This Is China (TIC) is a cultural guide to China, written, according to its subtitle, for “teachers,
backpackers and other lunatics.” The ebook was released yesterday – you can download it at lulu.com – and it should be available in print by August.

The author, Megan Eaves, is a self-described “avid traveler, writer, musician, explorer, teacher and free spirit.” She holds an M.A. in Intercultural Studies from Dublin City University and a B.A. in Intercultural Communication from the University of New Mexico. At the moment, she teaches English in Lishui, Zhejiang Province, and writes for various travel websites.

The book takes “This is China” as its premise. A statement of the obvious, perhaps, but people who live in or travel through China too often forget that it is the country’s differences, among other things, that drew them in. Adventures are rarely comfortable and TIC prepares its readers for the frustrations and difficulties of life in China – perhaps too well.

The book is not a guide to sites and cities. It’s a handbook. TIC comprehensively answers most of the questions people ask in the first six or so months of their time in China. Although clearly aimed at English teachers who arrive, clueless, in the bewilderment of modern China (I was one of them), the book explains much that independent travellers and better-paid expats will find useful. Its generality is a strength, but also, on occasion, a weakness. China is a very big, diverse place and Eaves’ paints it in strokes that sometimes seem a little too broad – as if she were writing solely for precious foreigners who find themselves, to their horror, in a small city or nowhere town.

People reasonably familiar with China will, l suspect, pick holes in TIC’s generalisations, but the book is an excellent shortcut to knowhow that is otherwise difficult, and sometimes painful, to acquire. I wish it was available two years ago, when I arrived.

The book’s table of contents and an excerpt, from the introduction and first chapter, have been posted below. Again, you can buy TIC – and dip a little deeper into its contents – at lulu.com.

Introduction

For the laowai…

Anyone that has spent even a short amount of time in China can instantly recognize the term “lăowài” (老外). Laowai is Chinese slang for “foreign person,” literally translated as “old foreigner.” Most Chinese use
this term more endearingly than rudely, but any Westerner that has spent even a short time in China has, invariably, heard the “Laowai!” catcalls of curious or mischievous streetside onlookers. Those of us who have survived life in China without jumping the next plane home have learned to embrace our laowai’ism, knowing, no matter how good our Chinese gets, if we dye our hair black, or wear boots over our jeans come winter, we will always, always be laowai.

This book is for us. Old hats and new brethren alike, we all face the same dilemmas, problems, and utter humiliations. That said, don’t be scared. If you are considering a visit or move to China, this book is meant to help you. Sure, moving to China isn’t an easy experience. People will probably think you are crazy. Hell, at some times, you will probably think you are crazy – and you might just be. Even still, this book isn’t meant to frighten you off, it’s meant to help and encourage you. One thing you probably already know is that this is
going to be challenging. That’s probably why you picked the book up in the first place. But, for all the difficult times ahead, there will be more fulfillment, peace, and excitement than you can imagine. If you’re wavering, just take the plunge and go for it. It’ll be worth it.

So, let this be a guide, a manual, a diary, a friend on those solo Tibetan wine nights, a pillow on a hard seat train, a writing tablet when you’re giving autographs, reading material for the 20-minute silence between when you ask your students a question and the first hand that tentatively rises, a menu in the times when you can’t muster the strength to just point and hope for the best. And most importantly, let this book be a source of help on the days you think you just won’t make it another hour and a source of amusement on
the days when life is so beautiful you can’t remember existence at home.

Chapter 1 – The Compulsory Stuff

Mianzi – 面子 miànzi

Miànzi, or liăn, are concepts of ‘face’. This idea is most familiar in the expression ‘saving face’; that is to say, not being publicly disrespectful to others, or taking preventative actions to ensure that others aren’t embarrassed. Though most cultures have some notion of face, it is essential in China. To distinguish between the two, liăn is social confidence one’s moral character, while miànzi is the social observation of one’s prestige.

Group harmony is of absolute importance in collective societies such as China. People dislike direct confrontation, including expressing a clear ‘no’. Oftentimes, your questions will be answered with “Maybe so,” “It’s possible”, or “We’ll see”. These evasive and inaccurate statements are used to keep appearances pleasant by avoiding negative repercussions should plans change at a later time. So, vague, unclear answers are common in China. The upshot is that what Westerners would consider a lie is not necessarily immoral or bad, but simply a statement made to protect group harmony.‘Polite lies’, or those ‘little white’ ones, are actually expected and can be easily interpreted by skillful Chinese communicators.

