Public transportation, Chinese DDR, scripted bargaining, and The Tasty Trance Show

I didn't experience my first culture shock until yesterday afternoon, but it actually continued until late into the evening. The very lovely Chinese volunteer Vivien helped me and Ken, one of the other Towson students, buy some things. We started off walking around campus looking for easy things such as plates and small radios, but we needed to take a bus to buy some boots (since we thought my feet were bigger than they actually were).

Culture shock #1
The bus situation is so different here than from anything I've seen in the States. There is a constant stream of buses - you can probably catch the bus you need in 5-10 minute intervals. However, at rush hour, the buses are likely to be too full to even board. This is the only place that I've ever seen a line form for a bus - or a taxi stand. It is... frightful. Also, on the way to the mall, we boarded a bus using the middle doors; Vivien handed her bus pass and 4 yuan (it's 2 yuan each for buses with AC) up the bus driver - and her pass was returned! She says it's a very common thing to do during rush hour when you can't reach the pay point. Unlike American buses, there is no mechanized bill-eater (though there is a pass scanner) - just a metal box with a slot. Also, the drivers don't wear uniforms. They just look like civilians that decided to sit down and go for a joy ride.       It's also okay to eat on buses, just not smoke - though smoking indoors is accepted.

 Culture shock #2

Weird arcade interface...

When we reached the mall, someone handed us a coupon for 10 free arcade tokens. Though we did look for boots in there to no avail, I'm just going to skip to the awesome part - I tried playing King of Fighters on their oddly-formatted arcade system first, but failed miserably. From there, we all took turns playing Time Crisis 4. :D And then... I decided it was time to try Chinese DDR, or Dance Station 3DDX. For a video of how it is played, click here.

You have to use your arms for this game - to point to the left, right, front, and back - all while keeping your feet moving on diagonal arrows. Luckily there was no middle button to keep track of as well, but it's really unlike anything I've ever played. And play I did, for almost an hour, with this cool-looking Chinese dude with blue contacts, who seemed to understand a bit of English. - I would like to interrupt this blog entry to tell everyone that Neyo - Closer just started playing on my Chinese radio - holy crap!! - I'm gonna be visiting the arcade closer to East Gate much more frequently now.

Culture shock #3

Haggling was extremely embarassing. Woman with sultry smoker voice tried to tell us that the boots I wanted were 394 yuan (brought down from 500). Vivien was translating the whole time, though I understood the numbers. Tai gui le (too expensive). There was no way I was haggling to an appropriate price when the red shoes I bought were 19 yuan and I had been in a store earlier selling boots for 49 yuan. And the woman tried to say they were more expensive since they were boots, never mind them being out of season. lol ...the next store we went in, I found the same exact boots, and the starting price was 180 yuan. I asked for them for 100 yuan. This woman went into a screaming fit as Vivien gestured for us to all walk away, and people started to stare. We ended up settling for 110 yuan, which is pretty decent - just over $15. And I actually wear a 38, though my red shoes are a 42. No wonder people were freaking out over my shoe size when I told them 42. lol

Culture shock #4
Ken and I finally reached Little Bar for The Tasty Trance Show around 8:46 - when the show started at 8. Keep in mind that for most of my readers, this would be happening around 7-something in the morning. 30 yuan at the door, and drinks were American-priced. The bands playing were Chiptune, Eat Alien's Brain, and MLHP & Card B Card B. Onstage were two dudes in neon clothes and sunglasses playing REALLY awesome electronica. (Talbolt, you would have gotten the fuck down.) We thought the show was over at that point, but still satisfied since the music had been so ridiculously good. Except, then! - another band came on. I would describe it as thrash, but definitely some kind of screamo - so many kinds. That band was also ridiculously good, except... I was so eager to try moshing over here, that I just jumped straight in. Which was stupid, because they do things a bit differently over here. Their notions of safety most obvious in driving habits and food preparation are also reflected in mosh pits. It wasn't the pushing with mild swinging of arms that I'm used to, but straight out punching and clothes-grabbing - that felt both aimed and aimless, in that every fist thrown was most likely to hit my face, and Ken got hit below the belt. That was not a very good time. 

We also met a woman named Sofaya - unsure of spelling - who's been in China for 9 years, is a grad student at Sichuan U., and actually lives on the same exact floor. The venue, the people... all just reminded me of Baltimore, and MICA. I can't wait to go back, though. :)