Comments on: The Youth Hostel http://toshuo.com/2006/the-youth-hostel/ Chinese, Linguistics, Science, Cultural Observations and whatever else I feel like writing about Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:06:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Mark http://toshuo.com/2006/the-youth-hostel/comment-page-1/#comment-5554 Mark Sat, 05 Aug 2006 17:02:46 +0000 http://toshuo.com/2006/the-youth-hostel/#comment-5554 No, I wasn't. Despite the fact that I had an easier time finding or doing pretty much <i>anything</i> in the city than those "experts", I pretty much just did my own thing. It was my first time on the mainland, and I only stayed in Beijing for a week. The last thing I wanted to do was gather a crowd around me and tell them all "what China's like". When people specifically came to me and asked for help translating things, or writing addresses for cab drivers, I obliged, but that was it. I sure as heck wasn't giving false information about prices or that sort of thing. As for insights, I'm sure you're right. There are probably a lot of experiences that someone who <i>can't</i> read or communicate with the locals would have that I wouldn't. I guess my first glimpse of the mainland was "tarnished" by the fact that I already knew Chinese. I'll never exactly what it's like to those backpackers. I could only try to experience a bit of the feeling vicariously by hanging out with them. No, I wasn’t. Despite the fact that I had an easier time finding or doing pretty much anything in the city than those “experts”, I pretty much just did my own thing. It was my first time on the mainland, and I only stayed in Beijing for a week. The last thing I wanted to do was gather a crowd around me and tell them all “what China’s like”. When people specifically came to me and asked for help translating things, or writing addresses for cab drivers, I obliged, but that was it. I sure as heck wasn’t giving false information about prices or that sort of thing.

As for insights, I’m sure you’re right. There are probably a lot of experiences that someone who can’t read or communicate with the locals would have that I wouldn’t. I guess my first glimpse of the mainland was “tarnished” by the fact that I already knew Chinese. I’ll never exactly what it’s like to those backpackers. I could only try to experience a bit of the feeling vicariously by hanging out with them.

]]> By: Tomer http://toshuo.com/2006/the-youth-hostel/comment-page-1/#comment-5548 Tomer Sat, 05 Aug 2006 15:12:34 +0000 http://toshuo.com/2006/the-youth-hostel/#comment-5548 I found that LEO's had more of the Thailand fun and thrills backpacker crowd while people more interested in China seems to stay at the Beijing International (atleast when i was there) In Shanghai i really found people who were into learning about China and not the typical backpacker crowd... in Xinjiang as well... Beijing/Chengdu/Lijiang/Kunming are just the default stops on the quick route and you get all kinds of people. On the other hand, even with all your background, aren't you being one of those "China experts" too? I'm sure some of those backpackers have insights on travelling in China that you wouldn't have. I found that LEO’s had more of the Thailand fun and thrills backpacker crowd while people more interested in China seems to stay at the Beijing International (atleast when i was there)

In Shanghai i really found people who were into learning about China and not the typical backpacker crowd… in Xinjiang as well… Beijing/Chengdu/Lijiang/Kunming are just the default stops on the quick route and you get all kinds of people.

On the other hand, even with all your background, aren’t you being one of those “China experts” too? I’m sure some of those backpackers have insights on travelling in China that you wouldn’t have.

]]> By: fiLi’s world » Blog Archive » The “West” and Chinese http://toshuo.com/2006/the-youth-hostel/comment-page-1/#comment-5497 fiLi’s world » Blog Archive » The “West” and Chinese Thu, 03 Aug 2006 23:22:47 +0000 http://toshuo.com/2006/the-youth-hostel/#comment-5497 [...] So, no problem, right? if Americans are now teaching their young ones Chinese, then an American speaking Chinese should look natural, eh? not quite. Reading through the wonderful Mark’s Taiwanese blog “Doubting to shuo” and his “Youth hostel” experiences in Beijing I was reminded of my own experiences in Asia regarding the other side of  westerners knowing Asian languages I went up to the desk, asked how much it was for a room, and checked in. The process was pretty quick, and there weren’t any communication difficulties with the girl at the counter, despite the gulf between her Beijing accent and my Taiwanese one. […] [...] [...] So, no problem, right? if Americans are now teaching their young ones Chinese, then an American speaking Chinese should look natural, eh? not quite. Reading through the wonderful Mark’s Taiwanese blog “Doubting to shuo” and his “Youth hostel” experiences in Beijing I was reminded of my own experiences in Asia regarding the other side of  westerners knowing Asian languages I went up to the desk, asked how much it was for a room, and checked in. The process was pretty quick, and there weren’t any communication difficulties with the girl at the counter, despite the gulf between her Beijing accent and my Taiwanese one. […] [...]

]]> By: Mark http://toshuo.com/2006/the-youth-hostel/comment-page-1/#comment-4753 Mark Thu, 20 Jul 2006 18:11:13 +0000 http://toshuo.com/2006/the-youth-hostel/#comment-4753 They don't like my American corruption of their language! I answer, "do you have blah blah blah" with "Yes, I do." They'd prefer, "Yes, I have." It's all stuff like that. They don’t like my American corruption of their language! I answer, “do you have blah blah blah” with “Yes, I do.” They’d prefer, “Yes, I have.” It’s all stuff like that.