The important distinction here is that collective cultures want to repair or build relationships but individualist cultures (like North American and European ones) prefer to problem-solve and move on. Keep this in mind as you try to communicate (even in English) on a daily basis. Coming from an individualist culture and trying to communicate in a collective one is confusing and trying, even for experienced communication professionals. Learn to be aware of your communication styles and notice how they seem to differ from your Chinese counterparts. This will lead you to more effective role-playing within the social structure.

Modesty

If you read the analects of Confucius, you will find dozens of quotes about modesty and humility, and it’s one of the ways that Confucianism still shows up strongly in Chinese culture today. Modesty is most often displayed as refusal to accept gifts, downplaying one’s own talents or self-deprecating speech acts. For instance, a Chinese person will often reject a gift (even a small token) several times before finally accepting it. It is important to play along and insist that the recipient take the gift because, if you withdraw the offer too soon, the recipient may feel hurt or offended and might not understand why you retracted so quickly while they were only being polite.

The same goes for any gift or generous offer made to you. Initially, it is most polite to modestly refuse several times before finally accepting the offer. When being complimented, Chinese people will often look down, cover their mouths and tell you that you are incorrect or make another self-deprecating remark. This is most commonly observed when you tell someone they speak English well, where the response would be, “No, no. My English is so poor.”

If you want to earn face and respect among Chinese people, engaging in this kind of modesty will get you a lot of points. It may feel strange at first; however, Chinese people are often very uncomfortable with the Western practice of simply saying “Thank you” when a compliment is received. In their eyes, it seems arrogant and they may perceive you to be very conceited.

Peddlers, Touts & Beggars

In larger cities, especially in tourist areas, peddlers abound. There will likely be a barrage of salesmen flogging Chinese flags, Mao watches, DVDs and a sundry of other items. These peddlers often heavily overcharge foreign tourists, who think they are getting a steal in comparison with Western prices. Never follow a peddler somewhere out of a main area or trust anyone that approaches you on the street offering a good deal.

When arriving in stations or at taxi stands, you will encounter touts. These are local drivers hoping you’ll hire them to take you to your destination. Touts are useful only when you’re in a real bind for transportation, but never take a tout as your first option. More often than not, there are nearby public transport options that are safer and cheaper than what touts will offer. Check for official ticket windows before bargaining with a tout.

The best way to deal with anyone who approaches you on the street (particularly in big cities or tourist areas) is to simply ignore them. Even saying, “No thank you” will usually just encourage them to follow you or continue bothering you. Don’t be afraid to be brusque and just tell them to piss off!

Major Scams

In the larger Chinese cities, several scams occur that are geared to foreign tourists, especially those who look lost or naive. Usually, one or several sweet/innocent/friendly Chinese college students who undoubtedly speak excellent English will approach you. At first, it will seem as though they simply want to make conversation or practice their English, but beware!

Art Students

Several students strike up conversation with you in a public place. They claim to be from another area of China, just arrived to study art. They are very friendly and finally offer for you to take a look at some of their artwork, usually in an apartment or studio to which they offer to lead you. Once at the studio, you will be pressured into buying some of these pieces of artwork, which are usually very poor quality knock-offs of ancient Chinese style scroll paintings. These ‘students’ actually work for organizations that produce fake artwork to be sold in such a manner.

Tea House/Ceremony

Again, one or several twenty-somethings will approach you on the street and strike up random conversation. Eventually, they will somehow mention they are going to a tea ceremony, or offer to be your guide around the city. They will seem very friendly and helpful. They’ll take you to a teahouse, where you will order and sample teas and eventually be presented the bill (if you don’t offer to pay), which can range upwards of several hundreds (or in some cases, thousands) of yuan. These “friendly students” are actually family members or employees of the teahouses, which earn profits by scamming Westerners into buying inexpensive tea at ungodly prices.

More by this author:

• Who You Are, Where You Are: Travel and Nostalgia - September 10th, 2009
• A Total Solar Eclipse over Asia - July 15th, 2009
• Puja, Pilgrims and Pandemonium: Chamundeshwari Temple, Mysore - July 7th, 2009
• Between Bombay and Mumbai - June 15th, 2009
• The Excelsior, Hong Kong - June 15th, 2009

About the Author:  Originally from Cape Town, South Africa, Iain lives in Shanghai, where he more or less intentionally arrived after a much longer than planned overland journey from London. (The story of that can be found at Old World Wandering.) He now edits Holiday Fu from home, where he battles against his ayi's banter, amongst other distractions .