I’m sitting at Starbucks right now with no Internet because I forgot to get a new phone number before I came here. My phone number from the last city I lived in has no money on it and the only way that I can add money is to go back to that city and add money. So today I planned on getting a new number in the new city I live in but I forgot. So with not being able to surf the Internet, well, I suppose that I’ll write something.
There are some things that kinda irk me here in the PRC. Let me share a few.
1: When people speak English to me. Unless you are from an English speaking country and or speak absolutely perfect English, I will only speak Chinese to you. This came about today when I got to Starbucks. Actually whenever I got to Starbucks this happens. They always speak English to me. Listen, I haven’t spent an ass load of time studying Chinese and whatnot to have you go ahead and treat me differently. I order in Chinese, they speak in English, it’s weird.
It’s a pride thing I suppose. I’ve read other blogs on this, and I even might have written about it before. They spent time to learn English and want to use it, I have done the same and would like to use it. At least it wasn’t at a bar. I’ve had that happen. All of a sudden a hot chick is talking to you, asking you if you can teach her English. Um, I don’t speak English and am not an English teacher so go use someone else.
2: Rich people. They are everywhere in the world. Most work had to get where they are and I respect that but there are some that have rich parents and that, I can’t stand. Let me explain. In LA, Beverly Hills, etc, you expect this. Rich people live there and it’s expensive to live there. But get this. You can actually live here in China most everywhere for less than 10USD a day. Imagine living on that but having the same amount of money as the people in Beverly Hills. You not just rich you’re ridiculously rich.
Case in point, actually two cases in point. Yesterday I saw a Black Ferarri F430 Spyder. Driven by a kid. I assume a kid, he didn’t look much older than 25. Now, I could be wrong. He could of busted ass for the last whatever and bought a car that could feed a family for the next three generations, or his rich ass parents could of bought him the car because they so effing rich it’s hard to imagine.
Second case in point. Yesterday I also saw an Audi R8. This car retails for 146,00USD in the United States. In China it retails for 365,000 USD. There is a tax that is imposed by the government. Basically any sports car is going to be double the price in the States. 2.5 million RMB or so. Here is how big the wealth gap is here. The price for the American priced car, well, if you earn 30,000 a year in America that would be say, about five years of salary. I would guess the average Chinese family makes like 5,000 RMB a month. 2.5 million/5,000= about 500 months or about 41 years of salary. That’s right. There are rich people here that are rich by American and world standards but live in a country that you are well off if you make 1500USD a month. Makes you all warm in cuddly inside.
These are the latest things I’ve been thinking about. It just irks me sometimes. I bust ass and work hard and these douchers get to roll in cash and do absolutely nothing. The world’s not fair I suppose. I’m certainly not complaining about my life but come one throw a brother a couple bucks, I’ve earned it.