Hi everyone,
Has anyone traveled to Asia? I'm actually a graduate student and am doing research on Asian American tourism in Asia. It would be great to read about your experiences...I'm not sure if I'm posting in the right area, but if you could help me out, I'd appreciate it. More specifically, I'm looking at Chinese Americans who have gone to Southeast Asia. What was the experience like? Did you go sight seeing much? How did your trip affect your identity as an Asian American?
Thanks!
Jules
Full Version: Finding Your Identity By Traveling To Asia
Hey there Jules,
It?s kind of a coincidence but I actually saw you post just a few days after I had return from my trip to China. Since I did not have a membership account on this web site and had several matters to take care of, so that?s why I had to put off the response until now.
With that said, my experience traveling to China between November and December of 2004 was awesome! It was one of the best trips I have ever gone on and now that I back at home, it made me think maybe I should have done this trip 5 or 10 years ago. I am an Asian Canadian and so I hope i am qualify to answer tyour question. I have been living in Canada for nearly 22 years. It was my first time going back to China since I came to Canada. The reason for this trip was to celebrate granny?s (dad?s mom) 91st birthday celebration.
The travel time from Canada to China was a killer! It took us 16 hours air flight, 12 ground travel in order to get to my granny?s place. She lived in province of Guangzhou, in a very small town called Dong Heng. The city was located very south of China and it was actually 1 km bridge away from Vietnam.
My impression of all my relatives from dad?s side was really good. They were all extremely friendly and hospitable. The place where my granny lived also housed 3 of my other uncle?s families. It was just amazing to meet all my uncles & their wives, nephews and nieces for the first time in my life. In fact, it sort of overwhelming initially because they have so much questions for you especially the area of dating and your profession. Thank goodness, I was not the oldest because one of my uncles lectured my sister for not getting married to anyone yet. Our relatives told us that if you're not marry by age 25, then you'll be lucky to find someone in their 40s/50s to marry to. Getting married by 25s is a cultural practice in China. When I told them that there are women who marry younger man in North America, they were silent. This aspect of the trip was sort of expected and although it was unpleasant, my sister and I just let them air out their views.
Aside from my experience of being scrutinize about my singleness, I loved every bit of the trip. There were so many things to do in China especially in the evening. People come out to eat desserts or they just take a walk because there are so much street vendors to check out. The weather was just awesome because it was sunshine almost everyday during the time we were there except we did have a few days of rain.
I find the general public to be very friendly and somewhat layback. I went crazy spending all $ in my China. I loved shopping because the food and clothing were so cheap. One Canadian dollar was worth $7 YEN (dollars) in China. There are beauty salons and spas on every street you walk on. The beauty industry is a booming business in China. Getting your face done up permanently is a normal practice in China. A lot of girls get their eyebrows shaped and permanently lined. They can also do permanently lipstick on a person. OK, I got to admit that I got sucked in also and got my eyebrows permanently lined. I've also got my nail manicure and had a facial/massage as well
I don't think I can afford them here in Canada.
Just speaking from my experience living with my relatives and talking with them, most of the households are still relying on propane gas and a heating unit in order to get hot water to shower. Some of my relatives who lived in the rural area are still resorting to fire/stone stove to get hot water and for cooking. It was a humbling experience to see how my relatives lived in the country side. What I would consider as modest living is extravagant to them!
The houses in the city are beautiful. The way they built the houses are very much like the French with lots of colors and detail in the exterior. You will find most of the washrooms have the squad style toilet because that?s what Chinese people are accustomed to. Another thing is that you will have to bring your own toilet paper if you ever have to pay a visit to public washroom. They will also charge you for using their facility.
When I was visiting my relatives in the rural area, I met a young chap who was separating the unripe rice on a hillside with his mother. I got sort of interested and though it was my chance to get to know how young people get by in life in the country side and so I started a conversation with him. We hit it off quite well until he popped the question if I have a boyfriend in Canada and even if I do, if I could take him to Canada. I lied to him that I had a boyfriend and that my boyfriend will not be happy if I decide to sponsor him over. It was hard to tell if he was attracted to me or if his motive was to be able to come to Canada so that he can find his goals and aspirations in life. There are a lot young people who are desperate to get out of China because it is so difficult to make a living there.
There are very little jobs in the part of the city I was staying at and so people grow their own vegetables and fruits and sell them in the food market or they provide two sitter-bike / motorbike transportation to the general public in order to make a living. You will see a lot of young people (18 to 25 years old) working in major department stores because their families don?t the money support them through grad/post grad school.
