What surprised you most when you first came to China, as a foreigner?
作為一個外國人，你第一次來到中國時最讓你感到驚訝的是什麼?
以下是Quora讀者的評論：
Joseph W. Hatch, My wife and "In-Laws" are from Mainland China. I travel there frequently.It seems that every single time I get off the plane and pass customs I am in for a brand new adventure.Noise, enormity, smells, pollution, construction and general chaos are all valid answers.
似乎每一次我下飛機過海關的時候，都在進行一次全新的冒險。
噪音、巨大、氣味、汙染、建築和混亂....都是正確答案。
What surprised me the most was how genuine and hospitable the Chinese people are. The two most asked questions I was asked on my first trip were ”are you lost?’ the second was “are you hungry?” The backstory is that I travel “boots on the ground” without an itinerary and without a tour group. I am not a backpacker nor do I care for that lifestyle. Hotels and freestyle exploration is more my speed.
最讓我驚訝的是中國人的真誠和好客。我第一次旅行時被問到最多的兩個問題是“你迷路了嗎?”第二個是“你餓嗎?”。我四處旅行，沒有事先安排行程，也沒有參加旅行團。我不是揹包客，也不喜歡那種生活方式。酒店和自由探索更適合我。
Now being a foreigner I could feel the eyes on me. What broke the ice around this situation was as follows. I was approached by an older woman that had never seen a white man in person. She asked me if I was lost. She was surprised by the fact that I replied to her in Chinese “no” . She was even more astonished that I explained to her I was visiting her city and was impressed by the offerings of the market. She wanted to take a picture with me and invited me to meet her family and have lunch. I accepted the offer and it turned out to be one of the best experiences I had ever had in China.
作為一個外國人，我能感覺到人們的目光集中在我身上。一位從未見過白人男性的年長女性走近我。她問我是不是迷路了。她對我用中文回答“沒有”感到驚訝。更令她驚訝的是，我向她解釋說，我是來參觀她所在的城市的，市場上的商品給她留下了深刻的印象。她想和我合影，還邀請我去她家吃午飯。我接受了這份美意，結果這是我在中國最好的經歷之一。
We walk to her and her husband's house, I was met with Brothers, Sisters, Cousins, and Neighbors. It was literally like I had returned home to a family I had not met. I had found a market along the way and bought baiju and beer to compliment what was offered. Old School= don’t show up empty handed, you will look bad. As we got deeper in the hutong I could feel that eyes are on me once again. Mostly out of curiosity. I did not mind it too much. For me, this was the most delightful afternoon ever! We cooked, we ate, we drank as if I was the missing cousin in the Family reunited after many years of separation. After 4 hours and the most jovial of times, I needed to take my leave. I was offered to stay there as a guest, I politely declined. I explained that I had paid my hotel room already and I needed to return to the hotel. One of the cousins came around with his car and drove me to the hotel. To this day I keep in contact. I feel that on that day we met I was adopted by that Family. I still to this day visit at least 1 time every 18 months.
我們走向她和她丈夫的家，見過了她的兄弟、姐妹、表親和鄰居。這簡直就像我在回一個素未謀面的家。我在路上發現了一個市場，買了白酒和啤酒來讚美那裡的美食。當我們在衚衕裡越走越深的時候，我感覺又有目光盯著我。主要是出於好奇。我並不太介意。對我來說，這是最愉快的一個下午！我們一起做飯，一起吃，一起喝，就好像我是這個家庭失散多年的一員。我在這裡呆了4個小時，度過了最快樂的時光，我得告辭了。他們邀請我在那裡作客，我婉言謝絕了。我解釋說，我已經支付了我的酒店房間，我要回酒店去了。一個堂兄弟開著他的車來送我去到酒店。直到今天我們還保持著聯繫。我覺得在我們相遇的那一天，我就被那個家庭收養了。我至今仍然每18個月就至少去探望他們一天。
Angela Nguyen, Business Owner
The thing that surprised me the most was just how massive it is! There are so many cities I’ve never heard of that have a population of over 10 million people!! For example, I was in Suzhou for work - a city I would not have known about if my supplier were not there. It is a well-developed, beautiful city that has recently qualified as a first-tier city.
Here is a view from my hotel:
最讓我驚訝的是中國有這麼大！我從來都不知道中國有這麼多城市的人口超過1000萬！！例如，我在蘇州工作—如果我的供應商不在那裡，我就不會知道這個城市。這是一個發達、美麗的城市，最近被評為一線城市。
從我住的酒店往外看：
Bonus: The next thing that surprised me the most was the local people checking PPM levels everyday to see if pollution levels were okay for them to spend time outside. As an Australian, I have always gone outside freely so this was a real eye-opener. I knew China had a pollution problem but had no idea it was that bad - I guess you don’t know until you see it!
另一件最讓我驚訝的事是當地人每天都要檢查PPM濃度，看看汙染水平是否允許他們在戶外活動。作為一個澳大利亞人，我總是隨心所欲地出門活動，所以這真的讓我大開眼界。我知道中國有汙染問題，但不知道有這麼嚴重——我猜你們得親眼看看才知道！
Geraldine Lorente, Global Transition Specialist (2017-present)
That Chinese people are actually kind.
