What are your opinions and perhaps bias (prejudices) when you think of going to China and Russia?
I had my thoughts about it…… I thought it would be so different compared to Sweden and many other countries…….but No, it was Not !
CHINA
After visting Peking & Shanghai, I now got a totally different opinion about China.
I also now realize how much prejudice there is about this country.
Peking and Shanghai are two top-modern cities with everything you can ask for in a modern world.
There, in the big cities people are very relaxed and nice and there´s really no difference in mentality and the every-day-life compared to for example Sweden or anywhere else.
China has very little criminality compared to other countries, so you actually can feel more safe there than in many other cities around the world. There can be pocket-thiefs and things like that, but it´s very seldom that for example rapes and violence occurs. They are about 1,4 billion people there, so in comparance with for example the U.S. And Europe the number of crimes are minimal.
I asked two persons that come from other countries that work in China and have been living there for many years about the restrictions and limitations of the Internet, the way how media and politics work and so on, if they care or ”suffer” from it ?
If they feel kind of ”trapped” or ”locked in” ?
The answer was very clear – The majority doesn´t see it in any negative way at all. They have everything they need in their own country. They have their own ”alternative” chinese Internet-sites, and when I think more about it – The control from media and politicians are about the same but in a different way when it comes to for example Sweden. In many ways media control us what to think and believe too – all over the world. So why would it be worse in China today? It´s just that we don´t think or want to believe that it´s happening to us as well – But media and politicians in our own countries control us much more than we think. Besides all of that, the citizens of China can easily get into international sites on the Internet or whatever if they want to. But most people doesn´t seem to care. And they have the ability to choose.
I had the feeling that the people in China are much more aware about media and the gouvernment than we are in Europe. And If you ask, they will probably tell you about it.
Of course I don´t know how it is in the smaller cities and at the country-side, but this was really a good experience !
People were very friendly and nice. The staff at the hotels, airplanes, restaurants and wherever we came were very nice and serviceminded in a good way. When we arrived at the airport, the passport control was even easier to get through than in many other countries. Everything went very smoothly.
RUSSIA
Well – Read above and it´s very much the same !
Very good and high Hotel Standard. The best food I´ve ever had on a tour !
When you hear ”Sibiria” – what do you think ? A wide open landscape with nothing all covered in snow ? The Salt Mines ?
No, it was not like that. It was more sort of a similarity of coming to smaller cities in Sweden. Nothing more strange than that.
I´m really impressed by this big country !
I had a feeling that a new generation now is growing in Russia – away from the old into the new. A very positive feeling no matter what you think about politics or whatever….. Russia is a fantastic country with great people !
We´ve had such a good time on this tour and I would like to thank everyone who supported us ! And Thank You for reading my diary !
I´m doing this very much for my own sake cause I want to remember…..
Once again – Thanks !
Nalle