There is no religion or churches found in the city where we were staying. Most of the people are atheist. You will see a lot of oppression in the society. People are not allowed to have more then 2 children and if they do, they will be fine in thousands of dollars. My relative has told me situations where people would kill their baby girl because they wanted boy. Some people leave their baby outside on the street because they can't afford to raise their kid. One of my relative actually raised a little girl who was found in a garden. Women are made to get sterilization after their second child so that they can control the population. Once you're past 45 years old, this law will not apply and thus they can adopt or have more children. It is so sad to see people suffer in that way.
There is a lot petty crime like stealing inside the house or on the streets and pick pocketing. My relatives have told me that have seem cases where some people use magic to hypnotize a person to get all their $ out from their back account or from home. I was warned about this every day when I do my shopping or traveling to be very cautious about my surroundings. I guess I can understand why there are much of these dark activities in the city since it is so hard to make a living.
In conclusion, this trip had opened up my eyes to a country to which I am acquainted to, and yet I don?t understand a whole about the Chinese tradition or values and belief. I have come to a point in my life where I understand and probably even before this trip as to why my dad and moms are the way they are and what had happened to them during the time we were brought up here. Someday I will return to China again but probably not the same city. I might check out places like Beijing (where the great wall is) or Shanghai. There are still a lot places I have not been to.
~Helen~
It?s kind of a coincidence but I actually saw you post just a few days after I had return from my trip to China. Since I did not have a membership account on this web site and had several matters to take care of, so that?s why I had to put off the response until now.
With that said, my experience traveling to China between November and December of 2004 was awesome! It was one of the best trips I have ever gone on and now that I back at home, it made me think maybe I should have done this trip 5 or 10 years ago. I am an Asian Canadian and so I hope i am qualify to answer tyour question. I have been living in Canada for nearly 22 years. It was my first time going back to China since I came to Canada. The reason for this trip was to celebrate granny?s (dad?s mom) 91st birthday celebration.
The travel time from Canada to China was a killer! It took us 16 hours air flight, 12 ground travel in order to get to my granny?s place. She lived in province of Guangzhou, in a very small town called Dong Heng. The city was located very south of China and it was actually 1 km bridge away from Vietnam.
My impression of all my relatives from dad?s side was really good. They were all extremely friendly and hospitable. The place where my granny lived also housed 3 of my other uncle?s families. It was just amazing to meet all my uncles & their wives, nephews and nieces for the first time in my life. In fact, it sort of overwhelming initially because they have so much questions for you especially the area of dating and your profession. Thank goodness, I was not the oldest because one of my uncles lectured my sister for not getting married to anyone yet. Our relatives told us that if you're not marry by age 25, then you'll be lucky to find someone in their 40s/50s to marry to. Getting married by 25s is a cultural practice in China. When I told them that there are women who marry younger man in North America, they were silent. This aspect of the trip was sort of expected and although it was unpleasant, my sister and I just let them air out their views.
Aside from my experience of being scrutinize about my singleness, I loved every bit of the trip. There were so many things to do in China especially in the evening. People come out to eat desserts or they just take a walk because there are so much street vendors to check out. The weather was just awesome because it was sunshine almost everyday during the time we were there except we did have a few days of rain.
I find the general public to be very friendly and somewhat layback. I went crazy spending all $ in my China. I loved shopping because the food and clothing were so cheap. One Canadian dollar was worth $7 YEN (dollars) in China. There are beauty salons and spas on every street you walk on. The beauty industry is a booming business in China. Getting your face done up permanently is a normal practice in China. A lot of girls get their eyebrows shaped and permanently lined. They can also do permanently lipstick on a person. OK, I got to admit that I got sucked in also and got my eyebrows permanently lined. I've also got my nail manicure and had a facial/massage as well
I don't think I can afford them here in Canada. Just speaking from my experience living with my relatives and talking with them, most of the households are still relying on propane gas and a heating unit in order to get hot water to shower. Some of my relatives who lived in the rural area are still resorting to fire/stone stove to get hot water and for cooking. It was a humbling experience to see how my relatives lived in the country side. What I would consider as modest living is extravagant to them!
The houses in the city are beautiful. The way they built the houses are very much like the French with lots of colors and detail in the exterior. You will find most of the washrooms have the squad style toilet because that?s what Chinese people are accustomed to. Another thing is that you will have to bring your own toilet paper if you ever have to pay a visit to public washroom. They will also charge you for using their facility.
When I was visiting my relatives in the rural area, I met a young chap who was separating the unripe rice on a hillside with his mother. I got sort of interested and though it was my chance to get to know how young people get by in life in the country side and so I started a conversation with him. We hit it off quite well until he popped the question if I have a boyfriend in Canada and even if I do, if I could take him to Canada. I lied to him that I had a boyfriend and that my boyfriend will not be happy if I decide to sponsor him over. It was hard to tell if he was attracted to me or if his motive was to be able to come to Canada so that he can find his goals and aspirations in life. There are a lot young people who are desperate to get out of China because it is so difficult to make a living there.