I always had this idea that they were very straight, disrespectful, and hard to deal with. When I came to China to work on a project, I was not looking forward to it since I know that this is the toughest country which I will handle in my role. I went to Hong Kong before and I find most people to be rude (compared to where I came from). Vendors would actually get mad if you ask for the price of their products, they would bump into you while walking, stomp on my feet so that they can have a better view of the parade, etc.
But during our meetings, I got to deal with people from Taiwan, HK, and yes even Mainland China and they were lovely! Some of them would even go out of their way just to accompany me for dinner, do a lot of translations (since you need to write everything in chinese characters or else most peope will not understand you, say if you are riding a cab or having some items delivered.) What I admire about them is their passion at work, seems like working long hours and even on weekdays is normal so that they can get the job done!
Xie xie!
(Typing this answer as I lay in my bed in Beijing)
中國人其實很善良。
我之前總覺得他們很直率，不尊重人，很難相處。當我來中國做某個項目的時候，我並不期待，因為我知道這會是我遇到過的最棘手的國家。我以前去過香港，我發現大多數人都很粗魯(與我的家鄉相比)。如果你問賣主某個產品的價格，他們會很生氣，他們會在走路的時候撞你，還會踩我的腳等等。
但是在我們的會議中，我要和來自臺灣、香港、甚至中國大陸的人打交道，他們都很可愛!他們中的一些人甚至會特意陪我吃晚飯，做很多翻譯的工作(因為你需要用中文寫下所有的東西，否則大多數人都聽不懂你說的話，不管你是乘坐出租車還是送東西)。我欽佩他們的是他們對工作的熱情，長時間工作，甚至週末工作都是正常的，所以他們可以把工作做好!
謝謝!
(我是躺在北京的床上寫下的這個答案)
Miriam Frank, Chinese Teacher (2019-present)
Hello everyone! This is my first time using Quora and I love it already! I’d first like to let everyone know a little bit about my background. I received my bachelors from Beijing Language and Culture University in Chinese language. I am fluent in Mandarin and have a very good understanding of the culture having lived in Beijing for four years. I am now back in the United States, having graduated with a master’s from Indiana University Bloomington in Chinese pedagogy.
What surprised me most when I first arrived to China was how everyone stared at me. My impression was that they had never seen foreigners before and they had a stern look on their face…as if they hated me! After living in the city sometime I came to know that they did not hate me, but were curious and interested in the way foreigners looked. Now Beijing and Shanghai being more international cities there are less people staring, but something to keep in mind throughout other parts of China.
Chinese people are loud. I found it very obnoxious at first and understood them as mad at each other all the time. I remember once in my dorm I overheard the 阿姨 (cleaning maid) talking with her friend and could hear them from inside my room. I thought they were fighting with each, but really they were excited after having not seen each other for quite a while. You will also notice in restaurants that this is also present. Chinese people are very energetic at the dinner table, ordering lots of dishes and ever maybe hard liquor depending on the occasion. They use their loud voice to indicate here their enjoyment with the guests and friends.
大家好!這是我第一次使用Quora，我已經喜歡上這裡了！大家可以先了解一下我的背景。我獲得了北京語言大學漢語言文學的學士學位。我能說流利的普通話，並因為在北京生活了四年，對中國文化有了很深的瞭解。我現在回到了美國，在印第安納大學布盧明頓分校獲得了中國教育學碩士學位。
當我第一次來到中國時，最讓我驚訝的是每個人都會盯著我看。我還以為他們以前從未見過外國人……他們的神情很嚴肅，就好像恨我似的！在城市生活了一段時間後，我才知道他們並不恨我，而是對外國人的長相感到好奇和興趣。現在北京和上海更加國際化了，很少會有人盯著外國人看了，但在中國的其他地方要記住這一點。
中國人很吵。一開始我覺得這很令人討厭，以為他們一直在生對方的氣。我記得有一次我在宿舍聽到阿姨(女清潔工)與她朋友的交談。我還以為她們是在打架呢，其實她們只是很長時間沒有見面了，很興奮。有時候在餐館裡也會看到這種情況。中國人在餐桌上很有活力，會點很多菜，有時還會點烈性酒。他們用響亮的聲音表達他們與親朋好友相處的快樂。
Diego Wells, Athletic Director, enjoying the challenges of living overseas
China shocked me for its uniqueness. I came to China 1 year ago, after having lived and worked in 10 different countries over the past 2 decades. This mega country is unlike any other place on Earth in several ways (some subtle, others, not-so subtle).
I will briefly describe its surprises in a way that follows the title of my favourite Clint Eastwood movie.
THE GOOD: Incredible infrastructure with regards to transportation within a city. Subways, buses, taxi, motorcycle taxis, bicycles, are all cheap, efficient and easy to find, use and negotiate your way around the new environment. I continue to be impressed by Guangzhou's bridges, and highways, but its relatively new Metro (Subway) system is incredible. For the equivalent of $1 I can go from the airport to the suburb I live in (Foshan), a journey of 1.5 hours and a distance of over 50kms in a clean, air conditioned, safe subw ay car.
