The most authentically "Chinese" place to study

[zomis93]

I looked at photos of Hangzhou and saw a video of it. The place looks pretty nice. I heard apart from the natural environment, it had a boring night life compared to other cities. Having a dynamic environment to practice my mandarin is important. Whats your opinion on this?

After reading a little bit more about Xi-an, it seems like a good place to study. Traveling along the silk road sounds wonderful. The pollution is whats keeping me from getting excited though.

[zomis93]

Cui Ruide. Thanks for the insightful Post. I am hoping I will be able to take in all the stimulation that China has to offer. As for the trip to McDonald, I doubt it. I will be too busy stuffing my mouth full of Chinese food.

Amandagmu. Thanks for the post. I have never traveled too far from home so when the time comes, I know I will be nervous. I spent 99% of my life in the suburbs so I will have difficulty adjusting to the polluted air if it is as bad as people say. I should not be too picky about these things now that I think about it. Drinking snow beer and relaxing on the beach is what my life needs.

[anonymoose]

I can't say much about nightlife as I am not into that scene at all. Maybe I'm wrong here, but I don't think it's the ideal way of practicing Chinese either. At least most of the bars or clubs that I have been to in Shanghai, which admitedly is only a very small sample, have been rather noisy making communication of any sort difficult, and with the main clientele being foreigners. Of the Chinese there, there are those who go to associate with foreigners, and usually speak in English, and those who don't care to associate with foreigners. Obviously I'm just generalising here. Maybe someone with more Chinese city nightlife experience could chime in with their take on it.

[gerri]

Entering the fray here: The most important thing is probably to keep an open mind - and, since you haven't been abroad, to be prepared for things being different from what you expected and/or imagined...

I'm in a third-tier city, on a university campus, and still: I could talk Chinese all day, or only in English (or Spanish or French). I doubt that there's much nightlife on campus, but the foreigners here are obviously finding enough ways to amuse themselves, both here and in the city. It is an area where the air is supposed to be very polluted, but Shanghai (because of all the construction pre-Expo) was definitely worse - and I suffer from allergies "back home" which are non-existent here. It's in the Central South of the country, but all that means for the winters is that they are cold, and there's no heating (or insulation, for that matter - and the summers get very hot and humid).

There's little in the way of traditional architecture to be found, but you are as likely to find cows or water buffalo on the road as a Maserati (by which I mean, I have seen both). People are kinda used to foreigners, kinda open, and kinda not caring - unless they do, when you get talk about your big nose or whatnot.

Attitudes are still very traditional, so all the girls are told not to get into relationships while they are at university, because only virgins can get a good (typically meaning rich) husband - and attitudes are also becoming modern, as pretty much all the students think that not having a boyfriend/girlfriend is a sign that something must be pretty wrong with you (but whether or not sex before marriage is okay is a different issue again).

In short: you can find everything everywhere. Just be prepared for things being different from what you thought.

[jbradfor]

I meant a place where I wont see McDonald's on every street corner

I doubt there is any city in China with a McD on every corner -- but there certainly are some areas within cities like that. But they are easy to avoid.

Saying that you want to go to a place in China that is so authentic there are no McD (or KFC or Starbucks) is, IMHO, a bit like a Chinese person wanting to go to a place that is so "Authentically American" that there are no Chinese restaurants. The existance of foreign chains is part of the modern authentic China.

As for the trip to McDonald, I doubt it. I will be too busy stuffing my mouth full of Chinese food.

After you return, please post again and let us know whether you did. When I was in Taiwan, it was only for three months, but after two months I got such a craving that I just had to go to KFC once.....

And what's so bad about going to McD in China?

[xuefang]

I know what the OP is talking about. Before I came to China I had this idea that some areas are more Chinese than others. But then I lerned to understand that everything inside China is Chinese. I think it's important to find a good Mandarin program so you won't be wasting your money. Some universities have undergraduate students as teachers, some of them who don't have any idea how to teach. And if you don't have enough classes, then also get a Chinese tutor. He/she can help you a lot with your pronunciation and spoken Chinese, but also reading and writing if you want to.

And when you are living a normal life, it doesn't matter is there a Forbidden City nearby. Maybe you would go there once (or twice), but your daily life is something else. So there's maybe no point to try to find this kind of authentic place. You can always travel during holidays.

About McDonalds. There are one in every city it seems and that's ok. I love Chinese food, but I still want a Big Mac every now and then. And other Western food too. And that will not spoil your Chinese experience.

[Meng Lelan]

Even going to McD is a language lesson in itself. I still have the McD's menu all in Chinese from the first time I went to the one on Wangfujing, and I use it for my unit on ordering food for my beginner's class.

[zomis93]

After you return, please post again and let us know whether you did. When I was in Taiwan, it was only for three months, but after two months I got such a craving that I just had to go to KFC once.....

And what's so bad about going to McD in China?

After seeing the stuff that goes into McD fast food, its easy to not like it. Just look at what American fast food chains are doing to Japanese peoples life span.

And when you are living a normal life, it doesn't matter is there a Forbidden City nearby. Maybe you would go there once (or twice), but your daily life is something else. So there's maybe no point to try to find this kind of authentic place. You can always travel during holidays.

That's a good point but if the environment has some quality I like ( Nice air, variety of activities, interesting local culture etc) then I would rather live in it. Otherwise I would think in the back of my head "darn, I should have chosen that place".

[anonymoose]

Well, if you've not experienced life abroad before, and everything will be new to you, my guess is that you'll either like China or you'll hate it, regardless of which city you go to. I doubt that any particular city is that different from another that it's going to significantly influence your overall impression of the country.

On the other hand, small things in the local environment might be important in determining whether you feel comfortable or not. And by that, I mean the standard of your living quarters, whether you have convenient shops and restaurants nearby, and so on.

[Brian US]

A little off topic, but going with the McDonald's ordering. I found it strange I couldn't order just the number instead of the meal, thinking this would be simpler. This only confuses the cashier when I simply asked for a number 3, as she assumed I wanted 3 meals. This also doesn't work in other restaurants I have tried.

[xiaoxiaocao]

Hi Brian, 套餐 tàocān is the word for 'set meal' in Chinese. If you say 五号套餐 wǔhàotàocān for example, they will give you combo number 5. Just replace the number when you order.

[abcdefg]

This only confuses the cashier when I simply asked for a number 3, as she assumed I wanted 3 meals.

This usually requires the judicious use of a finger in the ordering process. Point with an index finger at the menu on the counter or overhead on the wall and say "我要买一个五号套餐。” After the counter person has noted your selection, quickly transition the same finger to the upright position to indicate that you only want to buy ONE number 5 combo meal.

The counter person didn't really think I was Chinese to start with, so I haven't really blown my cover. To offset the painful loss of face, I generally ask for some extra catsup for the fries to let them know I really am fluent in the local lingo despite having reverted temporarily to newbie “fingertalk.”

[aristotle1990]

Better yet, use Chinese number gestures. That'll get you face. Hell, any laowai can order a 套餐 at McDonald's, but with Chinese finger talk? Dunno if even 大山 can do that...

[abcdefg]

Dunno if even 大山 can do that...

大山 can do anything!