]]> By: Elliott http://toshuo.com/2006/the-youth-hostel/comment-page-1/#comment-4752 Elliott Thu, 20 Jul 2006 17:37:44 +0000 http://toshuo.com/2006/the-youth-hostel/#comment-4752 Interesting post. I too have spent my time in hostels mainly in SE Asia and had similar experiences to the ones posted above. I was just curious about your line "I think they understood everything I said. They just didn't approve!" Was this because you are not a long term backpacker or because you are an American? Interesting post. I too have spent my time in hostels mainly in SE Asia and had similar experiences to the ones posted above. I was just curious about your line “I think they understood everything I said. They just didn’t approve!” Was this because you are not a long term backpacker or because you are an American?

]]> By: Mark http://toshuo.com/2006/the-youth-hostel/comment-page-1/#comment-4701 Mark Wed, 19 Jul 2006 16:34:40 +0000 http://toshuo.com/2006/the-youth-hostel/#comment-4701 Well, I don't normally have problems understanding British people, but once those guys start drinking, they start using a lot of slang and making a lot of references to TV shows I've never seen. As far as the other way's concerned, I think they understood everything I said. They just didn't approve! Well, I don’t normally have problems understanding British people, but once those guys start drinking, they start using a lot of slang and making a lot of references to TV shows I’ve never seen. As far as the other way’s concerned, I think they understood everything I said. They just didn’t approve!

]]> By: Daniel http://toshuo.com/2006/the-youth-hostel/comment-page-1/#comment-4700 Daniel Wed, 19 Jul 2006 16:32:36 +0000 http://toshuo.com/2006/the-youth-hostel/#comment-4700 Great stuff - but if an American and a British person can't understand each other's language, what hope do the rest of us have in China/Taiwan.. Part of the problem, I suspect, was that it was Beijing. You meet those kinds of "experts" in the key, popular, backpacker trail places. Great stuff - but if an American and a British person can’t understand each other’s language, what hope do the rest of us have in China/Taiwan..

Part of the problem, I suspect, was that it was Beijing. You meet those kinds of “experts” in the key, popular, backpacker trail places.

]]> By: Brendan http://toshuo.com/2006/the-youth-hostel/comment-page-1/#comment-4614 Brendan Tue, 18 Jul 2006 06:27:01 +0000 http://toshuo.com/2006/the-youth-hostel/#comment-4614 Eesh - I've been pretty lucky in my own hostelling experiences here, I guess, but a lot of the backpackers I've overheard chatting with one another have come off as sounding depressingly the same: "Yeah, I was in Laos. Smoked opium there. Then I went to Thailand. Chiang Mai was beautiful. Cambodia was just so wonderful, except for the land mines..." etc. I like the "turning local" line, because it seems like such a wonderful Britishism. Speaking foreign languages -- we can't be having with that! Eesh -
I’ve been pretty lucky in my own hostelling experiences here, I guess, but a lot of the backpackers I’ve overheard chatting with one another have come off as sounding depressingly the same: “Yeah, I was in Laos. Smoked opium there. Then I went to Thailand. Chiang Mai was beautiful. Cambodia was just so wonderful, except for the land mines…” etc.

I like the “turning local” line, because it seems like such a wonderful Britishism. Speaking foreign languages — we can’t be having with that!

]]> By: fiLi http://toshuo.com/2006/the-youth-hostel/comment-page-1/#comment-4611 fiLi Tue, 18 Jul 2006 06:13:41 +0000 http://toshuo.com/2006/the-youth-hostel/#comment-4611 Ooo... I can sympathize with most of your adventures in that hostel. It brings back some memories of a few SE-Asia experiences. If you think being an American in a British/OZ crowd is weird then imagine an Israeli is any sort of a western crowd. The culture clash, the accent differences, plus the politics makes it pretty intense and at times - uncomfortable. "Turning local" was also an issue among backpackers in Vietnam (and sometimes even Taiwan), as if the western world should "stick together" to maintain the aristocratic distance from the "natives". Brilliant. Ooo… I can sympathize with most of your adventures in that hostel. It brings back some memories of a few SE-Asia experiences.

If you think being an American in a British/OZ crowd is weird then imagine an Israeli is any sort of a western crowd. The culture clash, the accent differences, plus the politics makes it pretty intense and at times - uncomfortable.
“Turning local” was also an issue among backpackers in Vietnam (and sometimes even Taiwan), as if the western world should “stick together” to maintain the aristocratic distance from the “natives”.

Brilliant.

]]> By: John B http://toshuo.com/2006/the-youth-hostel/comment-page-1/#comment-4599 John B Tue, 18 Jul 2006 00:35:42 +0000 http://toshuo.com/2006/the-youth-hostel/#comment-4599 The hardcore backpacker crowd is a curious one... I'm not sure I would say that I dislike them--they after all have a lot of experiences that I don't--but I do think that their shallow take on every place they go is ... well ... shallow. :) I would much rather travel more slowly but actually have some clue as to what was going on wherever I was. That said, in my limited experience staying in hostels (once for about a week in Washington DC, once for about a week in Shanghai) I met some really cool, interesting people, a few of which I stay in touch with today. The hardcore backpacker crowd is a curious one… I’m not sure I would say that I dislike them–they after all have a lot of experiences that I don’t–but I do think that their shallow take on every place they go is … well … shallow. :) I would much rather travel more slowly but actually have some clue as to what was going on wherever I was.

That said, in my limited experience staying in hostels (once for about a week in Washington DC, once for about a week in Shanghai) I met some really cool, interesting people, a few of which I stay in touch with today.

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