THE BAD: This is the first foreign country I have been to where people initially ignore you. Almost all locals avoid eye contact on the street, in a bus or on a subway. In such a crowded place, often I have felt completely alone, as the people often walk past you without even a glance. Language is definitely a huge barrier, but still, it seems that most locals are indifferent to foreigners living in their town.
THE UGLY: The smog that roles in and hovers over the city I live in (Guangzhou), more days than not is an ugly surprise for sure. It seems that factory smoke and stain filled clouds block sunlight for days on end, and it can get depressing if you let it.
THE BEAUTIFUL: Can't leave on a low-note. Once you meet and be-friend a Chinese person, you realize just how wonderful this country is. A Chinese friend is a friend for life! Honest, caring, compassionate and sincere is how I would describe the locals I have gotten to know. As harsh as living in China can be on the exterior, getting to know a few local people while you are here softens it all and makes this place a truly unique and magical place to live!
中國的獨特性讓我震驚。一年前，我來到中國，在過去的20年裡，我在10個不同的國家生活和工作過。這個超級大國與地球上其他國家都有著不同之處。
我將以我最喜歡的克林特·伊斯特伍德電影的名字來簡要描述它的驚喜。
優點：城市內的交通基礎設施令人難以置信。地鐵、公共汽車、出租車、摩托車出租車、自行車，都很便宜快速。我到現在還對廣州的橋樑和高速公路印象深刻，但廣州較新的地鐵系統也令人不可思議。花1美元，我就可以搭乘乾淨、有空調、安全的地鐵，從機場到我居住的(佛山)郊區，行程1.5小時，距離超過50公里。
缺點：在我去過的國家中，這裡是第一個當地人一開始會忽視你的地方。幾乎所有的當地人在街上、公共汽車上或地鐵上都避免眼神交流。在這樣一個擁擠的地方，我常常感到無邊的孤獨，因為人們常從你身邊走過，看都不看你一眼。語言無疑是一個巨大的障礙，但似乎大多數當地人對住在他們鎮上的外國人都很冷漠。
醜陋的一面：在我居住的城市(廣州)上空盤旋的霧霾，天數之多，無疑是醜陋的一面。似乎工廠的煙霧和汙跡瀰漫的雲層會連續幾天阻擋陽光，如果你們放任不管，會變得令人沮喪。
美好的一面：一旦你遇到一箇中國人並和他成為朋友，你就會意識到這個國家有多麼美好。中國朋友是一輩子的朋友！誠實、有愛心、有同情心、真誠，這些都是我對認識的當地人的評價。雖然在中國生活表面上很艱苦，但在這裡認識的一些當地人會讓生活變得更溫暖，讓這個地方成為一個真正獨特和神奇的地方！
Grant Lian, Living and working in China
Ooh ooh, pick me!
I first visited China in summer of 2002. I was born in the U.S. to Chinese parents of native Taiwanese descent (I say it this way to specifically differentiate us from the Pan Green Taiwanese that seem to be everywhere today). Even so, I was brought up to know that mainland China was poor, backwards, and dangerous.
This was literally the first thing I saw after getting off of the first cab from the airport:
Even back then, the Bund was a pretty stunning skyline, and it has since exploded with new and fabulous buildings that completely betrayed the backwards podunk expectations I brought with me from the US.
Shanghai shocked and awed me with its characteristic opulence, and even though I spent the rest of the summer in much poorer Xi’an, it set the tone for how I would continue to monitor China in the decades to come.
Today, looking back, I still think of China circa 2002 as the Golden Age for modern China, even though people were making just a fraction of what typical incomes are today. Back then, it seemed like the country beamed of hope and progressive thinking. Since then, optimism has dropped way down and it seems like nationalism is moving up while national policy is evolving more slowly, and sometimes backwards. Hard to say what the next 15 years will look like!
All I can say is, I’m keeping the tuner on this channel!
哦哦，選我吧!
我第一次去中國是在2002年的夏天。我出生在美國，父母都是臺灣本地人。我從小就聽說中國大陸貧窮、落後又危險。
這是我從機場的第一輛出租車上看到的第一件事：
即便是在那個時候，外灘的天際線也是相當漂亮的，從那以後，外灘出現了大量嶄新的、令人難以置信的建築，完全顛覆了我從美國獲得的落後、乏味的印象。
上海以其特有的富裕讓我震驚和敬畏，儘管我在貧窮得多的西安度過了這個夏天的其餘時間，但它為我今後幾十年如何看待中國奠定了基調。
今天，回顧過去，我仍然認為2002年前後的中國是現代中國的黃金時代，儘管那時人們的收入遠遠不及現在的收入。當時，這個國家似乎充滿了希望和進步思想。從那時起，樂觀情緒開始下降，民族主義似乎在抬頭，而國家政策的演變則更加緩慢，有時甚至倒退。很難說未來15年會是什麼樣子!
我只能說，我要把調諧器留在這個頻道！
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