Uncle Sam Looms Large
Looking for a taxi late at night can be
a real challenge in China. It gets worse
in a place like Guiyang, a southwestern
city. This is not because fewer taxis are
available. It is simply because it is so
hard to make the driver understand
where you want to go, unless you speak
Mandarin. As English names of every
international hotel have a correspond-
ing Chinese name, it gets even tougher.
If you say, “Take me to Hyatt Regency”,
it will make no sense to the driver unless you tell him in
Mandarin. A number of youngsters rush to help. But we
are no wiser since none of them speaks English and my
Chinese averages around the overdone “Ni Hao!” After
a long struggle with the translation app in the smart phone,
they finally understand that I need to hail a cab to my hotel.
Finally, I find one and on my way. As we reach, the driver
tells me in broken English he knows the country I am from.
I look at him with hope. He promptly exclaims: USA. For
him, as with many in China, an outsider who speaks fluent
English must be from America. No matter what you do, it
is difficult to get rid of “Uncle Sam” in China.Multitasking Wallets
There was a time when wallets were an essential part of
a man’s everyday accessory. But in China, it is fast becom-
ing irrelevant. Though hard cash has not entirely vanished
from the market, the new normal is certainly cashless
transactions. From buying an air ticket to booking a table
at a restaurant to paying the cab or salaries of employees
to children’s school fees, every transaction is being done
through the smart phone. “This phone is the only item
I need to carry when I step out of the house,” says an Indian
executive posted in China. With Big Data applications
steadily expanding, “multitasking ” is also getting a new
meaning. It is now quite possible to turn on the TV,
roll up the bedroom curtains, switch on the air
conditioner and turn on the water in the
coffee machine to boil all at the same
time and even as you are still in the
car, driving home from work—all
by simply pushing the buttons
on your mobile phone. I wonder
what will the large work force in
our country do if most activities
are automated.Herbivorous Pals
Getting caught with vegetarians
is the worst thing that can hap-
pen to you in China. They can be
the biggest kill-joy for carnivores. If
their numbers dominate the group,
you might as well skip the trip and stayback home. For foodies, who are not
fussy about what they eat, China is
a delightful experience. A platter full
of tasty dishes, cooked in subtle spices
and a wide array of sauce and oil are on
the offer at every meal. Under a friendly
host’s guidance each one of them can
be a wonderful experience. But for vege-
tarians, every meal can be a challenge.
You are never too sure what you are
eating or how the meal had been cooked.
For the Chinese, the term “strictly vege-
tarian” is a puzzle as fish and egg are often considered part
of the vegetarian menu. This makes it tougher for vege-
tarians to ascertain what has been put before them on the
table, irrespective of the vegetarian tag placed before the
dish. Every dish, therefore, is scrutinised, debated and
analysed before they are devoured. For meat-lovers, this
becomes a punishment. If you are unlucky to be in the
midst of such a group, then a week in China can inadver-
tently put you on a crash diet.Big Data in Miao Land
Till a few years ago, Guizhou, a province in China’s south-
west, was considered an undeveloped outpost. Now it is
turning into an attractive destination for outsiders.
Guiyang, its capital, is the major hub for China’s “Big Data”
and the annual summit it holds attracts scholars and busi-
nessmen from across the world. As does its eco-tourism:
the provincial government has managed to strike a balance
between Guizhou’s ecology and the province’s develop-
ment, making the region attractive to visitors. The prov-
ince has the largest mix of China’s minorities—the Miaos,
Dongs et al. Of 34 million people, minorities make up
nearly 38 per cent of the population. Importantly, unlike
in some other parts, they live in perfect harmony with the
majority Han group where marriages across ethnic lines
are not that uncommon.Maotai, The Toast
Of the many things Guizhou boasts,
Moutai is definitely one. With over
53 per cent alcohol Moutai, often
gets the focus of people every
time it is mentioned. The drink,
China’s most famous liquor that
originated in the province, had
found its way to banquets hosted
by Premier Zhou Enlai. Even
today it is regularly served at
official functions. But seasoned
diplomats often stay away from
it, aware that too many Maotai
“toasts” in the course of a dinner can
jettison a man onto the floor in the
most undiplomatic way possible.CHINA diary
PRANAY SHARMA
(The writer is Foreign Editor, Outlook)66 OUTLOOK 5 August 2019
SAAHIL