There are very little jobs in the part of the city I was staying at and so people grow their own vegetables and fruits and sell them in the food market or they provide two sitter-bike / motorbike transportation to the general public in order to make a living. You will see a lot of young people (18 to 25 years old) working in major department stores because their families don?t the money support them through grad/post grad school.
There is no religion or churches found in the city where we were staying. Most of the people are atheist. You will see a lot of oppression in the society. People are not allowed to have more then 2 children and if they do, they will be fine in thousands of dollars. My relative has told me situations where people would kill their baby girl because they wanted boy. Some people leave their baby outside on the street because they can't afford to raise their kid. One of my relative actually raised a little girl who was found in a garden. Women are made to get sterilization after their second child so that they can control the population. Once you're past 45 years old, this law will not apply and thus they can adopt or have more children. It is so sad to see people suffer in that way.
There is a lot petty crime like stealing inside the house or on the streets and pick pocketing. My relatives have told me that have seem cases where some people use magic to hypnotize a person to get all their $ out from their back account or from home. I was warned about this every day when I do my shopping or traveling to be very cautious about my surroundings. I guess I can understand why there are much of these dark activities in the city since it is so hard to make a living.
In conclusion, this trip had opened up my eyes to a country to which I am acquainted to, and yet I don?t understand a whole about the Chinese tradition or values and belief. I have come to a point in my life where I understand and probably even before this trip as to why my dad and moms are the way they are and what had happened to them during the time we were brought up here. Someday I will return to China again but probably not the same city. I might check out places like Beijing (where the great wall is) or Shanghai. There are still a lot places I have not been to.
~Helen~
jules;
Traveling in a foreign country made me glad and proud to be an American. It also reminded me that people are people everywhere in the world. They are good, bad, mean, nice, greedy, generous, emotional, pensive, attractive and ...well... unattractive.
I was constantly asked where I came from and of course several people argued with me when I answered "the USA". I should also point out that I don't just "travel" in Asia I live here. Right now I am in Singapore but I have also spent time in Thailand, Philippines, Japan and Indonesia. I was born and raised in Chicago.
It is also nice to be part of the majority race for once and to see an Asian face everywhere, being normal. I predict, if you watch yourself, you will start to understand how being AA is a special blend of the past and present. You will see actions or habits that transferred through your parents to you. Maybe the food you eat, or maybe a hand movement. I see my parents in several of the people I have met - same demeanor, same hand gestures, same outlook on life, similar features. In America everyone is so aware of being Asian. In Asia you suddenly realize how "American" you are. For me it was a realization that it is OK to be the mix I am. Even though I am pure Asian in heritage - all 4 granparents from Asia - I say MIX because I am AA.
Travelling in a foreign country is an experience I wish everyone could live.
Traveling in a foreign country made me glad and proud to be an American. It also reminded me that people are people everywhere in the world. They are good, bad, mean, nice, greedy, generous, emotional, pensive, attractive and ...well... unattractive.
I was constantly asked where I came from and of course several people argued with me when I answered "the USA". I should also point out that I don't just "travel" in Asia I live here. Right now I am in Singapore but I have also spent time in Thailand, Philippines, Japan and Indonesia. I was born and raised in Chicago.
It is also nice to be part of the majority race for once and to see an Asian face everywhere, being normal. I predict, if you watch yourself, you will start to understand how being AA is a special blend of the past and present. You will see actions or habits that transferred through your parents to you. Maybe the food you eat, or maybe a hand movement. I see my parents in several of the people I have met - same demeanor, same hand gestures, same outlook on life, similar features. In America everyone is so aware of being Asian. In Asia you suddenly realize how "American" you are. For me it was a realization that it is OK to be the mix I am. Even though I am pure Asian in heritage - all 4 granparents from Asia - I say MIX because I am AA.
Travelling in a foreign country is an experience I wish everyone could live.
Yeah, they should actually. Travelling is one thing, living there is better. If you live long enough, you will see the similarities in ppl from all countries. How I wish racist and prejudice ppl had that luxury, but they don't. They love what comes out from the black box (hint: tv), watch MTV and idolise celebrities who has f*cked up life.
I'm missing Asia already, the overblown issues here make me realise how tough it will be as a minority. Luckily I'm surrounded by ppl of all races who are open minded and actually respects Asian culture, enjoys Asian food and basically respect all the differences.
We should all hold our head up high because we are a notch above those small-minded ppl of all races - the people who buy into stereotypes, prejudice against their race and basically has no identity but forge other's.
hey after reading the post by h&h i realized that holly crap...i think my family is from the same area...
if you are reading this and your the person who post the response e-mail because i would like to hear more about you family history and story. you can reach me at timmycun@hotmail.com...
if you are reading this and your the person who post the response e-mail because i would like to hear more about you family history and story. you can reach me at timmycun@hotmail.com...
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