Heading to China in 2 days...

[ChristianAnarchist]

I'm going to China for almost a month. I'll try to post a few observations here while I'm there. RonPaulForums are not censored there yet so I shouldn't have any issue. Any links to "verboten" sites like youtube will not work, of course unless I get my VPN working over there. I have youtube withdrawals when I'm there and can't get through the great firewall...

[angelatc]

There's another one of us there. But he's probably converted to Communism now.

[TheTexan]

Just remember to behave yourself. You want to keep a good Sesame score. Though it may already be too late for that for you.

[ChristianAnarchist]

There's another one of us there. But he's probably converted to Communism now.

Na, he's a good kid Had dinner with him last time I was in Beijing and although we don't see eye to eye on everything I have no doubt he's on the path to liberty. It took me many years to get to understand what Liberty is and I'm pretty sure it was a journey for everyone else here too.

He is able to see something that everyone who stays in the US their whole life cannot see. The enormous level of propaganda in the USA. When one is immersed in another culture you have a unique opportunity to see how false a great part of what you were conditioned with your whole life. I don't think he's ever going to go "communist" (especially since the Chinese themselves are marching 180 from that ideal)...

[ChristianAnarchist]

Oh, yeah. Tomorrow we get on the plane if there are seats (we are flying on buddy passes). Fourteen hours later we will be landing in Beijing. Although I have "issues" when in China (mainly the internet censorship) it should be a good trip. I look forward to meeting with friends and family there...

[oyarde]

Well , I spent years in different countries when I was young and I must say I learned alot about people , economies , governments , religions etc from it .

[oyarde]

I'm going to China for almost a month. I'll try to post a few observations here while I'm there. RonPaulForums are not censored there yet so I shouldn't have any issue. Any links to "verboten" sites like youtube will not work, of course unless I get my VPN working over there. I have youtube withdrawals when I'm there and can't get through the great firewall...

If you learn any LIFESKILLS be sure and add 'em to that thread.

[phill4paul]

Safe trip!

[ChristianAnarchist]

Between the poor internet access and jet-lag and visiting friends I haven't had a lot of time to post any messages but that should change after today. The good news is I am able to get the VPN connection established so I can see all the western sites I want. Very tired right now so nighty-night...

[PaulConventionWV]

There's another one of us there. But he's probably converted to Communism now.

We've met, thanks.

ChristianAnarchist, hit me up if you want to meet up sometime! What part of Beijing are you going to be staying in?

[ChristianAnarchist]

We've met, thanks.

ChristianAnarchist, hit me up if you want to meet up sometime! What part of Beijing are you going to be staying in?

PM me your wechat id and I'll contact you. Since our focus this trip is Wuhan I'm not sure how much time we'll spend in Beijing but if possible I'd like to see you again. ..

[ChristianAnarchist]

So now I'm down to using my phone for Internet access because the hot spot from last year ran out of data and of course simply recharging it couldn't be done because I can't find the phone number of the thing. We went to get another Sim card but couldn't find the apn info for configuration and it was late so sometime today maybe we can get back up connection wise. Still, it's a big improvement on how things were even a few years back. The same problem might take a week to fix or even longer. ..

[ChristianAnarchist]

Got the internet as good as I'm going to get it this trip. Since we are only going to be here a couple of weeks we don't want to get DSL at the apartment so we've set up two cellular hot spots and they are working pretty good (we can leave one at the apartment and take one on the road). My VPN L2TP to my Dell Sonicwall at our office is working well and getting around the Great Firewall. Although I haven't played with it much it seems our Private Internet Access L2TP connection is also working. A regular VPN will be defeated by the censors but the L2TP protocol seems to still be usable. Don't know how business will be able to proceed here if they ever crack that one...

[ChristianAnarchist]

One thing I've noticed this year in China. People are getting fat from prosperity. 22 years ago on my first trip here there were very few fat people and of course there was no technology to speak of and very few private vehicles. Roads were very poor and transportation systems were packed with people. Today there are tall buildings everywhere (many look like they will never be occupied) and the traffic is a total nightmare with hundreds of millions of personal vehicles. We have a rental car and when I drive somewhere you have to allow for the traffic jams. Some routes are almost impassible because of the traffic. Roads are being built and re-built almost constantly but as soon as they widen some road traffic re-routes and jams it up.

22 years ago most people lived in small cramped quarters that were very austere. All my wife's friends and family now live in large apartments and have at least one car (most have 2). They have nice furnishings and all the electronic gadgets. One boy about 9 was here with his parents yesterday playing with his phone and they stated that all the kids had to have a phone because the teachers assign homework by text messaging. Make no mistake there is still a lot of abject poverty here and some people live in trans containers or broken down shacks but 22 years ago that was almost the norm so it's much better.

Politically there's no activity, of course. Financially there's more freedom here than in the US (no restrictions on cash and very low taxation). Small business is relatively unrestricted but if your business gets above a certain size you can expect a visit from the goons to make sure you are in "compliance" with some or another law. Still, most of the kids here getting out of H.S. want to live abroad. They believe that life is better elsewhere but we also know many Chinese who have lived in the US or Europe who have decided that they have more opportunity in China and have returned.

