[Bond18]

China Trip Report, OT
First of all for the Mods, im not sure this is the appropriate place to put this since it doesn't have that much to do with poker, but i've had a few

requests from some regulars in this forum and its really the only place i post so if you feel the need to move it no worries. The trip report has more to do

with learning about other cultures places and the amusing side of culture shock but i'll talk some poker as well.

So a couple days after Christmas i got on a plane for Shanghai China, a 14 1/2 hour direct flight from Chicago. I stayed up the whole previous night playing

3/5 NL at the local casino and made like $600 in traveling money. Speaking of money one of the first things to know about China is the exchange rate is about

8 to 1. Because the average annual income is so slow the moment you arrive in China you literally become roughly 8-9 times richer. The 600 dollars i won that

night was your average Chinese mans quarterly earnings. This kind of massive wealth change makes for some interesting moments when you realize a massive

dinner for 4 with service you couldn't get at the best American restaurant at town cost you a whole $15 dollars, with no tip ever expected. Leave a tip in a

Chinese restauarant and they'll chase you down with it.

My girlfriend and I moved into an apartment owned by her uncle a half hour out of the city. We're out in the suburbs nearing the farming areas, and its a

pretty nice apartment. There was one major problem when i got here though; an earthquake in Taiwan has cut the fiber optic cables that provide internet to

China and i won't be able to connect to many American sites for days, possibly weeks. I can get on some sites but getting on a poker site is impossible. I

can sort of log on to Bodog but it often jams and lags and is basically unplayable. Going several days without being able to play or read 2+2 is basically my

idea of pure torture, i hate down time, im a full on obcessive workaholic. When im finally back online i'll have months of time to do nothing but play and

post like 12 hours a day, so hopefully i'll get some major scores and really improve my game.

The best part about coming to and living in a new country though, assuming you have a sense of humor, is the culture shock moments. The ones in China are by

far the largest i've ever experienced, heres a few of the major ones:

1. The traffic: Oh my [censored] god these people drive like coked up maniacs. There are bikes and motorcycles everywhere. People change lanes on a dime. People

walk on foot through the highways and freeways and cars are constantly coming within inches of disaster. When changing lanes the average Chinese drivers

thought process goes something like
a. Lay down the horn for several seconds to alert everyone im about to pull some [censored].
b. Jerk into the lane as fast as possible.
c. Assume everything will work itself out.
Its crazy but i guess people here are pretty used to it, though i'd be way to scared to try driving here. Everytime i get in a car I just try to lose myself

in thought so i don't worry about my impending death.

2. Getting starred at, constantly: In the city its not so bad because there are foreigners everywhere, but out where i am its very possible im the first

white person they have seen in months/years. When i go outside all hell brakes loose, people gawk and point, with children yelling "gui lo!" which is Mandarin for

'ghost'. People wave "herro!" at me and go into hysterics when i wave back. Anyone who rides by on a bike or motorcycle sets there eyes on me so hard when

they drive by they look like that chick in the exorcist with their necks snapping back. At first it was kind of amusing but now its just kind of weird and

creepy. You sort of wonder what their all thinking and they aren't very subtle about the starring.

3. Changes in etiqutte: In some ways the Chinese are far more polite than we are, in others not so much. For example, they are a highly non confrontational

people, as saving face is very valued. Some take this excessively far and are unable to admit when they are wrong or don't know the answer to something. If

you ask a person where something is you run the risk of them giving you directions that are totally untrue instead of admitting they are unsure. At the

dinner table everything is shared, and they will always pour tea for everyone around them before themselves. Some questions that are offensive in the states

are just fine here, for example dealing with weight. I havn't run into this myself since im pretty thin, but apparantly if your overweight, and especially if

your foreign, someone asking you "why are you so fat?" or "how much do you weigh?" is by no means offensive or inappropriate.

4. Being an illiterate mute: Not sure this counts as culture shock but its a strange feeling anyway. My girlfriend translates but if i walk around by myself

im just screwed. I'm going to try and learn some conversational Chinese but for the time being its weird sitting at dinner with a group and understanding

zero, and only rarely being able to read a sign when its in English as well.

5. Squatters: The Chinese toilet. Its like a hole in the ground with some water. Theres nothing to sit on, you just squat. I am terrified of these things,

luckily most apartments have toilets, but in public places its the squatter. On the plus side i don't think you have to worry about getting crabs from a

squatter.

Thats the major stuff so far, maybe i'll write more if people are interested or anything weird/hilarious happens. Once the internet is repaired i'll be on

playing/posting all day for about 5 months straight leading up to the WSOP though i might come back to play some WPT events since i already have 1 seat that

needs to get used. Since i'll have so much time i'll try to get to about every post of interest and contribute some good stuff and talk online to the guys i

know. I'm not sure when this post will make it online since the internet is running REALLY bad, so good luck to everyone going to PCA and Ozzie Millions, I'll be really shocked if i don't see at least a few familiar names high up there in the events. AND HAPPY NEW YEARs ALL!