Sanitation? Mei You! (Non-existent)

As long as I'm talking about the differences between China and the West on issues of cleanliness, I must talk about sanitation, or rather, lack thereof. China is a dirty, dirty place. If you're reading this from the comfort of your home in a Western country you really can't understand just how dirty it is. Sorry, you just can't. It's unfathomable. I could write a whole novel about this, but I'll attempt to keep it short.

Public spitting is rampant. People spit on the street. People spit on the floor inside of restaurants. People even spit on crowded buses. For me, the spitting itself isn't as bad as the pre-spit wind up, a long phlegmy hawking sound as the offender prepares to clean his sinuses. I've now lived in China for eight months and I still cringe every time I hear that sound.A writer once deemed this sound the national anthem of China. Quite right I say.

Beyond spitting, there is just a high general level of dirt, grime and sludge. Most people throw garbage on the street without a second thought, even in beautiful scenic areas. City and country alike are awash in discarded beer cans, cigarette butts, and instant noodle containers.

Pollution is so unchecked that large portions of the Yangtze have become uninhabitable for most river-going creatures. The skies in Chinese cities are perpetually brown, and you can only see blue if you crane your neck and look directly up. When it rains, it rains acid.

But, like almost everything else in China, sanitation standards are rapidly changing. The Communist leaders in Beijing are in a tizzy about how foreigners will view their country during the summer Olympics next year. Will they find it overcrowded, polluted, and full of rude, callous people lacking the most basic of manners? This is the fear of the government.

So, to prepare China for the world, Beijing is undergoing vast renovations, both to it's infrastructure and to the very way of life for its inhabitants. Public transportation is being revamped and the subway is being expanded. Bad English signs (lovely termed "Chinglish" by foreign residents of China) are being corrected and replaced. And Beijingers themselves are being given a crash course in Western manners. No cutting in line. No cursing. And, perhaps the most ambitious aim of the government, no more spitting. A hilarious article was posted today in the NY Times about Beijing's efforts to revamp itself for the games. "Given that Chinese leaders regard the Olympics as a milestone event to showcase China to the world, they obviously do not want to be embarrassed," says the article. A highly recommended read.

*On a side note--My last two posts have touched on the grimier side of China, but make no mistake, I really love this country and it's people. I'll try to touch on China's more pleasant side in some future postings.