One has to choose the oppression that you are most comfortable with. If you are Chinese I can see how you might feel more comfortable with the Chinese oppression. I still feel the USA oppression is more comfortable (which is the problem - isn't it?).

[ChristianAnarchist]

Getting ready to travel on the high-speed train from Wuhan to Beijing. The trains are very nice and of course, they run on time. Top speed was capped at 300kph since an accident a few years back. That's about 186 mph and it gets you there pretty fast. I guess they can go over 200 mph if the cap is removed.

I have a rental car here in Wuhan and I'll have another in Beijing. If you ever wondered about what driving in China is like search "driving in China" on youtube. Most people see the driving "style" here and think that's the cause of all the accidents. I have a different take on it. Once you are used to the driving style here it works VERY well and actually facilitates more traffic flow than what we have. If everyone here followed our "rules" there would be traffic jams 24/7 instead of the "only" 6 hours or so per day. I actually find it fun driving here with all the crazy drivers. You expect it after a while and you watch for that clown who is about to pull in front of you and you simply move over (in front of the guy next to you). In the end pretty much everyone makes it home safely (I'd say about the same rate as at home). I've never seen a very serious accident in all my years traveling here. I've never even witnessed a minor one but I've seen people in the road with their cars damaged explaining things to the cops.

Speaking of goons, on a rather long trip yesterday I actually had the pleasure of passing them on the highway 3 different times. It's so liberating to know you can pass them while exceeding the "speed limit" and nothing will happen to you. They will not give pursuit here and they have no desire to... Different goons for different folks... (ya, I know it don't rhyme)

[luctor-et-emergo]

Getting ready to travel on the high-speed train from Wuhan to Beijing. The trains are very nice and of course, they run on time. Top speed was capped at 300kph since an accident a few years back. That's about 186 mph and it gets you there pretty fast. I guess they can go over 200 mph if the cap is removed.

Do you trust Chinese engineering ? I don't for the most part.

[Danke]

Do you trust Chinese engineering ? I don't for the most part.

So that's why you're building your own pizza oven.

[ChristianAnarchist]

Do you trust Chinese engineering ? I don't for the most part.

I look at the numbers. From just Wuhan to Beijing there are something like 18 trains a day. To other major cities there are from 3 to 14. Then there are the trains from all those cities to all the other cities. Unless you have seen the magnitude of the train system here you can't imagine what it's like. I'd say their safety record is on par with western projects. I fly their airlines too but as a private pilot I know they cut corners there as well. Still their safety record is pretty good in aviation as well but a notch below the west for sure...

[ChristianAnarchist]

So that's why you're building your own pizza oven.

Those North Koreans don't quite trust the Chinese you know...

[luctor-et-emergo]

So that's why you're building your own pizza oven.

Nope, the government won't do it for me so I'll have to do it myself.

I look at the numbers. From just Wuhan to Beijing there are something like 18 trains a day. To other major cities there are from 3 to 14. Then there are the trains from all those cities to all the other cities. Unless you have seen the magnitude of the train system here you can't imagine what it's like. I'd say their safety record is on par with western projects. I fly their airlines too but as a private pilot I know they cut corners there as well. Still their safety record is pretty good in aviation as well but a notch below the west for sure...

Those North Koreans don't quite trust the Chinese you know...

I wouldn't dare to fly Air Koryo, that's some scary $#@!.

[ChristianAnarchist]

Nope, the government won't do it for me so I'll have to do it myself.


I wouldn't dare to fly Air Koryo, that's some scary $#@!.

Why did you edit your location? I thought "North Korea" was kinda funny...

[oyarde]

Why did you edit your location? I thought "North Korea" was kinda funny...

I doubt he did it.

[ChristianAnarchist]

I doubt he did it.

What? Are we required to be truthful here on the forum?? In that case I'm in trouble...

[luctor-et-emergo]

Why did you edit your location? I thought "North Korea" was kinda funny...

Right, I didn't. WTF is going on here? First my EUSSR is taken from me, then my beloved North-Korea. This is outrageous.

I put it back, is there someone that can explain that ?

[ChristianAnarchist]

Right, I didn't. WTF is going on here? First my EUSSR is taken from me, then my beloved North-Korea. This is outrageous.

I put it back, is there someone that can explain that ?

I suspect Dennis Rodman...

[oyarde]

Right, I didn't. WTF is going on here? First my EUSSR is taken from me, then my beloved North-Korea. This is outrageous.

I put it back, is there someone that can explain that ?

My beloved Land of Indians is lost ....

[oyarde]

What? Are we required to be truthful here on the forum?? In that case I'm in trouble...

Yes.

[ChristianAnarchist]

Currently on the High Speed train from Wuhan to Beijing... No accident yet. I have a pretty good chance to get there alive. I'm watching a little George Carlin on YouTube (thanks to my L2TP vpn connection to our office)...

[Danke]

My beloved Land of Indians is lost ....

Has been for quite some time.

[ChristianAnarchist]

Went to Baoding for a visit with my wife's friends yesterday. I drove the trip both ways (about 2.5 hours each way). The highlight of the trip was a lamb restaurant in the hills behind a small village that required driving on some very narrow back roads to get to. A very nice little place with some great lamb. They told me I was the first American to ever eat there. It's not exactly on the tourist map but it was a great way to see the way life is in the small farm villages.