one where folks were more level.

China even has public waste baskets, something Japan hasn’t caught onto yet. Beijing has more green or open areas than any city I’ve seen here. You don’t feel oppressed by buildings and traffic (tho, you have to be 10 times more careful crossing the street).

But, Japan is less polluted - any time I blew my nose, what came out looked more like wet concrete than anything organic. And Japan has their trains worked out - no 60min+ delays. One relieving thing walking out into Tokyo this evening was not being asked if I liked watches. I could imagine living and working in China would get frustating as you would be constantly seen as a money-carrying tourist and not a barely-making-it worker everywhere you went.

Having some Japanese kanji ability helped me out for the menus, but I was confused for a few days at first with the simplified characters. Overall, I never ordered a mystery plate, and I even learned a few new characters while I was over. However, I don’t think China is a place where you can order something and not think it was delicious. Japan’s food, well, sucks in comparison. Bland and boring and uniform.

China certainly earned a “must go back here” tag over the new year.

I’d say this holiday was really really good. I got to spend time with people I care about, sort out some thots about my future and feel excited about it, share lingo with closet gamer geeks, expand my vocabulary, try new things, and go ice skating on Christmas day.